GO GI GO PRODUCTIONS and Scott Stander

Presents

RITA McKENZIE

in

ETHEL MERMAN'S BROADWAY

Written by

CHRISTOPHER POWICH AND RITA MCKENZIE

Musical Direction by

RON SNYDER

        Lighting Design by                                          Costume Design by

PETER L. SMITH                                             Eric Winterling

Directed  by

CHRISTOPHER POWICH

Exclusive Tour Direction

SCOTT STANDER & ASSOCIATES, INC.

13701 RIVERSIDE  DRIVE, SUITE 201

SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91423

818-905-7000

standrman2@aol.com

www.scottstander.com

 

 

 

RITA MCKENZIE

           

            Rita McKenzie recently completed thehe national tour of Neil Simon's female version of The Odd Couple .  Co-starring with her good friend  Barbara Eden,  Ms. McKenzie was honored for her outstanding portrayal of Olive Madison with a National Broadway Theatre nomination as Best  Actress in a Touring Play.    McKenzie and Eden previously completed a successful tour of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

            Ms. McKenzie's dazzling recreation of Ethel Merman in Ethel Merman's Broadway  has electrified audiences worldwide.  Her internationally acclaimed performance started off-Broadway at the John Houseman Theatre in New York City and she performed at Carnegie Hall, Pasadena Playhouse, Harrah's Casino Hotel in Atlantic City and on an SRO eight-city tour of Japan.  She looks forward to  upcoming ÒEthelÓ appearances in London and Toronto.

            McKenzie starred in the Los Angeles premiere of the off-Broadway musical Ruthless! ; she can also be heard on the original cast album.  She toured the country as  Annie Oakley in the 50th anniversary production of Annie Get Your Gun with Glenn Yarbrough.  She has created the role of Phoebe Farber in Sam Harris' Broadway bound production of Hurry!  Hurry! Hollywood! in Los Angeles, and she played Maggie Jones in 42nd Street with Mariette Hartley.  Her other starring roles include Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Aldonza in Man of LaMancha, Ruth in the Pirates of Penzance, Belle Poltrine in Little Me, Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Cleo in The Most Happy Fella, Widow Corney in Oliver!, Nurse Custer in Whoopee! and, of course, Mama Rose in Gypsy.

            Ms. McKenzie has had  the privilege of opening for stars such as Norm Crosby, Steve Allen, and Don Knotts and has been an acclaimed  pops guest artist with virtually every major symphony across the country.

            An accomplished TV and film actress, Ms. McKenzie recently played Alice, the housekeeper, on Fox's The Brady Bunch:  the Final Days.  She has guest-starred on NBC's Caroline In the City and audiences will remember her for her roles as Mrs. Littlejohn on NBC's Frasier, Rita Marcus on the Family Channel's Big Brother Jake, and her recurring role on Daddy Dearest starring Richard Lewis and Don Rickles. She co-starred in the feature film I Might Even Love You and was featured in Rodney Dangerfield's film Meet Wally Sparks.

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CHRISTOPHER POWICH (Director/Writer) conceived and directed both the Off-Broadway production of "Ethel Merman's Broadway" at the John Houseman Theatre, N.Y. as well as the Pasadena Playhouse production.  Mr. Powich also wrote and directed Ms. McKenzie's nationally acclaimed symphony "pops" tribute to Ethel Merman.  He directed Miss McKenzie and Carole Shelley inthe reenactment of Ethel Merman and Mary Martin's famous 1955 television medley at Rainbow and Stars Nightclub in New York.  Mr. Powich directed the world premiere of the comedy "Snap Shots" by Ralph Fredericks at the O'Neill Theatre in Waterford, Connecticut as well as the Boston company of that show.  He created, directed and performed in "Class Act", a nightclub revue which toured the Eastern United States.  With "Class Act", Powich continued his association witih Miss McKenzie, which started with their featured roles in "The Most Happy Fella" and "Showboat" and carried on through his direction of Ms. McKenzie's nightclub act at Palsson's in New York and up to the current "Ethel".  As an actor, he performed regionally in leading roles in "The Music Man", "Oklahoma!", "The Most Happy Fella", "My One And Only", "Man Of LaMancha", "Oh, What A Lovely War", "Hello Dolly!", "Guys And Dolls", "Forty Carats", "Jazz Babies", "A Face Worth Saving", and "Oliver!". He will direct "Snap Shots" for an Off-Broadway run later this year.

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RON SNYDER (Musical Director) is a musical director and accompanist in the L.A. area and has worked at the RoseTattoo, Luna Park, Romeo & Juliet's, Maldanado's, the Cinegrill, the Gardenia, and Monteleone's West for many of L.A.'s finest singers and performers. 

      Ron has played on cruise ships throughout Alaska, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Mexico, and the South Pacific for Exploration and Holland America Lines.  Ron was musical director for Jim Bailey and has performed in Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Las Vegas and the London Palladium.

     Ron was musical director for Celebration Theatre's production of The Ballad of Little Mikey written by Mark Savage for which he won a Dramalogue Award.

      Ron had the pleasure of being rehearsal pianist and backup Musical director for the Los Angeles premiere of Selena, where he worked with Bob Esty and Miranda Garrison.

      Ron recently played for Cinderella adapted by Dimitri Toscas at the Falcon Theatre for Garry Marshall.

     A highlight of Ron's life includes being the original musical director for Mark Savage's production of Pinafore! at the Celebration Theatre, for which Ron won 2 LA Weekly awards for Musical Director of theYear and for Musical of the Year.

     Ron also recently finished playing for West Coast Ensemble's production of Sunday in the Park with George, directed by Calvin Remsberg.

      Ron currently plays at Les Michaels' acclaimed open mike every Monday evening at Vermont restaurant in Hollywood, and at the 10-20 lounge in the Bel-Age hotel in West Hollywood on Thursday nights.

      Ron also was musical director forÒDracula A Musical NightmareÓ at Sacred  Fools Theatre, nominated by the LA Weekly for best comedy/drama ensemble and by the Los Angeles Ovation Awards for best musical in a smaller theatre.

      Ron had the pleasure of working with Melanie Griffith as her L.A. rehearsal pianist for her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre.

     Ron recently played with Julie Sheppard for at The Renberg Theatre in Los Angeles for Julie's New York award winning show ÒJUDY Live at the PalaceÓ.

     Ron's talents are highly regarded by such show business luminaries as Esther Williams, Ann Miller, Sally Kellerman, Jennifer Jones, Bruce Vilanch, Estelle Getty, Jayne Meadows and the late Steve Allen.  Ron would like to thank Bryan for all his love and support!!