THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES Celebrate Their One Year Anniversary 9/14

On Monday, September 14th, The Marvelous Wonderettes celebrates its one-year anniversary in New York where it continues to run at Off-Broadway's Westside Theatre, upstairs (407 West 43rd Street). Written and directed by Roger Bean, The Marvelous Wonderettes features Kirsten Bracken, Misty Cotton, Christina DeCicco and Lindsay Mendez.

After a record-setting and award-winning run in Los Angeles, The Marvelous Wonderettes opened one year ago to rave reviews from the New York critics. The New York Times called the show "effervescent, irresistible and an utter charm," while Variety called it "charming and funny" with "four gifted comedians." The Associated Press raved "you won't find a more delightful girl group. These irrepressible, bubbly Wonderettes are singing their hearts out in this charming, fast-paced musical. Beautiful singing, well-honed timing, often poignant and highly entertaining!" Backstage wrote "Don't buy a ticket - buy two! It's a show you'll want to see twice! A laugh-a-minute songfest!"

With the success of the show on the West Coast and now in New York, The Marvelous Wonderettes will bring their special brand of tightly-harmonized "shing-a-lings" and "shoop-de-doos" to cities around the United States. Recently, new productions of The Marvelous Wonderettes have been announced to open at Chicago's Northlight Theatre and Miami's Actors' Playhouse in September 2009, Long Beach's Musical Theatre West in April, 2010, Cincinnati's Ensemble Theatre in May, 2010 and Albany's Capital Repertory Theatre June, 2010, with more to be announced in the coming months.

On September 14th, The Marvelous Wonderettes' one-year anniversary will mark their 418th performance, surpassing the runs of landmark off-Broadway productions including Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (2006), Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (1985), Jeffrey (1993), Closer Than Ever (1989), Bat Boy (2001), Anything Goes (1962 revival) and Torch Song Trilogy (1982).

A cotton candy-colored non-stop pop musical, The Marvelous Wonderettes features the iconic sounds of the fifties and sixties in a journey back to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where the Wonderettes - Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy - are four young girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts. Brimming with such classic hits as "Lollipop," "Dream Lover," "Stupid Cupid," "Lipstick on Your Collar," "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," "It's My Party" and "It's In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)," The Marvelous Wonderettes is a high-octane musical blast from the past.

"The last year has been an absolute dream," says alto-Wonderette Missy Miller speaking on behalf of herself and her fellow Wonderettes. "But we're not letting all of the fame and success go to our heads. No sir. We're just four simple girls from Springfield High, bound together by friendship and close-knit harmony. The girls and I are delighted that the New York audiences keep coming out to see us, and that our show will be seen by audiences across the country in the year to come. It's so exciting! I wonder if this is how Debbie Reynolds felt when she sang for Leslie Nielsen in Tammy and the Bachelor?"

Presented by David Elzer (Jewtopia, The Laramie Project), Peter Schneider (The Lion King, Sister Act: The Musical) and Marvelous NYC, LLC, The Marvelous Wonderettes features choreography by Janet Miller, musical direction by Brian William Baker, a set design by Mike Carnahan, costume and wig design by Bobby Pearce (Broadway's Taboo) and lighting design by Jeremy Pivnick.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Misty Cotton (Missy). Broadway/First National: Ellen in Miss Saigon, Narrator (opposite Donny Osmond) in Joseph...Dreamcoat, Eponine in Les Miserables. Regional: Violet in Side Show (Ovation and Garland Awards), Cathy in The Last Five Years (Pasadena Playhouse), Coubrette in Sophisticated Ladies (Ovation nomination), Chairy in Barnum (Asolo Rep & Jupiter Theatre with Brad Oscar), Annie in Annie Get Your Gun, Percy in Spitfire Grill, Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde, Nancy in Oliver!, Princess Leonide in Triumph of Love, Eve/Mama Noah in Children of Eden, to name a few. She also originated the role of Missy in The Winter Wonderettes at Milwaukee Repertory.

Christina DeCicco (Cindy Lou). Off-Broadway debut. She was recently seen as Glinda in the National Tour of Wicked. She just finished performing the role of Elmire in Dog Run Repertory's production of Moliere's Tartuffe at South Street Seaport. Regionally she was seen as Eponine in Les Miserables (Barrymore Award Winner), Maria in West Side Story, Hope in Urinetown, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Maria Elena in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. She has also performed in several concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony. AEA. BA Wagner College. www.christinadecicco.com

Lindsay Mendez (Betty Jean). Lindsay most recently appeared in Everyday Rapture at 2nd Stage Theater as a "Mennonette" to Sherie Rene Scott. She was an original cast member of the recent Broadway revival of Grease, playing the role of Jan. Regional/Tour credits include: Footloose (Sacramento Music Circus, Kansas City Starlight), Princesses (NAMT, Goodspeed Opera House, 5th Avenue Theater), Grease (European Tour, Fulton Opera House), Call Me Madam (Reprise!), Go the Distance, The Lyrics of David Zippel (Jazz at Lincoln Center, Kaufman Center). Lindsay is also the lead singer of the cover band, Limbsakimbo. www.lindsaymendez.net

Kirsten Bracken (Suzy). Broadway: Hairspray (Lou Ann, u/s Amber). Other NY: Gemini: The Musical (NYMF); Life in Plastic (American Theater of Actors). Regional: Created the role of Flame in the world premiere of Minsky's at the Ahmanson Theater. Other Regional: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie); A Chorus Line (Maggie); Annie Get Your Gun (Winnie Tate); Beauty and The Beast (Babette). Kirsten performs as a soloist with symphonies across the country under the direction of Maestros Erich Kunzel and Steve Reineke. TV: "All My Children." Kirsten is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

Roger Bean (Creator/Director). directed the original Milwaukee Rep, Laguna Playhouse and Los Angeles productions of The Marvelous Wonderettes. For the Los Angeles production, MR. Bean received a Los Angeles Ovation Award nomination for Best Director of a Musical, and The Marvelous Wonderettes received the 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Musical. The Marvelous Wonderettes was also nominated for the 2009 Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical. Other musicals and revues created by MR. Bean, commissioned and premiered at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, include The Andrews Brothers (Musical Theatre West, Fullerton CLO, Cabaret Oldtown, Cabrillo Music Theatre); Route 66 (Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Moonlight Avo Playhouse, Invisible Theatre, Seven Angels, Springer Opera House); Honky Tonk Laundry (Centerstage Spokane, Des Moines Playhouse, Oregon Cabaret, Art Station Theatre); Why Do Fools Fall In Love? (Rocky Mountain Repertory, Venice Little Theatre); Life Could Be A Dream (Majestic Theatre, Texas Family Musicals); and the holiday sequel to this show: Winter Wonderettes (Delaware Theatre Company, Laguna Playhouse, Water Tower Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Festival, El Portal Theatre). MR. Bean has had the great pleasure of directing for the Delaware Theatre Co., Laguna Playhouse, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Northlight Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Madison Rep, Florida Studio, Oregon Cabaret, Skylight Opera, and numerous stages in-between. Visit www.rogerbean.com or www.steelespring.com for more about MR. Bean and his other musicals.

WWW.MARVELOUSWONDERETTES.COM

 

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