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“Ah 5-6-7-8!” Moonlight Stage Productions’ “A Chorus Line” Set for August 18 – September 4
VISTA, CA (August 4, 2021) – One of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history, “A Chorus Line” returns to The Moonlight for the first time in 29 years. Director and Choreographer Hector Guerrero will restage the original choreography created by the show’s creator and original Choreographer Michael Bennett and Co-Choreographer Bob Avian. Performances of “A Chorus Line” continue The Moonlight’s 40th Anniversary at the Moonlight Amphitheatre from August 18 to September 4. Tickets, priced $17 - $59, are on sale online at moonlightstage.com or by phone at (760) 724-2110.
The original production ran for 6,137 performances from April 1975 until April 1990 making it one of Broadway’s longest running musicals. The show was an unprecedented hit receiving nine Tony Awards and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show was conceived, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, Bob Avian was co-choreographer, music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and the book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
The development of “A Chorus Line” was pioneering for its day as it was born from life stories told into a tape recorder in 1974 over multiple nights by chorus dancers. These stories were interwoven into the book of the show and as it worked through its workshop phase, the stories of the actors in the show were also incorporated into the script. Never before had actors been such an integral part of a Broadway musical’s creative process.
Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre, “A Chorus Line” is centered on 17 Broadway dancers auditioning for a spot on the chorus line of a new Broadway show. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories that shaped their lives and their paths to becoming dancers. The show’s score features the iconic musical hits “I Hope I Get It,” “The Music and the Mirror,” “One” and many more.
The Moonlight production features Danielle Airey (Kristine), Ellie Barrett (Lois), Lacey Beegun (Bebe), Laurel Bollard (Vicki), Drew Bradford (Al), Tyler Matthew Burk (Zach), Xavier J. Bush (Richie), Wes Dameron (Butch), Holly Echsner (Val), Donny Gersonde (Bobby), Colby Hamann (Tom), Jennifer Knox (Cassie), Milan Magana (Diana), Sarah Morgan (Judy), Emma Nossal (Maggie), Natalie Nucci (Sheila), Cheyenne Omani (Tricia), Emma Park (Connie), Jeffrey Scott Parsons (Mike), Trevor Rex (Greg), Steven Ruvalcaba (Paul), Nick Schrier (Mark), Jupityr Shaw (Don), Samuel Shea (Larry), Ala Tiatia-Garaud (Frank) and Anthony Vacio (Roy).
Joining Director and Choreographer Hector Guerrero on the creative team is Dr. Randi Rudolph as Music Director and Conductor and Devon Hunt as Associate Music Director. Lighting Design and technical direction is by Jennifer Edwards, Sound Design by Jim Zadai, costumes are based on the original designs by Theoni V. Aldredge and the show is stage managed by Marie Jahelka. For more information, visit moonlightstage.com or call (760) 724-2110.
CALENDAR INFORMATION "A Chorus Line" August 18 – September 4, 2021 Gates open at 6:30 p.m. for dining and picnicking; curtain at 8:00 p.m.
HEALTH & SAFETY The Moonlight is poised to respond to the ever-evolving health guidelines from the state and has measures in place including a socially distanced seating option, hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the theatre and daily cleaning of common areas. A socially distanced seating area has been established in the theatre’s “great lawn” section for those who have not received Covid-19 vaccinations or for those who are vaccinated but wish to remain distanced from others. Patrons who plan to sit in any of the theatre’s other seating areas are asked to be fully vaccinated or to have received a negative Covid-19 test 48 hours prior to their ticketed performance. The Moonlight is requiring audience members to wear face masks while they are in the theatre except for when they are eating or drinking in their seats. Moonlight has instituted measures for its artists and staff to minimize health risks and is proactively working with the Actors’ Equity Association to ensure a healthy working environment on and backstage.
FOOD AND PICNICKING For the 2021 summer season, The Moonlight welcomes Bread and Cheese Eatery as the theatre’s new concessionaire. Audiences may reserve a table for $5 a person on the Moonlight Patio to enjoy charcuterie boards and other menu items from Bread and Cheese Eatery for an additional purchase. Audiences are also invited to bring their own picnic suppers and non-alcoholic beverages into the Amphitheatre. Outside alcohol is not permitted. A variety of wine and beers will be available for purchase from Bread and Cheese Eatery.
THE 2021 SEASON CONTINUES "On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan" September 15 – October 2, 2021 Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for dining and picnicking; curtain at 7:30 p.m.
TICKET INFORMATION Single tickets are priced $17 - $59 with additional general lawn discounts for seniors, students and the military.
ABOUT THE MOONLIGHT & MOONLIGHT STAGE PRODUCTIONS Winner of several San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Awards, including “Best Resident Musical” for 2019's “West Side Story” and 2017’s “In the Heights,” Moonlight Stage Productions has been named "San Diego's #1 Outdoor Theatre" by readers of 'San Diego Magazine.’ Moonlight Stage Productions provides high- caliber Broadway musical theatre in the 2000-person capacity Moonlight Amphitheatre, owned and operated by the City of Vista. Audiences attend from throughout San Diego, Southern Riverside, and Orange Counties, making the Moonlight a regional destination for Broadway musical theatre. The Moonlight's summer season of Broadway musicals is produced in the picturesque Moonlight Amphitheatre and has been a summertime tradition experienced by more than one million people since the theatre’s founding by Kathy Brombacher in 1981. Throughout the decades, the Amphitheatre has seen numerous transformations, but nothing as dramatic as the total reconstruction of the stage house in 2008- 2009. A state-of-the-art venue was revealed with a grand reopening in June 2009, including a modern stage and audience facilities. Since then, the Amphitheatre has extended its entertainment offerings with the addition of concerts and other special events held throughout the year through Moonlight Presents and ClubM. Moonlight Stage Productions is the cultural arts program of the City of Vista and is produced in partnership with the Moonlight Cultural Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which supports the programming at The Moonlight year-round in addition to offering youth education programs through Moonlight Youth Theatre.
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