Karen Ziemba. Photo by Lia Chang
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is presenting Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s rapturous and seductive musical, A Little Night Music, May 20-June 14, 2015, at The Geary Theater, 415 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. Press night for A Little Night Music is Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Tickets ($20-$140) for A Little Night Music are available online at www.act-sf.org and by phone at 415.749.2228.
Patrick Cassidy (Broadway: 42nd Street, off Broadway: Assassins) as Federick Egerman, Emily Skinner (Broadway: Billy Elliot: The Musical, Side Show) as Charlotte, and Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba (Broadway: Bullets Over Broadway, Contact) as Desiree Armfeldt lead the cast of A Little Night Music.
Paolo Montalban
Also featured in the cast are Tony Award nominee Dana Ivey (Broadway: Sunday in the Park with George; Film: The Help; TV: “Boardwalk Empire”) as Madame Armfeldt; Paolo Montalban (Broadway: Pacific Overtures, The King and I; A.C.T.: The Orphan of Zhao) as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm; Bay Area native Justin Scott Brown (off Broadway: Far from Heaven, National tour: Marius in LES MISERABLES) as Henrick Egerman; Marissa McGowan (Broadway: Bonnie & Clyde, A Little Night Music) as Petra; and Laurie Veldheer (Broadway: Newsies, Mamma Mia!) as Anne. The cast will be rounded out by Bay Area performers Christine Capsuto as Mrs. Nordstrom, Brandon Dahlquist as Mr. Lindquist, Michael McIntire as Frid, Brigid O’Brien as Fredrika, Annemaria Rajala as Mrs. Andersen, Andres Ramirez as Mr. Erianen, and Caitlan Taylor as Mrs. Segstrom.
A Little Night Music presents a beguiling and bittersweet tale of lost love, scandalous liaisons, and youthful passions that intertwine over a midsummer’s eve at a country home in 1900s Sweden. The Wall Street Journal raves, “No score of Sondheim’s is as buoyant and thoroughgoing an example of musical comedy as A Little Night Music.” A Little Night Music is filled with Sondheim’s signature wit and some of his most gorgeous melodies-including the beloved and haunting treasure “Send in the Clowns.”
Directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Mark Lamos, the creative team for A Little Night Music includes set design by Riccardo Hernandez, lighting design by Robert Wiertzel, costume design byCandice Donnelly, sound design by Kevin Kennedy, choreography by Val Caniparoli, and music direction by Wayne Barker.
In association with A Little Night Music, A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events-many of which are presented free of charge-that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while having an entire night out at the theater. Visit act-sf.org/interact to learn more about subscribing to these events throughout the season:
• Bike to the Theater Night
Wednesday, May 20
Providing a greener alternative to theater transportation, A.C.T. and the San Francisco Bike Coalition offer free valet bike parking, as well as a special discount on tickets, for these select performances.
• Prologue:
Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 p.m.
Before the curtain goes up, get behind the artistic process at this fascinating preshow discussion with the director and artistic staff.
• Theater on the Couch:
Friday, May 29, following the 8 p.m. performance
Led by Dr. Mason Turner, chief of psychiatry at San Francisco’s Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, this exciting postshow discussion series explores the minds, motives, and behaviors of the characters and addresses audience questions.
• Audience Exchanges:
Tues., June 2, 7 p.m. | Sun., June 7, 2 p.m. | Wed., June 10, 2 p.m.
After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors and artists who create the work onstage.
• OUT with A.C.T.:
Wednesday, June 3, following the 8 p.m. performance
The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular afterparty.
• Wine Series:
Tuesday, June 9, 7 p.m.
Before the show, raise a glass at this wine-tasting event featuring leading sommeliers from the Bay Area’s hottest local wineries.
• PlayTime:
Saturday, June 13, 12:45 p.m.
Before this matinee performance, get hands-on with the artists who make it happen at this interactive theater workshop.
A.C.T.’s production of A Little Night Music is made possible by executive producers Christopher andLeslie Johnson; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; producers Marcia and John Goldman; Paul R. and Mary Lee Gupta; Alan and Ruth Stein; Susan A. Van Wagner; associate producers Edward and Della Dobranski; Barb and Gary Erickson; Mr. Milton J. Mosk and Mr. Thomas E. Foutch; Arnie and Shelly Glassberg; Alan and Cricket Jones; Mr. Joel Krauska and Ms. Patricia Fox; Mr. and Mrs. Ban Hudson; Mr. and Mrs. John R. Upton; Beverly and Loring Wyllie; lead corporate sponsor US Bank/Ascent; and corporate sponsors Farella Braun & Martel LLP; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; with additional support by The Directors Circle; Acorn Winery; Campari; Piazza Market Catering; Inspiration Vineyards.
A.C.T. would also like to acknowledge its 2014-15 company sponsors Frannie Fleishhacker; Priscilla and Keith Geeslin; Jeri Lynn and Jeffrey W. Johnson; Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; Barbara Ravizza and John S. Osterweis; and Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock, as well as its season partners, Wells Fargo and PG&E.
A.C.T.’s 2015-16 season will feature the West Coast premiere of Will Eno’s inventive new comedy, The Realistic Joneses; OBIE Award winner John Douglas Thompson in Terry Teachout’s Satchmo at the Waldorf; the groundbreaking new musical, The Unfortunates; Eugene O’Neill’s classic comedy, Ah, Wilderness!; and the world premiere of Monstress, a theatrical adaptation based on the short stories by San Francisco author Lysley Tenorio, adapted by renowned Bay Area artists Sean San Jose and Philip Kan Gotanda. In addition, A.C.T. is happy to welcome back the Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol, after its record-breaking run last season. The additional two productions, along with performance order and run dates, will be announced at a later date.
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Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon and Taxman. She has guest starred on “One Life to Live,” “As the World Turns,” and “New York Undercover.” Lia starred as Carole Barbara in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Pauletta Pearson Washington and Roscoe Orman. She is profiled in Jade Magazine.
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