Californian Premiere of CURTAINS Opens at Diablo Theatre

It's ‘Curtains' for Diablo Theatre Company starting February 12 thru Feb. 28 in Walnut Creek.

Featuring a cast of 30 and non-stop action and laughs, the Diablo Theatre Company will present the Northern California premiere of "Curtains," the Broadway musical comedy who-dunit, the last show written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, the legendary composers of the hit musicals "Cabaret," "Chicago," and "Kiss of the Spiderwoman."

The show opens Feb. 12 and continues for 12 performances, including matinees, through Feb.28 in the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. Tickets ($29-$42) are on sale there as well by phone, (925) 943-7469, and online at www.lesherartscener.org. 

"' Curtains' might be thought of as the lost Agatha Christie/Neil Simon musical since it revolves around a murder mystery that will keep the audience guessing and laughing until the surprise ending," said Director Daren A. C. Carollo, artistic director of the Diablo Theatre Company, formerly the Diablo Light Opera Company.

"One critic summed it up best," said Carollo, "when he wrote that the show is ‘a return to old-fashioned musical comedy, complete with rousing production numbers. . . and a book meant only to tickle the funny bone. The show has audiences cheering long before the curtain comes down.'"

Heading the cast is Tom Reardon, who made his debut with the Diablo Theatre Company as Captain Hook in "Peter Pan" in 2007. He'll play Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, the role that earned a Tony Award for TV star David Hyde Pierce in the Broadway production. Reardon has also performed throughout the Bay Area with the Lamplighters Musical Theatre and Contra Costa Civic Theatre.

Also in the cast are Sharon Rietkerk (in the role of Niki Harris), Amy Neilson (Georgia Hendricks), Jessica Fisher (Carmen Bernstein), Derrick Silva (Aaron Fox), Tim Johnson (Sidney Bernstein), Paul Plain (Christopher Belling), Renee DeWeese (Bambi Bernet), Peter Budinger (Daryl Grady), Jody Black (Johnny Harmon), Scott Phillips (Oscar Shapiro), Andrew Willis-Woodard (Bobby Pepper), and Julie Wall (Jessica Cranshaw).

Chad Runyon will conduct the orchestra as well as perform the role of Sasha Iljiksky. The choreographer is Gia Solari.

Although this technically will be the Northern California premiere of " Curtains,"
Carollo says it might well be considered the California premiere since the only other performances in the state were previews in Los Angeles in 2006 prior to the official opening on Broadway in 2007.

The last time the Diablo Theatre Company premiered a show in Northern California was "Promenade" in 1971. The company has also produced more than 10 firsts in the East Bay including "The Producers" last February, "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in 2006 and "Miss Saigon" in 2005.

More information is available at www.diablotheatre.org.