RITA WILSON AND FRIENDS RETURN FOR ALL NEW PRODUCTIONS BY
INSIDE NOTES: AUTHOR, STORIES AND MUSIC
JEFF BARRY, DARRELL BROWN, KARA DIOGUARDI, HOLLY RITTER,
RICHARD MARX, MOZELLA E BILLY STEINBERG SE UNE A WILSON
AN EXCLUSIVE ENVELOPMENT OF TWO INTIMATE WEEKENDS
THE AUDREY SKIBALL KENIS THEATER WILL BE PERFORMED SEPTEMBER 15-24, 2016
THE ANGEL(September 8, 2016) - Rita Wilson once again brings her singing and songwriting talents to the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse for six new shows this September, following sold-out performances at its premiere last fall.Grades.At each performance, Wilson is joined by special guests for an evening of songwriters performing and telling the stories behind their songs. Shows are performed in rounds, with the audience surrounding the performers, providing an up close and personal experience. Featured artists include: Jeff Barry, Darrell Brown, Kara DioGuardi, Billy Steinberg and the newly added Holly Knight, Richard Marx and MoZella.
Wilson has a long history with the Geffens. beyond last yeargrades,He has performed in numerous productions over the theater's 20-year history, includingDinner with friendsYLove, loss and what I wore.In 2009, he received the annual Distinction in Theater award on stage.Geffen behind the scenesCair.
known as actressIt's complicated, no sleep in Seattlea recurring role on CBSthe good wife, the award-winning HBO series,chicaand most recently on Broadway in the Larry David hit,fish in the dark) and as a film producer (Mamma Mia! My Big Fat Greek Weddingand its continuationmy big greek wedding 2,for which he co-wrote and actedeven more mine) His first love is music. In May 2012, Wilson fulfilled a lifelong dream with the release of his solo album.AM/UK. Released on Decca/Verve Records, the album is an intimate, elegant and beautifully sung collection of covers of your favorite songs from the 60s and 70s.AM/UK,Wilson has been focusing on a new component of her music career as a songwriter. In March 2016, he released his self-titled second album, showcasing his ability to create insightful and eloquent singer-songwriter pop music imbued with a breathtaking honesty. Prior to its release, Wilson spent two years collaborating with a variety of award-winning and best-selling songwriters and producers in Los Angeles and Nashville. This new material was featured prominently in their sold-out two-week residency at New York's famed Café Carlyle. "MS. Wilson has a hook to her voice that conveys longing and possible distress behind a facade of cheer. As a performer, she's outgoing and outgoing; a natural cheerleader," she said.The New York Times dies.Connie Britton performed Wilson's song "Strong Tonight" on an episode of ABCNashvillethis spring. In June 2016, Wilson toured with members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Chicago, one of the best-selling bands of all time, with over 100 million albums sold.
SpentComposers began to interpret their songsYtell the stories behind itwill include:
jeff barryis a pop music songwriter, singer and record producer who began his illustrious career in New York City, where he made famous The Dixie Cups, The Crystals, Ronnie Spector, Andy Kim, Ray Peterson and Ron Dante of the Archies. He teamed up with Ellie Greenwich in the 1960s to form one of the most prolific songwriting and production teams of the decade. Along with Phil Spector, they helped create the "Girl Group" featuring The Crystals hits "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me" and The Ronettes "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You". sound . They also wrote the classics "River Deep, Mountain High" for Ike and Tina Turner and "I Can Hear Music" for The Ronettes and The Beach Boys. In 1964, Barry and Greenwich joined the new Red Bird Records label to write and produce 15 hits from the first 20 releases, including "Chapel of Love" from the Dixie Cups, "People Say" and "Iko Iko", and "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" and "Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-Las. The duo discovered singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, who produced their early hits including "Solitary Man", "Cherry, Cherry", "Kentucky Woman" and "Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon". After moving to California from New York in 1971, Barry wrote the television theme songs.Day after day, The Jeffersons, where's Waldo?Yfamily ties. He continued to write chart-topping hits, including the #1 single "I Sincerely Love You" for Olivia Newton-John; "The Last Time I Made Love" by Jeffrey Osborne and Joyce Kennedy and "Out Of Hand" by Gary Stewart. Barry was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Darrell Brownis an acclaimed composer, arranger and music producer credited with worldwide music sales in excess of 72 million units. Brown has penned four No. 1 singles, including Keith Urban's Grammy-winning You'll Think of Me, Josh Turner's longest-running No. 1 single, Why Don't We Just Dance, "the No. 1 pop single" Simple Things" by Jim Brickman and Rebecca Lyn Howard and "What I Cannot Change" by LeAnn Rimes. the country singles chart, the A/C charts and the Clubplay dance charts. Brown is the main producer, arranger and co-writer from LeAnn Rimes' acclaimed 2013 album.Volcano. He has also written and produced dozens of compositions used in the popular Sims 3 and other EA Games video games. He wrote songs for films (Gambit, cruel intentions, beautiful woman,) and for television (Today Show, Cold Case, One Tree Hill, Las Vegas, Rookie Blue). Brown currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Grammy Foundation and is the Music Director and Creative Co-Producer of the Grammy Preservation and Legacy Concerts and has worked with numerous artists including Ed Sheeran, Natasha Bedingfield, Jason Mraz, Lupe Fiasco, The Fray, Musiq Soulchild, Colby Caillat, Sarah Bareilles, The Fray, Trombone Shorty, Garth Brooks, Kid Rock, Jeff Barry, Skylar Grey, Gavin Degraw, Aloe Blacc, Plain White T's, Walk The Moon and Erica McDonald, among many others.
Kara Dio Guardiis a Grammy- and Emmy-nominated songwriter, producer, and music director and Herb Albert Guest Scholar at Berklee College of Music. As one of the world's most successful contemporary songwriters, Kara's songs have appeared on over 160 million albums. He has won 20 BMI Awards for Most Songs Performed, including Songwriter of the Year. He has had over 320 songs released on major labels, 150 songs on platinum albums, and over 50 chart-topping singles. His credits include hits and collaborations with artists such as Pink, Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Gwen Stefani, Carrie Underwood, Enrique Iglesias, Rascal Flatts, The Band. Perry, Darius Rucker, Faith Hill, Santana and many more. Kara is also an established music producer, recording executive, music publisher and author. While she was Executive Vice President at Warner Brothers Records, Kara signed artists like Jason Derulo and Iyaz. Her label, Arthouse Entertainment, features hits from Bruno Mars, Carrie Underwood, Cee-Lo Green, Eminem, B.O.B., Travie McCoy, Flo Rida, Whitney Houston and Sean Kingston. He recently signed artists Jon Bellion (Capitol) and Clairity (Lava/Republic). In addition, Kara served as a judge on seasons 8 and 9 of the hit FOX show American Idol and served as a head judge on Bravo's songwriting reality competition Platinum Hit. In the fall of 2011, Kara made her Broadway stage debut as the gleeful assassin Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning musical CHICAGO. Kara is an active supporter and builds recording studios at Phoenix House, one of the nation's leading non-profit organizations dedicated to guiding individuals, families and communities affected by addiction from dysfunctional to productive lives. He also has an educational grant in his family's name with the Columbus Citizens Foundation, which provides financial assistance to students of Italian descent.
Inducted into Songwriters Hall of FameStechpalme Ritterhas an illustrious 30-year career in the music business, winning three Grammy Awards and thirteen ASCAP Awards as a songwriter. Knight began classical piano lessons at the age of four and continued his studies at the Mannes School of Music for ten years before forming his bands Spider and Device. Songs from him have appeared on records with a combined total of over 530 million records sold. She is known for writing hits for some of music's most successful artists, including "Love Is A Battlefield" and "Invincible" for Pat Benatar, "The Warrior" for Patty Smyth, "Change" for John Waite, "Baby Me' for Chaka Khan, 'Never' for Heart, 'Love Touch' for Rod Stewart, 'Hide Your Heart' for KISS, 'Rag Doll' with Aerosmith, 'Space' for Cheap Trick and 'Pleasure And Pain' for Divinyls. He wrote ten songs for Tina Turner, including "The Best", "Wildest Dreams" and "Better Be Good To Me", which won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Her songs have been featured in films as diverse asThelma and Luisa, little butler,thirteen goes to thirty,Moderator ll,Dallas Shopping Cluband on TV shows likeamerican idol,to voice,30 rock, family man,The Simpsons,Oprah Winfrey, South Park and LastGlee, Laura Mysteries, Necessary Resistance, Ythe following. Knight also wrote and produced the theme music for the television shows.EngelYkeep standing. He recently finished producing the debut pop album by Antonia Bennett, daughter of legendary singer Tony Bennett, as well as Antonia's debut jazz EP.Naturallyand the long-awaited jazz follow-up album featuring songs from The Great American Songbook,we are abrasive. Knight is currently developing two musicals and also has a photo website.
As a performer, composer and producerby Ricardo MarxHis nearly three-decade career had numerous highlights. The Chicago native has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, starting with his self-titled debut, which peaked at No. 8 and spawned four Top 5 singles, including the chart-topping "Hold on to the Nights". hits with "Doesn't Mean." "Nothing" earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. the sequel, 1989repeat offender,was even more successful, peaking at number 1 and going quadruple platinum with two number 1 singles in "Satisfied" and "Right Here Waiting". When Rush Street (with two AC #1 hits "Keep Coming Back" and "Hazard") and Paid Vacation (with its AC #1 hit "Now and Forever") went platinum, Marx hit an A. of seven. string of hits to rival any in pop-rock music history. To date, he is the only male artist in history whose first seven singles reached the top five on the Billboard charts. As co-writer of Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father", he received a Grammy for Song of the Year in 2004. Across all formats, Marx has amassed a total of 14 No. 1 singles (including Keith Urban's No. 1 hit " Long Hot Summer") as a performer and songwriter/producer, making him a true multi-talent who continues to challenge himself and his fans. He has the honor of being one of the few artists to have a number one hit in each of the past four decades.
MoZella, whose first name is Maureen Anne McDonald, is an acclaimed songwriter and recording artist. Over the course of their music career, MoZella has released three full-length albums,I mustem 2006, pretty island2009 tuThe Brian Holland SessionsEbeautiful island2012 with legendary Motown songwriter Brian Holland, as well as three episodes,MoZella, The Straits-EP,Ylove ep.He has toured with Tyler Hilton, Dave Matthews Band, Lifehouse, Five for Fighting, Daniel Powter, Michelle Branch and Colbie Caillat. In addition to her own artistic success, MoZella co-wrote Miley Cyrus/Dr. Luke Billboard #1 "Wrecking Ball" along with "FU" and "Someone Else" on Miley's acclaimed album Bangers. He has written songs with and for Miranda Cosgrove, Shontelle and co-wrote "Undone" and "Oh My" feat. Bob. with American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart for Fergie's A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.O Grande Gatsby 2013), "Fools Gold" e "Perfect" de One Direction, "Don't Panic" de Ellie Goulding, "Holding For Life" e "We Can't Move to This", "Speechless" de Rachel Platten, "Dancing in the Dark" de Rihanna, Bright de Echosmith, Feels Like Vegas de Tinashe, One Call Away de Charlie Puth e Take You High de Kelly Clarkson. Madonna e Mozella coescreveram 11 das 19 faixas do álbum.Rebellenherz,including the single "Living For Love" featuring Diplo, Ariel Rechtshaid and Toby Gad. Songs from her have been featured in several commercials, including "Love Is Endless" for McDonalds and "Can't Get Enough" for Chase. Other brands that have used MoZella's music include Chrysler, Verizon, Microsoft, Jeep, Amazon, Mercedes Benz, JC Penney, Aqua Fresh and many others.
Bill Steinbergis one of the most successful songwriters of the past 30 years and has written (with Tom Kelly) five #1 singles on the Billboard "Hot 100" chart, including "Like A Virgin" (Madonna), "True Colors" (Cyndi Lauper), "So Emotional" (Whitney Houston), "Eternal Flame" (The Bangles) and "Alone" (Heart). In addition, Billy co-wrote 10 other popular US pop hits, including "I'll Stand By You" (Pretenders, Carrie Underwood), "I Touch Myself" (The Divinyls), "How Do I Make You (Linda Ronstadt ), I Drive All Night (Roy Orbison, Cyndi Lauper, Celine Dion), In Your Room (The Bangles), Too Little, Too Late (JoJo) and Give Your Heart a Break (Demi Lovato) Steinberg and Kelly were inducted into the Hall Songwriters to Fame in 2011. Raised in Palm Springs, Calif., he pursued a career as a recording artist and songwriter while working in his family's table grape business. His band, Billy Thermal (Thermal was the town where the winery was located), signed signed to legendary producer Richard Perry's Planet Records. In the mid-1990s, Steinberg teamed up with Rick Nowels, a highly respected writer and producer. The duo won Grammy Awards for producing their song and title track "Falling Into You " from Celine Dion's 1996 multi-platinum album Steinberg & Nowels also penned hit singles for Melanie C. ("I Turn To You") and Robert Miles ("One and One").
Tickets range from $59 to $89; Cabaret-style VIP seating (including two complimentary drinks served at the table) is available for $129-$149. Charges may apply. Purchase in person at the Geffen Playhouse Box Office, call 310.208.5454, or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org.
PERFORMANCE PLAN
Thursday September 15, 2016 8:00 pm (Rita Wilson, Kara DioGuardi, Holly Knight and Jeff Barry)
Friday September 16, 2016 8:00 pm (Rita Wilson, Kara DioGuardi, Holly Knight and Jeff Barry)
Saturday September 17, 2016 8:00 pm (Rita Wilson, Richard Marx, Holly Knight and Jeff Barry)
Thursday September 22, 2016 8:00 pm (Rita Wilson, Darrell Brown, Billy Steinberg and MoZella)
Friday September 23, 2016 8:00 pm (Rita Wilson, Darrell Brown, Billy Steinberg and MoZella)
Saturday September 24, 2016 8:00 pm (Rita Wilson, Darrell Brown, Billy Steinberg and MoZella)
APPETIZER
Tickets range from $59 to $89; Cabaret-style VIP seating (including two complimentary drinks served at the table) is available for $129-$149. Charges may apply. Purchase in person at the Geffen Playhouse Box Office, call 310.208.5454, or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org.
LOCATION
Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre em Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024
ABOUT THE GEFFEN THEATER
Since opening in 1995, the Geffen Playhouse has been a centerpiece of the Los Angeles theater scene. Known for its intimacy and acclaimed for its blend of classic and contemporary works, provocative new works and second productions, the nonprofit is still active today, presenting a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named after entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the first donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates and is currently led by Artistic Director Randall Arney, CEO Gil Cates Jr. Directors Martha Henderson and Pamela Robinson. Proudly associated with UCLA, Geffen welcomes more than 130,000 spectators each year and maintains an extensive educational and outreach program designed to engage community youth with the arts. gepfenplayhouse.org
CONTACT WITH THE MEDIA:
sweet katy and associates
310.479.2333