L J Fecho, Entourage Entertainment, in association with Genesius Theatre and Sweet Street Desserts, presents GENESIUS, a new musical beginning August 26, 2009 at TADA! Youth Theater, 15 W. 28th Street, NYC (between Broadway and Fifth Avenue). Tickets are $18 and are available at www.smarttix.com, 212-868-4444.
A celebration of those who perform for the sheer love of it, GENESIUS tells the story of one woman's passion for love, for theatre, and for the opportunity to be onstage. This new musical touches on the universal themes of reaching out and giving back while pursuing one's own dreams. In 1971, Jane Simmon Miller co-founded Genesius Theatre in Reading, PA; she dreamed of a theatre group where teen-aged amateurs could participate, learn, and grow while putting on a show. GENESIUS is her story.
Book by L J Fecho, music and lyrics by Michael O'Flaherty, directed and choreographed by William Sanders, with musical direction by Greg Brown, Ian Schugel and James Stenborg. Set design is by Rod Snyder; lighting design is by David Neel, Spencer M. Fecho and L J Fecho; sound design is by David Neel, Production Solution, Inc.; costume design is by Mary Anne Kelly and Heather Wight. Assistant director is Simmon E. Fecho. Featuring Beth Glover* (Grey Gardens, TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, CA) as Jane Simmon Miller, Paul Carlin*, Danny Gardner* (42nd Street, national tour), Benjamin Howes* ([title of show]), Melisa Klausner*, and Ryan Mikita, with Ardis Barrow, Emilie Battle*, Cameron Bautsch, Johannah Giron, Lannon Killea*, Rebecca Leigh, Lauren Lukacek, Meagan MacLeod, Nick Mannix*, Dane Reis and Kit Treece. An Equity Approved Showcase.
ABOUT GENESIUS THEATRE
We believe that the best theatre is an experience of living and feeling, changing and growing, challenging and becoming. We trust in the power of this inspiring and dynamic medium to transform the artists who create it, the audiences who enjoy it, and the patrons who support it. We exist to produce and present entertainment in all phases of the performing arts that entertains audiences, educates and trains artists, nurtures emerging art, and enriches the cultural community for people of all ages in Berks County. The vision of Genesius Theatre is to be the premier focal point for new and novel experiences in the performing arts. Founded in 1971 by Jane Simmon Miller and Michael O'Flaherty, Genesius Theatre is named after Saint Genesius, Patron Saint of Actors.
L J Fecho (Book) is the Artistic Director of Genesius Theatre, in Reading, PA., where he began his theatrical career at the age of twelve. By the time he graduated from high school, he had been involved in over 65 plays and musicals. Soon after that, he was hired as a staff associate for the late Broadway producer, Alexander H. Cohen. During that season he assisted on Hellzapoppin', starring Jerry Lewis and Lynn Redgrave; Comedians, directed by Mike Nichols; and Anna Christie, starring John Lithgow, as well as the 1977 Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awardstelecast on ABC. Mr. Fecho has been Special Events and Cabaret Manager at the acclaimed Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, MA., and produced WTF's Annual New York Cabaret Benefit (1985/86) at Studio 54 and The Palladium, featuring such notables as Paul Newman, JoAnne Woodward, Dick Cavett, Christopher Reeve, Betty Buckley and Patti LuPone, to name a few. He was the Marketing Director and Assistant Producer at Off-Broadway's Hudson Guild Theatre, and assisted the producer of Carol Hall's Off-Broadway hit, To Whom It May Concern, directed by the legendary screen star, Geraldine Fitzgerald. Mr. Fecho freelanced as a production assistant for The Manhattan Theatre Club, La Mamma, The Watery Star Theatre and The New York Theatre Workshop, and was the Director of Promotions at the Fulton Opera House, in Lancaster, PA He was known as the guy "who could get almost anything for free"! Entourage Entertainment, he produces, writes and directs themed corporate parties, murder mystery events and corporate games for companies and associations. In addition to writing twelve comedic murder mystery events, he has written a full-length play, Just Another Illegitimate Child Of John Lennon, which made its debut at Genesius Theatre in 2003 and then moved to the 2003 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, where it had four sold-out performances at the Adrien Theatre. He also collaborated with Michael O'Flaherty on a new musical entitled, The Belsnickel Scrooge - a Depression Era, Pennsylvania Dutch version of A Christmas Carol, which made its debut in 2007 at Genesius.
Michael O'Flaherty (Music & Lyrics) is the co-founder, with Jane Simmon Miller, of Genesius Theatre, in Reading, PA. Between 1971 and 1980, he produced, directed, music-directed, designed sets, lights and costumes, and performed in nearly one hundred musicals and plays there, in addition to running the day-to-day business of the theater and handled all the publicity and public relations. He was a jack-of-all-trades and a master of most of them. This training gave him the foundation he needed to launch his professional career in Broadway and regional theater. Since 1980, Mr. O'Flaherty has done just that. He is in his 18th season as the Resident Music Director of the highly acclaimed Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. On Broadway, he music-directed Gentleman Prefer Blondes for Tony Randall's National Theatre Company, and was the music director for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, By Jeeves, which ran on Broadway, and in Washington DC, Los Angeles and London's West End. Off-Broadway, he was musical supervisor, musical director, vocal arranger, musical stager and also performed in Carol Hall's To Whom It May Concern, directed by Geraldine Fitzgerald. He has worked at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C, North Shore Music Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, The Whole Theatre, The Acting Company, The Smithsonian Institution, The Chelsea Theatre Center, The Phoenix Theatre, and Columbia Pictures. He produced, created and directed a 60's revue, And The Beat Goes On, which ran at The Silver Lining in New York City. He served as conductor for a national tour of George M, and was assistant conductor of The Gershwin Gala at The Brooklyn Academy Of Music and The Kennedy Center. Mr. O'Flaherty has also performed a great deal throughout his career. At the acclaimed Williamstown Theatre Festival, where he was the musical supervisor and cabaret director for eleven years, he sang at many of the performances, including all of their New York Cabaret Benefits. He was seen performing on the JoAnne Woodward tribute to The Group Theatre, which aired on PBS in 1989. On Broadway, he composed the score for Nikos Psacharopoulos'production of A Streetcar Named Desire at Circle In The Square. He has written songs for Kidsports International and Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals, and has composed scores for productions of Summer and Smoke, Peer Gynt, and The Greeks. In addition to Genesius, he has also collaborated with L J Fecho on a new musical entitled, The Belsnickel Scrooge - a Depression-era, Pennsylvania Dutch version of A Christmas Carol, which made its debut in 2007 at Genesius Theatre, Reading, PA.
William Sanders (Director/Choreographer) Artistic Director: Civic Theatre of Allentown off and on for 16 years directing everything from Guys & Dolls to The Who's Tommy, Noises Off to Death Of A Salesman, and Master Class to both parts of Angels in America. Member: SSDC and Equity. He assisted Joe Mantello on several Broadway and Off-Broadway productions at Lincoln Center Theater, the Roundabout, Manhattan Theatre Club, and at the Ahmanson/Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, including the Tony-award winning Love! Valour! Compassion!, Design for Living, Blue Window, Proposals, and A Man of No Importance. In New York: directed Trust, Dance in the Giddy Circle, jasonSongs and the readings of many new plays, regionally and in colleges. He has created choreography for most of the musicals he has directed as well as productions of The Cradle Will Rock, My Fair Lady, On the Twentieth Century, Angry Housewives, Over Here, Irma La Douce, Mack and Mabel & Company - as a choreographer he has worked since 1977 on many musicals including an original dance review Gotta Dance! - produced in 1978 at Genesius Theatre.
GENESIUS will be performed from August 26 - September 13, 2009 at TADA! Youth Theater, 15 W. 28th Street, NYC (between Broadway and Fifth Avenue), with performances Wed 8/26 and Thu 8/27 at 7pm; Sat 8/29 at 4pm; Sun 8/30 at 2pm; Mon 8/31 at 3pm and 8pm; Tue 9/1 - Thu 9/3 at 7pm; Tue 9/8 - Fri 9/11 at 7pm; Sat 9/12 at 4pm; Sun 9/13 at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are $18 and are available at www.smarttix.com, 212-868-4444. (GENESIUS is not a TADA! Youth Theater production.)
For more information, visit www.genesiustheatre.org.
