BURBANK, CA:
Producers Christine Russell (“Beautiful: the Carole King Musical,” “Head Over Heels”) Robert Ulrich (“American Horror Story,” “The Boys”) and Jay Paul Deratany bring ALBERT to the Colony Theatre in Burbank starting August 31st.
The Colony Theatre (Heather Provost, Producing Artistic Director) in association with producers Christine Russell (Broadway’s Beautiful The Carole King Musical and Head Over Heels), Robert Ulrich (Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting), and Jay Paul Deratany, has announced the cast and designers for the Reel Red Entertainment production of The Civility of Albert Cashier, a new musical, with preview performances on Saturday, August 31, at 8pm; Sunday, September 1, at 3pm; Thursday, September 5, at 8pm; and Friday, September 6, at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, September 7, at 8pm. The regular performance schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm, through September 22 only. There will be no performance on Friday 9/13 and an added performance on Saturday 9/14, at 2pm. Winner of the 2018 Jeff Award for Best New Musical, the show has a book by Jay Paul Deratany, music by Coyote Joe Stevens & Keaton Wooden and lyrics by Stevens, Wooden, and Deratany. This developmental production will be directed by Richard Israel and choreographed by Hayden J Frederick. Anthony Lucca and Anthony Zediker will serve as musical directors.
Albert Cashier joined the Union Army as a volunteer, fought over forty battles & retired a veteran to Saunemin, Illinois for decades until a lifelong secret was discovered. Causing an uproar in his small midwestern town, Albert was put on trial, with his life and pension threatened, forcing Albert and his old brothers-in-arms to once again come to each other’s aid and recount the acts of heroism they shared on the battlefield.
Hailed as “Musical genius at work,” Producers Jay Paul Deratany, Robert Ulrich, and Christine Russell (Beautiful, Head Over Heels) shared that “Albert is a marvelous central figure for this moment. In one of our talkbacks, we heard a Korea War vet say to the room, “when you’re a soldier in battle – all difference falls away. They fought for Albert in the courtroom like they did on the field.” With so much division in the world, we need figures to bring us together. Albert’s story shows us that we find common ground when we trust our humanity and treat every person with dignity. Our wish is that Albert will inspire everyone to try to do better.”
Told with an award-winning script & powerful Americana score, Albert is “A story of identity in its deepest and thus most American sense. Odds are you never even heard his name. What a great idea for a musical.” (Chicago Tribune)
