ZORBA SEPT 14-16 YORK THEATRE! BY JOE STEIN!!!

YORK THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES FINAL CASTING:

BETH FOWLER JOINS ZORBA

REHEARSALS BEGIN FOR
FIRST SHOW IN FALL 2007 MUSICALS IN MUFTI SERIES;

PERFORMANCES SEPTEMBER 14-16 ONLY

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) announces Beth Fowler (Inherit the Wind, The Boy from Oz, Beauty and the Beast) will play Hortense in Zorba, the first of the four show in the Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series -- the York’s acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances. The Fall Series will celebrate the work of playwright Joseph Stein. Zorba, which began rehearsals Monday, September 10, will play September 14, 15 and 16 at the Theatre at Saint Peters (54th Street, Just East of Lexington Ave). Tickets are $35. For more information or to purchase tickets to any of the Mufti shows, visit www.yorktheatre.org or call York’s Box Office at 212-935-5820.



Beth Fowler joins the previously announced, Jeff McCarthy (Urinetown, Pirate Queen), who made his Broadway debut as Nikos in the 1983 Zorba revival and will play the title role. The cast also includes Emily Skinner (Side Show, The Full Monty) as The Leader, Crista Moore (Big, Gypsy) as The Widow, Aaron Ramey (Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Nikos, and Robin De Jesus (In The Heights) as Mikiko. The ensemble includes Raymond Bokhour, Jane Brockman, Joseph Cullinane, Vince D’Elia, Denis Lambert, Ken McMullen, Tina Stafford, and Deone Zanotto.



Zorba has a book by Joseph Stein, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Zorba is directed by Steven Yuhasz (Lover, Liar, Lady…The Women of Kander & Ebb, All About Us). Patrick Vaccariello (A Chorus Line) is the Music Director.



Zorba is adapted from the novel “Zorba the Greek” by Nikos Kazantzakis. The show is set in Crete in 1924 and is about the friendship between Zorba and Nikos, a young American student who has inherited an abandoned mine on Crete, and their romantic relationships with a local widow and French woman – Hortense, respectively.



The novel was turned into a film in 1964, produced and directed by Michael Cacoyannis. Anthony Quinn starred in the title role, with Lila Kedrova played Madame Hortense. The movie won three Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress (Lila Kedrova), Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.



The musical was directed and produced by Harold Prince and choreographed by Ronald Field. The show opened at the Imperial Theatre on November 16, 1968, ran for 305 performances and starred Herschel Bernardi in the title role and Maria Karnilova as Madame Hortense. The show was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won a Tony Award for best Scenic Design. It also won three Drama Desk Awards – for Outstanding Lyrics, Costume Design and Set Design.



A revival opened at the Broadway Theatre on October 16, 1983 and ran for 362 performances. This production brought together many of the film’s team: Anthony Quinn in the title role and Lila Kedrova as Madame Hortense; it was directed by Michael Cacoyannis and choreographed by Graciele Daniele. Ensemble members included Rob Marshall and Robert Westenberg. Lila Kedrova won a 1984 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress. Cast recordings were made of both the original and revival of Zorba.



Following Zorba, the Musicals in Mufti lineup is as follows: Enter Laughing: The Musical which will run September 28-30 and will be directed by Stuart Ross, with Matt Castle as Music Director. The Body Beautiful will run October 12-14 and will be directed by David Glenn Armstrong, with John Bell as music director. The Baker’s Wife is the last in the series, will run October 26-28 and will be directed by Gordon Greenberg with Mark Hartman as Music Director. All shows will play five performances: Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2:30 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm. Audience discussions will follow both matinees.



All shows will be presented at the Theatre at Saint Peters (54th Street, Just East of Lexington Ave) and each show will play five performances: Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2:30 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm. Audience discussions will follow both matinees. Tickets are $35 (or all four for only $125) and are now on sale. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.yorktheatre.org or call York’s Box Office at 212-935-5820. The box office is open Monday-Friday, 10-6.



York previously celebrated Joseph Stein in the Musicals in Mufti Fall 2006 Series (Take Me Along, Carmelina, Plain & Fancy). Stein won the Tony Award and Drama Critics Circle Award for Fiddler on the Roof. His other musicals include: Zorba (Tony nom., Drama Critics Circle Award), Rags (Tony nom.), The Baker's Wife (Laurence Olivier Award, London), Juno, Take Me Along, Irene; The King of Hearts and So Long, 174th Street. He also co-authored, with Alan Jay Lerner, the musical Carmelina and, with Will Glickman, Mr. Wonderful (starring Sammy Davis, Jr.) and Plain and Fancy. His plays include Enter Laughing, Before the Dawn and Mrs. Gibbons' Boys. He began his career in TV and radio, writing for "Sid Caesar Show," "Your Show of Shows," "The Henry Morgan Show" and many others including Tallulah Bankhead, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason and Zero Mostel. He wrote the screenplays of Enter Laughing and Fiddler on the Roof, for which he won the Screen Writers Guild Award. He is currently working on All About Us, the musical version of The Skin of Our Teeth with a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and another musical, yet to be announced. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild Council and is married to Elisa Stein, a psychotherapist.



‘Mufti’ (pronounced MUFF’ tee) means “in street clothes; without the usual trappings” and shows are presented script-in-hand, with minimal staging. The Musical in Mufti Series has celebrated such writers as Richard Rodgers, George Abbott and Joseph Stein. York has presented over 60 concert revivals of musical theatre gems from the past – more than any other such series in the world. Notable shows include: It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman, I and Albert, The Day Before Spring, Take Me Along, Plain and Fancy, Beggar's Holiday, The Grass Harp, Wish You Were Here, Carmelina, Fanny, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Lucky Stiff, Darling of the Day, Mata Hari, The Girl Who Came to Supper, Carmen Jones, Weird Romance, Johnny Johnson, Rex, Billion Dollar Baby, Mirette and 70, Girls, 70. TIME Magazine listed York's Mufti version of Darling of the Day as one of the Top Ten Theatrical Events of 2005.



For ticket information visit www.yorktheatre.org or call 212-935-5820.

THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY in Saint Peter’s Theatre,

54th Street Just East of Lexington

E train to Lexington Avenue or 6 train to 51st Street