DearWorldLaunchesVPAC’s2016-17Season!

JerryHerman’sBroadwayMusicalClassicStarsTonyandEmmyAwardwinnerTyneDalyONENIGHTONLY-Friday,September30at8:00pm(LosAngeles,CA)August11,2016-AmericanmusicallegendJerryHermancreatedthetheatricalhat-trickin1969whenDearWorldopenedonBroadway.JoiningHello,Dolly!andMame,Hermanbecamethefirstcomposer-lyricistinhistorytohavethreeproductionsrunningsimultaneouslyonBroadway.Now,ValleyPerformingArtsCenterwillkick-offthenewseasonanditsBroadwayseriesonSeptember30at8:00pmwithaonenightonlyconcertperformanceofDearWorldstarringTonyandEmmyAwardwinnerTyneDalyintheroleofCountessAurelia.Dalywillleadacastof13performers,accompaniedbyalive25-pieceorchestraandastudentchorus.Thisconcertversion,createdspecificallyforVPACbyveteranproducerSuziDietz,willbedirectedbyEmmyAwardwinnerDavidLee.MusicDirectorDarrylArchibaldmakeshisVPACdebut. ThorSteingraber,ExecutiveDirectorofVPACsaid,“OneofmylifetimetheatricalhighlightswasseeingTyneDaly'sTonyAward-winningperformanceinGypsyonBroadway.IntheroleofMamaRose,DalyfollowedinthefootstepsofthelegendaryAngelaLansbury.Yetagain,DalyinheritsapowerhouseroleoriginatedbyLansbury–CountessAureliainJerryHerman'sDearWorld.VPAC'sconcertversionisaonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunityforDalytobringtolifeararelyperformedrole,thevisionofveteranproducersSuziDietzandDavidLee.”TheBroadwaySeriesatValleyPerformingArtsCentercontinueswithKelliO’Hara(October14),WestSideStory(March10–12)andManofLaMancha(May5–7).Singletickets,rangingfrom$38-$73areavailablenow.Forticketandsubscriptioninformation,visitValleyPerformingArtsCenter.orgorcall(818)677-3000.ValleyPerformingArtsCenterislocatedonthecampusofCaliforniaStateUniversity,Northridge(CSUN),18111NordhoffStreetNorthridge,CA91330-8448,atthecornerofNordhoffandLindley.AboutTyneDalySteppingintotheroleofCountessAureliaisalongtimedreamforTyneDaly.WhenaskedbyPlaybillin2015ifthereareanyothermusicalrolesshewouldliketoplay,Dalyresponded,“IwouldlovetodoDearWorldbecauseIthinkthatwasoneofJerry[Herman’s]mostwonderfulscores.That’stheonlyonethatI’vesortofyearnedfor.”TyneDalyhasadiversecareer,movingwitheasefromstagetoscreen.ATonyAwardwinnerforthe1989ArthurLaurents-directedrevivalofGypsy,DalyhasalsoappearedonBroadwayinTerrenceMcNally’sMotherandSonsandMasterClass,aswellasItShouldaBeenYou,andDavidLindsay-Abaire’sRabbitHole.Sheisperhapsmostwell-knownforherroleaspolicedetectiveMaryBethLaceyonCagney&Lacey,forwhichshewonfourEmmyawardsforLeadActressinaDramaSeries.ShereceivedtwomoreEmmyAwardsforJudgingAmyandChristy.ShereceivedastarontheHollywoodWalkofFameandin2011wasalsoinductedintotheAmericanTheaterHallofFame.AboutDearWorldDearWorldisbasedonJeanGiraudoux’sTheMadwomanofChaillot,writtenin1943.ThestoryofDearWorldfollowsCountessesAurelia,ConstanceandGabrielle,whoschemeupaplantostopbusinessmenfromdrillingforoilintheParisianneighborhoodofChaillot.Writtenasapithysocialcommentary,whilelivinginSwitzerlandduringWorldWarII,Giraudoux’s“badmen”arecorporatefascists,bentontheannihilationofothers.His

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heroine,CountessAurelia,whostandsfirmlyagainstgreedandcorruption,wouldfitrightintothepoliticalclimateoftoday.JerryHermanhadadeepconnectionwiththestory,fromayoungage,havingplayedtheroleofthemute,whilehewasastudentattheUniversityofMiami.Itwasduringthatproduction,Hermanexplains,“Iabsolutelyfellinlovewiththelanguage,thestoryline,withtheheartofthatmaterial.Witheveryaspectofit.”AlthoughHermanwishedtodepartfromhisearlierhits,HelloDolly!andMame,whilecreatingthisnewmusical,hismaincharacter,CountessAureliaisanamalgamofhistwoearlierheroines.Hisgreatgiftsofmatchinglyricstomelody,inthecontextofstory,areinfullforceinDearWorld.ThesuperbscoreofDearWorldincludessuchstandoutsongssuchas“AndIWasBeautiful,”“EachTomorrowMorning,”“INeverSaidILoveYou,”and“IDon’tWanttoKnow.”ItinhabitsthesoundsofaParisianstreetcornerandevokestheclassicFrenchmusicalinterpreters,JacquesBrelandEdithPiaf.AboutJerryHermanThereisneveraneveningwhen,somewhereintheworld,themusicandlyricsofJerryHermanarenotbeingsungbyaladyinaredheaddress,oraladywithabugle,oramiddle-agedmaninawigandaboa.Hello,Dolly!,Mame,andLaCageAuxFollesarehometosomeofthemostpopular,most-oftenperformedandmostsuccessfulmusicalhero(in)esofalltime,andhavegivenJerrythedistinctionofbeingtheonlycomposer-lyricistinhistorytohavehadthreemusicalsthatranmorethan1,500consecutiveperformancesonBroadway.HisfirstBroadwayshowwasMilkandHoney(1961),followedbyHello,Dolly!(1964),Mame(1966),DearWorld(1969),Mack&Mabel(1974),TheGrandTour(1979),LaCageAuxFolles(1983),Jerry’sGirls(1985)andMrs.SantaClaus(1996),aCBSTVspecialstarringAngelaLansbury.HisotherworkincludesShowtune,arevueofJerry'slife’swork,whichperformsinregionaltheatresaroundthecountry;twoofHerman’sclassicsongsaretheemotionalhighlightsofthehitDisney-PixarfilmWALL-E.JerryHerman'sstringofawardsandhonorsincludesmultipleTonys,GrammysandDramaDeskAwardsaswellastheKennedyCenterAward,theJohnnyMercerAward,theRichardRodgersAward,theOscarHammersteinAward,theFrederickLoweAward,andinductionsintotheSongwritersHallofFame,andtheTheatreHallofFame.CalendarListingforDearWorld:Venue: ValleyPerformingArtsCenter 18111NordhoffStreet Northridge,CA91330 Date: Friday,September30at8:00pmTickets: Price:$38-$73 InPerson:VPACTicketOffice,locatedintheVPACCourtyard

ByPhone:(818)677-3000 Online:ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.orgPressContacts:TimChoy,NikiBlumberg,Davidson&ChoyPublicity

323-954-7510|t.choy@dcpublicity.com;n.blumberg@dcpublicity.comGaryW.Murphy,PublicRelationsConsultant310-914-0178|gmurphypr@gmail.com

Photos:Clickhereforphotosfromthe2016-17Season:http://www.valleyperformingartscenter.org/press/press-photos/