Press Contact: Brett Fisher
310-458-5939 / brett@smclo.org

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE SANTA MONICA CIVIC LIGHT OPERA
ANNOUNCES AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE OF
"MY FAIR LADY"
ON JULY 27, 2005 at 8PM
IN CATALINA AT THE HISTORIC AVALON THEATER
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"MY FAIR LADY"
FEATURING A CAST OF 20 INCLUDING A LIVE ORCHESTRA!
**
HENRY HIGGINS AND ELIZA DOOLITTLE DANCE INTO THE AVALON THEATER FOR LERNER & LOEWE'S CLASSIC MUSICAL "MY FAIR LADY" FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY ON JULY 27
**

SANTA MONICA, CA (July 7, 2005) The Santa Monica Civic Light Opera (SMCLO), Santa Monica's largest professional theatre company is taking their charming, yet grand staging of Lerner and Loewe's classic American musical My Fair Lady, on the road to the historic Avalon Theater on Santa Catalina Island at the end of this month. My Fair Lady which opened on Broadway in 1956 went on to garner every top theatre award in the world. The show's story was adapted from George Bernard Shaw's play and Gabrial Pascal's motion picture 'Pygmalion' and most commonly remembered for Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Henry and Eliza in the 1964 movie.

My Fair Lady concludes SMCLO's 04/05 theatre season, but Producer Brett Fisher has decided to give the residents and visitors of Avalon a taste of what Santa Monica enjoys year-round for "One Night Only" with everyone's favourite musical about Henry Higgins, Professor of Phonetics and confirmed bachelor, who makes an ambitious wager with a visiting colleague, Colonel Hugh Pickering, that he can transform grimy, unrefined, Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a lady by merely changing her way of speaking. Higgins wins his wager but doesn't bargain for the profound effect he has on Eliza.

My Fair Lady will play - for one night only! - on July 27, 2005 at 8pm in the historic Avalon Theater, an 1,100-seat art moderne landmark, most famous for its grand ballroom upstairs. The regularly scheduled movie will be cancelled to accommodate this special event. Joining the cast of 20, will be a live orchestra, giving the show that extra extravagant musical experience, for which all SMCLO musicals have been known for. Because of their short engagement, the musical will be performed in a "deluxe concert style" with costumes, choreography, and staging, however, without sets.

"In a year of great plays and great productions, we have the special privilege of presenting the finest of them all - My Fair Lady - the grandest of the grand, the jewel of an altogether unforgettable year!" said Dr. Frank X. Ford, SMCLO's Artistic Director and director of the show. "With a brilliant cast, a sensational orchestra, and our eyes on a triumphant finish to our season, this is the one to see! Don't miss it!"

General admission tickets are $20 ($15 for seniors and $10 for18 and under). Tickets may be purchased at any Discovery Tours ticket outlets in Avalon, any boat terminal, or in Dana Point. Tickets are also available anytime at the Avalon Theater box office, or by calling 800-322-3434.

Brett Fisher, SMCLO producer and managing director, (who is also the show's conductor) oversees the entire production operation and serves as the show's producer. "This unique opportunity to take our show on the road is a first for us," said Fisher. "Not only is this an exciting reward to take our cast to a beautiful destination, but a fantastic opportunity to introduce to the residents and visitors of Avalon what great theatre we produce in Santa Monica, a close neighbor to nearby Avalon."

The musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe and originally directed by Moss Hart, is packed with memorable songs, including "I Could Have Danced All Night," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "With a Little Bit of Luck," "The Rain in Spain," "On The Street Where You Live," "Get Me to the Church On Time," and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face."

The cast of My Fair Lady features Santa Monica High School (Samohi) alum Kimberly Breault ('88) who recently completed a three-year run on the National Tour of Beauty and The Beast. Prior to that she was seen with Sam Harris in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and in Mory Yeston's Phantom. Kimberly played the role of "Lily St. Regis" in SMCLO's inaugural production of Annie in 1989.

Forest Erickson ('94) stars as Professor Henry Higgins after his portrayal last summer of Billy Bibbit in SMCLO's production of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." Joining the duo are alums Kat Green ('88), Omar Leyva ('95), Kelly Theile ('97), Noah Galuten ('01), Max Baumgarten ('03), Jonathan Aldana ('03), James Costello ('05), Caitie McNamara ('05), Nicole Fellows ('05), current students Anthony Alvarez, Louisa Levy, Taylor Brinckerhoff, Michael Cox, Hannah Bernstein, Nick Leonard, Molly Strauss, Casey Corn, and visiting guest professionals Jessica Bram, Nancy Holland, and Andrea Tobey as the distinguished Mrs. Higgins.

The Santa Monica Civic Light Opera, a sponsored educational activity of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, serves as a partner to SAMOHI's Theatre Arts Program, enhancing the student experience through mentoring by alumni and theatre professionals and developing productions for the Humanities Center and Barnum Hall stages.

This past February, SMCLO received two coveted NAACP awards for Best Lighting and Best Sets, out of eight nominations for their acclaimed production last summer of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." SMCLO joins the elite ranks of the Geffen Playhouse, the Theatre at Boston Court, Troika Entertainment, and the Mark Taper Forum/Center Theatre Group, whose productions were also nominated.

SAMOHI is proud of its illustrious alumni, including actors Glenn Ford, Gene Nelson, Oscar-winner Gloria Stuart, Oscar-winner Sean Penn, Oscar-nominee Robert Downey, Jr., Rob Lowe, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Holly Robinson, Dean Cain, Ryan D. Hurst, Wallace Smith, Tessa Thompson, Matt Walker, Keith Coogan, John Augustine, Amber Tamblyn, and Colleen Ford; and writers/producers Meredith Stiehm, and Zack Estrin, among many others.

The SMCLO gratefully acknowledges Samohi and SMMUSD staff members: Dr. Ilene Straus, Chief Educational Officer/Principal, Catherine Baxter, Dean of the Performing Arts Department, and Dr. John Deasy, Superintendent of the SMMUSD for the generous and continuous support of the SMCLO and Santa Monica High School Theatre Arts Program.

The SMCLO is also grateful for the support of many community partners, most notably presenting season sponsor Washington Mutual, and season sponsors Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, the Santa Monica Daily Press and our newest sponsor, Gelson's, the super market. Joining this production are sponsors Santa Catalina Island Company and The Catalina Express.

For additional information about the Santa Monica Civic Light Opera and the Samohi Theatre Arts Program, contact Brett Fisher, Producer and Managing Director, at 310-458-5939.

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CALENDAR LISTING for JULY 27, 2005

PRODUCTION:"MY FAIR LADY"
Playwright: Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
Director: Dr. Frank X. Ford
Produced by the Santa Monica Civic Light Opera
 
THEATRE: Avalon Theater
Catalina Island Resort Services
P.O. Box 2019
Avalon, California, 90704

Additional information on the historic Avalon Theater can be found on the SCICO website at www.scico.com. For more information on the Santa Monica Civic Light Opera, visit www.smclo.org.
 
SCHEDULE:ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Wednesday, July 27 at 8:00 PM
 
TICKETS:800-322-3434
 
PRICES: $20.00 general admission, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students under 18.
 
WEBSITE: www.smclo.org
 
PRESS CONTACT: Brett Fisher / 310-458-5939 / brett@smclo.org