d’Amboise directs and choreographs his work which began previews March 31 at the Costa Mesa, California company's Segerstrom Stage for a run slated through May 7.
The Studio takes a behind-the-scenes look at the New York dance world as it tells the story of a very well known choreographer with an unknown private life. At work on a new ballet, the choreographer works with two dancers — a weathered veteran and an eager newcomer.
Mann has trod the Broadway stage in Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables, Cats, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Lennon and The Rocky Horror Show. He earned Tony Award nominations for his roles in the first two productions.
Lemenager performed in Movin' Out, Never Gonna Dance, Kiss Me Kate, Dream, How to Succeed…, Guys and Dolls, Meet Me in St. Louis and the Music of the Night tour. Todd also appeared in Movin' Out as well as The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. He worked on The Studio at Sundance Theater Lab.
Seth Belliston (Movin' Out, La Cage aux Folles) and Yvette Tucker (On the Town, The Wild Party) serve as understudies. Director-choreographer d'Amboise has also worked as a performer. On Broadway, he co-starred with Bernadette Peters in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song and Dance, earning him a Tony nomination. His choreography was featured in the original production of High Society and Terrence Mann's Romeo and Juliet.
He comes from a dance-heavy family: his sister is Charlotte d' Amboise — whose credits include Sweet Charity, Contact, Chicago, Company and Carrie. Their father is choreographer-performer Jacques d'Amboise (Shinbone Alley)
The Studio was previously scheduled to debut at SCR in 2004 but was "indefinitely postponed for additional development." Emanuel Azenberg and Ben Sprecher produced a New York workshop of the work in November 2004.
The design team for The Studio includes Christopher Barreca (sets), Angela Balogh Calin (costumes), Peter Maradudin (lights) and B.C. Keller (sound). Karl Fredrik Lundeberg provides original music, Kelly Crandall serves as assistant director, Megan Monaghan handles dramaturgy and Erin Nelson is the stage manager.
The new season at SCR continues with the world premiere of Tanya Barfield's Blue Door and Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing (May 19-June 25).
Tickets to shows at South Coast Rep, at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, CA are available by calling (714) 708-5555. For more information, visit www.scr.org.
