ALLYCE BEASLEY, CHRISTINE EBERSOLE, EDIE MCCLURG, ROBERT PICARDO, JOHN SCHNEIDER, ALAN THICKE, AND FRED WILLARD
HEADLINE THE ALL-STAR CAST

"Oh my little love, your Auntie Mame is going to unlock doors for you. What adventures we're going to have!" The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association presents a one-night-only performance of the Tony Award winning musical, Mame, at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, August 1, at 7:30 p.m. Television actress and stage star Michele Lee (Knots Landing) is the free-spirited Mame Dennis in this staged concert adaptation under the direction of Gordon Hunt, with an all-star supporting cast. The performance features Principal Conductor John Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra with the Mitch Hanlon Singers (Mitchell Hanlon, vocal director) highlighting the memorable numbers from Jerry Herman's score and lyrics such as "If He Walked into My Life," "We Need a Little Christmas," and "Bosom Buddies." The legendary composer, Herman, makes a special appearance.

Mame is a well-to-do eccentric living in New York at the height of the Roaring Twenties when she receives a "wonderful present" - her 10-year old orphan nephew, Patrick. Through the course of Mame teaching him to be a "three dimensional" fellow, Patrick rescues his Aunt from the trap of a shallow lifestyle. Surrounding Lee in the title role is Allyce Beasley (Moonlighting) as Agnes Gooch, Patrick's nanny; Christine Ebersole (2001 Tony recipient for Best Actress in a Musical) as best friend Vera Charles; Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager; China Beach) as Dwight Babcock, Mame's conservative banker; John Schneider (Smallville; The Dukes of Hazzard) as Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside, Mame's future husband; and Fred Willard as Mr. Lindsay Woosley, Mame's former suitor.

Rounding out the cast are Ben Platt (Patrick Dennis, Age 10), Cliff Bemis (Uncle Jeff), Monica Lee Gradischek (Cousin Fan), Lauri Johnson (Madame Branislowski/Mrs. Burnside), Tracy Powell (Sally Cato), Eric Sorenson (Patrick Dennis, Age 19-29), Richard Israel (Junior Babcock), Michael Lee (Ito), Edie McClurg (Mrs. Upson), Alan Thicke (Mr. Upson), Jennifer Hall (Gloria Upson), and Jessica Lindsey (Pejeen Ryan).

This Bowl version takes advantage of the new and larger stage, and features a basic set design by Bredley Kaye with props and furniture to reflect the passing of time, choreography by Kay Cole and costumes by Lisa Ann Hill.

JOHN MAUCERI's accomplishments extend nationally and internationally, not only to the world's greatest opera companies and symphony orchestras, but also to the musical stages of Broadway and Hollywood, before large television and radio audiences, and in recording studios and major publications. Mauceri has received substantial recognition for his work as one of the principal forces behind the movement to preserve two of America's great art forms, the American musical and music for the American cinema. He is equally at home conducting artists ranging from Plácido Domingo (during a live broadcast of the Grammy Awards) to Madonna (with whom he recorded the soundtrack to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita), from Garth Brooks (an inaugural inductee into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame) to the Smashing Pumpkins (for the 1996 MTV Music Awards). Carol Burnett, Chicago, John Denver, Rodney Gilfry, Jonathan Pryce, Jane Eaglen, Jennifer Larmore, Patrick Stewart, Tito Puente, Charlotte Church, and Trisha Yearwood are among the multitude of artists who have performed with Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra have presented an astonishing number of premieres, and during his tenure, opera and ballet returned to the Bowl's stage. In addition to his Hollywood Bowl position, Mauceri has served as music director for the Pittsburgh Opera since June 2000. The only American ever to have held the post of music director of an opera house in Great Britain and Italy, he served as music director of the Scottish Opera, and recently completed his three-year tenure as music director (direttore stabile) of the Teatro Reggio in Torino.

MICHELE LEE, perhaps best-known worldwide for her Emmy-nominated role as Karen in the landmark CBS series Knots Landing, started her career on the Broadway stage when she was discovered by producer David Merrick at the age of 17. By the time she was 19 she was sharing the boards with Metropolitan Opera's Cesare Siepi in Bravo Giovanni. This led to her breakout role as Rosemary in the original production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opposite Robert Morse. In 1974 she starred on the Broadway stage in Michael Bennett's musical, Seesaw. Her performance won her a Tony nomination and Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Actress. Lee has produced and starred in numerous films for television, including CBS's Emmy-nominated Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story, When No One Would Listen, and Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story. In 1996 Lee became the first woman to produce, direct, co-write, and star in a motion picture for television. Color Me Perfect made its debut on Lifetime Television and was honored with the Christopher Award and the Gracie Allen Award, presented by the American Women in Television and Radio. Her television film credits also include Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, Dark Victory, and Bud and Lou. Lee was named the National Association of Theater Operators Star of Tomorrow for her debut in the movie version of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She also starred with Dick Van Dyke in Carl Reiner's cult classic The Comic and in the Disney favorite The Love Bug. In 2000 Lee returned to Broadway, where she earned rave reviews and a Tony nomination for her role as Lee Green in Charles Busch's The Allergist's Wife. Lee was recently presented a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Best known for her role as Ms. Agnes Dipesto on the ABC hit, Moonlighting, for which she received two Emmy, Golden Globe and American Comedy Award nominations, ALLYCE BEASLEY was last seen as a guest star on "10/8" and in the theatrical releases A Foreign Affair, Legally Blonde and Stuart Little. Other television and film credits include Cheers, Taxi, Touched by an Angel, Seventh Heaven, Diagnosis Murder , Felicity, Loaded Weapon, Entertaining Angels, Rumpelstilskin, and Tommyknockers. Stage credits include the female Odd Couple, Angel City, Steel Magnolias, Romeo and Juliet and the west coast premiere of Morticians in Love. A 20-year veteran of radio and voice over work, Beasley is currently the voice of Miss Grotke on the animated series, Recess, and Mrs. McNoggin on Lloyd in Space. She can also be heard every morning as the voice of Playhouse Disney.

CHRISTINE EBERSOLE, a stage and TV veteran, received the 2001 Tony Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a musical for her performance of Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street. In 2003 Ebersole received an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk nomination for her role of Irene Rudduck in Alan Bennett's Talking Heads at the Minetta Lane Theatre, with a Tony nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for her portrayal of Millicent Jordan in Dinner At Eight at Lincoln Center. Other Broadway show performances for Ebersole include The Best Man, Getting Away with Murder, Harrigan 'n' Hart, Camelot, Oklahoma!, On the Twentieth Century, I Love My Wife, Angel Street. Her long acting career has also featured television appearances such as Will & Grace, The Cavanaughs, One Life to Live (Emmy nomination), as regular cast member of Saturday Night Live ('81 & '82), Gypsy, Unexpected Family, and Mary & Rhoda. Ebersole has an upcoming CD: In Your Dreams with Billy Stritch.

Last season ROBERT PICARDO received an ovation nomination for his performance in the "Reprise: Broadway's Best" revival of On the Twentieth Century. He starred as Ed Kleban in the biographical musical A Class Act at the Pasadena Playhouse. He created leading roles in Tribute and Gemini on Broadway and has acted in many local theaters including The Taper, La Jolla Playhouse and the Coronet. Picardo is widely recognized for his popular role as the Holographic Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager. He is also well-known to television audiences for his roles on China Beach and The Wonder Years, not to mention many guest-star roles including, most recently, The West Wing, Frasier, The Practice and Stargate SGI. Picardo had the honor of working with John Mauceri in a production of Leonard Bernstein's Mass and is delighted to have the honor once again to be here at the Hollywood Bowl.

JOHN SCHNEIDER is a multi-talented performer with credits spanning television, film, music, and the stage over the past 25 years. He stars in "Smallville" as Jonathan Kent, the powerhouse father to a teenage Clark Kent. Schneider starred for six seasons as the fast-driving, fun-loving Bo Duke on the hugely popular '80s comedy-adventure series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was also a series regular on the family drama Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. During his recent hiatus from Smallville, he filmed the mini-series 10.5" in which a deadly earthquake hits the west coast. He has appeared in nearly two dozen television films, which include Michael Landon: The Father I Knew, Texas, Stagecoach, True Women, The Legend of Ruby Silver and Night of the Twisters. Schneider can also be heard as the voice of archaeologist Rick O'Connell on the Kids' WB!'s animated series The Mummy. On the big screen, Schneider has appeared in more than 15 features, including Snow Day with Chevy Chase and Garry Marshall's Exit to Eden. Schneider is also a seasoned director. He made both his writing and directing debuts in the '80s on The Dukes of Hazzard and has most recently been directing on Smallville. A respected singer and songwriter as well, Schneider did 487 performances of Tommy Tune's Tony Award-winning musical Grand Hotel and has released 11 solo albums, including a No. 1 album and four No. 1 singles.

FRED WILLARD radiates a unique charm that has established him as one of our generation's most gifted comic actors. A master of sketch comedy, Willard is most heralded for his quick wit and improvisational expertise. His 50 appearances in sketches on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno are indicative of his ability to transform any character into a unique comic portrayal. Willard recently completed a sold-out run of his one-man show, Fred Willard: Alone At Last! (with a cast of twelve) and received two Los Angeles Artistic Director Awards, for Best Comedy and Best Production. He is an alumnus of The Second City and currently heads a sketch comedy workshop, The MoHo Group. Willard can be seen in the current film Anchorman with Will Ferrell and has had previous roles in many films including A Mighty Wind and American Wedding.

GORDON HUNT (Director) was nominated twice for the Directors Guild of America Award for best director of a TV comedy and won the award for "The Alan Brady Show" episode of Mad About You. He also directed two TV episodes that won Emmy Awards for guest stars Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. He has directed over 50 episodes of various half-hour shows. So far this year in the theater, he has directed The Great American Songbook starring Michael Feinstein at the Mark Taper Forum, a new musical version of Harold and Maude for Musical Theater Works in New York, plus a revival of the musical She Loves Me for the Reprise! series. Other work includes last year's production of The Music Man at the Hollywood Bowl, the all-star Centennial Salute to Noel Coward at Carnegie Hall, and the annual Salon Series at the Mark Taper Forum hosted by Michael Feinstein. Also at the Taper he created and directed an adaptation of Studs Terkel's The Good War, featuring, among others, Helen Hunt, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and B.J. Ward. Hunt has directed world premieres of a number of plays, including Black by Joyce Carol Oates with Anthony Edwards and Felicity Huffman at the Williamstown Theater Festival, and The Middle Ages by A. R. Gurney, Jr. Hunt was nominated twice for an Ovation Award for his work on Stand Up Opera. He is the author of the best-selling theater book How to Audition, and as a lyricist he won the MAC award for best new song of the year for "Errol Flynn," which he wrote with Amanda McBroom. He returns to the Bowl to direct Bernstein's Mass on August 19.

Under the director of Mitchell Hanlon, The MITCH HANLON SINGERS are a professional singing group that has sung with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra since 1992 on three recordings and two tours to Japan and in dozens of memorable concerts at the Bowl. They have been the chorus for all of the Bowl musical productions, including Show Boat, Carousel, The Music Man, and last year's My Fair Lady. This ensemble, which specializes in the repertoire of musical theater, has also performed with Marvin Hamlisch and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mitchell Hanlon is a teacher, conductor, and coach of musical theater. He is Assistant Conductor to John Mauceri and has been with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra since its inception in 1991.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2004 at 7:30 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

Mame

HOLLYWOOD BOWL ORCHESTRA

JOHN MAUCERI, conductor

MITCH HANLON SINGERS

MITCH HANLON, director

Cast (in order of appearance):

Patrick Dennis, Age 10   BENJAMIN PLATT

Agnes Gooch   ALLYCE BEASLEY

Vera Charles   CHRISTINE EBERSOLE

Mame Dennis   MICHELE LEE

Mr. Lindsay Woosley   FRED WILLARD

Ito   MICHAEL K. LEE

Dwight Babcock   ROBERT PICARDO

Madame Branislowski/Mrs. Burnside   LAURI JOHNSON

Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside   JOHN SCHNEIDER

Uncle Jeff   CLIFF BEMIS

Cousin Fan   MONICA LEE GRADISCHEK

Sally Cato   TRACY POWELL

Patrick Dennis, Age 19-29   ERIK SORENSEN

Junior Babcock   RICHARD ISRAEL

Mrs. Upson   EDIE MCLURG

Mr. Upson   ALAN THICKE

Gloria Upson   JENNIFER HALL

Pegeen Ryan   JESSICA LINDSEY

GORDON HUNT, director

KAY COLE, choreographer

Scenic Design by Bradley Kaye

Prop Coordination by Teresa Hanrahan

Lighting Design by Casey Cowan

Costume Design by Lisa Ann Hill

Casting by Bruce Newberg

Stage Manager: Jill Gold

Sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts; media support provided by KPCC 89.3 FM

Tickets ($3 - $88) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records, and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at HollywoodBowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850-2050 for further details.
For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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