GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE Board of Trustees Chairman: James N. Heston* President: Dr. Penelope Lattimer* First Vice President: Lucy Hughes* Second Vice President: Janice Stolar* Treasurer: David Fasanella* Secretary: Sharon Karmazin* Ronald Bleich David Saint* David Capodanno Jocelyn Schwartzman Kenneth M. Fisher Lora Tremayne William R. Hagaman, Jr. Stephen M. Vajtay Norman Politziner Alan W. Voorhees Kelly Ryman* *Denotes Members of the Executive Committee Trustees Emeritus Robert L. Bramson Cody P. Eckert Clarence E. Lockett Al D’Augusta Peter Goldberg Anthony L. Marchetta George Wolansky, Jr. Honorary Board of Trustees Thomas H. Kean Eric Krebs Honorary Memoriam Maurice Aaron∆ Arthur Laurents∆ Dr. Edward Bloustein∆ Richard Sellars∆ Dora Center∆∆ Barbara Voorhees∆∆ Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.∆ Edward K. Zuckerman∆ Milton Goldman∆ Adelaide M. Zagoren John Hila ∆∆ – Denotes Trustee Emeritus ∆ – Denotes Honorary Trustee From the Resident Artistic Director Hello! My name is Michael Mastro, and I’m very excited to begin my time here with the George Street family as Resident Artistic Director of the Playhouse. This year, George Street’s 42nd, I’ll be working alongside Artistic Director David Saint (who is busy readying George Street’s production of Clever Little Michael Mastro Lies for an off-Broadway run starring the Resident Artistic Director inimitable Marlo Thomas…) and Managing Director Kelly Ryman to bring you another season of the great plays and musicals that George Street is known for. I’ve been blessed to work at the Playhouse numerous times over the last ten years. Most of the shows I’ve done here were comedies, and I truly loved working on them. The sound of an audience’s laughter is more than music to my ears…it’s addictive really, whether I’m acting in a comedy or directing one. That’s why I’m so thrilled that our first show of the season is Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair’s Murder for Two, a wacky and wildly funny musical take on a tried and true dramatic form: the murder mystery. I won’t give anything away here, but I will take a moment to applaud in advance the wonderful work of the two actors you are about to see. Under Scott Schwartz’s lively and inventive direction, these two gents make musical comedy magic. There are lots of songs and even more laughs on this journey toward the revelation of whodunit. My lips are sealed on that subject, but yours need not be! Feel free to part them and laugh as much as you like along the way! Enjoy! Michael Mastro Resident Artistic Director Productions sponsored by THE KARMA FOUNDATION Photos clockwise from left: THE 39 STEPS – with Howard McGillin RICH GIRL – with Tony Roach and Crystal Finn I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI – with Antoinette LaVecchia All photos by T. Charles Erickson. GEORGE STREET Playhouse David Saint, Artistic Director; Michael Mastro, Resident Artistic Director; Kelly Ryman, Managing Director In Association With JAYSON RAITT BARBARA WHITMAN STEVEN CHAIKELSON Latitude OMNEITY PAULA MARIE PAULA PITTSBURGH LINK ENtertaiNMENT/ BLACK KAMINSKY CLO RICHARD G. davis WEINBERG SECOND Stage Theatre Carole Rothman, Artistic Director Casey Reitz, Executive Director Christopher Burney, Curator and Associate Artistic Director present Murder for Two Book and Music by Book and Lyrics by JOE KINOSIAN KELLEN BLAIR Starring JOE KINOSIAN IAN LOWE Scenic Design Costume Design Lighting Design Sound Design BEOWULF BORITT ANDREA LAUER JASON LYONS JILL BC DU BOFF Music Director Choreographer david CALDWELL WENDY SEYB Casting Production Stage Manager Production Supervisor Associate Producer CALLERI CASTING katriNA OLSON PRODUCTION CORE TOM CASSERLY National Press Representative General Management Exclusive Tour Direction Matt ROSS PUBLIC SNUG HARBOR PRODUCTIONS awa partNERS relatiONS Directed by SCOTT schwartZ The World Premiere of Murder for Two was presented on May 12, 2011 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago, IL. Barbara Gaines, Artistic Director, Criss Henderson, Executive Director. Murder for Two was developed for Chicago Shakespeare Theater by Rick Boynton, Creative Producer. New York Premiere Produced by the Second Stage Theatre, New York, 2013 This production of Murder for Two is generously sponsored in part by The Karma Foundation October 6 – 25, 2015 In accordance with Actors’ Equity Association regulations, we remind you that all electronic devices, including pagers, cellular phones and watches must be turned off during the performance. This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/ Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. George Street Playhouse is a constituent of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and a member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance. The theatre operates under an agreement between LORT and Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States, and is a member of the New Brunswick Cultural Center. CAST in order of appearance The Suspects Joe Kinosian* Marcus Ian Lowe* *- denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association. Understudies never subsitute for listed performers unless a sepcific announcement is made at the time of performance. Understudies: John Wascavage* (The Suspects); Noel Carey* (Marcus) Murder for Two will be performed without an intermission. The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The director is a member of The Stage The stage technicians of Directors and Choreographers Society, Inc., George Street Playhouse an independent national labor union. are proud members of IATSE Local 21. The Scenic, Costume, Lighting and Sound Designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. The George Street Playhouse playbill is published five times a year by George Street Playhouse, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation. Please send advertising inquiries to George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, attn: Playbill Advertising. Rich in history with roots dating back to 1974, George Street Playhouse is a New Brunswick treasure, providing Broadway-quality shows for audiences of all ages and transformative learning experiences for students. WithumSmith+Brown applauds George Street Playhouse for enriching the lives of so many through the arts —putting our community in a position of strength. Bill Hagaman, CPA, Managing Partner, CEO 732.828.1614 • [email protected] COMPANY bios. Joe Kinosian of Actors’ Equity since 2005. Many thanks (The Suspects, Book to the entire MFT team and to Mom and and Music) is the co- Papa for those piano lessons. Love to RC. recipient of Chicago’s www.theianlowe.com Joseph Jefferson Award John Wascavage recognizing Murder for (u/s The Suspects) is ecstatic to return to Two as Best New Musical the Murder for Two family. Pittsburgh following its record- CLO: The Suspects in Murder for Two breaking run at Chicago Shakespeare and Man 2 in A Grand Night for Singing. Theater; Joe was also nominated for Best NYC/ Other Regional Credits: James Actor as The Suspects. Murder for Two Monroe in Bloody Bloody Andrew had its Off-Broadway premiere at Second Jackson (Piper Theatre), Ensemble in Stage Uptown, going on to a year-long Supersoldier by Jim Rado (Fundamental run at New World Stages. Joe’s work Theater Project), Candide in Candide with Kellen Blair has been showcased at (Quantum Theatre), Posner in The The Kennedy Center, The York Theater, History Boys (Pittsburgh Irish and and on Broadway at the Theatre World Classical Theatre). Proud member of AEA. Awards. Joe received the ASCAP Foundation @JohnWascavage Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award and the Harrington Award from the BMI Workshop. Noel Carey Joe also appeared in Dirty Blonde with Emily (u/s Marcus) is a New York based actor, Skinner (Hangar Theater) and the NYC composer and lyricist. Regional: Into the premiere of Dear Edwina Off-Broadway. Woods (TheatreWorks, Palo Alto), Hair (City kinosianandblair.com Lights, San Jose), Tale of the Nutcracker (Opera San Jose). Original musicals include Ian Lowe Seven Minutes in Heaven (Barrington (Marcus) is excited to Stage Company 10 Minute Musicals), be performing with the The Showmen (Musical Theatre Factory Murder for Two tour 4x15), Zazou (Emerson College) and Ruby following engagements Manger Live! (54 Below). His music is also at The Old Globe, Arizona featured in the annual Broadway Charity Theater Company and Songs concert (le Poisson Rouge) and the others. Off-Broadway: upcoming series Life Sucks (Dinner for Murder for Two (New World Stages), One Productions). BMI Musical Theatre Nikolai & The Others (Lincoln Center Workshop (Harrington Award). B.F.A., Theatre), The unCivil War (NYMF), Feste Emerson College. Much love to Mom, Dad in 12th Night (Sonnet Rep). Regional and the entire Murder for Two family! Premieres of new musicals Fingers & Toes www.noelcarey.com (Finger Lakes Musical Theater Festival), Heartbreaker starring Christine Andreas Kellen Blair and The unCivil War (both at Adirondack (Book and Lyrics) is the Drama Desk Theater Festival); other plays and musicals nominated co-creator of Murder for Two at Capital Rep, Pittsburgh CLO, Riverside (Off-Broadway: Second Stage Theatre Theater, Charleston Stage, Dorset Theater and New World Stages. World premiere: Festival, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Kellen Ivoryton Playhouse and others. Readings and co-writer Joe Kinosian are the and workshops at The York, Ensemble recipients of the Joseph Jefferson Award Studio Theater, Manhattan Theater Club and for Best New Musical Work in Chicago others. 2014 Lotte Lenya Competition Semi- (2011) and the ASCAP Foundation Mary Finalist. BA, Yale University. Proud member Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award (2013). Unlike the great performances you’ve enjoyed at the George Street Playhouse, life is not something you can rehearse. Embrace the unexpected Talk to BPSK. Insuring local businesses and families for 100 years. Since 1974, an original founder, insurer and proud supporter of The George Street Playhouse.