Playbill
Books & Lyrics by Bill Russell & Frank Kelly
Featuring
She left her mark in every mall and every cheap hotel in town.
Music by Albert Evans
Directed by Steven Tangedal
Todd Black, Preston Britton, Richard Clark,
Michael Higginbotham, CJ Hosier, Shannon McCarthy,
and George Pulver as the emcee
Cast & Crew
Todd Black (Miss Deep South - Laurinda Summerford )The Blonde in the show; even tho others may have blonde hair, only she knows how to work it. At the same time (and she sees no contradiction in this) she is THE LADY, the only one of the contestants (she believes) who knows that in order to be a winner, a lady always has to come in second to HER MAN. She has a very narrow and ritualized sense of "femininity" which is frequently outraged by the other contestants', behavior and attitudes.
Preston Britton (Miss Texas - Kitty Bob Ames) the professional of the group. With her father’s money and a shrewd selection of contests, she has never lost a competition. Her skills may not be outstanding by themselves, but her attitude says “winner” all the way. She doesn't so much want to win as she does EXPECT to win.
Richard Clark (Miss Bible Belt - Ruth Ann Ruth) believes that she plus God equals a majority in any situation. NOBODY is better connected than she is. She sees even the cheesiest part of the Glamouresse, Beauty Regimen as part of HIS PLAN. This gives her a righteous attitude which is unshakable, but she also has the manic cheerfulness of the newly saved.
Michael Higginbotham (Miss Great Plains - Bonnie Louise Cutlett ) utterly sincere in her belief in the values promoted by Glamouresse, though some of them seem quite exotic to her. She is honored to represent the great heartland of this nation and to show what honest country folk can do. Winning her region was "beyond her wildest dreams". In the present contest she is agape and aglow
CJ Hosier (Miss Industrial Northeast - Consuela Manuela Rafaella Lopez) included among the regional winners mostly due to Glamouresse,'s belated sense that, marketing-wise, the times they are a-changing, and to the Northeast's notable lack of interest in the contest. Her talent has been culled from watching, with religious fervor, the variety show "Sabado Gigante" on Spanish Television.
Shannon McCarthy (Miss West Coast - Karma Quinn) like Miss Great Plains, is sweet natured, but Karma is a LOT LESS FOCUSED. She has tried to parlay her vagueness and I'll-try-anything-once attitude into a comprehensive mystical spirituality but it hasn't jelled. This pageant is the most structured event of her entire life. Karma became a regional winner when the first, second and third place contestants were killed in a freak accident on the Universal Studio Tour.
Bill Russell (Co-Author - book and lyrics): made his Broadway debut as the author of the book and lyrics for Side Show (music by Henry Krieger), for which he received Tony nominations in both categories. The critically acclaimed show was also nominated for Best Musical and its stars, Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, shared a nomination for Best Actress for their portrayal of conjoined twins, Daisy and Violet Hilton. Bill's latest collaboration with Henry Krieger, a musical comedy titled Everything's Ducky. Other writing credits include The Texas Chainsaw Musical and Fourtune (author, book and lyrics - Off-Broadway).
Frank Kelly (Co-Author - book and lyrics): His first collaboration with co-author Bill Russell and composer Albert Evans - the revue The Texas Chainsaw Musical - led directly to their work on Pageant. The latter played for over a year Off-Broadway and has received productions all around the U.S.A., as well as in Japan and Australia. Frank holds the position of Professor in the Department of English and Humanities at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, on Long Island.
Albert Evans (Composer): is the composer and co-lyracist of the Dickens-Goes-Nashville fantasy A Country Christmas Carol. He co-authored the score for the Off-Broadway cult hit Nite Club Confidential. His lyrics are featured in the New York City Opera's new performing version of The Merry Widow televised on Live From Lincoln Center (PBS). Mr. Evans is Composer-In-Residence at New Jersey's Papermill Playhouse, where he has written lyrics for Mikado, Inc., and music for Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. His other scores include The Texas Chainsaw Musical, Five on the Aisle and Ten Nights in a Barroom. Most recently, Mr. Evans has adapted a score of classic George M. Cohan songs (and written a few new pieces) for the stage musical biography Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Jeramy Boik (Lighting Design): is pleased to be joining TOB for andother production having joined us for Naked Boys Singing and every production since. He is currently pursuing his Master’s of Landscape Architecture degree at CU Denver. Jeramy was the Technical Director for the Civic Theatre of Allentown in PA for 6 years prior to moving to Denver in ’05. His favorite work lies in scenic and lighting design, but he also likes to dabble in the onstage side of theatre. Favorite roles include: Huck Finn in Big River, Nephew Fred in A Christmas Carol and Mike in A Chorus Line. Thanks to Steve for this opportunity!