RODGERS & ...

Saturday, October 6, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007

Written and conceived by Broadway director and lyricist Martin Charnin, saluting the great music man Richard Rodgers. Mr. Charnin has created the anecdotal book for this new revue, which showcases Rodgers’ vast musical catalogue of songs from collaborations with Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen Sondheim, Sheldon Harnick, and Charnin himself. The concert promises some real insider insights as to the offstage and backstage goings on that accompanied the marvelous melodies.

Conceived, Directed & Narrated by: Martin Charnin
Music Direction & New Musical Arrangements by:
Dwight Beckmeyer & Mark Rabe
Stage Manager: Janette L. Hubert

"I wouldn't miss a Showtunes! production! In fact, I saw both Saturday and Sunday's revue of RODGERS &... Truly excellent! Thank you for partnering with KPC and bringing Martin Charnin and his superb production to our fine venue in Kirkland. "

- Jo Marsh

"I really enjoyed the show from a historical, bibliographical and musical perspective."

- Ruth Baker, VP. Of Medical Mgmt, First Choice Health
 

SHELLY BURCH* (Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her Showtunes! debut. She is best known as Delila on ABC Daytime’s One Life to Live (8 years). Shelly began her career on Broadway in Stop the World, I Want to Get Off with Sammy Davis Jr., and followed with Star-to-Be in Annie, Claudia in Nine (Drama Desk Nomination) & Julie in Show Boat (also filmed for Great Performances). Her Regional leads include Patsy Cline & Man of La Mancha. After moving to Issaquah, she created the role of Marian in her husband Martin Charnin’s Robin Hood and also starred in his Mata Hari, both with Village Originals. She performed her one-woman show There’s Always One More Song to Sing at the Crepe de Paris (Mr. Charnin’s songs & direction). In September of 2006 she starred in Company at the 5th Avenue as Joanne singing “The Ladies Who Lunch.” In November of 2006 she was one of the four original ladies in Mr. Charnin’s original musical revue Love is Love. Earlier in 2007 Shelly starred as Joy in Shadowlands also directed by Mr. Charnin at Village Theatre’s Mainstage. She is blessed with three beautiful children: Richard, 10; Dayna, 13; & Joel, 16; & the love of her life, Martin, who is younger than springtime.

JIMI RAY MALARY* (Ensemble) was trained as a classical singer. His first voice teacher was Robert McFerrin, father of Bobby McFerrin and the first black man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Malary has sung throughout the United States, Europe, Australia & Japan. He has appeared in numerous productions directed by Hal Prince, Trevor Nunn, Jack O’Brien & Gotz Friedrich. His credentials also include having sung with Michael Tilson Thomas, Sir Simon Rattle, & other notable conductors. In recent years, Mr. Malary has appeared throughout the United States in award-winning cabaret shows featuring the music of Nat King Cole & Duke Ellington.

RICHARD GRAY* (Ensemble) Richard’s favorite roles include Albin/ZaZa in La Cage Aux Folles & Bud Frump in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (both at the Village Theatre); Chico Marx in A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine at the 5th Avenue; & L.M. in Pump Boys & Dinettes at TAG. His solo show, Gray Matter, has been performed at venues all over the Northwest. As a composer, Richard's musicals include Time Again in Oz, Little Rock, The Mom & Pop Show, The Donk Sisters (1996 Footlight Award / Best Musical), Cold Turkey, Forbidden Xmas, It Happened at the World's Fair, History of the Roller Coaster & (L)imitations of Life. He is currently working on Love Is Love with Martin Charnin & was a finalist for the Fred Ebb Award in both 2005 & 2006. For more info please visit www.richardgray.net

DIANA HUEY (Ensemble) is thrilled to be making her professional debut with such a talented cast in Rodgers &. Favorite performances include Celie in Language of Angels (currently), Polly Peachum in The Beggar’s Opera, Betty in Sure Thing, Allison in This is the Rill Speaking.. Other favorite productions include The Cherry Sister’s Modern Vaudeville Extravaganza & Peer Gynt. She is a senior at Cornish College of The Arts in Seattle where she is a candidate for a BFA in theatre with an emphasis in performing arts. She hopes to use her training to continue in a career in musical theatre.

CHRISTIAN DUHAMEL (Ensemble) is elated to be performing in a Martin Charnin original for his inaugural appearance with Showtunes! Theatre Company. Christian earned his BFA in Acting-Musical Theatre from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Theatres include: The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Utah Shakespearean Festival, Village Theatre, The Human Race Theatre Company, and Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre. Past favorite roles include: Malcolm in The Full Monty Vinnie in Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, Wolf/Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods, & Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest. Christian is a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Award Winning Composer, Playwright, Lyricist, & Director. He is also the Artistic Director of Puget Sound Musical Theatre. He wishes to thank his family & friends for their love & support. www.christianduhamel.org

* denotes a member of Actors Equity Assn, the Union for stage professionals.

MARTIN CHARNIN (Lyrics/Director)
originated the role of Big Deal in the Broadway production of West Side Story, singing “Gee, Officer Krupke”& playing the role for 1000 performances. Subsequently, he has been the director, lyricist, composer, librettist, producer or combination of the aforementioned for over 100 productions including Annie Warbucks, the rock opera version of Joan of Arc, Loose Lips, Hot Spot, In Persons with Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson, The Flowering Peach, the revised Goodspeed production of Cole Porter’s Can-Can, Cafe Crown, Mike, The First, On The Swing Shift, A Little Family Business (starring Angela Lansbury), Mata Hari,  The National Lampoon Show, Lena Horne; The Lady & Her Music, I Remember Mama (with music by Richard Rodgers), Zenda (with music by Vernon Duke), Put It In Writing, Fallout, Kaleidoscope, La Strada, Nash At Nine, Two By Two (again with Richard Rodgers), the concert version of Strike Up the Band, & in London, Bar Mitzvah Boy, three productions of Annie, a revival of Bless the Bride & The 9 1/2 Quid Revue. His Tony Award-winning Annie, which he wrote the lyrics, created, & directed, has become the 19th longest-running American musical in Broadway history. He has directed Annie’s 9 national companies as well as companies in Amsterdam & Australia. His other musical theater collaborators include, Peter Allen, Harold Arlen, Keith Levenson, Marvin Hamlish, Peter Stone, Mary Rodgers & Alan Jay Lerner. He has directed Fred Astaire, Anne Bancroft, Joel Grey, Ann Margaret, Danny Kaye, Johnny Mathis, Bill Murray, Bebe Neuwirth, Bernadette Peters, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gilda Radner, Chita Rivera, Liv Ullman, Lou Reed, Susan Sarandon, Joan Rivers, Harvey Keitel, Chuck D, Jon Stuart, Shirley MacLaine, Marlo Thomas, Barbra Streisand, Carol Burnett, & even Catherine Zeta-Jones (who made her stage debut as Molly in the first London production of Annie in 1978). He has conceived, written & directed seven musical-variety television programs, including Anne Bancroft in Annie, the Woman in the Life of a Man, Annie & the Hoods (with Annie Bancroft), George M, ‘SWonderful, ‘SMarve-lous, ‘SGershwin, Cole Porter in Paris, Get Happy, Dames at Sea, & The Annie Christmas Show. He has received four Tony nominations, two Tony Awards, six Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards, three Gold Records, two Platinum Records, six Drama Desk Awards, the Peabody Award for Broadcasting, & another Grammy Award for Jay-Z’s rap album Hard Knock Life, which went triple platinum. He is currently writing & directing a musical with a score by the late Harold Arlen, Winchell, a musical written with Keith Levenson, Robin Hood, with Thomas Meehan & Peter Sipos, & has written songs & directed a one-woman entertainment entitled There’s Always One More Song To Sing for his new bride & former Annie Star-to-Be, Shelly Burch. His latest projects include Time-Life’s double disc Annie 30th-Anniversary production album which also includes songs from Annie 2, the continuing national tour of Annie, & Love is Love, a musical revue that will open in Issaquah (right outside of Seattle) in December 2007. His new musical collaborator on Love is Love is Richard Gray. In the Pacific Northwest, which is where he now makes his home, he has directed Shadowlands, Robin Hood, & the first workshop production of Love is Love.