July 15, 2009
By Karen Lindell, Ventura County Star, Calif.
Jul. 15--The red carpet will be real. The paparazzi will be faux.
And the guest of honor will be a bona fide star.
The Rubicon Theatre Company plans to roll out a red walkway for Liza Minnelli on Sunday, when the singer-actress is scheduled to attend the official press opening of the world premiere of the Ventura theater's latest production, "The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman." Minnelli should be used to the red carpet routine -- she's won four Tony Awards, an Emmy, an Oscar and a Grammy.
Karyl Lynn Burns, Rubicon's producing artistic director, said that when Minnelli arrives at around 6 for the 7 p.m. show, kids posing as press photographers and fans attired in Rat Pack wear (because Rat Packers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra made Coleman's songs famous) will await her.
"We're trying not to take ourselves too seriously," Burns said, laughing.
Minnelli doesn't star in the Rubicon show -- although the Coleman revue's cast and crew have impressive Broadway resumes of their own -- but she's agreed to be honorary chairwoman for the production's opening night gala, which includes the premiere and an after-party with a Rat Pack theme at the Ventura Beach Marriott.
To draw Minnelli to Ventura, timing, geography and show-biz loyalty worked in Rubicon's favor.
The singer, Burns said, was planning to be in the area because she's performing at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez on Thursday. More important, however, Billy Stritch, musical director for "The Best Is Yet to Come," is Minnelli's close friend and performing partner. Also, the Coleman show's director, David Zippel, Tony winner for "City of Angels," wrote some of the dialogue for Minnelli's "Liza at the Palace Show," which won a Tony this year for special theatrical event.
Burns said Minnelli, who will toast the cast and say a few words at the after-party, wants the premiere and gala to focus on the show's performers, but "we hope to persuade her to sing one number with Billy."
Although Sunday's performance of "The Best Is Yet to Come" is sold out, the theater is releasing more tickets for the after-party to guests who purchase tickets to the show for another night. Anyone is welcome to attend the red carpet event.
The show runs through Aug. 2. To purchase tickets ($150 for the gala; $39-$65 for regular shows), call 667-2900 or visit http://www.rubicontheatre.org. The Rubicon is at 1006 E. Main St. in downtown Ventura.
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To see more of the Ventura County Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.venturacountystar.com.
Copyright (c) 2009, Ventura County Star, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
Jul. 15--The red carpet will be real. The paparazzi will be faux.
And the guest of honor will be a bona fide star.
The Rubicon Theatre Company plans to roll out a red walkway for Liza Minnelli on Sunday, when the singer-actress is scheduled to attend the official press opening of the world premiere of the Ventura theater's latest production, "The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman." Minnelli should be used to the red carpet routine -- she's won four Tony Awards, an Emmy, an Oscar and a Grammy.
Karyl Lynn Burns, Rubicon's producing artistic director, said that when Minnelli arrives at around 6 for the 7 p.m. show, kids posing as press photographers and fans attired in Rat Pack wear (because Rat Packers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra made Coleman's songs famous) will await her.
"We're trying not to take ourselves too seriously," Burns said, laughing.
Minnelli doesn't star in the Rubicon show -- although the Coleman revue's cast and crew have impressive Broadway resumes of their own -- but she's agreed to be honorary chairwoman for the production's opening night gala, which includes the premiere and an after-party with a Rat Pack theme at the Ventura Beach Marriott.
To draw Minnelli to Ventura, timing, geography and show-biz loyalty worked in Rubicon's favor.
The singer, Burns said, was planning to be in the area because she's performing at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez on Thursday. More important, however, Billy Stritch, musical director for "The Best Is Yet to Come," is Minnelli's close friend and performing partner. Also, the Coleman show's director, David Zippel, Tony winner for "City of Angels," wrote some of the dialogue for Minnelli's "Liza at the Palace Show," which won a Tony this year for special theatrical event.
Burns said Minnelli, who will toast the cast and say a few words at the after-party, wants the premiere and gala to focus on the show's performers, but "we hope to persuade her to sing one number with Billy."
Although Sunday's performance of "The Best Is Yet to Come" is sold out, the theater is releasing more tickets for the after-party to guests who purchase tickets to the show for another night. Anyone is welcome to attend the red carpet event.
The show runs through Aug. 2. To purchase tickets ($150 for the gala; $39-$65 for regular shows), call 667-2900 or visit http://www.rubicontheatre.org. The Rubicon is at 1006 E. Main St. in downtown Ventura.
-----
To see more of the Ventura County Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.venturacountystar.com.
Copyright (c) 2009, Ventura County Star, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
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