Little Firehouse Theatre
298 Kinderkamack Road
Oradell, NJ 07649

  PRESS RELEASE

BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERS LAUNCHES ITS 77TH SEASON WITH
THE TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL COMEDY CURTAINS

Book by Rupert Holmes, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Music by John Kander,
Direction by Steve Bell

Oradell, NJ, August 18, 2009

Long considered one of America’s foremost community theater groups, Bergen County Players (BCP) launches its 77^th consecutive season with the hilarious Tony Award-winning musical comedy whodunit Curtains, with book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander, and additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes.  Under the direction of Steve Bell, with musical direction by Kerr Lockhart and choreography by Sean Baldwin, Curtains will have its area premier at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from September 12 through October 10, 2009. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

Featuring one of the last scores by the legendary Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Kander and Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret, Zorba) and a book by multiple Tony Award-winner Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Say Goodnight, Gracie), Curtains is set in 1959 backstage at Boston’s Colonial Theatre during the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical. When the hapless leading lady is murdered on opening night during the curtain call, Lt. Frank Cioffi is called in to investigate and the entire company and creative team become suspects. But the lure of the theater proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit as he is in solving the murder. What unfolds becomes not only a “whodunit” murder mystery, but also a fun, witty and tuneful musical within a musical, sure to delight audiences of all ages. Filled with rousing show stopping tunes and dancing galore, Curtains promises to be another BCP blockbuster hit.

Curtains opened on Broadway on March 22, 2007 and was nominated for eight 2007 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score (with David Hyde Pierce winning for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical).  William Goldman of Variety called Curtains "An insanely funny evening!” while Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press called it "Musical Comedy Heaven!"

Director Steve Bell of Teaneck is a BCP Life member and past president who has been active with the Players for nearly thirty years having directed productions of The King and I, Urinetown, Deathtrap, Lucky Stiff, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Gypsy,  Jerry's Girls, Light Up the Sky, and Baby, among others.  In addition, Bell served as musical director for numerous productions including Seussical the Musical, Sweeney Todd, and The Most Happy Fella.  As a performer, he appeared in a variety of musicals and plays, including The Full Monty, A Year With Frog and Toad, Anything Goes, Into the Woods, Noises Off and Follies (Perry Award winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical). Steve teaches vocal music at Teaneck High School and is the Artistic Director of the Teaneck Community Chorus.

The talented cast of Curtains includes Joe Riley of Jersey City (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi); Margaret Young of Middletown, NY (Carmen Bernstein); Cara Vannelli of Mahwah (Georgia Hendricks); David C. Monti of Lodi (Aaron Fox); Stephanie M. Quinn of Dumont (Niki Harris); Brian Feldman of New City, NY (Christopher Belling); Andrew Lionetti of Westwood (Daryl Grady); Peter Caust of Glen Rock (Johnny Harmon); James Lugo of Congers, NY (Oscar Shapiro); Christopher Siley of West Nyack, NY (Randy Dexter); Nolan Muña of New City, NY (Bobby Pepper); Elizabeth Morris of Pearl River, NY (Bambi Bernet); Mark Herrmann of Mahwah (Sidney Bernstein); Andrew Shaw of Westchester, NY (Detective O’Farrell, Brick Hawvermale); Jennifer Cottone of Westwood (Jessica Cranshaw, Marjorie Cook); Lindsay Braverman of Glen Rock (Connie Subbotin); Rachel Menconi of Montvale (Mona Page); Mark Thomas of Manhattan (Ronnie Driscoll); and Victoria Edwards of Saddle Brook (Roberta Wooster).

The entire team behind the making of this hilarious musical-cum-murder mystery includes Steve Bell (Director); Michele Roth, George Lytle and Kathi Nubile (Producers); Kerr Lockhart (Musical Director); Joanna Bell (Assistant to the Director); Sean Baldwin (Choreographer); Leslie Cohn (Stage Manager); Chris McVey (Set Design/Construction); Lauren Zenreich (Set Décor); Allan Seward (Lighting Design); Theresa Jones (Lighting Operator); Jim Higgins (Sound Design); Rebecca Fishner (Sound Operator); Rose Caporrimo (Properties Chief); Sherry Iradi (Costume Design); Steve Mintz and Barbara Schwartz (Photography); Anita Esteve (Crew Chief); Elizabeth/Dee Marsh, Noel Schoonover, Davyd Suber, and Pat Bain (Stage Crew).

TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION

• All performances take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, home to the Bergen County Players since 1949. All tickets for Curtains are $21.00. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM with special added matinees on Saturdays at 2:00 PM on October 3 and 10. There will be no performances September 18 and 19..
• As it has for the past few seasons, the Players will continue to offer a Q & A (“Questions & Artists”) discussion following select performances.  These popular “talk-backs” series will kick off immediately following the Friday, September 25^th performance of Curtains.  Admission is included in the cost of the ticket.
• Those interested in schedules, discount offers and buying tickets for the 2009-10 season, can log onto BCP’s website at: www.bcplayers.org, visit the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell or call (201) 261-4200.  Visa, Master Card, and American Express accepted.
• Those interested in Group Sales or benefit theater parties can call (201) 262-0515.
• Student Rush tickets available for $5 for students age 25 and under with valid ID, 30 minutes prior to curtain. One ticket per ID. Cash only. Students can also guarantee their seats in advance either online or through the box office for the special student price of just $14.00.
• Parking is free for our patrons at the Park Avenue municipal lot, across the street, one-half block north of the theater.

The Bergen County Players has grown tremendously from its roots as a small community theater when it was founded in 1932.  Today, nearly 300 volunteer members, working on and off stage, make possible the seven mainstage and two second stage productions presented each season.  The company's professional alumni include Tony Award-nominated actress Beth Fowler (The Boy From Oz, Sweeney Todd), Tony Award-winning actor Robert Sean Leonard (FOX’s House, The Invention of Love), Tony Award-nominated director Robert Jess Roth (Beauty and the Beast, Lestat), and international best-selling suspense author Mary Higgins Clark, just to name a few.  In May 2001, Tony Award-winning playwright and composer Rupert Holmes (Curtains, The Mystery of Edwin Drood) collaborated with the Bergen County Players to premier his new play at the Little Firehouse Theatre, a comic mystery called Thumbs.

The Bergen County Players, Inc., is a non-Equity, non-profit community theatre company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community.