San Francisco Playhouse Ends 13th Mainstage Season with CITY OF ANGELS

San Francisco Playhouse (Bill English, Artistic Director; Susi Damilano, Producing Director) concludes its thirteenth Mainstage season with the ingenious, award-winning crime noir musical City of Angels, directed by Bill English.

It's the 1940s in Los Angeles. Stine, a struggling novelist seduced by the allure of Hollywood, attempts to pen his film noir masterpiece under the pressure of a domineering producer and a faltering marriage. As his on-page creations start to take on a life of their own and the hard-boiled world of murder, private detectives, and femme fatales spills over into reality, Stine must walk the tightrope between the real world and the silver screen to regain his moral compass.

More than two decades after its New York premiere, Artistic Director Bill English revives one of the acknowledged greats of twentieth century musical theatre. With a sensational jazz score by Cy Coleman, sizzling lyrics from David Zippel and book by acclaimed comic screenwriter Larry Gelbart (M*A*S*H, Tootsie), City of Angels is a witty and glorious celebration of film noir.

Cast includes; Jeffrey Brian Adams*, Ken Brill, Samantha Rose Cardenas, Brandon Dahliquist*, Ryan Drummond*, Nicole Frydman, William Giammona, John Paul Gonzalez, Rudy Guerrero*, Monique Hafen*, and Caitlan Taylor*.

San Francisco Playhouse's production of City of Angels is made possible by Executive Producer Robert Hulteng, Producers Bill & Marsha Adler, Geoff Jue, and Associate Producers Craig & Lorraine Mautner, Bruce Colman and Larry Russo

Cy Coleman (Composer) Born in New York City in 1929, he collaborated with such songwriters as Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, Bob Fosse and Neil Simon to produce hit songs and scores for several landmark Broadway musicals, including Wildcat (1960), Sweet Charity (1966), On the Twentieth Century (1978; Tony Award, best original score) and Barnum(1980). In the 1980s, Coleman wrote film scores and composed the music and lyrics for the musical Welcome to the Club (1989). In the '90s, he won additional Tonys for City of Angels (1990; best musical, best original score) and The Will Rogers Follies (1991; best musical, best original score).

Larry Gelbart (Book) is a pre-eminent screenwriter, librettist, director, and producer. Best known for his work turning the 1970 film M*A*S*H into a television series. He won Emmys for his contributions - writing many of the almost 100 episodes 1972-83, as well as directing and serving as executive producer on the series. Gelbart made his stage debut as a director with a UK revival of 'Forum ', three years later he wrote the book for City Of Angels, and won his third Tony. A legend in the business, renowned for his skill and wit, apart from his two big hits, 'Forum' and City Of Angels, Gelbart's credits have included Sly Fox, Mastergate, Jump, and Power Failure.

David Zippel (Lyrics) made his Broadway debut with City of Angels, for which he received the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award and (in London) the Olivier Award and Evening Standard Award. His lyrics have won him the Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, two Grammy Award nominations, and three Golden Globe Award nominations. His songs appear on over twenty-five million CDs around the world, and have been recorded by many great singers including Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Mel Torme, Ricky Martin, Cleo Laine, Barbara Cook and Nancy LaMott. A graduate of Harvard Law School, David Zippel is delighted not to practice law.

San Francisco Playhouse
Founded in 2003 and boasting 2500 subscribers, San Francisco Playhouse is the only mid-sized professional venue in downtown San Francisco, an intimate alternative to the larger more traditional Union Square theater fare. Presenting a diverse range of plays and musicals, San Francisco Playhouse produces new works as well as re-imagined classics, "making the edgy accessible and the traditional edgy." And with its bold Sandbox Series, dedicated to nurturing World Premieres, the Playhouse has become a significant player in developing new works as well. San Francisco Playhouse is committed to providing a creative home and inspiring environment where actors, directors, writers, designers, and theater lovers converge to create and experience dramatic works that celebrate the human spirit.

*Actors appear courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

Don't Miss a San Francisco / Bay Area News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...