PHOTO CALL: My Vaudeville Man!, with Wiley and Murphy, Opens at the York

By Matthew Blank
November 20, 2008

My Vaudeville Man! officially opened at Off-Broadway's York Theatre Company Nov. 17.

Directed and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, the new work based on the life of tap star Jack Donahue began previews Nov. 7 and will run through Jan. 4, 2009.

The two-person cast consists of Karen Murphy (Broadway's All Shook Up, 42nd Street, Titanic) and Shonn Wiley (Encores! No, No Nanette; Broadway's Dracula, 42nd Street).

With a book by Jeff Hochhauser, music by Bob Johnston and lyrics by Johnston and Hochhauser, the musical, according to press notes, "is the story of a boy born to dance and the mother who fought to keep him home! Karen Murphy and Shonn Wiley star in a musical based on the life of legendary eccentric tap dancer Jack Donahue (played by Ray Bolger on film) and his mother — who fights to keep her son off the wicked vaudeville stage."

The York Theatre Company is located at Saint Peter's in Citigroup Center on Lexington Avenue just east of 54th Street. Tickets are available by calling (212) 935-5820 or by visiting www.yorktheatre.org.

Here is a look at a few of the opening-night attendees:

Tony Walton, York Artistic Director Jim Morgan and Tony Roberts

Composer Bob Johnston, Karen Murphy and book writer Jeff Hochhauser

Director Lynne Taylor-Corbett with son Shaun Taylor-Corbett

Joey Dudding, Shonn Wiley and Daniel Reichard

Shonn Wiley with wife Meredith Patterson

Donna McKechnie

Photos by Ben Strothmann