Patrick Byas News

I have to say that I did not expect to like this show as much as I did, but it was simply a delight to watch about a topic that I never thought I would ever see on this award-winning stage!

After a debut at the 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival, The Downtown Urban Theater Festival will present the dramatic stageplay Sammy Gets Mugged! by award-winning writer Dan Heching. The cast includes Broadway star Stephanie Pope Caffey, Fringe Award-winner Patrick Byas (both reprising their roles), and Taylor Myers. The performance will take place on March 29th at the HERE Arts Center.

After a debut at the 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival, The Downtown Urban Theater Festival will present the dramatic stageplay Sammy Gets Mugged! by award-winning writer Dan Heching. The cast includes Broadway star Stephanie Pope Caffey, Fringe Award-winner Patrick Byas (both reprising their roles), and Taylor Myers. The performance will take place on March 29th at the HERE Arts Center.

Winners of the 2011 FringeNYC Overall Excellence Awards, as selected by an independent panel of nearly 50 theater professionals, are as follows:

The 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival will present the premiere of the new play SAMMY GETS MUGGED!, by award-winning writer Dan Heching, through August 28. Directed by Noah Himmelstein, the cast features Stephanie Pope Caffey (Broadway's Chicago, Fosse and more), Patrick Byas ('Law & Order: SVU') and Mr. Heching.

The 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival will present the premiere of the new play SAMMY GETS MUGGED!, by award-winning writer Dan Heching, from August 15 to 28. Directed by Noah Himmelstein, the cast features Stephanie Pope Caffey (Broadway's Chicago, Fosse and more), Patrick Byas ('Law & Order: SVU') and Mr. Heching.

Broadway leading lady, Fosse featured player and, now, the star of the new Fringe Festival play SAMMY GETS MUGGED!, gypsy phenomenon Stephanie Pope Caffey has lit up Broadway stages for almost thirty years - especially memorable for her dance-heavy roles in Bob Fosse's BIG DEAL, SWEET CHARITY, DANCIN‘, CHICAGO and the Tony-winning revue FOSSE itself. We also discuss working with four other legendary directors on four classic shows in the interim - JELLY'S LAST JAM directed by George C. Wolfe, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES directed by Tommy Tune, the hit revival of A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM directed by Jerry Zaks and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN directed by Hal Prince (with choreography by Rob Marshall) - and far beyond. These days, Stephanie operates one of the premiere Bikram yoga studios in the country, Bikram Yoga East Harlem, and she evocatively illustrates how that is a continuation of her dance work and how beneficial the practice has been to her life. Additionally, in this career-spanning conversation we analyze the life of a gypsy dancer and what it takes to make it and rise to the top of the ranks in the best corps on Broadway, then and now - and, all applicable anecdotes that arise along the way, of course (and even some surprises). Plus, Stephanie shares all about her role in SAMMY GETS MUGGED! and reveals what drew her to the project, what to expect from the new drama/comedy, what her character is like and much, much more!

The 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival will present the premiere of the new play SAMMY GETS MUGGED!, by award-winning writer Dan Heching, from August 15 to 28. Directed by Noah Himmelstein, the cast features Stephanie Pope Caffey (Broadway's Chicago, Fosse and more), Patrick Byas ('Law & Order: SVU') and Mr. Heching.