5th Avenue Theatre Presents A CHRISTMAS STORY, 11/9

By: Oct. 19, 2010
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The 5th Avenue Theatre's next installment of our popular Spotlight Night series focuses on our upcoming production of A Christmas Story: The Musical!. Spotlight Night features the show's hot young composer/lyricist duo, an introduction to the show's cast and a behind-the-scenes look at Jean Shepherd, the legendary radio raconteur whose stories inspired the film on which the musical is based.
 
Hosted by The 5th's Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, this popular free event gives theater patrons a peek behind the curtain at the history, lore and creation of Musical Theater, with a special focus on upcoming shows at The 5th.
 
The evening features an interview with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriters for A Christmas Story: The Musical!, and known as the "first Musical Theatre stars of the YouTube generation." After meeting as undergraduates at the University of Michigan in 2005, the two collaborated on their first musical, Edges, which went from a college workshop to more than 100 productions across the US and Canada. The show also won the pair the prestigious Jonathan Larson Award, making them the youngest artists to ever be so honored. Pasek and Paul will talk about the process of creating new music for a well-loved story and will perform songs from Edges, A Christmas Story and their upcoming projects James and The Giant Peach and Dog Fight.
 
This is also an opportunity to meet the remarkable cast of A Christmas Story: The Musical!, including 5th Avenue favorite Anne Allgood, who plays Mother in the show, and Broadway veteran John Bolton, whose career includes roles in Spamalot, Curtains, Contact and Titanic. The children of the show will also make appearances, including Clarke Hallum, the Olympia youth who was chosen to play Ralphie Parker after a nation-wide search.
 
Armstrong will also provide a brief recap of the life and work of Jean Shepherd, a complex and fascinating humorist, writer and performer. Shepherd found early fame in radio, collaborated with jazzman Charles Mingus and filmmaker John Cassavettes, was the inspiration for the protagonist of Herb Gardner's play A Thousand Clowns and Shel Silverstein's song "A Boy Named Sue," and co-wrote and narrated the film A Christmas Story, which to his delighted surprise became a modern American classic.
 
Spotlight Night begins at 7:00 PM on Tuesday November 9. The event is free, but attendees must reserve their tickets. They can do so over the phone by calling 206-625-1900/toll-free 888-5TH-4TIX (584-4849), in person at the box office at 1308 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, or online at www.5thavenue.org.
 
Special thanks to The 5th's 2010-11 season co-sponsors Safeco Insurance and US Bank.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle's premier musical theater. Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, this exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. In 1980, the non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre began producing and presenting top-quality live musical theater. Today, under the leadership of Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, Managing Director Bernie Griffin and Producing Director Bill Berry, The 5th Avenue Theatre attracts an annual attendance of more than 287,000 and ranks among the nation's largest and most respected musical theater companies. In addition to its main stage productions, The 5th Avenue Theatre is also committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its extensive Educational Outreach Program which includes: The Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, The 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Student Matinee Program, and Spotlight Nights. For more information about the Theatre, its season and its programs, please visit www.5thavenue.org.



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