By Matthew Blank
10 Feb 2009

The Broadway-aimed musical Minsky's opened Feb. 6 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

Set in the summer of 1930, in and around the National Winter Garden Theatre, Minsky's is billed as "a big, racy, romantic musical comedy set in Depression Era New York City. The king of burlesque himself, Billy Minsky, reigns over the rollicking backstage world of Minsky's, where profit margins are as skimpy as the costumes. Billy knows that to keep the customers coming you have to give them legs, laughs and spectacle that pushes the limits, but even he's not prepared for the day he falls in love and the cops come banging on his door. This original musical brings back a golden era of theatre when audiences came to the theatre to laugh at the jokes, ogle the dancers and escape reality for a little while."

The show boasts a score by Tony Award-winning composer Charles Strouse and Tony-nominated lyricist Susan Birkenhead. The book is by Tony Award winner Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).

Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs a cast that stars Christopher Fitzgerald in the title role of Billy Minsky. Also featured in the cast are Katharine Leonard, Rachel Dratch, George Wendt, Tony winner Beth Leavel, Tony nominee John Cariani (Almost, Maine, Fiddler on the Roof), Gerry Vichi (The Drowsy Chaperone, Curtains), Kevin Cahoon (Chitty Bang Bang, Hedwig) and Paul Vogt.

Megan Nicole Arnoldy, Nathan Balser, Roxane Barlow, Jennifer Bowles, Kirsten Bracken, Jennifer Frankel, Linda Griffin, Blake Hammond, Philip Hoffman, Stacey Todd Holt, Marc Kessler, Sabra Lewis, Matt Loehr, Ariel Reid, Jeffrey Schecter, Angie Schworer, Sarrah Strimel, Charlie Sutton, Jennifer Werner and Patrick Wetzel round out the ensemble.

Here is a look at the opening-night arrivals, curtain call and post-show party:

View the Entire Photo Gallery Christopher Fitzgerald and Rosemary Minsky Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Tickets for Minsky's start at $20 and are available by calling (213) 628-2772 or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.