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Contact: Jody Mullen at sopranojm@gmail.com

"THE MERRY WIDOW"CENTENNIAL PRODUCTION!

THE VILLAGE LIGHT OPERA GROUP, LTD. OF NEW YORK CITY

PRESENTS FRANZ LEHAR’S THE MERRY WIDOW

APRIL 29 - MAY 7, AT THE HAFT AUDITORM, F.I.T.

The Village Light Opera Group, Ltd. of New York City presents Richard Leighton’s English adaptation of Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow, directed by Philip Sprayberry, choreographed by Dana Boll, and conducted by Ron Noll. The opera opens on Saturday, April 29 at 8 PM and continues on Sunday, April 20 at 2 PM; Friday, May 5 at 8 PM; Saturday, May 6 at 2 PM; and Sunday, May 7 at 2 PM. All performances are at the Haft Auditorium at the Fashion Institute of Technology, located on West 27^th Street between 7^th and 8^th Avenues in Manhattan. Tickets are $20-40, available now by calling TheaterMania at (212) 352-3101; see www.theatermania.com. For more information about the Village Light Opera Group, visit www.vlog.org.

The Merry Widow, one of the most popular of the Viennese champagne operettas, is the story of Hanna Glawari, the beautiful and free-spirited Petrovedian heiress who throws a party for 60 of her closest friends, protects a friend from certain scandal, and wins the heart of the man she loves. Audiences will recognize such tunes as “You’ll Find Me at Maxim’s,” “The Merry Widow Waltz,” and “Vilja.”

The cast includes Shana Farr in the title role; Patrick Lynch as Count Danilo; Kristin K. Vogel as Valencienne; Angelo Marchese as Camille de Rosillion; Kevin Murray as Baron Zeta; Justin Glaser as Cascada; Gary Kurnov as St. Brioche; James Weeden as Njegus; Patricia Shay and Matthew Minogue as Gerta and Lars Gustaffson; Lynne Darcy and Michael Thomas as Matilda and Montague Mastiff; and Alison White and Geoffrey Gaebe as Flora and Jules Camembert.

The Grisettes are played by Sarah Arikian, Kathleene Erkenbrack, Rachel Gross, Rebecca Jupiter, Yasuko Tsuboi, and Alison Plotkin. Featured Petrovedian gypsy dancers are Sarah Arikian, Jim Bessent, Rachel Gross, Eriko Ishihara, Rebecca Jupiter, Jessica Mazo, Jody Mullen, Alison Plotkin, Christopher Silsby, Ryan Stockton, Michael Stone, and Alexandra Tombrakos Weiss. The ensemble also includes Victoria Bader, Vernon Bruette, Sophie Chanu, Brian Cooper, Dana Danson, Brett Grinstead, Ben Hirschler, JC Lindstrom, Cathy Markoff, Brien Milesi, James Nicholas, Janet Painter, Cynthia Psoras, Trey Sandusky, Patrice Sokolowski, Wendy Valdez, and Judy Weis.

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Founded in 1935 by a talented group of physicians, The Village Light Opera Group, Ltd. (VLOG) today is a recognized staple of New York City’s artistic and cultural life, bringing quality Off-Off-Broadway performances to New York audiences at a fraction of the standard ticket price. Since its inception, VLOG has expanded both its repertoire and its audience greatly; today, Broadway hits such as The Music Man and The Most Happy Fella, as well as light opera classics like The Desert Song and The Merry Widow are performed along with the full Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire at the 800-seat Haft Auditorium at the Fashion Institute of Technology. With its professional, 27-piece orchestra, led by Emmy Award-winning Music Director Ronald Noll, each of VLOG's twice-annual shows is a highly polished production incorporating anywhere from 40 to 60-plus cast members. The professionalism of VLOG performances may surprise some audiences, considering that the majority of its cast and crew hold “regular” nine-to-five jobs – although a number of its alumni have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts. VLOG overwhelmingly remains a volunteer organization; all members serve in multiple capacities, whether by building sets, sewing costumes, or contributing to publicity, ticket sales, or marketing. For the members of the Village Light Opera Group, each production is truly a labor of love.

Phillip Sprayberry (Director) is a freelance stage director with over twenty years of experience in the theater. He directed the 2003 VLOG production of The Pirates of Penzance. Other directing credits include New Jersey professional premieres of Moon Over Buffalo, An American Daughter, and The Last Night of Ballyhoo. Recent guest director projects include Madama Butterfly for Opera at Florham, The Laramie Project at Kean University, and Blithe Spirit at William Paterson University.

Ronald W. Noll (Music Director and Conductor), in his forty-eighth year with VLOG, is an award-winning pianist who has conducted everything from opera and operetta to musical comedy, including the entire G&S canon. While a music supervisor at CBS Television, he received a New York Area Emmy Award and an International Broadcasting Award from the Hollywood TV & Radio Chapter of Broadcasting. An Honorary Life Member of VLOG, Ron is married to soprano Sara-Ann Noll. Their daughter, recording concert artist and Broadway singer/actress, Christiane Noll, has been a guest soloist with more than 40 symphony orchestras. In the last few months, she has sung opposite Placido Domingo at the Kennedy Center, made her Carnegie Hall debut, and released a new CD, The Three Broadway Divas. She is currently starring in the new musical fantasy A Fine and Private Place at the York Theater Company.

Dana Boll (Choreographer) makes her choreographic debut in this production. Last season, she appeared with VLOG in Princess Ida and as Dance Captain/Maxford House Girl in My Favorite Year. She recently performed the role of Laurey in Oklahoma! with The Heights Players, and appeared in Anything Goes at Debaun Auditorium. Dana was manager of the American Ballet Theater Studio Company from 2001-2004 and is currently Operations Manager for David Bury & Associates, an arts consulting firm.

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