[NEohioPAL] PRESS RELEASE: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre to present ELLIOT & ME, a new musical comedy

[Chagrin Valley Little Theatre]

  *PRESS RELEASE*
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 4/27/2022

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact: Andrew Rothman
From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

40 River Street
Chagrin Falls, OH 44122
Phone: 440-247-8955
E-mail: cvlt at cvlt.org
Website: www.CVLT.org <http://www.cvlt.org/>


      Chagrin Valley Little Theatre to present ELLIOT & ME, a new
      musical comedy


        Subhead: CVLT hosts a special engagement featuring professional
        NY actors

CHAGRIN FALLS, OH - The stage at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre will be 
hosting a limited run of ELLIOT & ME - a new musical comedy written by 
Steven Willensky and Scott Coulter, with music composed by Elliot 
Willensky and arranged by Michael Holland. Performances will be at 40 
River Street in Chagrin Falls on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays 
at 2 PM, from June 10 - June 25, 2022. Tickets, available at CVLT.org 
<http://CVLT.org>, are $21 with a $4 discount for students, seniors, and 
military.

Based on the Willensky brothers' real lives and their powerful bond, 
ELLIOT & ME is a two-man musical filled with humor, colorful 
personalities, unexpected situations, and uplifting moments. It follows 
the adventures of Steven, the younger and more business-minded sibling, 
and Elliot, the charming, free-spirited ladies' man overflowing with 
songwriting talent, joie de vivre, and a knack for driving Steven crazy. 
The score features pop songs that the real-life Elliot Willensky wrote 
for stars like Smokey Robinson, Tony Orlando and others, as well as 
several never-before-released compositions that have been adapted for 
the production.

The Willenskys reflect on the volatile ups and downs of their shared 
experiences: from their raucous "wonder years" growing up in Bayonne, 
NJ; to the painful conflict when Elliot defies the expectations of his 
traditional middle-class Jewish family and drops out of medical school 
to write pop songs; to Elliot's rise to stardom writing hits for the 
likes of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston and Steven’s starry-eyed 
admiration for his Hollywood lifestyle; and eventually to their role 
reversals when Elliot’s career hits a few bumps in the road leading him 
to rely on Steven for help.

CVLT audiences will be treated to professional actors Eric Briarley as 
'Elliot' and Drew Seigla as ‘Steven.’ Briarley and Seigla, under the 
direction of Michael Bias, premiered ELLIOT & ME just across the river 
from Manhattan at Hudson Theatre Works in late 2021. "Both men showcase 
not only stunning voices but also superb acting chops," said a review of 
the production from NJArts.

Eric Briarley has traveled the world playing iconic characters such as 
'Rhett Butler' in a musical adaptation of /Gone With The Wind/, and 'Sam 
Carmichael' in the international musical sensation, /Mamma Mia!/ 
Briarley's other credits include: /Les Misérables/ (Broadway National 
Tour), /My Fair Lady/ (Royal National Theatre - USA Tour), /A Little 
Night Music/ (Goodspeed), /Show Boat/ and /Man Of La Mancha/ 
(Westchester Broadway Theatre), and /Ben, Virginia and Me/ (New York 
Music Festival).

Drew Seigla made his Off-Broadway debut as 'Matt; The Mute' in /The 
Fantasticks/ where he continued for a solid two-year stint. He gained 
his second NYC credit after joining the cast of /Sweeney Todd/ as their 
Standby 'Anthony/Tobias/Beadle' at Barrow St. Theatre. Regional Theatre 
highlights include /Kiss Me Kate/ at Flat Rock Playhouse and 'Jack' in 
/Into the Woods/ at Barksdale Theatre. Before returning to NYC in 2014, 
Mr. Siegla made his opera debut with Lyric Opera Virginia, where he sang 
'Gastone' and covered 'Alfredo' in /La Traviata/. He was last seen as 
'Pertshik' in /Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish/ at Stage 42, directed by 
theater legend and Cleveland native, Joel Grey. He holds a B.M. from The 
Juilliard School, and studied Music Theatre at Elon University.

Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through 
individual and corporate contributions. Our programming is made possible 
in part by the citizens of Cuyahoga Country through Cuyahoga County Arts 
and Culture and by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature 
to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and 
supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities 
culturally, educationally, and economically.

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