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Subject: “American Idol” Finalist Katharine McPhee Co-Producing Fringe Play

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Username: moposh
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07/21/2006 9:44 AM

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“American Idol” Finalist Katharine McPhee Co-Producing Fringe Play

By Andrew Gans
21 Jul 2006

Katherine McPhee

photo by McPhee.org

Katharine McPhee, who was the runner-up in the recent season of FOX-TV’s “American Idol,” will co-produce a play that will be seen during the 10th annual New York International Fringe Festival.

McPhee, Nicholas Cokas, Robert Hawk, Angelina Bruno and Jeff Kasal are presenting Red Herring, a new play by Michael Albanese. Jonathan Silverstein will direct the production, which will run at the Connelly Theatre Aug. 12-26.

About her decision to co-produce Red Herring, Katharine McPhee said in a statement, "As soon as I read this play, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of. Audiences know me best from 'American Idol,' but my passion has always been theatre. So much quality work comes out of the Fringe Festival. Artists can take real risks and challenge convention. Michael has written a beautiful play that is thought provoking, entertaining and fresh. I am thrilled to bring this incredible play to this year’s Fringe Festival."

Thomas Jefferson Byrd, a Tony nominee for the 2003 production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom will be featured in a cast that also includes Take Me Out’s Shane McRae. The creative team comprises Matt Hodges (scenic design), Tara Hawks (costume design), Lucrecia Briceno (lighting design) and Emily Wright (sound design).

Red Herring, according to press notes, is set in Death Row where two men are separated by a wall. The play seeks to answer the question "Can an unlikely friendship defy limitations while also exploring levels of forgiveness, fear and compassion?"

Performance dates are Aug. 12 at 9:30 PM, Aug. 18 at 3 PM, Aug. 19 at 12 PM, Aug. 23 at 7:45 PM and Aug. 26 at 2:45 PM.

The Connelly Theatre is located in Manhattan at 220 East 4th Street. Tickets, priced at $15, are available by calling (212) 279-4488 or by logging on to www.FringeNYC.org. Visit www.redherringplay.com for more information.

Username: Gregoriancant
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07/21/2006 10:44 AM	Alert
Posted By moposh on 07/21/2006 9:44 AM “American Idol” Finalist Katharine McPhee Co-Producing Fringe Play Red Herring, according to press notes, is set in Death Row where two men are separated by a wall. The play seeks to answer the question "Can an unlikely friendship defy limitations while also exploring levels of forgiveness, fear and compassion?" I love plays that bring out ideas you've never thought of before--so I wish I could see that in August. But I won't be able to travel to NYC then. Hopefully that'll get a wider audience and a touring run eventually. Thanks, Moposh, for the article. It's a bit unexpected hearing that Kat's getting into co-producing of theatre already (especially with her busy schedule)--but I have a feeling that Nick Cokas may be doing most of the producing work, because he has some experience with that. He's probably taught a bit of the ropes to Kat--and I agree from the other thread that attaching her name to it will help bring in more people. Though some of the other activities she's been doing in NYC may have been doing the co-producing work necessary for this play. I've heard the name Michael Albanese somewhere before, and he may have written other plays if he's not just a first-timer. Amazon may have some of his plays in print that I'll have to check out later. Having Katharine praise your play to the national media couldn't be any better for a playwright. And a lot of playwrights need to get on Cloud Nine nowadays --because getting them staged is getting tougher all the time...even for professionals. These festivals that allow new talent to shine are godsends for writers like that. But I wonder if they discovered the play through a contest or just randomly? I've considered getting into playwrighting--but it's a whole different thing to learn from non-fiction or fiction (novel) writing. Of course, there's software you can buy that automatically formats in play format, which helps a little. But you really need to learn the formatting on your own. Having Kat involved with straight plays is interesting, because I thought she was primarily rooted in musical theatre. So this really gives a strong indication that Kat's more interested in straight-ahead acting...whether it be in film or on the stage. And I'm glad she's into thoughtful plots that push the boundaries of creativity. Those are always the kind of things I champion or try to do myself.

Username: redddeb4kat
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07/21/2006 10:57 AM	Alert
So...how will she do that while touring? It's a bit confusing I think. Just asking if someone has more knowledge about these things than me. Thanks..

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