The Vineyard plays home once more to the popular musical comedy which began its commercial run July 14 and opened July 20 following a run at the venue earlier this year. Kevin McCollum, Laura Camien and the Vineyard Theatre produce the limited engagement which was originally scheduled through Sept. 9 and now plays through Oct. 1.
Stout is among the many names in the theatre industry that are mentioned in the show (including Betty Buckley, Ben Vereen, the Nederlanders and even Playbill.com). Stout is spoken of when Hunter recalls to Jeff that he heard Mary Stout was hit by a hotdog cart.
Stout has appeared on Broadway in Jane Eyre, Beauty and the Beast, My Favorite Year, A Change in the Heir, Me and My Girl and Copperfield. She also recently performed in The Actors' Fund 2005 benefit concert of On the Twentieth Century.
Following the performance, the audience was treated to free hot dogs from a hot dog cart and vendor stationed outside the Vineyard Theatre. Also in attendance were Joan Rivers and Spring Awakening stars Lea Michele and Lilli Cooper.
(All photos by Ben Strothmann.) *
Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, creators and stars, pen a musical which follows a writing team's "race to write and submit a show to the theatre festival" weeks before the deadline. The show was born out of just that experience: Bowen and Bell's race to complete an entry for the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF). Featuring a bevy of quips about theatre and musical fanaticism (including the duo's own), the meta-musical (as in real life) enlists two of the creators' friends, Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff, to appear with them.
Tony Award nominee Michael Berresse (The Light in the Piazza, Kiss Me Kate) leads the original creative team as the director-choreographer. Larry Pressgrove (Cats, Children's Letters To God) provides musical arrangements and direction.
Tickets for the new run of [title of show] at the Vineyard Theatre, 108 East 15 St. are on sale through (212) 279-4200. For more information, visit www.vineyardtheatre.org or www.titleofshow.com.
