4th Wall Theater Announces Kate Swan As Director Of THE WILD PARTY 6/5-20

4th Wall Theatre in Bloomfield, NJ has tapped Kate Swan, actress/dancer (Broadway's Beauty & the Beast), turned director/choreographer, to direct the final show of their 2008-2009 Season, The Wild Party. With music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa and book by LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe; the musical is based on the narrative poem, of the same name, written by Joseph Moncure March in 1926. The show opened on Broadway in 2000 and featured Toni Colette, Mandy Patinkin and Eartha Kitt. Ms. Kitt received rave notices after a 20 year absence from the stage, and the show received a total of seven Tony nominations.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Kate Swan at the helm on this production," says Artistic Director Gregory G. Allen. "Her creative process has been amazing to watch as she has led her cast in stripping away the layers on each character in this dark, yet glitzy musical."

Markus Hauck, direct from the tour of I Love a Piano, is the musical director and the show features a cast of party-goers from New York and New Jersey: Angela Sytko, James Lopez, Matt Burns, Michele Perkins, Mandy Feiler, Alan Leatherman, Marisa Cucuzza, Lauren Kay, Timothy Avant, Daryl Stewart, Bianca Sutlovich, Jeff Dopson, Louis Hoffman, Craig Tiede, and Vanessa Robinson.

Allen continues "On the surface The Wild Party may appear to simply be a tale of debauchery and unbridled excess, but upon closer inspection of LaChiusa's carefully crafted lyrics and book (with Wolfe) we get to see what makes these people tick. They smile at someone in one moment and then cut them down in the next. As an early lyric in the show declares: 'Welcome to my party - who here's new? Welcome to my party - who the hell invited you'." 4th Wall invites you to come to a party like you've never seen before.

4th Wall is known in northern New Jersey for producing edgy, lesser known musicals. Performances run June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 at 8:00 pm and on the 14 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $22/$18 and can be purchased at www.4thwalltheatre.org or by calling 973-748-9008 ext 279. 4th Wall performs at the Westminster Arts Center on the campus of Bloomfield College. This production is for mature audiences only.