BROADWAY COUPLE HUNTER FOSTER and JENNIFER CODY LEAD CAST of MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Husband and Wife to Perform Together for the First Time in Her Hometown
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Media Contact: Dawn Kellogg Communications Manager (585) 420-2059 [email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BROADWAY COUPLE HUNTER FOSTER AND JENNIFER CODY LEAD CAST OF MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Husband and wife to perform together for the first time in her hometown. Rochester, N.Y., July 28, 2015– Geva Theatre Center announces that Tony Award Nominee Hunter Foster will play the role of King Arthur, and his wife, Rochester-born Jennifer Cody, will play Arthur’s sidekick Patsy in the opening production of the theatre’s 43rd Season - the Tony Award-winning hit musical, Monty Python’s Spamalot by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, in the Wilson Stage September 9 – October 11. Lovingly ripped off from the classic comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this outrageous musical parody tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Embarking on their quest to find the Holy Grail, the Knights’ shenanigans include flying cows, beautiful show girls, killer rabbits, and flatulent Frenchmen – all while performing heart-stopping and hilarious musical numbers. Hunter Foster made his Broadway debut in the 1994 production of Grease alongside his sister, Sutton Foster. He appeared in Broadway productions of Alan Menken’s King David, Les Misérables and Footloose before starring in the original Off-Broadway and subsequent Broadway production of Urinetown, for which he received Outer Critic and Lucille Lortel Award nominations. On Broadway, he has appeared as Leo Bloom in The Producers, the original production of Million Dollar Quartet, Hands on a Hardbody, Little Shop of Horrors as Seymour, which earned him a Tony nomination, and most recently, The Bridges of Madison County. Jennifer Cody is thrilled to again return to her hometown following her acclaimed appearance as Mary in the world premiere of Women in Jeopardy! last season and as Gwendolyn Pigeon in The Odd Couple in 2014. Broadway credits include A Christmas Story; Shrek; The Pajama Game; Taboo; Urinetown the Musical; No, No Nanette (encores); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Actor’s Fund); Seussical the Musical; Grease; Beauty and the Beast and Cats and most recently, Mr. Magoo's Christmas. She won the Annie Award (the voice-over Oscar for Best Actor in an Animated Motion Picture Feature Film) for creating the voice of Charlotte La Boeuff in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. She is the voice of Darcy in Nickelodeon’s “Winx Club” and Lucy in “Robot and Monster.” Off-Broadway, she created original roles in The Wild Party (MTC), Charles Bush’s Judith of Bethulia and Henry and Mudge. TV/FILM credits include Lucky Stiff, Khumba, “Blue Bloods,” “Unforgettable,” “Winx Club,” “Robot and Monster,” “American Dad,” “Phineas and Ferb,” “Law & Order,” “Gravity Falls,” “The Daily Show” and “Late Nite with David Letterman.” Although Foster and Cody have shared the stage on several occasions - Grease, Les Misérables and Cats (where they first met), this will be the first time the two have appeared onstage together in Cody’s hometown of Rochester, NY. Foster and Cody lead a cast of New York’s finest talent under the direction of Melissa Rain Anderson (Geva’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) including Brandon Andrus (the recent Broadway revival of Side Show, national tours of Jersey Boys and Oklahoma!) as Sir Galahad; Mike DiSalvo (national tour of 12 Angry Men) as Lancelot, the Knight of Ni and Tim the Enchanter; Jacob Hoffman (Off-Broadway’s I’ll Be Damned) as the Historian, Not Dead Fred and Prince Herbert; Ashley Dawn Mortensen (Elphaba in the national tour of Wicked) as Lady of the Lake; Geva favourite Jim Poulos (Geva productions of A Christmas Carol, Clybourne Park, Urinetown, You Can’t Take it With You, Amadeus, Company and Broadway productions of Rent and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) as Sir Robin; and Michael James Warrell (Broadway production of All That Glitters, national tours of Spamalot, Fame and Grease) as Sir Bedevere. The ensemble features Jessica Azenberg, John Cummings, Nicole Evas, Andy Frank, Leah Hassett, Shannon Mullen, Adam Pellegrine, Frankie Paparone and Jacob Stewart. Monty Python’s Spamalot begins previews on September 9, opens September 12 and runs through October 11. Tickets are now available through the Geva Box Office: (585) 232-Geva (4382) or online at www.GevaTheatre.org. The 2015-2016 Wilson Stage Series is sponsored by ESL Federal Credit Union. Monty Python’s Spamalot is produced with support from Lead Co-Producer St. John Fisher College; Associate Producers Bank of America and Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP and Media Sponsor 98PXY. For further information, photographs or to arrange interviews, please contact: Dawn Kellogg, Communications Manager, (585) 420-2059. GEVA THEATRE CENTER Founded in 1972, Geva Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to creating and producing professional theatre productions, programs and services of a national standard. As Rochester’s leading professional theatre, Geva Theatre Center is the most attended regional theatre in New York State, and one of the 25 most subscribed in the country, serving up to 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. The 526-seat Elaine P. Wilson Stage is home to a wide variety of performances, from musicals to American and world classics. The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Stage is home to Geva’s own series of contemporary drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva’s New Play Reading Series and the Hornets’ Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. In addition, the Fielding Stage hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown. Geva Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. Since 1995, the organization has been under the artistic direction of Mark Cuddy. *ENDS* .