Ciarán Sheehan
Broadway veteran Ciarán Sheehan (Les Misérables, Phantom) will star as Billy Bigelow opposite Boston’s own Jennifer Ellis (My Fair Lady, The Most Happy Fella) as Julie Jordan in Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, June 9-19, 2016. Rachel Bertone will direct and choreograph.
Kicking off the 48th consecutive summer season, Carousel, the powerful love story between an innocent millworker and a swaggering carnival barker will run for eight performances at the Robinson Theatre (617 Lexington St. Waltham, MA, 02452). Performance Schedule: Thurs, June 9th at 3:00 PM; Fri, June 10th at 7:30 PM [PRESS NIGHT]; Sat, June 11th at 7:30 PM; Sun, June 12th at 2:00 PM; Thurs, June 16th at 3:00 PM; Fri, June 17th at 7:30; Sat, June 18th at 7:30; Sun, June 19th at 2:00 PM.
Single adult tickets for each production in Reagle’s 48th Summer Season are $35-$63; discounts apply for seniors, students, and groups of 10 or more. Season subscribers can save 20% on each show! Student rush seats at 50% off are available one hour before curtain with a valid college ID. Subscriptions available for purchase thru June 19th, 2016. To purchase, visit www.reaglemusictheatre.com, call 781-891-5600, or visit the theater box office at 617 Lexington St, Waltham, MA, 02452. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., with extended hours from 9:00 am to curtain on performance days.
Carousel was named the best musical of the 20th century by Time Magazine. Spanning heaven and earth to explore themes of human frailty and resilience, Carousel tells of roguish carnival barker Billy Bigelow, and mill worker Julie Jordan who meet and fall in love. The tale that follows is a story of love, violence, hope and redemption. Carousel will be directed and choreographed by Rachel Bertone, with Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez, Artistic Direction/Production by Robert Eagle. This iconic American classic features some of the most powerful music ever written for the stage, including “If I Loved You”, “Mister Snow”, “June is Bustin’ Out All Over” and the iconic “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on Ferenc Molnar’s Play Lilion, as adapted by Benjamin F. Glazer. Original Dances by Agnes de Mille. Carousel is presented through special arrangement of R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.
Jennifer Ellis
Jennifer Ellis (Julie Jordan) returns to Reagle Music Theatre after starring as Eileen Sherwood in the company’s 2015 production of Wonderful Town. She has since made her Off-Broadway debut in Shear Madness NYC. Ms. Ellis recently played Eliza Doolittle to critical acclaim in The Lyric Stage Company’s production of My Fair Lady (named in the Wall Street Journal’s “Best Theater of 2015”) (IRNE nomination.). She has performed in numerous regional productions earning rave reviews and multiple IRNE nominations: Comedy of Errors, Richard III, The Skin of Our Teeth (Commonwealth Shakespeare); Nine, Far From Heaven (ArtsImpulse Award, IRNE nomination, SpeakEasy); Out of Sterno, (IRNE nomination) Jacques Brel, The Most Happy Fella (IRNE Award, Gloucester Stage); The Cherry Orchard, Snow White (Peterborough Players); Urinetown, City of Angels, 1776 (Lyric Stage); A Christmas Carol (Nat. Tour), Boston Lyric Opera. www.JenEllis.net
Dublin born Ciarán Sheehan (Billy Bigelow) is an acclaimed actor, singer and voice healer who made his Broadway debut in Les Miserables (Babet, Marius). Shortly thereafter was cast as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. After a year of playing Raoul on Broadway, Mr. Sheehan then starred in the coveted role of The Phantom. He sang the role of the Phantom in over 1,000 performances during the course of two and a half years both on Broadway and in Toronto. Other NY stage performances include numerous appearances with The Irish Repertory Theatre Company; Shaughnessy in The Hostage, Ciarán in The Irish…and how they got that way… by Frank McCourt, Sir Dinadan in Camelot (with Jeremy Irons), and Woody in Finian’s Rainbow. Television appearances include “Law and Order,” “One Life To Live,” “Another World,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” and numerous appearances on PBS Stations nationally. As a producer, Mr. Sheehan created the sold out productions of The Molly Maguires directed by Tony nominated director Sheryl Kaller at the FM Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA in which he also starred. He has three PBS specials to his credit – “The Irish…and how they got that way…”, “From Galway to Broadway,” and “Ciarán ~ An Evening with Friends.” Recordings include The Irish…and how they got that way, Ha’penny Bridge, and Ciarán ~ An Evening with Friends Vol. I & 2. Ciarán’s current projects include his three shows – “Ciarán ~ An Evening with Friends,” “Awaken,” and “Broadway and Beyond,” as well as various special events and stage productions projects. He is also delighted to be collaborating on original music for his next CD project as well as in the early stages of an autobiography book project. He studies voice with David Jones and acting with Terry Schreiber and Larry Moss in New York City. www.ciaransheehan.com
Reagle’s 48th Summer Season will also include Thoroughly Modern Millie (July 7-17), the rollicking 1920’s musical about a small-town girl who moves to New York to lead a fresh new life and the fabulous Gershwin musical comedy Crazy For You (August 4-14), a high energy production set in the 1930s about a playboy who just wants to dance.
About Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, Inc. Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston (RMT) has been bringing Broadway-quality musical theatre to the greater Boston area for 48 seasons. Under the creative direction of Robert J. Eagle the non-profit theater company’s professional productions have earned IRNE and Moss Hart Memorial Awards as well as rave reviews from critics. Reagle’s productions have attracted Broadway stars and legendary performers including Patti LuPone, Sally Struthers, Vicki Lawrence, Andrea McArdle and Shirley Jones. RMT is also committed to supporting arts education for area youth through Youth Education programs and by using theatre techniques to support the Waltham Public Schools’ curriculum. For the latest information on Reagle Music Theatre’s programs and performances see www.reaglemusictheatre.org, and follow RMT on Facebook and Twitter (@ReagleMusicThtr).
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Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer and a 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, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
