Josh Rhodes and Sinai Tabak Set for Asolo Rep's 'Inside EVITA' Panel

Asolo Rep will host Inside Asolo Rep: EVITA on Thursday, November 2 at 11am, with refreshments at 10:30am.

This insightful special behind-the-scenes panel will feature EVITA director and choreographer Josh Rhodes and music director Sinai Tabak. The discussion will be moderated by Asolo Rep dramaturg and literary manager Paul Adolphsen.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Josh Rhodes (Director/Choreographer) Asolo Rep: Barnum, Working, Yentl, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls. On Broadway, Josh choreographed Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Outer Critics Circle, Astaire Award, Drama Desk Award nominations and LA Critics Circle Award winner), It Shoulda Been You, First Date, and Bright Star (Outer Critics Circle, Astaire Award nominations). On the West End in London, he choreographed the Emmy award-winning production of Sweeney Todd starring Emma Thompson and Carousel at the English National Opera. Other stage credits include Company starring Neil Patrick Harris (Screenvision/PBS), the Emmy winning production of "Sondheim's 80th Birthday Concert" (PBS), Zorba and Big River (Encores), The Landing (Vineyard Theater), "Broadway: Three Generations" (Kennedy Center), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Shakespeare Theatre Company) and the Drama Desk award-winning production of Working (Prospect Theater). Josh directed Ken Ludwig's Baskerville (Old Globe), Spamalot (5th Avenue), Guys and Dolls (Old Globe) and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees in Diagon Alley at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A proud graduate of the University of Michigan.

Sinai Tabak (Music Director, 2017-18 Ruby E. and Carole Crosby Family Foundation Guest Musical Artist) is thrilled to be back at Asolo Rep, where he has music directed Luck Be a Lady, Josephine and Guys and Dolls. His other music direction credits include Les Misérables (Dallas Theater Center), Stars of David (Off-Broadway), The Rocky Horror Show (Bucks County Playhouse), Johnny Baseball (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Family Album (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Justin Guarini's Lovesick (Bucks County Playhouse), Bells Are Ringing (Berkshire Theater Festival), and workshops of The Total Bent (Public Theater), Damascus Square, American Psycho, and Murder at the Gates. He has served as a rehearsal pianist for Mamma Mia! on Broadway and the national tour of Les Misérables, and recently worked on the film version of Michael John LaChiusa's Hello Again. In his spare time, Sinai serves on the faculty of NYU, where he received a degree in Music Theory and Composition.

It all takes place at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243. Panel discussion tickets are just $5 for the general public and are free for all donors and Asolo Rep Guild members. To reserve your tickets, call the Asolo Rep Box Office at 941.351.8000 or visit www.asolorep.org.

EVITA, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, runs November 14-December 30 at Asolo Rep, directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. EVITA is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals and Two Knights Rights Limited.

The crowning dramatic achievement of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, winner of eight Tony Awards, including best musical and best score, EVITA is among the most passionate and memorable productions in musical theater history. Eva Perón used her beauty and charisma to rise from her poverty-stricken roots on the outskirts of Buenos Aires to become the powerful and controversial First Lady of Argentina at the age of 27. She won international acclaim and adoration as a champion of the poor, while glamour, power and greed made her the world's first major political celebrity. With an electrifying score inspired by Latin, pop and jazz including the riveting anthem, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," this iconic musical is set to dazzle with a spectacular new staging at Asolo Rep.

Now in its 59th season, Asolo Repertory Theatre is recognized as one of the premier professional theatres in America and one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. One of the few select theatres in the nation that performs in true rotating repertory, Asolo Rep's highly skilled acting company and extensive craftsmanship bring to life this unique performance method that gives audiences the opportunity to see multiple productions in the span of a few days. Asolo Rep presents up to 10 productions each season including contemporary and classic works and provocative musical theatre experiences. A theatre district in and of itself, Asolo Rep is committed to expanding its reach into the community, furthering its collaboration with the best theatre artists working in the industry today and cultivating new artists through its affiliation with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards and Managing Director Linda DiGabriele, Asolo Rep's ambitious theatrical offerings and ground-breaking education and community programming engage audiences and ensure its lasting legacy for future generations.