MY DARLING JOSEPHINE (PRESENTED BY WESTSIDE ORIGINAL WORKS)

May 28, 2015

For: IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press contact: Katherine King
310 528 4397
[email protected]

WESTSIDE ORIGINAL WORKS PRESENTS
MY DARLING JOSEPHINE
A musical comedy written by Katherine King c.2015
Directed by Stephen Juhl
Live music performed by Sayed Sabrina & the Outlaws

My Darling Josephine – The Wild West meets British opera told through the famous tale of Wyatt Earp and the ‘Ok Corral’ shootout with a comedic spin! A play within a play, My Darling Josephine features excerpts from the smash hit “The HMS Pinafore,” a popular light opera of the times by Gilbert & Sullivan, still being performed regularly today.

With music sprinkled throughout, this romantic comedy with plenty of action, keeps up with the period inspired original music. Lending her formidable pipes to the production as a sexy saloon girl singer, Sabrina Sayed (http://www.sayedsabrina.com/), an established blues vocalist who opens for major acts will lead the live band backed by wizened Wild West musicians.

The real life characters of Wyatt Earp, Johnny Behan, Josephine Marcus, and Mattie Blaylock are joined by a fictional British actor, Barrett Rimington, who adds another tangle to their real life love triangles and antihero aspirations.

While gunmen are battling outside, the timeless Battles of the Sexes rages on with tongue-in-cheek comedy inside the saloon. The infamous “Ok Corral” shootout is a merely a backdrop for the real action guys and gals scrambling for the upper hand in more weighty matters: love & money!

A hilarious physical and romantic comedy which includes original music performed by a live band, My Darling Josephine will be sure to inspire toe-tappin’ and knee-slappin’ fun!

Registered with the 2015 FRINGE FESTIVAL

MyDarlingJosephineThePlay.com

TV CAMERA FILMING: Filming a short segment of the production during Preview or Opening Night for press use can be arranged. Call 310 528 4397.

WHO: Westside Original Works

WHAT: My Darling Josephine, written by Katherine King.

WHEN: Preview: June 4th, 2015 5:45pm

Opening Night: June 13th, 2015 3:45pm
June 16th, 2015 9:45pm
June 19th, 2015 7:45pm
June 26th, 2015 3:45pm

WHERE: Three Clubs Stage Room, 1123 N VINE ST Los Angeles, CA 90038

PRICE: $15 (industry/press comps provided contact Katherine King: 310 528 4397 )
To purchase tickets online, visit: http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/2333?tab=tickets

MORE INFO: www.mydarlingjosephinetheplay.com

Setting: The Oriental Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona in the 1880’s.

CAST:

KATHERINE KING is the prettiest desert flower in Tombstone in the title role of JOSEPHINE MARCUS. Mr. Silas’s Traveling Theater Troupe is performing The HMS Pinafore , and Josephine plays the lead, much to the chagrin of her co-star Barrett. Landing the role may have had less to do with her vocal range and more to do with the
range of offstage talents acquired in her former occupation as a soiled dove. Actresses acquire many an admirer, and her recent marriage to the Sheriff doesn’t deter Wyatt Earp in the least from rekindling his romance with Josephine.
Katherine King is originally from the Washington, D.C. area where she worked as a bridal model and took part in the vibrant theater and music community, enjoying such roles as Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan and Miss Amelia in The Little Princess before moving to Los Angeles to take part in Anton Chekhov’s The Bear. “The sexy Katherine King” plays “the young widow Popova… who matches [Smirnov]’s forcefulness with a strength for which women of that time were not noted…the performances here are excellent” (the
Huffington Post). A singer/songwriter, Katherine recently recorded her debut album Swept Away, the title song of which is currently part of Feeling The Street, an international competition for street musicians. She has appeared in commercials and film, most recently, Disney’s “Boyster”, An Axe to Grind and The Downside of Bliss, before returning to the stage, this time with her original work, My Darling Josephine. Historical fiction is her favorite genre and she is delighted to share her lighthearted poke at fickle romance that’s as timeless as cowboy boots. For the last two years Katherine has hosted WOW (Westside Original Works), a screenwriting workshop.

JUSTIN BALTZ plays for winner take all in the role of JOHNNY BEHAN , the sheriff of Tombstone, whose unscrupulous dealings have managed to land him on the “right” side of the law. So far everything’s going as planned: he’s got the town, the girl, and will soon have his hands on the money. His aspirations are only hampered by the fact that he always plays second fiddle to Wyatt Earp.
Justin Baltz has garnered attention both on the screen as well as the stage. His role in Chekhov’s The Proposal as Lomov is “portrayed winningly”(Huffington Post). He has entertained on the popular Emmy-winning Funny or Die, as well as made appearances on such television favorites as NCIS, Bones, and The New Girl. Catch Justin in the
opening of America’s Got Talent this season doing an improv sketch with Howie Mandel.

MICHAEL REEVESON stirs up a mess of trouble in the role of WYATT EARP, legendary hero and lawman who has “seen and done it all”. Out there in the Wild West he may have found himself in a pickle from time to time, but haven’t we all? He can charm his way out of any transgression, and imperfections aside, he has a noble heart and a talent with a gun that’s only outshone by his talent with the ladies.
Michael Reeveson is thrilled to be back on stage and in a bar! Recently he played Passparout in Culver City Public Theater’s production of Around the World in 80 Days and before that in NYC he originated the role of Michael in Hooray America. Saddle up and enjoy the ride!

CHARISSA VAUGHANWHEELER transforms and delights as MATTIE BLAYLOCK ,
who is trapped in a loveless marriage with the womanizing Wyatt Earp. From the moment she stumbles on stage in a laudanuminduced
stupor, Charissa provides us with a comical darling to root for. The audience will be as surprised and moved as Mattie herself at the discovery of her own musical talents.
Charissa VaughanWheeler obtained a Music Theatre BFA from Millikin University and embraced Chicago’s theatre scene before moving to L.A. to dig into the live comedy scene with standup,
sketch, and improv performances. She performed Monty Python sketches in the recurring all female show “Monty Python”, with audiences including Python member Eric Idle. She is best known for the title role in Chloe & Keith’s Wedding, for which she was interviewed by Inside Edition, The Dish, and Good Day LA. Charissa also has opened a popular Burbank private music teaching school, The Music Junction, including 2 Los Angeles area locations, for young local piano and voice students.

J SCOTT rolls out the red carpet for his character BARRETT RIMINGTON , an accomplished British stage actor who has found himself on an unenviable career path into the uncharted and uncivilized Western territories of the former colonies. Yoked in insufferable inequality to his costar Josephine, his only comfort is that she ensures a
continual entourage of dusty, rough and tough Cowboys that are easy on the eyes.
J Scott is an acclaimed playwright from Chicago, having written, published, produced and directed nearly a dozen stage plays including the long running Gelo to Oblivion, soon to be a feature film. He has won Best New Playwright, Audience Choice at C.U.F.F and NYC Fringe, and was graced with the title “Chicago’s Industrial Accident” by The Reader newspaper. With music J has worked with KMFDM, Awolnation, and the Insane Clown Posse. J does standup to a scary but loyal following.

Last but not least, STEPHEN JUHL, the director, caught his first major case of the directing bug while completing his B.A. in Theatre from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado with Wallace Shawn’s controversial “The Youth Hostel” from A Thought in Three Parts . His first collaboration with Josephine writer/actor Katherine King was in 2011, directing a series of one-acts called A Night of Chekhov at the TreStage theatre in Hollywood—even garnering special recognition in The Huffington Post . After living chronically as an actor/writer in L.A. for the past 6 ½ years, the immensely talented “darlings” of My Darling Josephine have helped bring him out of the inevitable cycle of “creative funkness” that befalls every artist. Much thanks to go around.

MUSICIANS:

NOAH SMITH makes the keys sing as the pianist for Mr. Silas’s Traveling Troupe. When he’s not playing The HMS Pinafore in the Wild West, he teaches piano and voice as well as composing for film. smithmusiclab.com

SAYED SABRINA is an enduring talent, a local legend, a petite powerhouse with a distinct sensuality and sense of humor. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the product of Scotch/Irish and Fijian/Pakastani parents, her influences and style reflect her unique, yet eclectic versatile style. She has been compared to vocalist legends before her time: Billie Holiday, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner and Judy Garland. http://www.sayedsabrina.com/

VINCE WHITE on guitar, has dedicated his whole life to music, specializing in all blues based forms of music, rock, country. old-school to contemporary. Over the last several years he has shared the stage with many of his guitar playing heroes, including
BB King (3 times), Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Jimmie Vaughan, Robben Ford, Dick Dale, Lou Ann Barton, The Pointer Sisters, Macy Gray, Berlin, The Motels, Ian Hunter, Robben Ford, Leon Russell, John Mayall, and many others.

SAM DLUGACH hails from the Birthplace of the Blues, Memphis TN, Sammy D. was rocked to sleep in the lap of Little Laura Dukes of the Memphis Jug Band, who hummed old spirituals in his ear on Sunday morning after singin’ the cocaine blues on Beale Street the night before. It was an early lesson in the dichotomy of Man. He left a
lucrative career of hucksterin’ beans and brisket to pursue his true passion for all things analog, rusty, and dusty… especially music that don’t plug in. Hear him twang at www.jugornots.com.

What’s a few more ragtag stragglers? The Outlaws are joined by Henri Vilches, Jessica Wilson, Juan Cardenas (losangelespoetsociety.org), and Jeremiah Benjamin (also playing the role of Dick Deadeye from The HMS Pinafore, JEREMIAH BENJAMIN has performed in various one-act plays as well as independent films such as the upcoming horror feature Trace. Additionally he is a playwright and active member of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights as well as the playwright organization Fierce Backbone).

ARTISTIC TEAM:
Director – Stephen Juhl
Music Director – Katherine King
Writer/Producer – Katherine King
Assistant Producer – Jeremiah Benjamin