[NEohioPAL] John & Jen opens this Friday! Don't miss this beautifully touching production!

[Tim Anderson, Education Director]

Broadview Heights Spotlights Community Theater presents
John & Jen
*November 9 - 17, 2012

*Music by ANDREW LIPPA
Lyrics byTOM GREENWALD
Book by TOM GREENWALD & ANDREW LIPPA
Featuring TIM ANDERSON & TARA SHOOKS
Music Direction by DEBORAH INGERSOLL

This uniquely touching, two-person musical explores the complexities of
relationships between sisters and brothers and mothers and sons.  The
musical will be fully staged with the complete orchestrations thanks to the
generous donations of Benjamin Murphy & Darren Freetage and an anonymous
donor.

*John & Jen *will run from November 9 – 15 at 7:30PM on Fridays and
Saturdays, and 3:00PM on Sunday. Tickets are $13 for adults and $12 for
students and seniors. Veteran and active-duty military members may purchase
a discounted $7 ticket.

All performances take place at the Cultural Arts Building, located next to
the Police Station on the Broadview Campus, 9543 Broadview Road. For more
information or to purchase tickets, visit
www.broadview-heights-spotlights.org. Reservations can also be made by
calling 440-526-4404.

The musical is the work of lyricist *Tom Greenwald* and composer *Andrew
Lippa*. Lippa's other work includes the music and lyrics for *The Addams
Family*, the popular off-Broadway version of *The Wild Party, * and new
songs for the Broadway revival of *You're a Good Man Charlie Brown*.

Spanning 1952-1992, the piece tells the story of a woman named Jen and the
two Johns of her life: her younger brother and her son (both played by the
same actor). Through the years Jen and her brother grow from young
confidantes into adults with very different views. These contradictory
views result in a falling out when John joins the navy. After John is
tragically killed in Vietnam, Jen gives birth to a son, whom she also names
John, and goes to great lengths to resurrect her late brother's memory.

The show features* Tim Anderson*, Education Director for the Spotlights,
and *Tara Shooks*, accompanied by Musical Director, *Deborah Ingersoll*, on
piano. *Marla Gigliotti *on cello and *Tom Roblee* on percussion complete
the list of instrumentalists. * Renee DeSantis *serves as Stage Manager and
*D.J. Sullivan* operates lights and projections.

The show makes its way onto the Spotlights’ stage in a somewhat
nontraditional manner. Last summer, the show was scheduled to be performed
as a benefit at South Arlington United Methodist Church in Akron, where
Ingersoll serves as pianist. All proceeds were to benefit the Valor Home, a
newly-opened veterans support agency in Summit County. At the last minute,
one of the two cast members had to drop out of the show. In an attempt at
preventing cancelling the show, Ingersoll called Anderson and asked if he
would fill
in.

“At that point, I wasn’t sure if it was going to work out or not. I wasn’t
terribly familiar with the show, but I agreed with the stipulation that we
perform it as a concert version with our music in hand,” remembers
Anderson.

A six-hour rehearsal ensued the next afternoon, and he performed the
two-hour show with Shooks and Ingersoll. After that, the trio decided they
would like a chance to perform a fully staged version, completewith a set,
costumes, and all of the instruments that the musical score is written to
include. Last November, Anderson proposed the idea to the Spotlights’ Board
of Trustees, who approved a two-weekend run around Veterans’ Day.

Make plans now to see this beautifully touching production.
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