USF Hosts Broadway Bash (Cedar City: Aug 13)

Utah Shakespearean Festival Hosts Broadway Bash

CEDAR CITY, UTAH—During the second week in August the Utah Shakespearean Festival will host a series of fundraising activities to ensure the artistic future of the organization. The highlight of the week will be “Bardway, Baby!” a concert of Broadway show tunes of the past and present sung by members of the Festival acting company.

The concert will be held on Aug. 13 at approximately 11 p.m. in the Auditorium Theatre, following the evening performances of “Much Ado about Nothing” and “Great Expectations.” Tickets are $20, and all proceeds will benefit the Artistic Initiative Fund. Tickets are available now at www.bard.org, 1-800-PLAYTIX, and at the Festival Ticket Office windows. Seating is general admission.

“This is a great way to celebrate the artists in our company, and to showcase the Broadway caliber talent that we have at the Festival,” said Brian Vaughn, Festival actor. “Many of the actors in our company have performed on Broadway, and this will give our audience members the opportunity to see them truly explore their range.”

“Bardway, Baby!” will feature live music played by a three-piece band and eleven members of the acting company. The performers are Dave Barrus, Don Burroughs, Ellen Crawford, Kyle Jeffery Eberlein, Aaron Galligan-Stierle, David Ivers, Carol Linnea Johnson, Kymberly Mellen, Jack Noseworthy, Melinda Pfundstein, and Brian Vaughn.

Continuing to hire world-renowned actors to star in state-of-the-art productions is a primary goal for Vaughn and David Ivers, future artistic co-director for the Festival. Ivers and Vaughn have established the Artistic Initiative Fund to promote the Festival’s growth in artistic excellence. The fund will serve to increase the size and scope of the Festival’s production design aesthetic, as well as increase the Festival’s national and international presence. The target goal of the Artistic Initiative Fund is $250,000 by 2013.

“Having the summer company assist with fundraising during this week is a hands on way for everyone to garner support for the artistic future of the Festival,” said Vaughn. “It is our hope that this fund will give us the necessary resources to expand our already amazing artistic aesthetic, and continue to bring in high caliber artists.”

The Utah Shakespearean Festival is located on 300 W. Center St. in Cedar City, Utah. The summer season runs now through Sept. 4 and includes Shakespeare’s “Much Ado about Nothing,” “The Merchant of Venice,” and “Macbeth,” in addition to Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps,” Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and the world premiere musical “Great Expectations.” Tickets are on sale now at bard.org and 1-800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).

Media Contact: Amanda Caraway, 435-586-1969, Caraway@bard.org
For more information and photos visit: http://bard.org/newsroom/index.html