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Contact: Tom Miller Communications Manager (215) 574-3555 pr@walnutstreettheatre.org |
Walnut Street Theatre 825 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 www.walnutstreettheatre.org |
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Windy City, A Wild Musical Adventure Sure To Make "The Front Page!"
PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Walnut Street Theatre opens its 198th season, A Season of Romance, with Windy City. Featuring an outstanding and catchy score written by award-winning composer Tony Macaulay, Windy City has everything a good front page story should: love, laughter, mystery and madcap mayhem. The production runs September 5 through October 22 on the Walnut Street Theatre Mainstage.
Ace reporter Hildebrand "Hildy" Johnson wants to do the impossible. He has a new fiancée, a new job in the movie business and a new life waiting for him on the West Coast. All he has to do is quit the Chicago Examiner and leave his scheming editor, Walter Burns. Easier said than done however, as the devious Burns won't let his top reporter go that easily. On Hildy's last day, the boys in the press room are awaiting news on Earl Williams, a mentally unhinged murderer who has a date with the executioner in the morning. Sensing one last big scoop, Hildy works feverishly to knock out one more story before his new life begins. What follows is total calamity as the condemned Williams escapes from police custody. Will Hildy finish his story before his train and his fiancée leave for the West Coast? What has become of the fugitive Earl Williams? And what does Walter Burns have up his sleeves to keep Hildy from leaving the Examiner? Bullets and comic barbs fly left and right as the show rumbles like an "L" Train to its hilarious conclusion.
Windy City is based on "The Front Page", written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. It has become one of the most often-told tales in American popular culture over the past 80 years, having spawned numerous incarnations, including the original 1928 stage production and the films His Girl Friday (1940, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell) and The Front Page (1974, starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, directed by Billy Wilder). In the early part of the 1980's Tony Macaulay and Dick Vosburgh collaborated on bringing a musical version of this classic story to life. Windy City premiered on London's West End in 1982. The production blended the best of musical theatre with a "film noir" feel to create something sharply satirical and thrilling.
Composer Tony Macaulay is a prolific songwriter, to put it mildly. He has sold more than 52 million records worldwide. Twenty-four of his songs have been Top-20 hits ('Build Me Up, Buttercup,' 'Don't Give Up On Us Baby' and 'Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)' just to name a few). He has twice been honored by the British Film Academy as "Songwriter of the Year." Mr. Macaulay has won the British Academy Award a staggering nine times. His music can be heard in many recent films including There's Something About Mary, Shallow Hal and Starsky and Hutch. Writer and lyricist Dick Vosburgh is a New Jersey native who has become a well known journalist, broadcaster and playwright. He has written for Bob Hope, Carol Channing and Peter Sellers, and has received two Tony nominations for his work on the 1980 Broadway production of A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine.
When Bernard Havard (the Walnut's Producing Artistic Director) decided to produce Windy City, Macaulay took it upon himself to update the show for a new audience. To hear from Mr. Macaulay himself, "The characters inhabit an intriguing, colorful world; rich in texture with a love story at its center…This production is not simply a revival. The show has 3 new songs in addition to original numbers that have been freshened up a bit…it's a brand new Windy City."
The company of Windy City is a motley crew of reporters, city dwellers, gangsters and politicians straight from the latter days of the Roaring 20's. Hildy Johnson is brought to life by Broadway veteran David Elder (42nd Street, Kiss Me Kate, Titanic), who was last seen at the Walnut in Phantom. Newcomer Cristen Boyle attempts to woo Hildy away from the hustle and bustle of the newspaper game as Natalie Lewis, Hildy's fiancée. Standing in Hildy's path is editor Walter Burns, played by Paul Schoeffler, another veteran of numerous Broadway productions (Sweet Charity, Beauty and the Beast, Victor/Victoria) who has appeared at the Walnut before in Another Kind of Hero. Also featured is Keith Gerchak, who plays the condemned Earl Williams. Denise Whelan returns to the Walnut (The Thing About Men, Cats, La Vie en Bleu) as Molly Malloy, a hooker with a heart of gold. Bev Appleton, Maggie Anderson, Harold Barnard, Bill Bateman, Stephen Berger, David Brummel, Curt Dale Clark, Jeffrey Coon, Michael Daly, Kelley Faulkner, Lee Golden, William Hartery, Colleen Hazlett, Donna Ryan, Peter Schmitz, William Solo and Stuart Zagnit round out this very talented ensemble.
The design staff for Windy City combines some of the best talent in Philadelphia with some incredible designers from the Windy City herself, Chicago. At the helm of this tour de force farce is Director and Choreographer Marc Robin. Windy City is Marc's directorial debut at the Walnut, having staged over 200 productions across the country, including shows at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Fulton Opera. His work has brought him an astonishing 39 Joseph Jefferson Award Nominations. He has won the award 14 times along with 11 After Dark Awards and 3 Ari "Zoni" Awards.
Returning to the Walnut as Musical Director is Douglass G. Lutz. Doug's last appearance was for our 2005 production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. His talents have been recognized for many Walnut productions over the years, including Finian's Rainbow, West Side Story and Cats. Set Designer (and Chicago native) Robert Kovach creates an eye-popping vision of 1929 Chicago as only a denizen of the Windy City can. There promises to be surprises in every corner of the stage for this show, so keep your eyes peeled for some amazing theatrical magic! This is also Robert's first turn at the Walnut, having designed such shows as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Seussical, Cats and South Pacific for theatres in Chicago and across the country. Lighting Designer Paul Wonsek returns to the Walnut, having illuminated last season's Lost in Yonkers and Finian's Rainbow. Costume Designer Colleen Grady marks the start of her 10th season at the Walnut, having envisioned the colorful costumes for West Side Story, Evita and last season's hit, Godspell. Sound Designer Ryk Lewis rounds out the design staff, having previously worked for the Prince Music Theatre and the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Windy City runs at the Walnut September 5 through October 22. This production is co-sponsored by Harmelin Media and Stradley and Ronon, Attorneys At Law. Media Sponsors are B101 and NBC 10. For tickets and information, call the Walnut Street Theatre's box office at 215-574-3550 or by visit www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster at 215-336-1234 or online at Ticketmaster.
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Photo by Mark Garvin, featuring Paul Schoeffler, Cristin Boyle and David Elder [506K]
Photo by Mark Garvin, featuring David Edler and Cristin Boyle [343K]
Hildy and Reporters: Photo by Brett Thomas, featuring David Elder and company [588K]
Hildy and Natalie: Photo by Brett Thomas, featuring Cristin Boyle and David Elder. [758K]
