Inside Out Plays Grove Theatre Center
The critically acclaimed New York, Off-Broadway hit musical Inside Out will celebrate its 20-year anniversary at the Grove Theatre Center in Burbank, CA tonight, February 12th - March 22nd, it was announced by Kritzerland Entertainment and PlayWorks Music.
Veteran TV/Film/Theatre/Actor/ Author/Performer/Playwright and CEO of Kritzerland Records Bruce Kimmel has been set to direct the musical by Doug Haverty (book and lyrics) and Adryan Russ (lyrics and music). An all-star female ensemble/cast of six features Sandy Bainum, Cynthia Ferrer, Stephanie Fredricks, Dana Meller, Leslie Stevens and Adrienne Visnic. Preview performances are this weekend, February 12th and 13th with the show's official opening scheduled for February 14th.
"Set in the 80s," says Haverty, "when 'group therapy' was shifting into high gear, Inside Out will remind audiences in a positive, funny and feel good kind of way, that there is an uncommon strength to be gained in communal sharing."
Ms. Russ states "The message inside Inside Out is still relevant today and that is this: people helping people is one of the most invaluable and deeply nourishing gestures that we, as human beings, can do for one another."
Kimmel concurs by saying, "The show was initially presented as a contemporary piece. Now, twenty years later, it's a period piece. This anniversary production not only embraces its origins (and relative newness back then), but also effortlessly emphasizes an ultimate timelessness."
A portion of proceeds from the production will go to the 1983-founded Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation; an "army of women" dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer and how to stop it before it starts. www.dslrf.org
A women's therapy group, headed by group leader, Grace, is transformed forever when former singing star Dena joins the group and winds up being a catalyst for change in the lives of Sage, a flower child; Liz, a powerful businesswoman who has problems balancing work and home; Chlo, a gay bank employee and single mom of a teenage son; and Molly, a mother of two young children who is dealing with weight and work issues. Featuring tuneful, memorable music by Adryan Russ and insightful lyrics by Russ and Haverty, Inside Out, is every bit as timely today as it was when it premiered Off-Broadway.
When Inside Out first opened in November of 1994 at New York's Cherry Lane Theatre, it was met with lavish reviews from both the New York Times and Variety, among others. It has since been produced with equal acclaim throughout the U.S. and, more recently, in Zurich, Switzerland where "group therapy" is not widely available. The Swiss mounting of the show sold out in record time with a return engagement six months later.