NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 27, 2017
SONGS OF LOVE, FAITH, ROWDINESS AND REDEMPTION IN ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY'S PRODUCTION OF
RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH
Johnny Cash. Just the name is iconic, but his music and that deep, calm bass-baritone voice made the "Man in Black" an American legend. From his songbook comes this crowd-pleasing, foot-stomping musical celebration that tells a fascinating story of love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, home and family.
Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash features 38 classic hits – from I Walk the Line and A Boy Named Sue to Folsom Prison Blues and the title tune – performed by a multi-talented cast of actors, singers and musicians in the story of this uniquely American legend. Ring of Fire plays at the Temple of Music and Art, 333 S. Scott Ave. in Tucson, from March 4-25 and at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St. in Phoenix, from March 30 through April 16. The 2016-17 season is sponsored by I. Michael and Beth Kasser. In Phoenix, the Production Sponsor is Zazu Pannee and Media Sponsor is KMLE Country @107.9.
Conceived by William Meade and created by Richard Maltby, Jr., Ring Of Fire dramatizes the story of a man who grew up poor in America's heartland and traveled the world on the strength of his music and talent. Throughout his journey, Johnny Cash finds love, success, faith, misadventure, heartache, redemption and the love of a good woman.
"Ring Of Fire is the only theatrical show Johnny Cash gave his approval for and endorsed," said Jason Edwards, the original director of this production which is being recreated by Randal Myler. "The show celebrates the songs he wrote about the everyday man; songs about issues and experiences he dealt with; songs that gave voice to so many overlooked and forgotten people. The show tries to touch on every aspect of Mr. Cash's life – his youth, his faith, his struggles, and his triumphs. It's also a story about love."
More than a musical biography, Ring of Fire looks at Cash's life thematically. From this early years picking cotton in hardscrabble fields to superstardom, the show chronicles both the lows and highs of the man who traversed musical genres from county and rock to folk and gospel. It is but a sampling of the more than 40 songs that Cash, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member had to his credit.
Cash was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He placed 48 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and more than 130 hits on the Billboard country singles chart, more than anyone in history.
Ticket prices are $25-$80 and are available in-person in Tucson at the Temple of Music and Art box office or by calling (520) 622-2823. Tickets are available in-person in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center, or by calling (602) 256-6995 or online for performances in both cities at www.arizonatheatre.org.
For more information call (520) 622-2823 in Tucson, (602) 256-6995 in Phoenix or visit www.arizonatheatre.org.
CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Randal Myler
Music Director: Jeff Lisenby
Choreographer: Denise Patton
Scenic Design: John Iacovelli
Lighting Design: Kenton Yeager
Costume Design: Gordon DeVinney
Sound Design: Brian Jerome Peterson
Production Stage Manager: Bruno Ingram
BIOGRAPHIES
Randal Myler, Director, At ATC his credits include Hank Williams: Lost Highway, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, Love Janis, The Immigrant, Touch the Names, Woody Guthrie's American Song. Broadway: It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues (Tony nomination). Off-Broadway: Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Little Shubert, Promenade, Manhattan Ensemble, New Victory Theatre, Village Gate, B.B. King's, New World Stages. Regional Theatre: Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, Denver Center, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Geffen Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Northlight Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, San Diego's Old Globe, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, Dallas Theatre Center, Grand Ole Opry, Cleveland Play House, Virginia Stage Company, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, California Theatre Center, TheatreWorks, Portland Center Stage, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Bay Street Theatre, and others. CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Trenna Barnes (Principal) has previously appeared in Ring of Fire at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach Florida, Denver Center Theatre Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and others. She was also the lead singer- songwriter for the all-girl band Cowboy Crush and toured over 40 countries with Curb Records; appearing with Charlie Daniels, Big & Rich, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, Huey Lewis and the News, Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley and many others.
Allison Briner-Dardenne (Principal) is making her ATC debut. Broadway: Steve Martin and Edie Brickel's Bright Star, Mamma Mia! National Tours: Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables, Titanic, White Christmas, Follies (with the Broadway company) at Ahmanson Theatre, L.A. Off-Broadway: Forbidden Broadway, Listen to My Heart, Pete 'N' Keely, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Song of Singapore, Forbidden Hollywood. Representative regional theatre: Ring of Fire (St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Totem Pole Playhouse, Riverside Theatre at Vero Beach). Other regional credits include: The Kennedy Center, The Old Globe, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Paper Mill Playhouse, TheatreWorks at Palo Alto, Syracuse Stage, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and others.
Michael Monroe Goodman (Principal) is a multi-instrumentalist, actor, songwriter, comedian, and improviser. He spent two years with Million Dollar Quartet covering several roles (Elvis, Cash, Perkins) and also received a Jeff Award nomination for his role in Mercury Theatre's production of Ring of Fire in 2015. Along with theatre, he also stays busy with commercial, TV, film, and recording critically-acclaimed original music on his record label.
Brian Mathis (Principal) recently appeared in Ring of Fire at Water Tower Theatre in. Nationally, he has appeared in national tours of Seussical and Jesus Christ Superstar. Regionally, he has appeared with Casa Manana, Stage West, Circle Theatre, Amphibian Stage, Lyric Stage, Turtle Creek Chorale, Dallas Theatre Center, Theatre Under the Stars, River City Rep, Tennessee (Nashville) Rep, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Downtown Cabaret (Bridgeport, CT), The Bushnell Center, and Kansas City Starlight.
The cast also includes Walter Hartman (Musician / Ensemble, Fiddle), Ben Hope (Musician / Ensemble, Guitar / Mandolin / Harmonica), Brantley Kearns (Musician / Ensemble, Fiddle), Jeff Lisenby (Musician / Ensemble, Keyboard / Accordion), John W. Marshall (Musician / Ensemble, Upright Bass) and Brent Moyer (Musician / Ensemble, Guitar / Trumpet)
Tickets for Ring of Fire start at $25 and are subject to change depending on time, date and section, and are available at www.arizonatheatre.org or by calling the box office at (520) 622-2823 in Tucson or (602) 256-6995 in Phoenix. Discounts are available for seniors and active military. A $10 student ticket pricing is now available for all performances. Half-price rush tickets are available for balcony seating for all performances one hour prior to curtain at the ATC box office (subject to availability). Tickets are available for a suggested $10 donation. (Tickets must be purchased at the Temple of Music and Art or Herberger Theater Center starting one hour prior to curtain. Tickets are first-come, first served. Cash only. Two tickets maximum per person.) For discounts for groups of 10 or more, call (520) 622-2823 in Tucson or (602) 256-6995 in Phoenix.
Arizona Theatre Company offers accessibility services for patrons with disabilities for select performances. Audio Description provides patrons with vision loss a running audio description of the movement and activities onstage through an infrared broadcast system. An Audio-Described performance is offered in Tucson on Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and in Phoenix on Wednesday, April 12 at 2 p.m. and Thursday, April 13 at 2 p.m.. Interested patrons with vision loss may request a tactile tour one hour prior to curtain. American Sign Language Interpretation is presented by professional, theatrically-trained ASL-interpreters for people who have deafness or hearing impairment. An ASL-interpreted performance is offered in Tucson on Thursday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. and in Phoenix on Saturday, April 15 at 4 p.m. Open captioning allows patrons to read the play's dialogue on an LED screen as the play progresses. An open captioned performance is offered in Tucson on Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and in Phoenix on Sunday, April 9 at 6 p.m. For open-captioned or ASL-interpreted performances, patrons should request seats best suited to ASL interpretation or captioning when purchasing tickets. Large print and Braille playbills and infrared listening amplification devices are also available at every ATC performance with reservation. TTY access for the box office is available in Tucson at (520) 884-9723 or via Arizona Relay at (800) 367-8939 (TTY/ASCII).
Fact Sheet:
Ring of Fire
Created by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Conceived by William Meade
Directed by Randal Myler
Tucson Venue:
Temple of Music and Art
330 S. Scott Ave.
Tucson, Arizona
Previews Begin: Saturday, March 4 at 8 p.m.
Opening Night: Friday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Closing Performance: Saturday, March 25 at 8 p.m.
Phoenix Venue:
Herberger Theater Center
222 E. Monroe St.
Phoenix, Ariz.
Previews Begin: Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, April 1 at 8 p.m.
Closing Performance: Sunday, April 16 at 1 p.m.
Ticket Info:
Ticket prices are $25-$100 and are available in-person at the Temple of Music and Art box office or via phone at (520) 622-2823; or at the Herberger Theater Center box office or by calling (602) 256-6995 in Phoenix. Tickets also can be purchased online at www.arizonatheatre.org.
Contact:
Steve Carr, The Kur Carr Group, Inc., (602) 317-3040
About Arizona Theatre Company:
Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) is the preeminent fully professional theatre in the state of Arizona committed to inspiring, engaging, and entertaining - one moment, one production, and one audience at a time. Boasting the largest seasonal subscriber base in the performing arts in Arizona, ATC is the only resident company in the U.S. that is fully based in two cities providing its wide array of programming and community outreach across the region. Now in its 50th season, more than 130,000 people a year attend our performances at the historic Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, and the elegant Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. Each season of home-grown productions reflects the rich variety of world drama—from classics to contemporary plays, from musicals to new works—along with a wide array of community outreach programs, educational opportunities, access initiatives and new play programs. Designated The State Theatre of Arizona, ATC is led by Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein and a dedicated Board of Trustees.
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