PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 5, 2008
Media Contact: Michelle Sanders, Public Relations Manager
(425) 392-1942 x124
msanders@villagetheatre.org
www.villagetheatre.org
BROADWAY TALENT MEETS THEATRE’S CHARM;
VILLAGE THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE CAST OF THE TOUCHING NEW
MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF LITTLE WOMEN
What:
Little Women
Book by Sean Hartley
Lyrics by Alison Hubbard
Music by Kim Oler
Directed by Daniella Topol
Where:
In Issaquah: Francis J. Gaudette Theatre
303 Front Street North
Issaquah, WA 98027
In Everett: Everett Performing Arts Center
2710 Wetmore Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
When:
Issaquah Dates: March 19 – April 27, 2008 – ON SALE NOW
Wednesdays through Saturdays: 8:00 PM
Sundays and selected Saturdays: 2:00 PM
Selected Tuesdays: 7:30 PM
Selected Sundays: 7:00 PM
Everett Dates: May 2 - 18, 2008 – ON SALE: 3/26/08
Wednesdays through Saturdays: 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 2:00 PM
Sundays: 7:00 PM
Tickets:
Issaquah:
$20-$55, Box Office (425) 392-2202 or (866) 688-8049
Everett:
$15-$49, Box Office (425) 257-8600 or (888) 257-3722
www.villagetheatre.org
Student & Military Rush: ½ price 30 minutes prior to curtain for any available seat.
Group discounts available for groups of 10 or more.
Everett and Issaquah, WA – Village Theatre announces the cast for the musical version of Louisa
May Alcott’s beloved novel, Little Women, on stage March 19 – April 27, 2008 in Issaquah and May 2 – 18,
2008 in Everett.
Fresh off the set of The Women at ACT comes accomplished Broadway sensation Anne Allgood,
making her Village Theatre Mainstage debut in Little Women as the courageous and loving Marmee. Anne has
appeared in a variety of Broadway productions, some of which include Carousel, The Sound of Music, and
Beauty and the Beast. She has also worked within the Village Originals program on such shows as Blankity-
Blank, Cold Turkey, and The Tutor. Along with an assortment of national tours, such as EVITA and Urinetown,
Allgood performs locally at Seattle Repertory Theatre, INTIMAN, The 5th Avenue Theatre, A Contemporary
Theatre, and Seattle Children’s Theatre.
Introducing New York native Victoria Huston-Elem; she will make her Village Theatre debut as the
spunky and determined Jo March. She spent the last year performing at a variety of venues in New York which
included Prospect Theatre Co., York Theatre Co., and Goodspeed Opera House. Huston-Elem has been
quintessential to the creation of Jo March as a character within this play as she filled the role at the Spirit of
Broadway workshop prior to the show’s appearance within the Village Theatre 2006 Festival of New Musicals.
Returning to Village Theatre Mainstage as the mischievous Amy March is Shanna Marie Palmer.
Shanna can be found teaching KIDSTAGE classes, working with the drama program at Kentlake High School,
and traveling as a choreographer, director, and dance educator. She was previously seen in Village Theatre’s
The Who’s TOMMY, EVITA, Hello, Dolly!, and CATS. Additionally she has performed in such Village Originals
as Little Women and Saint Heaven.
Michaela Koerner also makes her Village Theatre Mainstage debut in the role of Beth March. She was
last seen locally in Village Theatre’s Village Original Stunt Girl, Seattle Children’s Theatre’s The Green Sheep,
Centerstage’s Nunsense, and SecondStory Repertory’s My Fair Lady.
Krystle Armstrong returns to Village Theatre as the refined Meg March. She was last seen as Angie in
Village Theatre’s Once Upon a Time in New Jersey and was previously in Village Theatre’s production of How
to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, South Pacific, The Music Man, CATS, Hello, Dolly!, EVITA, and
a variety of Village Originals. Krystle performs locally with The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Children’s
Theatre, Showtunes!, and Couer d’Alene Summer Theatre.
Returning to Village Theatre after working on the Everett KIDSTAGE production of Into The Woods is
Christian Duhamel in the role of John Brooke. Audiences will remember seeing him in Village Theatre’s Once
Upon a Time in New Jersey as Vinne. Dane Stokinger follows up his incredible performance as Elvis Presley in
Village Theatre’s production of Million Dollar Quartet as Little Women’s beloved Laurie, while Hugh Hastings
finds his way back to Village Theatre to play the role of Mr. Laurence. Long time Village Theatre resident
Sharva Maynard will split the role of Aunt March with Ellen McLain, more recently seen at Village Theatre as
Mrs. Banks in Barefoot In The Park.
Little Women is directed by Daniella Topol; scenic design by Bill Forrester; lighting design by Tom
Sturge; and costume design by Cathy Hunt. A detailed cast list follows below. For more information or to
arrange interviews, please contact Michelle Sanders at (425) 392-1942 x124 or msanders@villagetheatre.org.
Pre-production photos will be available after March 6, 2008.
###
About the Creators
ALISON LOUISE HUBBARD (Lyricist) Winner of the 2006 Kleban Award. The Enchanted Cottage: Director’s Choice Award
Winner; Jerry Bock Award, 2003. Little Women: winner of the 1998 Richard Rodgers Development Award. Buddy’s Tavern (based on
the movie Two Family House). Theatreworks/ USA touring musicals: The Secret Garden, Harriet the Spy, Little Women (play with
music), Tom Sawyer, Class Clown, Babes in Toyland. Revues: PETS!; When the Cookie Crumbles. The Cop and the Anthem. Alison is a
member of the Dramatists Guild and BMI. She won the 2002 BMI Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement, along
with her longtime collaborator Kim Oler.
KIM OLER (Composer) Winner of the 2003 Jerry Bock Award and the 2002 BMI Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative
Achievement in the Musical Theater for The Enchanted Cottage. Little Women, winner of the 1998 Richard Rodgers Development
Award. Buddy’s Tavern (based on the movie Two Family House). The Secret Garden, Harriet the Spy, Class Clown. Little Women (play
with music), Babes in Toyland. Finalist in the IUPUI National Youth Theatre Playwriting Competition for The Secret Garden and Class
Clown. Musical Revue: PETS!. TV: Tracey Ullman Show, As The World Turns, Guiding Light; All My Children: winner of 2003 & 2005
Emmy Awards. Member Dramatists Guild and BMI.
DANIELLA TOPOL (Director) Topol's directing is primarily focused on working with new writers and new plays. New York productions
include: Sheila Callaghan's Dead City (Public - New Works Now; New Georges); Zakiyyah Alexander's Sick (Summer Play Festival); Snow
Queen (Urban Stages), Dreams This Way - Best of Raw Impressions (TADA); Unreal City (Epiphany Theatre/Chelsea Playhouse); David
Simpatico's Mary (NYC Fringe), Life Game Effect (Axis Theatre), among others. Regionally, she has directed at City Theatre, Connecticut
Rep, Goodspeed Musicals, Mill Mountain Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Playwrights Center in Minneapolis, and Village Theatre. In
the university sector, Daniella directs with NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program as well as NYU's Department of Dramatic
Writing, and has taught at Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University. Formerly the New Works Program Director for the
National Alliance for Musical Theatre and Associate Producing Director of City Theatre in Pittsburgh, Daniella is currently the Artistic
Program Director at the Lark Play Development Center. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon's Directing Program, a member of the Women's
Project Director's Forum and an NYTW Usual Suspect.
About Village Theatre
Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest.
Producing entertaining quality productions for the entire family since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's bestattended Equity theatres, with over 18,000 subscribers and 170,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals
program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 75 new
works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow’s audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and
KIDSTAGE, serving over 53,000 young people, families, and schools annually.
Village Theatre season sponsors are The Boeing Company, Continental Airlines, Microsoft and Lombardi’s
Village Theatre is also funded in part by 4Culture, ABODA, ArtsFund, ArtsUnited, Bellevue Arts Commission, Cascade Bank, City of
Everett, City of Issaquah /Issaquah Arts Commission, Encore Arts Programs, First Mutual Bank, Frontier Bank, Journal Newspapers,
The National Endowment for the Arts, Overlake Hospital and Medical Center, PONCHO, Port Blakely Communities/Issaquah
Highlands, Standing Ovation, and Washington State Arts Commission. Village Theatre is a member of the National Alliance for Musical
Theatre and Theatre Puget Sound.
# # #
Editor’s Notes:
**Detailed Little Women Cast List:
Jo March
Marmee
Meg March
Beth March
Amy March
John Brooke
Laurie
Aunt March (until 4/27/08)
Aunt March (after 4/27/08)
Mr. Laurence
Mr. March
Professor Bhaer
Female Ensemble/Beth Cover
Female Ensemble/Aunt March Cover
Female Ensemble
Victoria Huston-Elem*
Anne Allgood*
Krystle Armstrong
Michaela Koerner
Shanna Marie Palmer*
Christian Duhamel
Dane Stokinger
Sharva Maynard*
Ellen McLain*
Hugh Hastings*
Brian Higham*
Chad Jennings*
Charissa Bertels
Connie Corrick*
Krista Marken
Male Ensemble/Laurie Cover/John Cover
Male Ensemble/Professor Cover/
Mr. Laurence Cover/Mr. March Cover
Matt Shimkus
Eric Polani Jensen*
*The actors are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers
in the United States.
**Cast subject to change prior to run.