The Music Theatre Company Announces Their 2013 Mainstage Production "The Pajama Game"

HIGHLAND PARK –The Music Theatre Company (TMTC), Highland Park’s Equity theatre, 1850 Green Bay Road, is proud to announce the company’s 2013 mainstage production, The Pajama Game. Directed by Jess McLeod and choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Jessica Redish, April 18 – May 12, with press opening Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. Preview performances are April 18 – 21. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Preview ticket prices are $20 for students with ID and seniors (60+) and $35 for the general public. Regular ticket prices are $32 for students and seniors and $40 for the general public. To purchase tickets or for more information call The Music Theatre Company at 847.579.4900 or visit www.themusictheatrecompany.org. 

Based on the novel 7 ½ Cents by Richard Bissell, the multi-award winning The Pajama Game, book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, tells the tale of Babe and Sid, who struggle to find love in the midst of a labor dispute. The musical features the unforgettable music of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross including “Hey There,” “Hernandos’s Hideaway” and “Steam Heat.” Stripped down to its essence to reveal the heart of its story, TMTC’s production is a clever, truthful and poignant musical for our times.

The production team for The Pajama Game includes:

CAST: Nancy Kolton (Mabel), Kelly Abell (Poopsie, Steam Heat, Dance Captain), Dana Tretta (Gladys), Lauren Villegas (Brenda), Jason Richards, Creg Sclavi (Charlie), Kelly Davis Wilson (Mae), Sarah Bockel (Babe), Carly Robinson, Frankie DiCiacci, and David Sajewich (Sid)

The roles of of Hines/Pop and Hasler will be announced at a later date.                

CREATIVE TEAM: TMTC Associate Artist Jess McLeod (director), TMTC Founding Artistic Director Jessica Redish (choreographer), Matt Deitchman (music director), Charles Cooper (lighting design), Sarah Watkins (scenic design), Izumi Inaba (costume design) and Sally Weiss (properties design)

Jess McLeod, Director

McLeod is an Associate Artist at The Music Theatre Company, where she directed last year's Young Artists’ Program production, a revue of new musical theatre songs entitled YAPbook '11. Chicago credits include: Kin, Griffin Theatre at Theater Wit, and L-Vis Live! at Victory Gardens. New York credits for McLeod include: Joyce Carol Oates's The Corn Maiden (co-adapted with Justin Swain), Mr. Kolpert, Rachel Axler's Kitchen Sink, Joe Keenan's The Times, Harrison David Rivers's Fell and The Last Five Years. From 2005-2008, McLeod also served as director of programming for The New York Musical Theatre Festival and directed pop/musical theatre fusion concerts including The Unauthorized Musicology of Ben Folds.

Jessica Redish, Choreographer and Founding Artistic Director

Since The Company’s founding in 2008, Redish has directed and choreographed Merrily We Roll Along, The 9/11 Report: A Bipartisan Musical Fantasia by Michael Mahler (also conceiver) Erika's Wall and PIPPIN, for which she received a Jeff Nomination for Choreography. Redish also choreographed She Loves Me at Writers' Theatre in Glencoe and will be choreographing Sweet Charity at Writers’ in Winter 2013. She recently choreographed RENT at American Theater Company/About Face Theatre directed by David Cromer, as well as Seussical at First Stage in Milwaukee. She served as movement director for the off-Broadway production of Adding Machine directed by Mr. Cromer, and directed and choreographed various productions for the New York Musical Theatre Festival and the NYFringe. She has served as a guest artist at Perry Mansfield, Roosevelt University, Hollins University and Northwestern University, her alma mater, and is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.                                            

ABOUT THE MUSIC THEATRE COMPANY

The Music Theatre Company explores the musical in the interest of expanding the canon of musical theatre through fully-staged productions, commissions of new works and musical experiments.

The Music Theatre Company production history includes: The Jeff-Nominated production of Merrily We Roll Along, PIPPIN, The 9/11 Report: A Bipartisan Musical Fantasia by Michael Mahler & Jessica Redish, Erika's Wall by Sophie Jaff & Kathy Tagg, B.R.A.T.T. Camp by Bobby Cronin, The Last Five Years in Concert, and a variety of readings of new musicals including new titles by Josh Schmidt, David Simpatico and Alan Schmuckler. The Company also annually presents its 48 Hour Musical project every August: four new fifteen-minute musicals written and rehearsed in 48 Hours.

The Music Theatre Company, Highland Park’s Equity theatre, 1850 Green Bay Road, presents The Pajama Game, April 18 – May 12, with press opening Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. Preview performances are April 18 – 21. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Preview ticket prices are $20 for students with ID and seniors (60+) and $35 for the general public. Regular ticket prices are $32 for students and seniors and $40 for the general public. To purchase tickets or for more information call The Music Theatre Company at 847.579.4900 or visit www.themusictheatrecompany.org. 

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The 2012-2013 TMTC Season is supported by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, YEA! Highland Park, The Highland Park Cultural Arts Commission and BMO Harris Bank.