Lauren Kennedy Headlines TELL ME ON SUNDAY at The Kennedy

Artistic Director. Producer. Director. Actress. Lauren Kennedy (SPAMALOT, SUNSET BOULEVARD, LES MISERABLES) just about does it all when it comes to theatre; especially with her own
company Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy. This year is no different at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh, NC. Kennedy will make a return to the stage as "Emma" in Tell Me on a Sunday. The show will not only hit the Raleigh stage but also play a limited engagement at the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre at Barton College in Wilson, NC, which officially opened last September.

Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy has been opened since 2005. During the first season, Kennedy
and her husband, Tony Award Nominated actor Alan Campbell (SUNSET BOULEVARD, CONTACT) performed their own concert Beyond Broadway for Raleigh audiences. Since then, Kennedy has taken a back seat to performing at the intimate 120-seat theatre to help the company grow. Last year, she added Artistic Director and Producer to her title and decided after a solid two seasons, she was ready to come back and perform at the theatre her father K.D. Kennedy, Jr. and brother Michael started.

"I jumped at the chance when director Matthew-Jason Willis and I discussed this show because it is
a score I've been desperate to tackle and I adore working with him! He had some fascinating and fresh ideas on the show that really excite me," says Kennedy.

With music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black, TELL ME ON SUNDAY is a one-act
musical that tells the story of an ordinary girl, played by Kennedy, and her romantic misadventures in search of love.

"This show has a long history of reinterpretation, way back to 1979 and I don't think any commercial production ever produced has been the same," says Kennedy, who added, "So, we too have our own unique spin on this modern tale of an ordinary gal setting out to find true love and accomplish her dreams in New York City!"

Under the direction of Willis is a stellar production team that includes Christine Rapp (Production
Stage Manager), Chris Bernier (Technical/Set/Lighting Designer), Brian L. Hunt (Sound Designer)
and Leanne Norton-Heintz (Properties Mistress), Chris Wallen (Assistant Stage Manager), Jesse
Jones (Running Crew) and Jensen Davis (Spot Light Operator). Kennedy and Willis are also
sharing Costume Designer duties with some wardrobe provided by Hot Summer Nights' long time
sponsor, CT Weekends. Musical Director/Pianist Julie Florin returns with a talented band comprised
of Drew Lile (Guitar), John Simonetti (Bass), Les Webster (Percussion) and Joan Beck (Violin).

TELL ME ON SUNDAY will run at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh Aug 18-29 and at The Kennedy
Campbell Theatre at Barton College in Wilson Sept 1-5. Shows are at 8PM Wednesday-Saturday
and Sundays at 3PM. Tickets are $22.00 for general admission and $18 for senior adults and
students. For tickets, call 866-811-4111 or visit the Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy website
www.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org.

Read more: http://raleigh.broadwayworld.com/article/Lauren_Kennedy_Headlines_TELL_ME_ON_SUNDAY_at_The_Kennedy_20100811#ixzz0wRArvHHI

Snapshots of Broadway star Lauren Kennedy in rehearsal for 'Tell Me On A Sunday'

LAUREN KENNEDY ENDS HOT SUMMER NIGHTS SUMMER SEASON IN 'TELL ME ON A SUNDAY'

BROADWAY STAR RETURNS HOME FOR SEASON ENDER

LAUREN KENNEDY STARS IN TELL ME ON A SUNDAY AT HOT SUMMER NIGHTS

RALEIGH - Artistic Director. Producer. Director. Actress. Lauren Kennedy(Spamalot, Sunset Boulevard, Les Miserables) just about does it all when it comes to theatre; especially with her own company Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy. This year is no different at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh, NC.Kennedy will make a return to the stage as “Emma” in Tell Me on a Sunday. The show will not only hit the Raleigh stage but also play a limited engagement at the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre at Barton College in Wilson, NC, which officially opened last September.

Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy has been opened since 2005. During the first season, Kennedy and her husband, Tony Award Nominated actor Alan Campbell (Sunset Boulevard, Contact) performed their own concert Beyond Broadway for Raleigh audiences. Since then, Kennedy has taken a back seat to performing at the intimate 120-seat theatre to help the company grow. Last year, she added Artistic Director and Producer to her title and decided after a solid two seasons, she was ready to come back and perform at the theatre her father K.D. Kennedy, Jr. and brother Michael started.

“I jumped at the chance when director Matthew-Jason Willis and I discussed this show because it is a score I've been desperate to tackle and I adore working with him! He had some fascinating and fresh ideas on the show that really excite me,” says Kennedy. With music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black, Tell me on a Sunday is a one-act musical that tells the story of an ordinary girl, played by Kennedy, and her romantic misadventures in search of love.

“This show has a long history of reinterpretation, way back to 1979 and I don't think any commercial production ever produced has been the same,” saysKennedy, who added, “So, we too have our own unique spin on this modern tale of an ordinary gal setting out to find true love and accomplish her dreams in New York City!"

Under the direction of Willis is a stellar production team that includes Christine Rapp (Production Stage Manager), Chris Bernier (Technical/Set/Lighting Designer), Brian L. Hunt (Sound Designer) and Leanne Norton-Heintz(Properties Mistress), Chris Wallen (Assistant Stage Manager), Jesse Jones(Running Crew) and Jensen Davis (Spot Light Operator). Kennedy and Willis are also sharing Costume Designer duties with some wardrobe provided by Hot Summer Nights’ long time sponsor, CT Weekends. Musical Director/PianistJulie Florin returns with a talented band comprised of Drew Lile (Guitar), John Simonetti (Bass), Les Webster (Percussion) and Joan Beck (Violin).

Tell Me on a Sunday will run at The Kennedy Theatre in Raleigh Aug 18-29 and at The Kennedy Campbell Theatre at Barton College in Wilson Sept 1-5. Shows are at 8PM Wednesday-Saturday and Sundays at 3PM. With the exception of Saturday, August 21st which will be at 7PM. Tickets are $22.00 for general admission and $18 for senior adults and students. For Barton tickets, visithttp://www.barton.edu/theatre. For tickets to The Kennedy, call 866-811-4111 or visit the Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy websitewww.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org.

Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell on BlazinRy Blog Talk Radio

Did you miss today's BlazinRy Radio Blog interview with Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell? Don't worry! You can catch the full (uninterrupted) interview by visiting www.blogtalkradio.com/blazinry !! You can also download the interview by searching "blazinry" on iTunes!!

Another rave review for Hot Summer Nights' DEATH AND THE MAIDEN

TRIANGLE ARTS ENTERTAINMENDEATH AND THE MAIDEN

Review by SUSIE POTTER

THE TENSION IN “DEATH AND THE MAIDEN” IS PALPABLE, ARIEL DORFMAN’S PLAY IS DRAMA AT ITS MOST INTENSE

Alan Campbell & Benji Taylor Jones. Photos by Katherine Kennedy.

Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy’s DEATH AND THE MAIDEN is pure, intense drama at its finest. The show, which opened on Wednesday, July 28th, tells the story of Paulina (Benji Taylor Jones), a woman who was abducted, raped, and tortured by the minions of a military dictatorship in an unnamed South American country. One fateful night, 15 years after her release, her attorney husband, Gerardo (Alan Campbell), welcomes a helpful stranger, Dr. Roberto Miranda (David McClutchey), into his home and invites him to spend the night. Paulina becomes convinced that Dr. Miranda is one of the men who held her captive and brutalized her all those years ago.

Later, unbeknownst to her husband, she knocks out Miranda; drags him into the living room; ties and gags him; and appoints herself judge, jury, and executioner in a makeshift trial. Once her husband reluctantly joins in on the action, the lines of truth and reality begin to blur, leaving the viewer hanging on to every word.

Alan Campbell & David McClutchey. Photos by Katherine Kennedy

The tension that exists on stage is palpable, and each character is brought to full and vibrant life by the three gifted actors. Jones’ Paulina is disturbed, plotting and, in her own way, entirely sympathetic, whereas McClutchey’s Dr. Miranda is just slimy enough that the viewer will have doubts about his innocence. Most impressive here is Alan Campbell’s multilayered portrayal of Gerardo, a man whose loyalties are split between his belief in democratic institutions and judicial fairness and his touching love and empathy for his wife.

Scenic and lighting designer Chris Bernier’s subtle lighting, used only to take the scene from day to night or to highlight the most dramatic of moments, works well here, as does Bernier’s set design. A few quick changes to the set take the audience from the inside of the couple’s home to their private moments on the front porch, still allowing the viewer to witness the bound Dr. Miranda.

Paulina’s haunting words about having to listen to Schubert’s “Death and The Maiden” as she lay terrified in the dark in prison, deprived of her sight and her dignity, are immediately followed by fitting blackness and then Dr. Miranda’s chilling confession. The catch here is that audience members are left to draw their own conclusions about the validity of that confession. All of this leads up to an edge-of-your-seat climax and an eerie, unsettling conclusion.

Even those viewers who do not have a solid understanding of the political situation in Southern American countries, such as Chile, which playwright Ariel Dorfman fled after the 1973 coup d’étatled by army general Augusto Pinochet, will be able to empathize with each character and find themselves thinking about the very definitions of right and wrong and questioning whether vigilante justice is appropriate when a newly elected democratic government refuses to right the monstrous wrongs perpetuated by a brutal military dictator and his henchmen. This is, quite simply, the stuff that real theater is made of.

DEATH AND THE MAIDEN will continue its run through Sunday, August 8th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting http://www.hotsumemrnightsatthekennedy.org.

Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell to appear on BlazinRy's Blog Talk Radio

Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell to appear on BlazinRy's Blog Talk Radio show this Thursday at 1pm. (Eastern Standard Time)

BlazinRy Radio Blog welcomes the uber-talented husband and wife team of Lauren Kennedy & Alan Campbell. Having starred in "Spamalot," "Sunset Boulevard," and "Les Miserables," Barrymore Award nominee Lauren Kennedy is a Broadway veteran. Alan Campbell was nominated for a Best Actor Tony and won the Drama-League Award for his portrayal of Joe Gillis in "Sunset Boulevard." He starred in the CBS series "Jake and the Fat Man" .

The brand spankin' new BlazinRy Radio Blog is an entertainment show powered by Blog Talk Radio. The episodes begin by covering the hot topics of the day in show business, news, and sports. BlazinRy host Ryan Holmes then interviews the hottest, most interesting, and funniest artists and entertainers of today. Former guests include slasher movie star and Playboy cover girl America Olivo, stage and screen actor Christian Campbell, advertising mogul Tom Messner, and MAC Award-Winner Cait Doyle. In its first few weeks, the show has already been featured several times on the blogtalkradio.com homepage. It has garnered the coveted "Today's Top Picks" slot twice and is currently listed on the top of the homepage as "Featured Internet Radio." Due to the comedic background of producer Zach Messner and the unique interviewing style of Holmes, the episodes are zany, hilarious, and ridiculously fun. The show's ratings have sky-rocketed since the first episode. Upcoming guests include television actor Mike Lowry, Broadway veteran Greg Reuter, and ESPN's Jesse Ullmann. The BlazinRy Radio Blog is also currently podcasting on the extremely popular iTunes and Blubrry Networks. Here is a link to the homepage:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/blazinry

Listen to internet radio with BlazinRy Radio Blog on Blog Talk Radio

The reviews are in for Hot Summer Nights production of Death and the Maiden and we couldn't be happier!!

Robert McDowell of Triangle Arts and Entertainment says

"...Campbell is the unheeded voice of reason, and McClutchey is a squirming victim or victimizer (take your choice). But it is also undeniable that this trio of terrific performers create three unforgettable characters that are the stuff that nightmares are made of...."

To read more of Robert McDowell's review click HERE

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Roy C. Dicks of the News & Observer praises Death and the Maiden!!

"....the production delivers gripping, edge-of-your-seat entertainment, along with thought-provoking questions about justice and forgiveness."

"Tony nominee Alan Campbell proves his range as Gerardo, giving him a genuinely caring nature, torn by his wife’s need for revenge and his own wish to move forward. David McClutchey turns in a subtle performance as Roberto, lacing his protestations of innocence with just enough hesitation to instill doubt about their veracity."

"Benji Taylor Jones projects Paulina’s unhinged hysteria believably and is moving in her frank descriptions of the torture..."

"...Director Adam Twiss skillfully builds tension..."

To read the full review click HERE

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This just in.... another RAVE review from Jeffrey Rossman at Classical Voice North Carolina

"Nobody Does it Better: Death and the Maiden at Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy"

... "Benji Taylor Jones was Tony-award worthy as you never once doubted her emotional roller coaster ride as she fought with herself, her husband, and her captor as to what is the “right” thing to do. Alan Campbell as Gerardo beautifully portrayed the “voice of reason” – or was he merely a selfish coward protecting his new career? In addition to his superb acting, David McClutchey as Dr. Miranda had the unenviable task of being bound and gagged for lengthy periods of time. This was no stage trick. He was literally gagged with a cloth in his mouth and bound by several layers of duct tape."

"This has been placed near or at the top of my ten-best theatrical productions of 2010, so take a break from the summer fast food and go experience a nearly perfect theatrical event."

To read Jeffrey Rossman's full review click HERE

Buy your tickets today, they're going fast!!

www.hotsummernightsatthekennedy.org