Big City Dreams and Romantic Dalliances: CCM Presents 'Wonderful Town'

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Mainstage Series continues with Leonard Bernstein's classic musical, the Tony Award-winning Wonderful Town. Performances take place for one weekend only, Nov. 15-18 in CCM's Corbett Auditorium.

Presented at CCM for the first time since 1973, this sunny song-and-dance romp composed by Bernstein in 1953 chronicles the adventures of two Ohio sisters bound for the Big Apple with dreams of finding love and fortune. Ruth, a writer, and Eileen, a dancer, quickly realize that like steady work, good men are hard to find. But through flourishing new friendships, hilarious escapades and a dash of romance, the women gleefully discover that New York is indeed a wonderful town.

In addition to showcasing the talents of CCM musical theater students, the production will be brought to life by director Diane Lala, musical director Roger Grodsky and choreographer Patti James.

Noting how much he and the cast have enjoyed rehearsing this musical favorite, Grodsky said, "Wonderful Town was a huge [Broadway] success, running for 559 performances. It may sound more like musical comedy than any other score by Leonard Bernstein, but that is precisely what it is meant to be: a bouncy, entertaining, tongue-in-cheek show."

TICKET AND PARKING INFORMATION
Tickets are $15-27. Order online at www.ccm.uc.edu or call the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183.

Parking is available in the CCM Garage (at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the University of Cincinnati campus.

Please see below for additional ticket information and a complete performance schedule.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

DIANE LALA Director
Diane Lala, professor of musical theater, has taught jazz dance and choreographed musicals at CCM since 1988. Her favorite works include The Wild Party, West Side Story, Carousel, My One and Only and Oklahoma! Lala has also directed Cabaret, Is There Life After High School?, Songs for a New World and Song and Dance on CCM's studio series, as well as her original theater dance piece entitled Under Construction.  In 2003 she directed and choreographed CCM's musical theater students (as well as Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Denyce Graves and Nick Clooney) in the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra's "Patriotic Broadway," which was televised on PBS. In 2006 she participated in another PBS special for the Pops, "Take Me to the River," starring Gregg Baker, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Marcia Ball and CCM musical theater students. Other directing and choreography credits include Chicago, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Victor/Victoria, The Will Rogers Follies, Crazy for You and The Pajama Game. Onstage Lala has appeared as Velma Kelly in Chicago, Woman 2 in Songs for a New World, the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Morales in A Chorus Line, Anita in West Side Story and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. Nominated numerous times, Lala has received Big Easy Entertainment Award (New Orleans) and a Storer Boone Award (New Orleans) for best choreography for Tulane Summer Lyric's production of The Will Rogers Follies. She also received a Marquee Award (New Orleans) for her best actress in a musical for Chicago. For the last two years Lala has been the recipient of the Acclaim Award for best choreography for CCM's productions of Crazy for You and The Pajama Game. Lala is a certified Pilates instructor since 2001, studying directly with Romana Kryzanowska, a Joseph Pilates protege. She is also an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

ROGER GRODSKY Musical Director
Roger Grodsky is the musical director and vocal coach in CCM's training program. He has served as musical director for CCM's productions of The Pajama Game, Cabaret, On the Town, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Boys From Syracuse, Songs for a New World, Candide, Dracula - The Game of Love, Grand Hotel, My One and Only and Man of La Mancha, among others. He has also supervised CCM's ongoing appearances with the Cincinnati Pops (Erich Kunzel, conductor). Their collaboration, "Patriotic Broadway," was televised nationally on PBS. Grodsky also served as musical director and musical supervisor for CCM's "Hot Summer Nights" in 1998. While on the faculty of the Boston Conservatory, he conducted Sweet Charity, The Human Comedy, Nine, Grand Hotel, Ruddigore, Assassins and High Button Shoes. For six years he served as musical director for Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He spent four summers in-residence at SUNY-Potsdam as musical director. Grodsky has conducted national tours of Cabaret, My Fair Lady and Hello, Dolly! as well as The Most Happy Fella at the West Virginia Public Theatre in Morgantown with the original Broadway revival lead, Spiro Malas. For several summers he worked for the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization Archive in New York City on the recreation of select shows (including The King and I, Too Many Girls, Babes in Arms and The Boys From Syracuse), many of which were performed around the world in honor of Richard Rodgers' centennial birthday celebration in 2002-2003. In 2003, he adjudicated America's Junior Miss, which was broadcast nationally.

PATTI JAMES Choreographer
Before returning in 1992 to her hometown of Cincinnati, Patti James performed in and choreographed shows in the U.S., Canada and Australia. She has worked in musicals, theme parks, film, television and industrial shows. James has toured with U.S. productions of Chicago and Ballroom and most recently performed as Lottie in Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati's production of Mack and Mabel starring Gary Sandy. For the past ten years, James has been an adjunct instructor of musical theater at CCM, teaching jazz and tap and choreographing productions including Candide, Dancing at Lughnasa, Merrily We Roll Along and The Full Monty. She has taught dance at Walt Disney World, Sydney Australia's School of Performing Arts, the Southern Ballet in Orlando and Northern Kentucky University. For eight years James has directed and choreographed the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra's "Home for the Holidays," as well as their 2004 "Today's Tonys" and the 2007 "Red, White & Boom" at Riverbend. She has worked with the Northern Kentucky Symphony on Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and The Sound of Music. James works with numerous theater groups in high schools throughout Cincinnati and Kentucky.
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University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
MAINSTAGE SERIES

WONDERFUL TOWN
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Book by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov

Diane Lala, director
Roger Grodsky, musical director
Patti James, choreographer

A sunny song-and-dance romp composed by American legend Leonard Berstein, the Tony Award-winning Wonderful Town chronicles the adventures of two Ohio sisters bound for the Big Apple with dreams of finding love and fortune. Ruth, a writer, and Eileen, a dancer, quickly realize that like steady work, good men are hard to find. But through flourishing new friendships, hilarious escapades and a dash of romance, the women gleefully discover that New York is indeed a wonderful town.

Performance Dates:
Nov. 15-18
* Nov. 15 & 16 (Thurs. & Fri.), 8 p.m.
* Nov. 17 (Sat.), 2:30 & 8 p.m.
* Nov. 18 (Sun.), 2:30 p.m.

Location:
Corbett Auditorium, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Tickets:
$15-27. To order visit www.ccm.uc.edu or call 513-556-4183.

Mainstage Season Sponsor: Duke Energy
Season Design Sponsor: Federated Department Stores, Inc./Macy's
Musical Theater Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Production Design Sponsor: Leo H. Munick and Alice F. Fegelman