'Spamilton: An American Parody' Coming to West Hartford's Playhouse on Park - We-Ha

‘Spamilton: An American Parody’ will be performed at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford from Aug. 14 through Sept. 8.

Submitted

Spamilton: An American Parody tour launched at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, OH, on Dec. 20, 2018, and is now playing 10 multi-week engagements in its first season – including an upcoming run in West Hartford.

Created by Gerard Alessandrini, the comic mastermind behind the long-running hit Forbidden Broadway and performed by a versatile cast of seven, Spamiltonis a side-splitting new musical parody. After tearing it up in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London, Spamilton: An American Parody will stage a singing, dancing, comedy revolution in Hartford!

“SMART, SILLY AND CONVULSIVELY FUNNY!” – The New York Times

“THE NEXT BEST THING TO SEEING HAMILTON!” – New York Post

“SPAMILTON IS SO INFECTIOUSLY FUN THAT IT COULD EASILY RUN AS LONG AS ITS INSPIRATION!” – The Hollywood Reporter

Marilyn Stasio of Variety mused, “Hip-hop, Broadway showtunes, Viennese waltzes — is there anything this guy can’t write? No, not Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, but Gerard Alessandrini, whose ingenious parody Spamilton simultaneously salutes and sends up Miranda and his signature musical.” Ben Brantley of The New York Times said, “This smart, silly, and often convulsively funny thesis, performed by a motor-mouthed cast that is fluent in many tongues, is the work of that eminent specialist in Broadway anatomy, pathology, and gossip, Gerard Alessandrini.”The cast will feature Chuckie Benson, Paloma D’Auria, Marissa Hecker, Brandon Kinley, Adrian Lopez, Dominic Pecikonis, and Datus Puryear. Bios appear below.

Tickets are on sale now at Playhouse on Park’s box office (860-523-5900 x10) or online at www.playhouseonpark.org.

ABOUT THE CREATOR

Gerard Alessandrini (Creator, Writer & Director) is a Special Tony Award winner for Excellence in the Theatre. He created, wrote, and directed all 25 editions of Forbidden Broadway in NYC, Los Angeles, and around the world, and performed in the original 1982 cast. He can be heard on four of the 12 Forbidden Broadway cast albums and on the Disney classics Aladdin and Pocahontas. He has written television specials for Bob Hope, Angela Lansbury, and Carol Burnett. He contributed material to the recent Barbra Streisand album Encore. His other musicals include Madame X (co-written with Robert Hetzel) and an all-sung version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Most recently in New York, he directed the new revue Anything Can Happen in the Theater: The Songs of Maury Yeston. His Spamilton won Best Unique Theatrical Experience (Off-Broadway Theatre Alliance) and Show of the Year (2017 MAC Award). Other awards include seven Drama Desks (including two for Best Lyrics), one Obie, two Lucille Lortels, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Drama League.

The creative team includes Gerry McIntyre (Choreography), Morgan Large (Set Design), Dustin Cross (Costume Design), Curtis Reynolds (Music Direction), and Fred Barton (Music Supervision).

The North American tour of Spamilton: An American Parody is produced by Spamiltour LLC. Spamilton was originally produced by John Freedson, David Zippel, Gerard Alessandrini, and Christine Pedi.

CAST BIOS

Chuckie Benson (Ben Franklin, George Washington and others. Dance Captain). Incredibly grateful to reunite with my Spamilton family. Recent credits include: Heartbreak Hotel (Chicago Cast), Spamilton (Chicago), The Wiz (Lion), Big River (Jim), etc. Thank you to God, my beautiful parents and Paonessa Talent Agency.

Paloma D’Auria (Leading Ladies) National Tour: Elf (Jovie), Regonal: American Idiot (St. Jimmy), A Chorus Line (Diana Morales), Pippin (Leading player), West Side Story(Graziella) among others. A proud graduate of Marymount Manhattan College ’18 (BFA in acting/minor in musical theater). Thankful to be clowning around with the Spamiltion family! Thank you Michael Cassara Casting! Thank you to BlocNYC! Thank you Mom, Dad, and Claud! www.palomadauria.com @palomadauria

Marissa Hecker (Swing). National tour debut! Regional: West Side Story (Consuela) at Weston Playhouse, Cabaret (Lulu/Dance Captain) at Lake Dillon Theatre Company. Endless love to The Price Group, Mom, Dad, Fiona, and Phoebe. Proud CCM grad. For Max.

Brandon Kinley (King George III, Swing). Xenia, Ohio native, writer, actor and musician with a BFA from Wright State University. Was in Spamilton-Chicago, and is very grateful to be part of the Spam Fam again! Gratitude: Mom & Dad the best support system ever, my siblings and extended family and friends.

Adrian Lopez (Lin-Manuel). Spamilton National Tour. Graduate of SHSU (BFA Musical Theatre c/o 2018). Endless gratitude to Gerard Alessandrini, Michael Cassara Casting, The Open Jar Institute, my friends, mi familia, and every teacher I’ve ever had.

Dominic Pecikonis (Daveed Diggs and Others). National Tour debut! Thanks to God, my family, Michael Cassara Casting and the entire Spamilton team. Shout out to Jeff Whiting and The Open Jar Institute for making this dream a reality. BFA Musical Theatre: Sam Houston State University.

Datus Puryear (Aaron Burr, Leslie Odom Jr.) is thrilled to join the national tour of Spamilton! His favorite credits include Broadway’s Cotton Club musical After Midnight, Tarell McCraney’s Choir Boy, Dreamgirls, 50 Shades! the Musical (National Tour), and Dunkfest88 (Off-Broadway). Proverbs 16:9.

Curtis Reynolds (Musical Director, King George III Standby) MD credits: Evita (The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina), The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit (The WorkShop Theater), Bye Bye Birdie (Maine State Music Theatre). Acting credits: Murder For Two (Suspects U/S), Chicago (Mary Sunshine), Assassins (Balladeer). Much love to my family and my Joseph. @curtisjreynolds

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