Cole Porter's MEXICAN HAYRIDE Opens Tonight at Musicals Tonight!

Musicals Tonight! the Obie-winning company dedicated to the revival of neglected musicals kicks off its 2013-14 season with a 16-performance run of Cole Porter's Mexican Hayride (October 8 - 20) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by James Stenborg.

Mexican Hayride features a book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields with music & lyrics by Cole Porter.

The cast features Jessica Wagner, M.X. Soto, Amie Bermowitz, Casey Hebbel, Ryan Hilliard, Tara Lynne Khaler, David Marmanillo, Benjamin Perez, Natalie Ramirez, Kelly Ross, April Woodall, Michael J. Borges, Cristina Farruggia, Glenn Giron, Cat Greenfield, Alex Krasser, Christiana Little, Christian Marriner, Jacob L. Smith, and Andreas Wyder.

Joe Bascom (M.X. Soto), a small-time American racketeer in Mexico on the run from the FBI (alias Humphrey Fish), tries to elude the local authorities (and his wife) but runs afoul of a female bullfighter - Montana (Jessica Wagner), her manager Lombo (David Marmanillo), and Latin singer Lolita (Natalie Ramirez). Songs include: "I Love You"; "A Humble Hollywood Executive"; "He Certainly Kills the Women"; "There Must Be Someone for Me"; "Sing to Me Guitar".

Produced by showman Mike Todd Mexican Hayride opened January 28, 1944 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre with a cast of 99 starring Bobby Clark and June Havoc, and ran 481 performances. Universal Pictures bought the rights as a 1948 vehicle for the comedy team of Abbott & Costello, which ditchEd Porter's score.

Under the leadership of Founder/Artistic Director Mel Miller, Musicals Tonight! performs two-week runs Tuesday through Sunday at the Lion Theatre at Theatre Row Studios, 410 West 42nd Street. Single tickets on sale now. Tickets are $25 (plus $1.25 facility fee) and available through Telecharge at 212-560-2186 or www.telecharge.com. For more information visit www.musicalstonight.org.

Musicals Tonight! also hosts the popular At This Performance! concert series designed to showcase talented Broadway standbys and understudies to sing their shows' current musical hits. The 2013-24 series dates of At This Performance! are October 14, 27, March 10, 23, and April 7 at 7pm at the Lion Theatre. Tickets are $25.

The season includes Marvin Hamlisch's Smile (October 22 - November 3) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by David Bishop; Will Holt's Come Summer (March 4 -16) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by James Stenborg; George & Ira Gershwin's For Goodness Sake (March 18 - 30) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by David Bishop; and Rodgers & Hart's America's Sweetheart (April 1 - 13) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by James Stenborg.

For more information on the season, tickets and subscriptions, www.musicaltonight.org.

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