ASSISTANTS THE MUSICAL GETS EXTENDED!
Assistants
Assistants the Musical
By Bryan Blaskie and Manny Hagopian
Directed by C. Ryanne Domingues
“In Hollywood, even the assistants need assistance.”
Los Angeles—Hollywood must love musical theatre because the world premiere musical comedy Assistants is extending its run. Written by Bryan Blaskie and Manny Hagopian, Assistants premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival to sold-out crowds and received critical acclaim. The musical is adding four more performances.
“I can’t believe how much people enjoyed our little show,” says Blaskie, who co-wrote the show as a way to combine his love of Hollywood with the theatre styles of New York City. “There are plenty of people in Los Angeles who love musical theatre, and I think they’re responding to the fact that they can relate to this particular story. It’s not another musical that’s New York-centric. It’s an LA story.”
StageSceneLA, which awarded Assistants the Best Full-length Musical of the Fringe, said, “Anyone who’s ever worked as a Hollywood assistant, or temped, or had an entry-level job, or known someone who has done any of the above…is bound to enjoy Bryan Blaskie and Manny Hagopian’s fresh, funny, smart, tuneful new musical Assistants.” “When I came to Los Angeles to start my career in entertainment, I had no idea what kind of world I was getting into or what kinds of characters I would meet along the way.” Time Out Los Angeles listed Assistants as the Number One Can’t-Miss Show at the Fringe.
The extension will be at the Actors Company Let Live Theater, located at 916 North Formosa Avenue in Hollywood from July 9 through July 12. Tickets are $15. For ticket reservations and more information, please visit www.assistantsthemusical.com or www.theencoreawards.com/projects/2191.
Following a group of hopeful assistants, this world premiere musical explores the superiority complex of Hollywood and the glamorous lifestyle that seems to elevate its participants above “ordinary” people. Through a string of heartfelt songs, four industry aspirants maneuver around long hours, degrading work, and hostile environments in the name of their big dream. All alone in the bustling city of L.A., the characters find that in order to survive, they may need some assistance of their own.
Assistants is new musical set in contemporary Hollywood. Bryan Blaskie, a musical theatre writer and connoisseur, and Manny Hagopian, a punk rock improviser, join forces to tell a tale that is all-too-familiar to a lot of young Los Angeles professionals. Taking place at The Actors Company Let Live Theater, the show’s nineteen heartfelt songs mix with witty comedy to produce at story that conveys both sides of the Hollywood dream. Climbing the ladder is only the beginning. In today’s world, social media and online press are more important than ever, and these characters struggle to find a sense of self amidst the late night mixers and constant “selfies.” Assistants is a love letter to Hollywood; to both those in and out of the limelight. It is a play about the definition of success, finding your footing in a world of endless competition, the process of “making it,” and heartfelt dreams.
Assistants features a cast of four industry professionals, whose credits feature such television shows as Arrested Development, The Office, Glee, CSI: NY, Life On Mars, and Criminal Minds, and whose theatre experience includes the popular shows The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Fiddler On the Roof, Peter Pan, The Last Five Years, and Spring Awakening. As funny as they are charming, these four actors have formed an ensemble with incredible range and enormous energy.
Assistants Facts
Cast:
Liz: Ali Axelrad
Isaac: Christopher Renfro
Tara: Abigail Eiland
Nick: Daniel Amerman
Production and Artistic Staff:
Music and Lyrics By: Bryan Blaskie and Manny Hagopian
Director: C. Ryanne Domingues
Assistant Director/SM: Federico Cibils
Stage Manager: Lindsey Norris
Sound Designer: Mark Caspery
Costume Coordinator: Kaitlyn Kaufman
Lighting Designer: Katiana Brosz
Location: The Actors Company / Let Live Theater
916 North Formosa Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Admission: $15
For Tickets: Visit www.theencoreawards.com/projects/2191
Information and Publicity Photos Contact:
Ryanne Domingues at 302-753-3958 or [email protected]
Assistants Performance Schedule
Thursday, June 9, 8pm
Friday, July 10, 7:30pm
Saturday, July 11, 7:30pm
Sunday, July 12, 5pm
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