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<div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;">Broadway's Derrick Cobey joins </span></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;">Mercury Theatre Company's 20th Anniversary Season</span></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">in</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 22pt;">Caroline, or Change</span></b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">July 27-August 11</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><a href="https://goo.gl/JgttrX" class="OWAAutoLink" id="LPlnk965821" previewremoved="true"><span style="font-size: 26pt;">https://goo.gl/JgttrX</span></a><br>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">South Euclid, OH –
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Mercury Theatre Company presents Derrick Cobey in the award-winning musical
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700; font-style: italic">Caroline, or Change</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">, with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner (Pulitzer Prize,
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Angels in America</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">), score by Jeanine Tesori (Tony Award,
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Fun Home</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">), and directed by MTC Artistic Director
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">Pierre-Jacques Brault</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">.
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Caroline, or Change
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">was nominated for six Tony Awards in 2004, and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2007. Tesori’s Drama Desk Award-Winning score combines spiritual music with blues, Motown,
classical and Jewish klezmer music. The production will run from July 27 through August 11th, 2018 at
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Notre Dame College, 1857 South Green Road, South Euclid, OH 44121.
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">1963. Lake Charles, Louisiana. The eve of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Caroline Thibodeaux is an African American maid earning thirty dollars a week working for the Jewish Gellman family. She
is a single parent and the mother of four children. The world is about to change. But is Caroline ready to change with it? This emotional and uplifting musical, inspired by Pulitzer-prize winner author Tony Kushner’s boyhood, deftly mixes blues, soul, Motown,
classical music and Jewish folk songs to create a beautiful, uplifting and deeply moving portrait of America at a time of momentous social upheaval spurred by the civil rights movement. If you enjoyed Mercury Theatre Company’s
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Ragtime</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">, you will love
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Caroline, or Change</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">.
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Veteran actress and MTC Associate Artistic Director
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">Kelvette Beacham
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">will star as Caroline Thibodeaux. Beacham appeared previously at MTC in last season’s sold-out production of
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Hairspray</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">, and as Mrs. Mullins in the 2017 Best of Theater Best Musical Award-winner (Cleveland Jewish
News and Cleveland Scene Magazine), </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Carousel. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic"></span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif, Helvetica, EmojiFont, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", NotoColorEmoji, "Segoe UI Symbol", "Android Emoji", EmojiSymbols; font-size: 16px;">Derrick
Cobey (The Dryer/The Bus/Caroline's Husband) originated the role of Andy Wright in Kander and Ebb's <i>The Scottsboro Boys</i> on Broadway. He was recently seen in Andrew Lippa's world premiere of <i>I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk</i> and a workshop
of Adam Guettel's <i>Millions</i>. Prior to that, he performed the role of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in Bristol Riverside Theatre's production of <i>Ragtime</i> (for which he received a Barrymore nomination). Broadway: Andy Wright in <i>The Scottsboro Boys</i> (Lyceum
Theater). Off-Broadway: <i>The Scottsboro Boys</i> (Vineyard Theater); Concerts of<i> I Am Harvey Milk </i>and <i>Ragtime</i> (Lincoln Center); <i>The Tin Pan Alley Rag</i> (Roundabout). National Tours: <i>RENT, Forever Swing</i>. Regional: <i>Jesus Christ
Superstar</i> (Bristol Riverside Theatre); <i>Crowns</i> (Virginia Stage Company, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma); <i>A Little Night Music</i> (Arden Theatre); <i>The Civil War</i> (The Eagle Theatre); <i>The Scottsboro Boys</i> (The Guthrie/Philadelphia Theatre
Company); <i>Big River</i>, <i>Ragtime</i> (Lyric of Oklahoma); <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors</i>, and <i>Macbeth</i> (Great Lakes Theater/Idaho Shakespeare Festival); <i>Abyssinia, Jesus Christ Superstar</i> (North
Shore); <i>Abyssinia</i> (Goodspeed); <i>Ragtime</i> (Paper Mill); <i>Hair</i> (Hangar Theater); <i>Side Show</i> (Cleveland Play House); <i>The Buddy Holly Story</i> (Westchester Broadway); <i>Pacific Overtures</i> (Arden Theatre); numerous shows at Sacramento
Music Circus; concerts of Andrew Lippa's <i>A Little Princess</i> and workshops of Flaherty and Ahrens' <i>Rocky</i>. He also taught musical theatre at The New York Film Academy. In 2015 he received a Barrymore Award for his work in <i>Parade</i> at The Arden
Theatre. Derrick will return to Broadway this winter in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of
<i>Kiss Me Kate</i>!</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Book Writer and Lyricist
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">Tony Kushner
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">is a playwright best known for his two-part Pulitzer Prize-Winning epic
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Angels in America: a Gay Fantasia on National Themes</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">, for which he also received back-to-back Tony Awards.
He co-authored the screenplay for the 2005 film </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Munich</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">, and wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Lincoln
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">(both directed by Steven Spielberg). Kushner’s plays
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">A Bright Room Called Day
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">and </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">have been produced locally to recent critical acclaim. In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Kushner the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor for achievement in the arts conferred to
an individual. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Composer </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">Jeanine Tesori
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">is the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five Broadway musicals and four Tony nominations. In 2015, Tesori shared the Tony award for Best Musical with Lisa
Kron for </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Fun Home,
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">which is currently running on Broadway. Tesori and Kron are the first all female composing team to win this award. Tesori won the 2004 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music for
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Caroline, or Change.
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Her other major works include,
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Shrek The Musical</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">,
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Thoroughly Modern Millie</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">, and
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Violet.
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">The creative team for
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-style: italic">Caroline, or Change
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">includes Eddie Carney as Musical Director, Nicholas Thornburg as Scenic Designer, Michael Jarett as Lighting Designer. The remaining cast features Bob Abelman, Jyrah Graves, Emily Grodzik,
Keyonna Hughley, Colleen Longshaw, Brian Marshall, Kyle Monaghan, Sunayna Smith, Lynette Turner, Cindi Verbelun, and Carter Welo.
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">Tickets for
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700; font-style: italic">Caroline, or Change
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">can be purchased at mercurytheatrecompany.org or by calling 216.771.5862. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; font-weight: 700">#####
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Mercury Theatre Company, now in its 20</span><span style="font-size: 8.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'; vertical-align: 6.000000pt">th
</span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">year, exists to create extraordinary theatrical experiences, and to advance theatre as a means of educating, challenging and inspiring the Greater Cleveland community and its young people through
family-friendly programing of rarely seen and premier works, innovative staging, and through its educational outreach and My First Musical program.
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Mercury Theatre Company seeks to be a community trendsetter for excellence in theatre production and education. We strive to lead in the creation of wildly innovative works of musical theatre,
in theatre training, and generating unique programs for using theatre as an inspiration for creative development.
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<p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0">Performances of Caroline, or Change</p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Friday July 27 7:30 PM </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Saturday July 28 7:30 PM </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Saturday August 4 7:30 PM </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Sunday August 5 2:00 PM </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Wednesday August 8 7:00 PM </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Saturday August 11 7:30 PM
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Notre Dame College, Regina Auditorium<br>
1857 South Green Road, South Euclid OH 44121 </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">Adults: $20 | Seniors (60+): $18 | Students (with id): $16 Discounts for Groups of 10 or more available</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'Calibri'">www.mercurytheatrecompany.org or 216.771.5862 Free Parking is available. Air Conditioned.
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<p>Mercury Theatre Company</p>
<p>216.771.5862</p>
<p>www.mercurytheatrecompany.org<br>
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