Pants: The Musical

June 23 & 24
Pants, The Musical
A Graceland Girls Project
Book, Lyrics, Music by J. Althea
African American Art and Culture Complex
762 Fulton Street, San Francisco
7:30 pm
$15-$20
Theatre, Music

“Pants, The Musical” romps through a lesbian life from age 3 to 83. She marches with great bravado and spirit, believing herself to be limitless. We’re with her during her loves and losses in this crazy life. Ellie, our protagonist, is played by 7 different actors as she goes through puberty and matures into her senior years. A One-Act Musical Theatre production featuring Karen Ripley, Amy Meyers, J. Althea, and 13 other actors/singers/musicians. Book, Lyrics, and Music by J. Althea, who also directs the show. Quote from the Playwright:   “I think of this as a cartoon, but I can’t draw! So I need humans.” Hilarious songs in a myriad of styles, including rock, swing, classical, folk, ballads. Live band onstage. All ages. Bring your dancing shoes–a dance set by The Graceland Girls follows the show!

INFO: [email protected]

BIOGRAPHIES

	Althea began her professional piano career at age 16. Since then she has also worked as a theatre director, music director, and piano teacher. She played ragtime and early jazz (1920’s), boogie-woogie, and jazz standards in the Alaska tourist industry for 17 years.Althea put in 16 years as Founder & Artistic Director of Northern Lights Junior Theatre in Juneau, Alaska, serving over 500 kids during her 16 year tenure. She is also proficient at classic Broadway, gospel, classic country, 1950’s rock, and satirical tunes in any style.
Karen Ripley came onto the San Francisco gay comedy scene in 1977. From the cover of the East Bay Express with Whoopi Goldberg, to Ms. Magazine’s Top 100 Lesbian Comics 2009. In 2005 Ripley and Annie Larson won Best Musical Comedy at the SF Fringe Festival with “Show Me Where It Hurts.” Ripley was featured on Logo’s Wisecracks Episode 2. Ripley will be performing a 5 week run at the Marsh in Berkeley starting in May 2015 with her show “Oh No, There’s Men On The Land”.
	Amy Meyers. Amy is a native Texan who trained in musical theatre and was a theatre major at Northwestern University. She’s played many roles, including Lee in the Off-Broadway hit, “Cowgirls” singing, acting, and playing cello and guitar. In addition to her theatrical career, she is an accomplished singer songwriter and piano player, having released 8 Solo CD’s and 5 Collaborative CD’s. She currently performs with her band at local venues. Learn more about Amy at www.amymeyersmusic.com
Larisa Migachyov. Larisa was born in Russia and started her piano training at the age of 5. She has been playing and composing ragtime since 2006, and has performed at the Scott Joplin Festival, the West Coast Ragtime Festival, the Buenos Aires Ragtime Festival, and many others. Her latest CD is called “A Dream Come True” and features 11 of her ragtime compositions.
	Danielle Hupp. Danielle began singing in church as a kid. But she really fell in love with music watching The Sound of Music and West Side Story. She was accepted into the school glee club. Danielle sang backup on Woody Simmons’ album “Oregon Mountains”, and also did cover art work. She graduated from CCAC with a BA in Design, and a Teaching Credential. The last few years Danielle has been having fun as an improv satirist and back up singer for The Graceland Girls. In her spare time, she has successfully ran my her contracting business for 30 years.
Ana Maria Escobar. Ana is excited to be a part of this unique production! Musical Theatre has been a huge part of her life. Some past productions include Jesus Christ Superstar (ACLO), Evita (Woodminster) and Hair (Stagelight Productions) where she played her dream role of Sheila Franklin. Ana thanks Althea for this opportunity, and thanks to her dear friend and cast-mate Amy Meyers for being her fellow theatre “chica”! Happy Pride everyone!
	Ashira Macy. Ashira is excited to be making her first professional stage debut in six years, having taken a hiatus from the world of musical theatre. She has been acting and singing since she learned how to speak, and her life would not be complete without theatre. She feels very lucky to be working with so many talented ladies. A special thanks to her mother, father, brother, stepmother, and friend Kristin whose encouragement knows no bounds.
Barbara Cray. Ms. Cray is a Bay Area attorney practicing in the fields of commercial litigation and creative artist law. She has also produced and directed nationally broadcast shows for public television, and is currently producing and directing a documentary about an autistic child and a service dog. She is an amateur singer and guitar player, and has not appeared in a musical since 11th grade in high school.
	Charlotte Redor. Charlotte is a vocalist and chromatic harmonica player. She has sung at lots of open mikes and has taken singing and harmonica lessons. She is currently performing at Cafe Flore at Market and Noe Streets in San Francisco on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays from 6 to 8. She sings tunes from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, with an occasional dips into the 20’s and 60’s.’
Cynthia Webster. Cynthia is a soprano, who received her Music Therapy degree from The University of Pacific. Her favorite comprimario roles include Frasquita in “Carmen”, Ida in ” Die Fledermaus”, and Giovanna in “Rigoletto”. She has performed with SF Lyric Opera, Goat Hall Productions, Golden West Opera, San Francisco and Dublin Fringe festivals. She is first place champion of the 2013 International Musical Saw-Off competition. Recent performances include The Musician in Berkeley playwright George Crowe’s, “Shakespeare Night at the Blackfriars”, and Nona in “Post Pardon-The Opera”, by Jessica Jones and Arisa White.
	Dana Vinicoff. Dana played the chief elf in The Elves and the Shoemaker at age 8. In her early teens, she played Ulga in Dinny and the Witches and the Jester in Twelfth Night. She wrote and performed with Mothertongue Readers’ Theater in the ’80s and ’90s. More recently, she played Harvey in the musical comedy Dykes on Broadway, and a Latina with mental health issues in Roke Noir’s production, Mad Love.
Jasmine Robinson. Jasmine was raised in Redwood City and she had many hardships growing up, but she used that as an excuse to use her imagination. She was constantly interested in entertaining people because she had so much energy. Her grandmother always told her to keep an open mind. That has helped her achieve many of her goals. At College of San Mateo, Jasmine studied early childhood education, dance, and theatre arts. She is currently a psychology major at Notre Dame de Namur. She loves theatre and working with children.
	Jesse Waters. Jesse is an actor, singer, and songwriter. The past few years she has been doing commercials and obscure films. But she loves nothing better than the live stage. She performed with J. Althea and the Graceland Girls in the 2009 satire “Rockin’ the Gay Fifties” and is known to share her original country tunes from time to time such as “Overweight and Overtired But I Still Ain’t Over You” and “Low Rates and Kitchenettes.”
Joyce Taylor. Joyce was born and raised in Oakland. She has sung with Walter Hawkins & The Love Center Choir. She had always sung in church, and is currently singing at Elmhurst Methodist Church as a gospel soloist. Joyce also has occasional café and other venue gigs. She is a proud grandmother, an avid reader, and a movie buff. Joyce is also an inactive old Black Panther. She enjoys meeting all types of people. Her astrological sign is Cancer.
	Zofia Rose. This is Zofia Rose’ first part in a community theatre production . She is a 9-year-old who loves dancing, acting, tumbling, and playing the piano. She was a bunny in YPT’s Fantastic Mr Fox, and writes and acts in plays in school. She participates in classes for dance and theatre. Zofia aspires to a career in theatre or film acting.
Yvette Pannell.  Yvette began acting, singing, dancing, and writing in elementary school.  Her career in the tech industry kept her busy and away from her artistic endeavors, but it did include lots of public speaking, so she was still in front of audiences.  She’s a mom and a grandma, and loves to travel. Yvette is pleased to get back into acting again!