Fashion Musical SHOES AND BAGGAGE Begins Previews This Week Off-Broadway

Nancy Manocherian's the cell presents the World Premiere of SHOES & BAGGAGE, a one-woman musical about the "high of the buy." It is written and performed by Broadway veteran Cheryl Stern (La Cage Aux Folles, The Women) with music by Drama Desk nominee Tom Kochan (Almost, Maine). Directed by Joe Barros, previews begin May 5 at the cell with opening slated for Thursday, May 12. This limited engagement is produced on an Off-Broadway contract.

Bergdorf's. Barneys. Bloomingdale's. SHOES & BAGGAGE is about the insatiable urge to purchase and possess beautiful things and the deeper feelings that propel this behavior. Working actress Cheryl Stern takes us on a wild, hilarious, and heartbreaking ride of hunting and spending as she digs deep to understand her own obsession with shopping. From her escapades while in the cast of the star-studded Broadway revival of The Women to her stint as coach and host on The Home Shopping Network, Cheryl portrays over two dozen characters, illuminating a secret yet relatable world of retail enslavement.

Get a sneak peek at the show below!

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Cheryl Stern's Broadway credits include the 2010 Tony Award Winning revival of La Cage Aux Folles, starring Kelsey Grammer;The Women with Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Tilly and Kristen Johnston, (Roundabout); and Laughing Room Only. Cheryl was also featured in Fiorello at Encores/NY City Center and in Candide at NY City Opera. Her Off Broadway credits include Transport Group's Being Audrey, Alice B' Toklas in 27 Rue de Fleurus, Mamie Eisenhower in the Drama Desk nominated First Lady Suite, A Letter To Harvey Milk, Game Show and I Love You,You're Perfect, Now Change. She received an IRNE Award for Best Supporting Actress in Mary Zimmerman's Candide at HuntingtonTheatre. Her writing credits include the Jonathan Larson Award winning Nor'mal at Transport Group, The Audience, Being Audrey, Famous, Are We There Yet, Buffalonia and A Christmas Survival Guide.

Composer Tom Kochan is a Drama Desk nominee for his score to Almost, Maine for Transport Group. Other career highlights include: The Elephant Man starring Bradley Cooper at Williamstown Theatre Festival, two plays with Arthur Miller (at Roundabout and Williamstown), five CD's with James Galway (on RCA Records), three NYC productions with filmmaker Mike Leigh (including the Obie Award winning Ecstasy), and the Jonathan Larson award winning musical Pretty to the Bone. He is the proud recipient of an Emmy Award for his work on As The World Turns.

Joe Barros is a New York-based director and award-winning choreographer. His New York credits include the Broadway revival of Gigi (Associate Director), I Married Wyatt Earp @ 59E59 Theatres, Hard Times (NY Innovative Theatre Award Nominee for Best Choreography, NY Times Critics' Pick), Charlotte's Web (Theatreworks USA), Supersoldier (by Hair co-creator Jim Rado), Michael John LaChiusa's Marie Christine (3LD), plus productions at Transport Group, NYMF, FringeNYC, and Culture Project. Regional: Goodspeed Musicals, DC's Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre, and Cardinal Stage, among others. He is a member of SDC and the Artistic Director of NY Theatre Barn.

Nancy Manocherian's the cell (Artistic Director, Kira Simring) is dedicated to creating works to mine the mind, pierce the heart, and awaken the soul. the cell is a not-for-profit collective for artists to incubate and present new work.

SHOES & BAGGAGE runs May 5 - June 3, Thursday - Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 3pm with additional performances May 9, 25 & June 1 at 7pm and May 21 & 28 at 3pm. (Note: no performance on May 15.) the cell is located at 338 W 23rd St, between 8th & 9th Avenues -- accessible from the C & E trains at 23rd Street. Running time is 60 minutes. Tickets are $25 - $35, available at 800-838-3006 or www.thecelltheatre.org.

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