Musical Genius Final Press Release

NOT QUITE OPERA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: David Hyry (415) 864-3547

NOT QUITE OPERA PRESENTS THE MUSICAL COMEDY

"MUSICAL GENIUS" April 25 - May 18

(PRESS OPENING Friday April 25)

By Anne Nygren-Doherty

Potrero Hill Neighborhood House

(In the heart of Potrero Hill, 953 De Haro Street, San Francisco)

It’s Tom Stoppard meets Betty Boop in the Petrified Forest as an angel sent back to earth becomes the Jewish-violinist-gangster Carrot Cohan in NOT QUITE OPERA’S "Musical Genius." Writer-composer Anne Nygren Doherty’s original musical comedy premiers on Friday April 25 at the newly refurbished Potrero Hill Neighborhood House (953 De Haro Street, San Francisco). "Musical Genius" is an old-fashioned musical comedy where identity and self-discovery become a musically hilarious romp through depression-era flora and fauna featuring songs stylistically ranging from Cole Porter, cowboy and klezmer, to opera, avant-garde and Irish. The first act of "Musical Genius" (titled "Modulating Back to Tonic" in workshop production) appeared as part of Goat Hall Productions new music works festival Fresh Voices II in August 2001.

Set in the early Great Depression, "Musical Genius" is a wild and hilariously heart warming musical comedy where the atonal-musician-boy John Crumbe (Len Schaffer) meets Violet Rose (Gina Latimerlo), a boop-a-doop girl in a broken down church where a gangster in an orange suit named Carrot Cohan (Douglas Mandell) holds them hostage along with the in-the-closet cowboy-minstrel-minister Reverend Roach (Rick Richetta) who runs the joint. Helen of Troy, New York (Kay Arnaudo) is a destitute diva who chases to no avail after Reverend Roach, Paddy the Cop (Tom Flynn) an Irish ditty-crooning-cop out to catch the gangster rounds out the shenanigans in Anne Nygren-Doherty’s effervescent "Musical Genius"

Anne Nygren-Doherty (Director/Writer/Composer) began writing and staging musical theatre at age 15. “In “Musical Genius” I incorporate elements of avant-garde music into an accessible and entertaining context,” states Nygren-Doherty “the goal is to create a link between work that is new and innovative and work that is public and expansive.”

NOT QUITE OPERA presents "Musical Genius" opening on Friday April 25 (previews April 23 8 PM & 24 8:30 PM) at 953 De Haro Street in San Francisco, running through Sunday May 18. Performances are at 8:00 PM Thursdays through Saturdays, and 7:00 PM on Sundays. Tickets are $20, $15 for students and seniors, previews are pay-what-you-can. Potrero Hill Neighborhood House is located at 953 De Haro Street, on Potrero Hill near the 19 Muni line.

For tickets and information, (415) 682-0159. Or visit the NOT QUITE OPERA website at WWW.NOTQUITEOPERA.ORG.

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David Hyry & Associates P.O. Box 411525 San Francisco, CA 94141-1525 (415) 864-3547

Genius-add one

Early in her career Anne Nygren-Doherty was hailed by Chicago critic Bury St. Edmunds as a "character actress with appreciable presence" and a "writer with real promise," while working as an actress in Chicago, she produced several one-woman musical shows. The last, "The Actress, When Not Playing Other People, Should Try to Play Herself," appeared at the Organic Theatre Cabaret while she performed on the Organic main stage in the long running hit "E/R, Emergency Room." The experience made Nygren-Doherty realize that to write full length musicals - rather than solo entertainments - she had to become an expert in story structure and set out for UCLA where she studied privately with the late musical theatre great, Bob Merrill ("Funny Girl," "Carnival.").

The cast of "Musical Genius" features Tom Flynn (Paddy the Cop) who has performed with Contra Costa Civic Theater, Piedmont Light Opera as well as The Masquers Playhouse, and Actors’ Ensemble; Douglas Mandell (Carrot Cohan) a vocalist who has been featured with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Chorale, and also in productions ranging from Purcell's “Dido and Aeneas” to Bernstein's “Trouble in Tahiti”; Len Shaffer (John Crumbe) a actor, singer piano/keyboard player and songwriter who has worked with the Mountain Play, the Willows Theatre and Playhouse West, and was most recently featured in “Are We Almost There,” the long-running San Francisco music revue about traveling, and is as well a member and assistant director of the a cappella doo-wop group The Starry Knights; Gina Latimerlo (Violet Rose), formerly Gina Merlo, who has in the Bay Area over the last decade performed in over 30 theatrical productions and in 50 recitals; Kay “Kiki” Arnaudo - (Helen of Troy, New York) was recently featured in the Hillbarn Theatre production of “Crossing Delancey” and has performed with TheatreWorks, Peninsula Civic Light Opera, and Marin Civic Light Opera; and Rick Richetta (Reverend Roach) a vocalist whose most recent performances in 2003 were “Die Federmaus” with Stockton Opera and Tosca with Townsend Opera, in addition he created the role of Henry Miller in Mark Alburger’s Opera “Henry Miller in Brooklyn”, and sang leading roles in the contemporary operas and new compositions “Il segreto di Suzanna” by Wolf Ferrari, “A Hand of Bridge” by Barber, “Frida” by Rodriguez, “Mars Opera” by Rothman and “Nocturne” by Damonte.

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CALENDAR EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

WHEN: Runs April 25 - May 18 WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House

Previews: Wed., & Thurs. 953 De Haro Street,

April 23 8 PM & 24 8:30 PM San Francisco

TIME: 8 PM Thurs.-Sat. 7 PM Sundays

Information & Reservations: (415) 682-0159

TICKETS: Call (415) 682-0159 or WWW.NOTQUITEOPERA.ORG

$20, $15 students and seniors.Previews are pay-what-you-can

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