Politics & Poker and Musical Comedy

THE VILLAGE LIGHT OPERA GROUP PRESENTS
THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING BIOGRAPHICAL
MUSICAL FIORELLO! APRIL 20-28

In a limited run, the Village Light Opera Group will present the cheerful "down-to-the sidewalks of N.Y." musical Fiorello! April 20-28 at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Fiorello! is about the N.Y.City's all-time beloved and colorful mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia's life from 1914-1933. With a book by Jerome Weidman and George Abbott, Music by Jerry Bock and Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, this 1959 landslide Broadway hit ran for two years and won the Pulitzer Prize, the N.Y. Drama Critics award and four Tony awards including Best Musical (tied with Sound of Music). Musical highlights include "Little Tin Box," "Politics and Poker," "I Love a Cop," "Til Tomorrow," and "When Did I Fall in Love."

VLOG's Fiorello! is directed by Bill Koch with Musical Direction by Ronald Noll who also conducts the full-sized professional orchestra. The show is choreographed by Lisa Jo Sagolla and produced by Michael P. Ray. Tamara Campbell and Laurin Garcia are the Costume Designers; the Set Design by LouAnne Gilleland and Lighting by Bill Jakab. The cast, consisting of 55 local area seasoned performers, features Stacy Baer (as Dora), Eric Bettleheim (as Fiorello H. La Guardia), Glen Brydon (as Morris), Harry Crossfield (as Ben Marino), Susan Hale (as Thea), Paul Jenson (as Floyd the cop), Debbie Litwak (as Marie), Karen Millard (as Mitzi) and Jonathan Shandell (as Neil).

The Village Light Opera Group, in its 61st season, is a not-for-profit volunteer community theater group whose members serve in all capacities to consistently produce outstanding-quality shows twice a year. Productions encompass the entire Gilbert and Sullivan repetoire as well as other light operas and less frequently performed musical theater pieces.
Fiorello! will be presented at the 800 seat Haft Auditorium of the Fashion Institute of Technology (227 West 27th Street at 7th Avenue) in Manhattan. The performance schedule is as follows: Sat. April 20, Thurs. April 25, Fri. April 26, Sat. April 27 at 8:00 PM, Sun April 21 and 28 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $15, $20, $25 and reservations maybe made by calling Ticket Central (212) 279-4200.