VANCOUVER, BC... APPLAUSE! Musicals In Concert completes their 2010-2011 season of rare, shelved and forgotten musicals presented “on-book”, in concert in an intimate setting, with the spirited musical Little Me, running five performances, May 4-7, at CBC Studio 700.
Probably the best musical comedy you've never heard of, Little Me is a whopping, whirling satire on the familiar "as told to" showbiz biography. In this case, the Hollywood backstory is that of Belle Poitrine (French for "beautiful bosoms") a buxom blonde and queen of the silver screen. Follow her epic romances and rise to ascendance over the bodies of husbands, lovers and acquaintances who meet untimely deaths in her vicinity.
Leading the cast will be local funnyman David C Jones, who will play ALL FIVE of the leading men in the show. He joins a line of other brave comic men who have taken on this show including the originator, Sid Caesar, for whom it was written in 1962, and two other Broadway revivals which featured Victor Garber (1982) and Martin Short (1998).
David C Jones' favourite past roles include Adam in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at The Arts Club Theatre, Scrooge in A Twisted Christmas Carol and Harold in Blankety Blank The Unknown Musical, both at The Belfry Theatre, and Otto in Design for Living at Presentation House. David has a Jessie Award, a Vancouver Sun People’s Choice Award and The Best in Vancouver Georgia Straight Award (two of those actually); he also has a cat. He is a graduate of Studio 58 and is on the teaching staff of the Vancouver Film School. Last year he was nominated for his Community Work at the XTRA West Hero Awards, starred in a TV series for OUT TV called "Tops & Bottoms", and is producing a commissioned film for Out on Screen. He is the founder of Bob Loblaw Queer Arts Society.
Joining David is veteran Lower Mainland musical theatre programmer and multi-CTC and Ovation Award winner Cathy Wilmot. Recent credits include Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (Fighting Chance), Buttercup in HMS Pinafore (FVGSS), Forbidden Broadway, Rent (Fighting Chance Productions), and Lisa in A New Brain (Pipedream).
Little Me, the musical has a book by Neil Simon (Promises Promises, Lost In Yonkers), based on the novel by Patrick Dennis (Auntie Mame). Music by Cy Coleman (Sweet Charity, Will Rodger Follies, Barnum, On The Twentieth Century) & lyrics by Carolyn Leigh.
Each APPLAUSE! concert is semi-staged with a full cast and chorus who perform “on book”, with minimal production/ technical elements, with the focus on the score. Unique to their work is a one-week rehearsal period (30 hours of rehearsal) and performances in an intimate setting. APPLAUSE! Musicals Society, the umbrella company that presents the concerts, is a non-profit charitable organization.
Little Me, In Concert will be directed by Mike Mackenzie (Nine, A New Brian), with Music Direction by Corey Payette (Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris – PAL Theatre). The APPLAUSE! Concert production runs five performances May 4 (8PM), 5 (8PM), 6 (8PM), 7 (2PM & 8PM) at CBC Studio 700 (700 Hamilton Street @ West Georgia).
Further information about the concert and company can be found online at applausemusicals.com.
Online tickets available at brownpapertickets.com. Tickets by phone available at: 1-800-838-3006.