HUSH THE MUSICAL REVIEW Plays Midwinter Madness Festival, 2/21-2/26

Hush the Musical Review, a production of the Frizzi & Lazzi Musical Theatre Company, will take part in the Midwinter Madness Festival, presented by John Chatterton. It will play three performances next month at the Payan Theatre in the Times Square Arts Center.

Hush is set in the VIP waiting room at LaGuardia airport during a blinding snowstorm which has halted all departures. Two stranded, eccentric characters and their opposing philosophies are forced into comical confrontations with delightfully humorous consequences. Georgia, a New Age Buddhist meditation instructor encounters a successful, materialistic businessman, Othello Salviati. They are joined by an inept Hit Man and a kooky Stewardess. Music for Hush is composed by Charles Mandracchia, who also directs. The libretto was adapted from Etta Cascini's original Italian comedy SHHHH by Emelise Aleandri, Artistic Director of Frizzi & Lazzi.

The Company features Seth Blum, a NYC Public School Teacher, who plays Othello. He recently created the role of Balthazar in the original musical adventure, Lighthouse. He previously played Leon Whittaker in the NYC debut of Chains of Dew at the Wings Theatre. Coming soon, Seth can be seen in the role of Morty in the independent film I Hate Tom Petty. Emelise Aleandri plays Georgia. She currently stars in the title role of Sister Italy (Paisan Films), by Angela Rago, and is featured in numerous TV shows, theatrical productions and films, including Spike Lee's Crooklyn and Summer of Sam, Italian Funerals and Other Festive Occasions at the Walnut Street Theatre, and in the documentaries: Teatro (CUNYTV), Little Italy: Past, Present and Future (NBC TV) and The Italian Passion for Life (PBS). Tommy J. Dose plays Nick, the incompetent Hit Man. His credits include: Phantom, Spamalot, My Fair Lady, In the Beginning, Urinetown, Assassins, Into the Woods, Oklahoma, Captains Courageous and Oliver. Madelyn Schwartz creates the review's kooky Stewardess. She made her NYC stage debut in Nicu's Spoon Theatre children's production of Cinderella. Regional Oregon credits include: Wild Oats, As You Like It, The Person I Once Was, Big River, Spelling Bee, Beauty and the Beast, Honk, Oklahoma and The Boys From Syracuse.

Alla Axelrod serves as Hush Musical Director and Pianist. Alla has been entertaining on American stages for the past 30 years. She has played in over 50 musicals throughout the tri-state area and has graced the stage of many niteclubs, such as NYC's Don't Tell Mama. Joe Ligammari, a Brooklyn native, accompanies on guitar. He has studied and played guitar for over 20 years, with Jack Leone, and Rick Stone. Charles Mandracchia, Composer/NYC Public School Teacher and Director
of Hush, is a 20 year stage veteran and has appeared in numerous Broadway and Off Broadway productions, such as the original Broadway cast of Grand Hotel, South Pacific, and Porgy and Bess, as well as at the New York City Opera. His credits include: Composer/Co-creator of Valentino the Musical, numerous television and film appearances, and creation and development of projects for Paramount Pictures. Charles has coached numerous celebrity musical talents, as vocal consultant
for Atlantic, Epic, Sony and Warner Brothers Records. Samantha Wolf is the company Stage Manager. Her recent credits include Once Upon a Time in New Jersey for the Prospect Theatre Company, Thank You, Dark & Caitlynn for the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity and Rent for
Rider University.

Etta Cascini, born in Salerno, now living in Genoa, is a freelance theatre critic for the Italian journal Sipario, an award winning writer for theatre, radio and press and the former Director of the Drama Seminar at the University of Genoa. Her plays have been produced and performed in Italy and broadcast by RAI and Swiss Radio. Her one act play, Donne Africane (African Women), was 2nd Prize Winner of the "Luigi Antonelli 91" International Competition and was featured during "Human Rights Day" in 1994 by the Soroptomist International Women's Association. SHHHH, whose American Premiere in English was produced by Frizzi & Lazzi in 2000 at the Miranda Theatre, in association with Mario Fratti's Pirandello/Brecht Project, was also featured in the "Conoscere il Teatro" project sponsored by the Italian journal Sipario, the Carlo Terron Italian Theatre Foundation of Milan, and 2001 Women's Day (il giorno delle donne) in Genoa. For further information: Judd Hollander, Bunch of People Productions, 212-242-1648 BNCHPEOP@AOL.COM.

Hush will perform Monday, February 21 at 6:15pm, Thursday, February 24 at 6:15pm and Saturday, February 26 at 4:30pm. Performances will be at the Payan Theatre at the Roy Arias Studios & Theatres in the Times Square Arts Center, 300 West 43rd Street, 5th Floor (between 8th & 9th Avenues) in NYC. Running time is 60 minutes. Tickets: $12.00-$15.00. Reservations: 212-868-4444, www.smarttix.com (search HUSH) or http://www.theateronline.com/pb.xzc?PK=27280.

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