"JESUS'
KID BROTHER"
Hilarious musical is ICT's 100th production,
kicking off
the 2006 Season.
LONG
BEACH, CA - A musical of biblical proportions kicks off International City
Theatre's 2006 season, marking its 100th production. Jesus' Kid Brother, with book, music and lyrics by Brian
and Mark Karmelich, opens February 10, and the fun continues for five weeks
through March 12.
Low-priced previews begin February 7.
Jesus'
Kid Brother tells
the story of what it's like to grow up in the shadow of a famous sibling - in
this case, one who's not only an A-student and top athlete, but can also
perform miracles. The locally-based
Karmelich brothers bring their hilarious story of Jesus's younger brother
Larry's inferiority complex to life with an infectious rock score.
"We
attended Catholic school and were both alter boys; we were immersed in the New
Testament growing up," they explain. "The musical is campy and fun,
but we made every effort not to be disrespectful. Priests, pastors and rabbis have embraced it."
The Karmelich brothers, who grew up in San Pedro, bring a
unique perspective to musical theater, having written hundreds of songs for
their rock band Sauce, a regular on L.A. club stages. Their CD Where Are You Going? hit several Top 30 playlists
(KGRK, WKSR, WMUR, KSUA, WFHC, WSUR, WMPH) and Top Ten CDs of the year
lists. Their sardonic and clever
songwriting style lent itself well to musical theater. JKB started out as a single song
performed by Sauce. It went over so
well that they added another and then kept on writing, performing the songs in
clubs to see what worked and what didn't
before they added a book. Club
performances led to a full production at the Hudson Theatre which garnered four
Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Award nominations, including Best Musical,
Best Score, Best Director and Best Choreography. Daily Variety called Jesus' Kid Brother an
"ambitious, amazing, energetic rock tuner."
"Our songs are very theatrical, so it was simple to make
the leap to musical theater without losing the rock 'n' roll feeling,"
says Mark.
Jules Aaron returns to helm the Equity premiere of the zany hit
musical he directed two years ago in the initial waiver production. Back, too, are JKB choreographer Brian Paul
Mendoza (ICT's Raisin and A
Christmas Carol) and JKB musical director Brian Murphy. Christopher Dean Briant, Fernando Orozco
Jr., and Jeffrey Landman reprise the roles they created in the original
production, and are joined on stage by Daniel Dawson, Scott Dreier, David Eldon, Andi
Gibson, Brett Glazer, Pamela Holt, Elaine Loh, Joseph Sark and
Kristen Beth Williams.
Notes
ICT artistic director Shashin Desai, "Jules directed ICT's first
production in 1985, so it's fitting he should direct our 100th production as
well. It's come full circle."
Jules
Aaron also directed
critically-acclaimed productions of Charley’s Aunt, 4 Guys Named Jose, The
Real Thing, Triumph of Love, A Grand Night For Singing, Goblin
Market, Beguiled Again and All My Sons for ICT. He has directed over 200 productions at
New York’s Public Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, South Coast Repertory,
La Mirada Performing Arts Center (McCoy/Rigby), TheatreWorks and the
Philadelphia Theatre Company including world premieres by John Guare, Leonard
Melfi, William Hauptmann, Craig Lucas, Keith Reddin and Susan Miller. Jules is
the recipient of one LADCC, 18 Drama-Logue and three Garland Awards.
Brian
Paul Mendoza
received the Ovation Award for Best Choreography for his work on Deaf West’s Oliver!
Other critically acclaimed productions: Wicked City Blues
("One of the Ten Best Plays of 2005" by Utah’s largest circulation
newspaper,The Deseret News); Vanguard University's As It Is In Heaven
(2005 American College Theater Festival Kennedy Center Selection), ICT's Raisin
(2004 NAACP Nominee - Best Choreography).
Brian
Murphy has provided
musical direction for How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying
at the Colony and for Merrily We Roll Along at both the West Coast
Ensemble (Garland Award, Music Direction) and the Reprise! series at UCLA,
where it starred Teri Hatcher, Jean Louisa Kelly, Hugh Panaro and Stella
Stevens.
Christopher
Dean Briant (Barabbas)
originated the role of Barabbas in JKB at the Hudson. He appeared in the Canadian premiere of Generations
in Canada and traveled extensively as part of Paramount Productions aboard
Renaissance Cruises.
Daniel
Dawson (Ernest)
played the title roles in Bat Boy and Joseph...Dreamcoat. Other
credits: Anything Goes, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, Jekyll and Hyde, Crazy For
You.
Scott
Dreier (Pontius
Pilate) played Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors for South Bay CLO,
Santa Barbara CLO, Riverside CLO, Poway Performing Arts Center and Broadway in
the Park; Smudge in San Diego’s Forever Plaid for two years; The Wizard
of Oz (Cabrillo CLO); Into the Woods (Moonlight Amphitheatre); A
Funny Thing Happened… (South Bay CLO); Fiddler on the Roof (Santa
Barbara CLO); Company (West Coast Ens.-Garland Award); How to
Succeed... (Riverside CLO, Moonlight Amphitheater, Starlight Bowl); How
The Grinch Stole Christmas (Old Globe).
Non-musicals: Lend Me a Tenor, The Glass Menagerie, Broadway
Bound.
David
Eldon (Stu) is a recent
graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where he performed in Into
the Woods; Grease; The Big Ever After; and The Insanity of Mary
Girard.
Andi
Gibson (Mary
Andrea) has recorded with Lorimar and Warner Brothers, singing behind stars
like Roberta Flack and Barbra Streisand.
She recently played Sally Brown in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Marmac
Repertory Theater Company).
Brett
Glazer (Kris)
has appeared in over a dozen Broadway shows including
Wit (Technician), R & J (Romeo) and Love, Valour, Compassion
(Bobby). Recent theater: Los Angeles premiere of David Hare's
Mother Courage, NY pre-Broadway workshop of Sheba,
2005 Ovation Award-nominated The Possession of Mrs. Jones.
Pamela
Holt (Mrs. Pilate)
Pamela has toured throughout the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia with her
one-woman show. She sang in duet with
Barry Manilow at the Hollywood Palladium and performed for the KLOS “Mark &
Brian 2005 Christmas Show” at the Wiltern Theater.
Jeffrey
Landman (Joseph)
reprises the role he created at the Hudson. On Broadway: Les Miserables and
Falsettos (also national tour).
Other theater: Bark!; Lobby Hero; The Rothschilds; Oliver!; Gypsy;
George M!; Members Of The Tribe (OOBR Award); What’s Wrong With Angry?
(Robby / GLAAD Award nominations); and as "Snail" in ICT's A Year
with Frog and Toad.
Elaine
Loh (Destiny
Pilate) Theater credits: The Ohmies (Geffen Playhouse touring company); Overflow
(Hudson Guild); Little Shop of Horrors (Franklin Performing Arts
Co., MA); Kaleidoscope Kabaret (Madison Productions, Providence, RI);
Once On This Island (DeSisto Prods, Boston).
Fernando
Orozco, Jr. (Da
Baker) returns to the role he originated at the Hudson. Other credits: Zombie From, the Movie
(produced by Wes Craven); Ragtime; Merrily We Roll Along
(directed by Jules Aaron); You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Joseph
Sark (Larry) New to
L.A., Joseph appeared in the national tour of Joseph… Dreamcoat opposite
Deborah Gibson; Follies & Will Rogers Follies (Paper Mill); Roberta
& Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party (MTG); A Chorus Line (Paul); Crazy
For You (Bobby).
Kristen
Beth Williams (Mary
Pilate) appeared in Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Pantages); On
The Town, Applause (Reprise); Camelot, Stephen Sondheim’s
75th Birthday Celebration (Hollywood Bowl); Call Me Madam
(Goodspeed); Sound of Music (Paper Mill); Bye Bye Birdie, Will
Rogers Follies (Downey CLO); Ragtime, How to Succeed…, Chicago,
Honk! (Music Theatre of Wichita).
Jesus'
Kid Brother is
produced by Shashin Desai; set is by Tom Buderwitz; lighting is
by
J. Kent Inasy; costumes are by Shon LeBlanc; casting is by Michael
Donovan Casting. International
City Theatre is the Resident Professional Theater at the Long Beach
Performing Arts Center, and the recipient of the Margaret Harford Award from
the Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle for “Sustained Excellence in Theater.”
Jesus'
Kid Brother runs
Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, February 10 -
March 12. Tickets are $35 -$40 on
Thursdays, and $40-$45 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, except opening night
which is $50-$60 and includes a reception with the actors. Preview performances take place at 8 pm on
Tuesday, February 7; Wednesday, February 8; and Thursday, February 9. Preview tickets are $32. International City Theatre is located
in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center at 300 E. Ocean Boulevard
in Long Beach. For
reservations and information, call the ICT Box Office at (562) 436-4610 or go to www.ictlongbeach.org.
THE
FACTS
WHAT: Jesus' Kid Brother is the new musical, set to an
infectious rock score, of what it's like to grow up in the shadow of a
famous sibling. Only in this case, the
famous sibling is Jesus Christ, and the younger brother, "Larry", has
an inferiority complex that reaches biblical proportions.
WHO: Book,
music and lyrics by Brian and Mark Karmelich
Directed by Jules Aaron
Choreography by Brian Paul Mendoza
Produced by Shashin Desai
WHEN: previews at 8 pm: Tues., Feb. 7;
Wed., Feb, 8; and Thurs., Feb. 9
opens for press Friday, Feb. 10 at 8 pm; continues through March 12
Thursdays at 8 pm: Feb. 16 & 23 and March 2 & 9
Fridays at 8 pm: Feb.10, 17
& 24 and March 3 & 10
Saturdays at 8 pm: Feb. 11, 18
& 25 and March 4 & 11
Sundays at 2 pm: Feb. 12, 19
& 26 and March 5 & 12
WHERE: INTERNATIONAL CITY
THEATRE
Long Beach
Performing Arts Center
300 East Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach CA 90802
HOW: (562) 436-4610 or www.ictlongbeach.org
TICKETS: Opening
Night: $50 - $60 (includes reception following the performance)
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: $40 - $45
Thursday: $35 - $40
Previews: $32
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