Photo Flash: PERFECT HARMONY Finds New Home at Acorn Theatre

"PERFECT HARMONY" is a quirky, funny, slightly twisted comedy about the greatest a cappella group in high school history, seventeen-time national champions, The Acafellas, and their less successful classmates, The Ladies in Red. It's also about what happens when competition trumps everything, victory knows no limits, and even the most innocent act can be seen as something treacherous - bringing one back to a time when navigating the brutAl Halls of high school was the most important thing in the world.

Continuing its trajectory as the little show that could, "PERFECT HARMONY," returns to Theatre Row after a short preview period at 45 Bleecker (prior to that complex being shut down), and a four week out-of-town run at the Stoneham Theatre, in Stoneham, MA. Originally created as a workshop at NYU Graduate Acting's Studio Tisch program, "PERFECT HARMONY" had its premiere at the 2006 New York International Fringe Festival, and had an extended run as part of the 2006 Fringe Encore Series. In 2008, the show moved to Theatre Row, where it sold-out its extended run at the Clurman Theatre. "PERFECT HARMONY" now returns to the Theatre Row complex for this new Off Broadway run.

Andrew Grosso is the Artistic Director of The Essentials and has conceived and directed "PERFECT HARMONY." The show was written by Grosso and developed in collaboration with the previous casts, many of whom created their characters, during a series of loose improvisational interview-based workshops. In 2005, this group, now called The Essentials, was given generous support from NYU Graduate Acting's Studio Tisch Program to finish developing the play. The collaborating writers of The Essentials (www.theessentials.org) for Perfect Harmony include: David Barlow, Jeffrey Binder, Drew Cortese, Meg DeFoe, Autumn Dornfeld, Alec Duffy, Cameron Folmar, Santino Fontana, Jordan Gelber, Scott Janes, Nicole Lowrance, Vayu O'Donnell, Thomas Piper, Maria Elena Ramirez, Jeanine Serralles, Marina Squerciati, Margie Stokley, Noah Weisberg, Margo White, Blake Whyte, and Marshall York. The Essentials is a New York based theater company that collaboratively creates innovative new theater. Most recently the company was a co-producer (along with Aaron Louis and New Georges) of Marielle Heller's The Diary of a Teenage Girl at 3LD.

Andrew Grosso's directing credits include the previous productions of Perfect Harmony, as well as the New York premiere of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (Chashama and Ohio Theater); Taming of the Shrew (Roundtable Ensemble), Wrong Way Up! with The Niagaras (Belt Theatre); Roberto Aguirre-Sacassa's The Ten Minute Play About Rosemary's Baby (Soho Rep); David Weiner's Purple Hearts (HB Playwrights); and the 2001 Fringe Festival's Waiting for Godot, the last play performed at the original East River Amphitheater.

The ten member cast will continue to be (alphabetically): Dana Acheson (Melody McDaniels), Faryl Amadeus (Valerie Smooter), Clayton Apgar (Jasper Mergh), Marie-France Arcilla (Kerri Taylor/Tobi McClintoch), David Barlow (Simon Depardieu/Goran Dhiardeaubovic), Kate Morgan Chadwick (Michaela Dhiardeaubovic/Kiki Tune), Jarid Faubel (JB Smooter), Kobi Libii (Phillip Fellows V), Kelly McCreary (Meghan Beans), and Robbie Collier Sublett (Lassiter A. Jayson III). Ms. Acheson's New York credits include: Perfect Harmony (Clurman), Detail (E.S.T.), Philosophy of the World (NYMF), Courting Vampires (SPF), Gnome (The Zipper), and New Boy (Beckett). Ms. Amadeus portrayed Clea in Floyd & Clea Under the Western Sky (The Goodman), Stone Cold Dead Serious (Small Pond Entertainment), and Criminals in Love (The Sightlines Theater). Mr. Apgar's New York credits include: Perfect Harmony (Clurman), The 49 Project (Cherry Lane Studio Theatre), and Such Things Only Happen in Books (Clurman). Ms. Arcilla has been seen in Lizzie Borden (The Living Theatre), Shout! The Mod Musical (The Julia Miles Theater), Simeon's Gift with Julie Andrews (Bay Street Theatre), and Working (The Old Globe). Mr. Barlow's New York credits include: Perfect Harmony (NY International Fringe Festival), LA Party (Under the Radar), Horizon (NYTW), Romola & Nijinski (Primary Stages), and for Theater for a New Audience: Oroonoko, Andorra, and Saved. Ms. Chadwick has appeared in New York in The Butcherhouse Chronicles (SPF), Stupid Kids (The Red Room), and The American Dream (Arthur Saleen Theatre). She has also toured nationally in Mamma Mia! and Grease. Mr. Faubel has had featured roles in the films The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Graduation (with Adam Arkin and Huey Lewis), and Routes of Wildflowers (Winner: Victory Dance Film Festival). New York stage credits include: I Come for Love (NYMF) and Yerma (Quantum Theatre). Mr. Libii has been seen in New York in Ohio State Murders (TFANA), The Cenci (Hotel Savant), and The Great Ape Love Song (Target Margin). Ms. McCreary performed in the Broadway company of Passing Strange. Off Broadway she has been seen in Precious Little (Ohio), Exposed! (Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival), and in The Obstruction Plays and Couchworks (The Tank at Chashama). Mr. Sublett's New York credits include: Gone Missing (The Civilians at the Barrow Street Theatre), Mabou Mines' Song for New York (BAM), Mabou Mines Finn (Skirball Center), and You Better Sit Down (Galapagos Art Space). He has had featured roles in the films: Hachi: A Dog's Tale (dir. Lasse Hallström), Lifelines, Mystery Team, and premiering at the Toronto Film Festival last month White Irish Drinkers, directed by John Gray.

The sets are designed by Nick Francone (Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer for Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company; Roundtable Ensemble; Prospect Theater Company; and Associate Designer on the B'way productions Wicked, The Pirate Queen; The Homecoming; and 9 to 5); the costumes by Becky Lasky (NY credits include Julius Caesar at Aquila; Taming of the Shrew at the Roundtable Ensemble; Valparaiso and Will Eno's Flu Season, both for Rude Mechanicals and Perfect Harmony at the 2006 Fringe and 2008 Clurman run); and the lighting by Brian M. Jones (returns to Perfect Harmony after lighting the 2008 Theatre Row production. Other NY credits include The Actor's Rap at Baruch, Like Love at NYMF, and Measure for Measure at NYU). The musical directors are Ray Bailey and Adam Wachter, who both serve as vocal arrangers for the show and the show will also include an original song by Alec Duffy (2010 OBIE Award winner for Three Pianos). The production stage manager is William E. Cruttenden III. The casting is by Geoff Josselson.

The producers of "PERFECT HARMONY" are Michael Musto (who writes the popular, long-running entertainment column "La Dolce Musto" in the Village Voice, as well as the zany and outspoken blog "La Daily Musto" on villagevoice.com. He's also the author of four books and appears on many channels discussing the vagaries of pop culture); and Joshua P. Weiss (the Managing Director of The Roundtable Ensemble. Some of the shows he has produced for Roundtable include: Goodbye Cruel World, Babel Tower, Silent Heroes, Save the World, Silence, The Seagull, The Heiress, and The Mammy Project. In New York he has also produced ...Double Vision, The Gabriels, Absolute Flight, and Wrong Way Up!)

The performance schedule for "PERFECT HARMONY" (beginning Thursday, October 21) is: Tuesdays through Sundays; Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.; Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; with matinees on Saturdays at 2:00 and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Ticket prices are as follows: all performances except for Friday and Saturday evenings are $49.50 and the Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m. performances are $59.50. Premium seats will also be available. Tickets for this Off Broadway run are available through Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com, and are currently on sale through November 13, 2010.

Photo Credit: Jim Baldassare

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