POP! THE MUSICAL - ONE SONG CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING
"POP!" - A New Musical
POP! The MusicalOne song can change everything
World Premiere
Written and Produced by Geoffrey Rose and Sam Rose (Roze Broze)
Directed by Barry Pearl (of “Grease” fame)
A HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL SELECTION AT THE HUDSON BACKSTAGE THEATRE June 19 – 21, 2015
Starring (in alphabetical order): Joshua M. Bott, Jenna Coker-‐Jones, Ben D. Goldberg, Douglas Ladnier, Matt Steele, Haviland Stillwell, and Laura L. Thomas.
Los Angeles (June 1st, 2015) – The upcoming Hollywood Fringe Festival’s 2015 season includes the world premiere of POP! THE MUSICAL, a ‘80s themed musical with an exciting original score from the Los Angeles based writing duo of twin brothers Geoffrey and Sam Rose (aka Roze Broze) and directed by award-‐wining director Barry Pearl, most familiar to worldwide audiences for portraying “Doody” in Paramount’s now cult classic film “Grease.”
The talented ensemble cast includes: Joshua M. Bott (“Forever Plaid,” “Two Broke Girls”), Jenna Coker-‐Jones (Broadway’s “Fame,” “The Evil Dead”), Douglas Ladnier (Broadway’s “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Sweeney Todd”), Matt Steele (“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” “Duck for President”); Ben D. Goldberg (“Castle,” the “For The Record Series"), Haviland Stillwell (“Magic Mike XXL,” Broadway’s “Les Miserables”), Laura L. Thomas (“Hairspray,” “Legally Blonde”).
The show is choreographed by James Tabeek, whose Broadway credits include “Mary Poppins,” “Beauty & The Beast,” “Wicked” and “Taboo.”
Like “Grease,” “POP!” is a comedic period piece that celebrates an extraordinary decade in the history of pop music. “POP!” tells the story of two struggling musicians who, through a twist of fate, suddenly have a chance of getting a song to Madonna at the height of her fame. Brimming with nostalgia and packed with original 80s style pop music, the score, book and lyrics are a love letter to one of music’s most remarkable decades.
Music lovers and theatre fans can catch one of three performances only on June 19th, 20th, and 21st at The Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood (located between Vine and Highland). Show dates: Friday, June 19 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, June 20th at 8:00p.m.; and a matinee performance on Sunday, June 21st at 3:00 p.m. http://www.hollywoodfringe.org
Tickets: $22 currently on sale at: hff15.org/2177
It’s 1985. Madonna is looking for one last song for her new album, and a young intern at the record label is determined to deliver that elusive hit and make a name for herself. As luck would have it, the only songwriters she knows are an over-‐the-‐hill rock ‘n roller and a folksinger two decades too late to the game. Each hangs on to his music career by his fingernails, so despite their distaste for pop music they reluctantly agree to give it a shot and join the Madonna quest. Along the way the three enlist the help of friends and lovers… one very large skeleton leaps out of a closet… and by the time the musical dust settles, all their lives are changed forever.
Learn More at pop-‐themusical.com
About the Roze Broze
During the ’70s, ’80s, and early ’90s identical twin brothers Geoffrey and Sam Rose made their livings in the music business as singer/songwriters and music producers. In Chicago, along with local favorite, June Shellene, they fronted the band “Roscoe,” playing the Lincoln Avenue club scene five to six nights a week. Then, scaling their harmonies down from three to two, they moved to Los Angeles and formed the bands “Stereo,” “Matches” and “Blue Tango,” winning best vocal group of the year recognition from LA’s historic music club, “The Mint.”
Among some Rose brothers musical milestones were a top 10 adult contemporary hit, “Nothing But the Radio On,” for Dave Koz; “The Ride,” a song they wrote and performed for the first Karate Kid movie, and “Be There Now,” a Super Bowl commercial jingle for J. Walter Thompson, the title of which has been permanently adopted by Sprint, the “Now” Network.
About Director Barry Pearl
A Carnegie -‐Mellon University graduate, LA Ovation Award nominee, Drama-‐Logue, SD Indie Press, SD Playbill award winner for acting and most recently a National Youth Award winner for Best Direction of 13 THE MUSICAL, Barry began his professional acting career over 54 years ago playing Randolph MacAfee in Broadway’s Bye Bye Birdie. Directing credits include: Oliver! starring Sid Caesar and Karen Morrow (St. Louis MUNY), three of LA’s very successful Improvisation / Sketch Comedy Troupes: Milknose For The Prosecution, Short Ribs and The Alley Oops, for Actor’s Alley Rep.; two cable TV shows: In The Biz and Ask Mr. Traffic; Sam Bobrick’s The Crazy Time, for The Vagabond Players,Night Hawks for Crown City Theatre, a 40th anniversary production of Grease for The Gretna Theatre in PA and the recent production of the same show for Cabrillo Music Theatre where he has done four shows as an actor and producedHappy Days: A New Musical. Last December, he directed a production of Gift Of The Magi: The Musical and most recently the award winning and critically acclaimed production of Jason Robert Brown’s 13 THE MUSICAL for Panic Productions at The Hillcrest Centre for the Arts and an immediate remount at the EL Portal Theatre in NoHo. He is best known for playing the role of “Doody” in Paramount’s hit film, Grease.
www.barrypearl.com
About The Hudson Theatres.
Located at the gateway to Theatre Row Hollywood, the Hudson Theatres have been an LA Theatre landmark for the last 20 years with world premiere hit shows like “Reefer Madness”, Julia Sweeney’s “Letting Go of God”, “Bare the musical”, “Divorce! the musical”, “Life Could Be A Dream” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” written and starring Nia Vardolas that became the smash hit film of the same title.
About The Hollywood Fringe
The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an annual, open-‐access, community-‐derived event celebrating freedom of expression and collaboration in the performing arts community. Each June during the Hollywood Fringe, the arts infiltrate the Hollywood neighborhood: fully equipped theaters, parks, clubs, churches, restaurants and other unexpected places host hundreds of productions by local, national, and international arts companies and independent performers.
www.hollywoodfringe.org
PRESS CONTACT: POP! The Musical
Alyson Dewar
PR Works International
[email protected] 323 936 8394
