Archive: Arts & Entertainment

The Kitchen Theatre Company continues its 17th Main Stage Season with a world premiere musical by Rachel Lampert and Larry Pressgrove. BED NO BREAKFAST has previews January 17 and 18, press opening January 19, and runs through February 10, 2008.

The musical features a host of quirky characters who are also escaping the cold. In BED NO BREAKFAST, six people are waylaid by a blizzard in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and seek shelter at the UP B&B - a bed and breakfast probably not found on the list of "best cozy and quaint" places to stay. The owner would prefer no guests at all and was certainly not expecting so many this particular night. And what a group it is! Compounding the lack of camaraderie of the group is the lack of comforts of the inn. How long can strangers wait out a storm outside before a storm erupts inside?

BED NO BREAKFAST is the fourth musical by the creative team of Rachel Lampert (book & lyrics) and Larry Pressgrove (music). Their previous musicals are TONY AND THE SOPRANO, COMFORT FOOD, and THE ANGLE OF THE SUN (chosen for inclusion in the 2007 New York Musical Theater Festival and had performances in September 2007 at the Sage Theater in New York City.) In BED NO BREAKFAST, Lampert and Pressgrove do something new again: they have written a musical that revels in full ensemble scenes and songs, with a cast of seven.

The cast brings together many Kitchen favorite actor/singers, including Erica Steinhagen (BED & SOFA, SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, NORA, PRECIOUS NONSENSE, WE WON'T PAY, THE DRUNKEN CITY, TONY & THE SOPRANO), and Jessica Flood (COMFORT FOOD, TONY & THE SOPRANO, IRON, PRECIOUS NONSENSE). Dan Kiely, seen last season in AFTER ASHLEY, makes his KTC musical debut. They are joined by Brett Bossard and Jessica Carr, who have appeared in original musicals on the Family Fare series, and newcomer Tony Simione. Richard Montgomery is the music director.

Erica Steinhagen and Dan Kiely play Chance and Jake, a brother and sister posing as husband and wife to avoid questions about the paternity of Chance's child-who, from the looks of it, may be born any moment. Brett Bossard and Jessica Flood are Will and Marla, a husband and wife posing as fiances. Tony Simione is Henry, an accountant determined to make a change in his life, and Jessica Carr is Greta, a very perky elementary education major determined that everyone get to know each other. In the course of three days at the B&B, secrets are revealed, relationships change, and they do get to know and even appreciate each other. And they play parlor games!

The Kitchen Theatre is transformed into a rustic B&B by scenic designer Steve TenEyck. Hannah Kochman designed the costumes. Stage management is by resident stage manager Stephen Wagner.

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