CCMT Grins and Bares It All on the Lesher Center Stage Contra Costa Musical Theatre Strips Open Our 55Th Season

CCMT Grins and Bares it all on the Lesher Center Stage Contra Costa Musical Theatre Strips Open Our 55th Season

WALNUT CREEK, September 8, 2015 — Contra Costa Musical Theatre (CCMT) will present The Full Monty at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, October 9th through November 7th, 2015. Tickets for The Full Monty range from $45 to $65 (with discounts available for seniors, youth, and groups) and are on sale now at the Lesher Center for the Arts Ticket Office, 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek, 925.943.SHOW (943-7469). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.lesherArtscenter.org.

The smash hit comedy premiered on Broadway in 2000, with book by Terrence McNally (Ragtime, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and score by David Yazbek (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown). The original Broadway production was nominated for nine Tony Awards including Best Musical but had the unfortunate circumstance of opening the same year as The Producers, which swept the awards. It had an impressive run of more than 800 performances over two years. CCMT presented the East Bay Premiere of this show in 2005.

The show is based on the popular Academy Award-winning film of the same name. While the film was set in South Yorkshire, England, the musical was re-set in Buffalo, New York. The story revolves around six unemployed steelworkers who are desperate for cash, so desperate they decide to present a strip show to the locals after seeing their wives’ enthusiasm at a recent touring production of The Chippendales. Their fearless leader, Jerry, decides to make their show even better than the Chippendales; his team will bare it all and go “the full monty”. We follow this loveable group of guys as they overcome their fears and self-consciousness, restore their wounded self-esteem and take charge of their lives.

Featuring such songs such as “You Rule My World”, “Michael Jordan’s Ball” and the show-stopping finale “Let It Go”, this heartwarming, upbeat musical comedy is fall-on-the-floor funny and touching as well. Filled with wonderful music and dance, this production is rated PG-13 for brief nudity and adult language and situations.

CCMT’s production will feature an amazing cast, led by Noel Anthony as Jerry. Mr. Anthony has appeared with CCMT in many productions, most recently as Harold Hill in last season’s The Music Man. Other CCMT roles include Guys & Dolls (Sky Masterson), Hairspray (Corny Collins) and in his Shellie Award- winning performance as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. Jerry’s cohorts are played by Marty Newton (Dave), LaMont Ridgell (Horse), Scott Phillips (Harold), Sam Leeper (Malcolm) and Brendon North (Ethan). Other cast members include Jill Gould, Terry Darcy D’Emidio, Zoe Conner, Taylor Bartolucci, Heather Paton-Watson, Christina Boothman, Nikki Nickerson, Jaime Patterson, Kendall Tieck, Mark Flores, Danny Santero and JC Cerruti.

Proven Winners To Lead Artistic Vision CCMT is thrilled to welcome back Director/Choreographer Christina Lazo to lead the talented artistic team. Ms. Lazo made her CCMT debut with last season’s Bye Bye Birde. Also returning to CCMT is musical director Matt Smart, whose most recent CCMT assignments were Bye Bye Birdie and Tarzan - The Musical and RENT.

CCMT’s resident scenic designer is the award-winning Kelly J Tighe, while we also welcome back Costumer Hope Birdwell and Lighting Designer Joe D’Emilio. This dynamic creative team of directors, designers and performers is guided by Executive Producers Cherie Davis and Dustin Riggs.

CCMT Continues to Dominate Shellie Awards Already the most decorated musical theatre company in the history of the Shellie Awards, CCMT’s dynamic production of Les Misérables gathered a record seven statuettes at the 36th Annual Shellie Awards held in January. The company was honored with awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Lead Actor, Lighting Design, Musical Direction, Direction and Outstanding Musical Production of the Season. We are proud that our work has garnered such critical praise, and we continue to strive to bring our audiences the best musical theatre in the East Bay.

About Contra Costa Musical Theatre Based in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa Musical Theatre has a fifty year history of producing dynamic musical productions and providing a home to local and national talent. CCMT has won more Shellie Awards for musicals than any other regional company, Since their move to the Lesher Center for the Arts in 1990, they have produced more than 40 full-scale productions, including the East Bay premieres of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Urinetown, the Musical, The Full Monty, RENT, Titanic, the Musical, Hairspray, Sunset Boulevard, Tarzan and Les Miserables.

Media Contacts: Scott Strain Danny Boyle 925-639-6979 925-210-0268 [email protected] [email protected]