October 2 , 2007                                                                                                                                               Associate Director of Marketing

                                                                                                                                                                             Phone: 253.573.2360

                                                                                                                                                                             Email: laceyl@broadwaycenter.org

Broadway Center presents O, Solo Mio! Series

For Opening Weekend at Theatre on the Square:

Four Slices of Wry and Rush Limbaugh in Nigh School

Series Sponsored by Davies Pearson, P.C.

Tacoma, WA- The Broadway Center O, Solo Mio! Series is about to kick-off with a season long salute to the essence of the creative spark: the solo performer. Showcasing some of the brightest comic minds and solo performers, opening weekend at Theatre on the Square commences with Four Slices of Wry (October 11 and 12) and Rush Limbaugh in Night School (October 13 and 14).

The slate begins with Four Slices of Wry on Thursday, October 11 and Friday, October 12, 2007 at 7:30pm at Theatre on the Square. Featuring four irreverent comics: Ann Randolph, Jay Leonhart, Carla Zilbersmith and Roy Zimmerman, the show pays homage to politics, current events and more importantly, satire.

Ann Randolph is known across the country for outrageous physical comedy, inspired monologues, hilarious characters, and poignant storytelling.  Performing Squeezebox, Randolph skillfully weaves together stories about working in a women's homeless shelter and her constant pursuit of true love. The story is a poignant tale about finding dignity and grace in the most unusual situations.

Acclaimed jazz bassist, Jay Leonhart and his one man-one bass show, The Bass Lesson cleverly presents a series of touching songs and vignettes about life experiences.  The unique songs cover topics that range from an airplane trip with Leonard Bernstein to an anxiety attack over a delayed flight carrying him to his first gig with Mel Torme.  Leonhart has performed with some of the most renowned Jazz artists of the twentieth century – including legends Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Sting – and now pairs his considerable talents with his witty observations.

Part of the new wave of fresh young comic artists exploring solo performance, Carla Zilbersmith performs Wedding Singer Blues. This is a musical tale about a performer who leaps head first down the “show business boulevard of broken dreams” as a Wedding Singer. This memorable performance introduces the audience to outrageous characters and includes fresh and funny versions of original and classic wedding songs.

Roy Zimmerman has been writing satirical songs for twenty years and will perform Faulty Intelligence with all-original songs and commentary about the new political reality. Zimmerman has been a hit around the country, on National Public Radio and on YouTube. He has performed with comics and musicians alike, from George Carlin to the Pixies’ Frank Black, and his social commentaries are sure to inspire both thoughtful introspection and good natured laughs.

Following Four Slices of Wry into the weekend is Rush Limbaugh in Night School on October 13, 2007 at 7:30pm and October 14, 2007, at 3:00pm at Theatre on the Square stage. Actor and author Charlie Varon performs more than 20 characters in this farce about Rush Limbaugh’s forays into a Spanish night class, and his unrequited love affair with a beautiful member of a left-wing radical group. The audience is taken on a satirical ride as Limbaugh tries everything – except the truth – to gain his adversaries’ affection. Labeled “Dazzlingly funny!” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Varon delivers a night of comedy that is unparalleled.

Tickets to Four Slices of Wry and Rush Limbaugh in Night School are $34 (per performance) and may be purchased at the Broadway Center Box Office located on 9th & Broadway or by calling the Box Office at 253.591.5894. To purchase online at any time or for information about upcoming events visit www.broadwaycenter.org.

The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges the following for support of the 2007-2008 Season: ArtsFund, Ben B. Cheney Foundation, The Boeing Company, City of Tacoma, Forest Foundation, The News Tribune, Pierce County Arts Commission, Sequoia Foundation Pierce County Program and Washington State Arts Commission.

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