Meet the Cast of THE LONELIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD

After the lauded World Premiere of The Boy Who Danced On Air, Diversionary is proud to produce the World Premiere of another groundbreaking new musical.

Following the life and evolution of Anita Bryant and her biggest fan, Tommy, The Loneliest Girl in the World magically charts the emergence of the gay rights movement on urgently intimate terms. By turns delightful and provocative, this inspiring new musical is a reminder of a battle yet won, the purpose of pie, and the power of an individual voice.

About producing this World Premiere at Diversionary, Executive Artistic Director, Matt M. Morrow says, "By looking to the past we often find our way forward, and this insightful musical exploring the Gay Rights movement, Anita Bryant's rise and fall, and how an activist is born, has a particular resonance right now. As a producer, a storyteller and activist myself, I'm honored to bring Gordon and Julia's urgent and captivating new musical to life at Diversionary."

On bringing the show to San Diego, Leary and Meinwald say, "We are thrilled to bring this slice of our history to life with the wonderful artists and activists at Diversionary. Over the last five years of writing this piece, we've seen the country and the culture grow more divided, and we hope our story can inspire discussion about finding our shared humanity and stretching our empathy to its limits. We can't wait to start this conversation with San Diego audiences over a piece of blueberry pie. (Pie not included.)"

The Loneliest Girl in the World was featured in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals Fall 2016. Leary and Meinwald's musicals have been seen at Ars Nova, The Director's Company, Joe's Pub, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Prospect Theater Company, Weston Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the York Theatre Company. Leary is the recipient of the 2009 Richard Rodgers Award.

This production is generously supported in part by The Arch & Bruce Brown Foundation and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's National Fund for New Musicals, The National Endowment for the Arts, and the California Institute for Contemporary Arts.

Opening Night is Saturday, June 2nd, 2018.

ABOUT THE CAST

Allison Spratt Pearce* (Anita) Broadway & Off Bway credits: Curtains, Good Vibrations, Cry Baby, Enter Laughing, and Cabaret (National Tour). Highlight San Diego roles: SD Rep.: Susannah in Black Pearl Sings, Emily in Disgraced. Cygnet: Katherine in The Last Wife, Eliza in My Fair Lady, Louise in Gypsy -2017 Craig Noel Award Winner. SDMT: Maria in The Sound of Music, Judy in 9 to 5, The Old Globe: Phoebe in As You Like It, Viola in Twelfth Night, Jane in Emma; La Jolla Playhouse: Janice in Come From Away, Victoria in Sideways. Many national/regional commercials & ads. M.F.A in Drama-USD/Old Globe, B.F.A. in MT- Elon University. www.allisonsprattpearce.com

Sam Heldt* (Tommy) is thrilled to be making his Diversionary debut in this role, after participating in the development of this show for over 4 years. Based in New York, he has also developed new work with Playwrights Horizons, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Ars Nova, The Civilians, Colt Coeur, Sundance Theatre Institute, New Dramatists, New Georges, The Lark, Pipeline Theatre Company, and a whole host of acronyms (NAMT, NYMF, MTF, GMTWP, AND, MANY, MORE). Proud member of AEA. www.samheldt.com

Steve Gouveia* (Man 1) was recently seen as Stanley in Lamb's Players production of Smoke On The Mountain, and as the Siren in Shockheaded Peter at Cygnet Theatre. Other credits include: Jersey Boys (Original Broadway Cast/First National Tour/La Jolla Playhouse), The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (La Jolla Playhouse), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (The Apollo Theatre Center, Stage West), It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, Cabaret (San Diego REP), Mixtape (Lamb's), Little Shop of Horrors, Hedwig & The Angry Inch, Pageant, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Cygnet Theatre), Sweeney Todd (The Fritz Theatre), and Hair (Starlight Theatre). As a musician, Steve has worked and played with Pete Townshend, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, John Wesley of Porcupine Tree, Micky Dolenz, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Jung-Ho Pak and many others. He has been seen on The Today Show, Late Night With David Letterman, The 60th Annual Tony Awards, and at many Rockers On Broadway concerts in New York.

Marci Anne Wuebben* (Woman 1) was last seen on the Diversionary stage as Lucinda in The Mystery of Love and Sex and is thrilled to be back! She just completed the run of the original play Beachtown as Donna French at The San Diego Repertory Theatre. A veteran performer, favorite Regional Credits include: a five year stint as an original cast member of the long running 80's hit, Mixtape (Lamb's Players Theatre), Tessie Tura in Gypsy, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music (Cygnet Theatre); Pump Boys and Dinettes, Boomers (Lamb's Players Theatre); The Full Monty (San Diego Musical Theatre); The Magic Fire (KPBS Award), I Do! I Do!, Radio Gals (Moonlight Stage Productions); She Loves Me (Laguna Playhouse); Anything Goes, FootLoose (Welk Resort Theatre); Company (Performance Riverside); I Hate Hamlet ( The Broadway Theatre). Visit wwwmarcisbeautyspot.com. Marci is an Associate Artist with Lambs Players Theatre and a proud member of Actor's Equity Association.

Lauren King Thompson (Woman 2) is delighted to return to the Diversionary stage! Previous credits include: Divine Sister (Diversionary); How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1st & 2nd National Tours); Animal Crackers, Gypsy, Hay Fever, and The Vortex (Cygnet Theatre); Bachelorette (Backyard Renaissance Theatre); You Can't Take It With You, Joseph...Dreamcoat, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, Pete 'n' Keely and Festival of Christmas 2015-2017 (Lamb's Players Theatre); To Kill A Mockingbird, The Miss Firecracker Contest (New Village Arts); First Date, Last Night in Town, and Joseph...Dreamcoat (SDMT); A Midsummer Night's Dream: The Musical (Intrepid Theatre); Oklahoma (Moonlight Stage Productions); and Stepping Out, Hairspray (Welk Resort Theatre). Lauren received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Cal State University, Fullerton.

Shaun Tuazon* (Man 2) is excited to return to the Diversionary stage where he was seen in Dooley and Diversionary Cabaret's Altar Boyz. Other theatrical credits include: ?#Supershinysara (La Jolla Playhouse); Vietgone (San Diego Repertory Theatre); Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Intrepid Theatre Company/New Village Arts); West Side Story (Lamb's Players Theatre); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Intrepid Theatre Company); Rent (San Diego Musical Theatre); Zanna, Don't! (San Diego Premiere); Deconstruction Of A Drag Queen (Craig Noel Award Nomination, Circle Circle dot dot); In The Heights (Cabrillo Music Theatre); Dog Sees God (Breakthrough Workshop Theatre); as well as productions with The Old Globe, North Coast Repertory Theatre, ion theatre, and more. Shaun received his BA in Theatre Arts from SDSU and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. www.shauntuazon.com | @ShaunTwaz

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM
Julia Meinwald and Gordon Leary (Music, Lyrics and Book) write aggressively empathetic musical theatre. Their work includes The Loneliest Girl In The World (2016 NAMT Festival, 2015 UArts Polyphone Festival, 2014 Ars Nova OutLoud Series), Pregnancy Pact (2012 Weston Playhouse premiere, 2011 NAMT Festival, 2011 Yale Institute), Disappeared (2009 Lincoln Center Directors Lab), and the short film Galaxy Comics (2014 United Airlines in-flight programming.) They are currently at work on REB+VoDKa+ME (2018 OPERA America Discovery Grant recipient, 2017 Tisch New Musical Workshop, 2016 Civilians' FINDINGS Series), The Magnificent Seven (2017 Anna Sosenko Assist Trust Grant recipient, 2016 Fresh Ground Pepper), and Something Blue (2014 NYTB.) Together, they have developed work with the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program, Ars Nova's Uncharted, The Civilians' R&D Group, Fresh Ground Pepper's Playground Playgroup, the Musical Theatre Factory's Lerner & Loewe writers group, the 92Y Musical Theatre Development Lab, and Page 73's Interstate 73 writers group. Julia was a participant in the New Dramatists Composer Librettist Development Program and a resident artist with American Lyrics Theatre, and her other musicals include Elevator Heart (2016 Tisch New Musical Workshop, Dixon Place) and Jack Perry Is Alive And Dating (2011 NYMF Next Link selection.) Gordon's other musicals include Across The River (2013 Seoul Musical Festival, 2009 Daegu International Musical Festival) and Cheer Wars (2015 York Theatre, 2009 Richard Rodgers Award.) Both are 2007 alumni of the NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. gordonandjulia.com

Patrick Marion (Music Director) is thrilled to be returning to Diversionary Theatre for this wonderful production. Favorite credits include: Shockheaded Peter, The Rocky Horror Show, Company, Assassins, Cabaret (Cygnet Theatre), Oz, West Side Story, Les Miserables, mixtape (Lamb's Players Theatre), Woody Guthrie's American Song (Intrepid Theatre Company), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (ACT San Diego)

Stephen Brotebeck (Choreographer/Associate Director) is thrilled to be making his Diversionary debut with The Loneliest Girl In The World. Broadway: Ghost, Peter and the Starcatcher (Movement Associate). As a director Mr. Brotebeck has helmed the Off and Off-Off Broadway productions of The Shark Play, Breaking The Shakespeare Code, St. Francis (NY Fringe - Excellence in Directing Award), The Maltese Walter, Greasemonkey and Scenes from a Balcony. Kennedy Center: Spring Gala (Director), My Fair Lady, Camelot and Children Of Eden (Associate Director/Choreographer). Stephen is the Artistic Director of the Okoboji Summer Theatre, in Okoboji Iowa where he has directed And The World Goes 'Round and The Spitfire Grill. Additional credits as a director/choreographer include Peter and the Starcatcher, Monty Python's Spamalot, And The World Goes 'Round, and I Love A Piano at Farmers Alley Theatre; Looking For Roberto Clemente at Imagination Stage; American Songbook Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by Michael Feinstein. TV: WPSU Music Theatre Spotlight. BFA, Western Michigan University. MFA, Penn State. Stephen is an Assistant Professor in the MFA Musical Theatre program at San Diego State University where he has directed Company, Enchanted April, The Full Monty, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Drowsy Chaperone (Craig Noel Award Nomination), and On The Eve. SDC member. www.stephenbrotebeck.com

Robin Sanford Roberts (Scenic Designer) At Diversionary: Sextet. On Broadway: It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues. Old Globe Theatre, over 25 productions including: Alive and Well, The Price. Fiction, Bus Stop (Critics Circle award), Blue/Orange and Betrayal (Critics Circle award, Patte' award) She has also designed for San Diego Repertory Theatre, Moxie Theatre, Diversionary, Denver Center Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Arizona Theatre Company, San Jose' Repertory Theatre and Swine Palace Productions. Ms. Roberts holds a degree in Architecture from LSU and a MFA in Scenic Design from UCSD. She teaches and is the resident scenic designer for the USD Department of Theatre. www.robinsanfordroberts.com

Elisa Benzoni (Costume Design) is thrilled to be working again with Diversionary Theatre. Select credits include: The Happiest Place on Earth, Ballast, Mystery of Love and Sex (Diversionary Theatre), Sex with Strangers (Geffen Playhouse), The Who and The What, Our Town; Tall Girls; Brahaman/I; Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir (La Jolla Playhouse); Constellations (Old Globe); Two Gentlemen of Verona, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Reckless, Much Ado About Nothing and Measure for Measure (USD/Old Globe); Travels with my Aunt, The Illusion, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Cocktail Hour, Fox on the Fairway (Nominated for a Craig Noel Award), Chapatti, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Great Nome Gold Rush (North Coast Repertory Theatre); Awake and Sing, Sylvia (New Village Arts); Assistant costume credits: Dialogues des Carmelites (Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari), Paradise Found (Menier Chocolate Factory, London), Milk Like Sugar (La Jolla Playhouse), As You Like It, Midsummer Night's Dream (The Old Globe). Elisa holds a costume design MFA from UCSD. www.elisabenzoni.com

Christina J. Martin (Lighting Design) will be debuting at Diversionary Theatre this season. She is honored to be part of this team! She has had a vibrant career thus far with some of her favorite designs including: Miracle on 34th Street (SDMT), To Kill a Mockingbird (ECT), The Full Monty (SDSU), Pump Up the Volume (SDMT) and more. Christina's other theatre work includes: The Importance of Being Earnest (Artists' Ensemble Theatre), Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol (Thunder Bay Theatre), Dogfight (Rockford University), Good People (Artists' Ensemble Theatre), Arsenic and Old Lace (Evansville Civic Theatre), The Toxic Avenger (ThinkPink Productions), 9 to 5 (San Diego Musical Theatre), and Picnic (Oceanside Theatre Company). www.cjmartinlighting.com

Matt Lescault-Wood (Sound Design) is excited to be back at Diversionary. Previous credits include: The Moors,Lizard Boy (Diversionary); Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Little Shop of Horrors, A Behanding In Spokane, Man of La Mancha, Assassins, Company, Spring Awakening, Pageant, True West, Fool For Love, Sons of the Prophet, My Fair Lady, Shockheaded Peter (Cygnet); Evita, Roz and Ray, Hand To God (San Diego REP); Eurydice [2010 San Diego Critics Circle Nominee], Dead Man's Cell Phone, Hickorydickory, ENRON, Eternally Bad, The Kid Thing (Moxie); Hamlet, Macbeth, I Hate Hamlet, Woody Guthrie's American Song (Intrepid); Seascape, Stage Kiss, Lord of The Flies, Big River (New Village Arts); Henry V [2014 San Diego Critics Circle Nominee] (New Fortune); MixTape [2015] (Lambs). Matt has a Degree in Theatrical Design and Technology from SDSU.

Bonnie Durben (Properties Designer) Diversionary Theatre: The Happiest Place on Earth, Cardboard Piano, The Moors, 2.5 Minute Ride, Well, Ballast, Mystery of Love and Sex, The Boy who danced on Air, Now or Later, She-Ranculas, Baby With The Bathwater, A New Brain and Amazons and Their Men. Moonlight Theatre Productions: Aida, Little Mermaid, Sunset Blvd, In The Heights, Sister Act, Peter Pan, Titanic, Addams Family, Music Man, Shrek, All Shook Up and Big Fish. Scripps Ranch: Skin Deep, Good People. Mira Costa Theatre: Waiting For Lefty, Oklahoma, These Shining Lights, Romeo and Juliet, Seven, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Urinetown. Cygnet Theatre: Animal Crackers, On The Twentieth Century and 57 other productions. Bonnie is a member of the Society of Property Artisans and Managers.

Peter Herman (Wig Designer) has designed wigs and costumes for over thirty shows at Diversionary, some highlights include: The Rocky Horror Show, Scrooge With Rouge, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler. Peter has designed wigs all over the Southern California area. Some of his work has been seen at Cygnet Theater, The La Jolla Playhouse, The San Diego REP, Moonlight Stage Productions, North Coast REP, as well as some design work for film, television, and various theme parks. Peter currently teaches wig and makeup design at San Diego State University.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Performances run Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. More information can be obtained by calling our box office at 619-220-0097.

Low Cost Previews.................Thurs, May 24th - Friday, June 1st

First Fridays................................................................Friday, May 25th at 8pm
To say thank you to those that serve, Diversionary offers complimentary tickets. Email jenny@Diversionary.org for more information.

Opening Night.........................................................Saturday, June 2nd, at 8pm
Pre-and post show festivities - celebrate with the cast and company!

Designer Spotlight.................................................Thursday, June 7th at 6pm
Join us in Fritz's Lounge before the show to meet the Design Team, see a display of the concepts used in producing the show and hear the influences and process involved. Hosted hors d'oeuvres round out a fun pre-show experience! The party starts at 6pm before the 7pm performance.

Industry Night........................................................Monday, June 11th at 7pm
Theatre Professionals enjoy a special discount to our only Monday evening performance!
Pay-What-You-Can at the door, or $10 in advance.

Director Happy Hour..........................................Thursday, June 14th at 6pm
Join Director Executive Artistic Director, Matt M. Morrow in Fritz's Lounge for hosted hors d'oeuvres and a chance to chat before the show! Pre Show reception at 6pm, performance at 7pm.