Sondheim's PASSION Gets A Stripped-Down Production At Boston Court Pasadena

Boston Court Artistic Director Emeritus Michael Michetti will direct a rare Los Angeles production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-Winning Best Musical. This production will feature brand new orchestrations created for an intimate chamber orchestra featuring five musicians.

Michetti says, "Passion is a show that I've always found seductive, deeply moving and utterly compelling, and I am so excited to be directing it at my theatrical home, Boston Court Pasadena. Because of the intimacy of our theatre we'll be approaching the show as a chamber piece, allowing us to explore the nuanced emotions and psychological complexities of this sumptuous musical. And to hear that exquisite score in such close proximity will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Passion, first produced in 1994, is based on Ettore Scola's brooding neo-romantic movie Passione d'Amore (1981), which in turn was based on Fosca, an 1869 Italian novel by Iginio Tarchetti. Passion tells the story of Giorgio, a handsome young army captain in 1860s Italy, who finds himself torn between Clara, his beautiful young lover, and Fosca, the unattractive, sickly woman who challenges his notion of what love is. With an achingly beautiful score, Passion delves into the mystifying tangle of desire, obsession, lust and madness that comprise love.

Artistic Director Jessica Kubzansky adds, "We're so thrilled to be able to share this seldom produced Sondheim gem with the greater Los Angeles community, especially with the stripped-down, intimate, chamber aesthetic that Michael intends. The complexities of the human heart are so rich in this gorgeous musical, and the team assembled to make the work is so exciting that even those who have seen Passion before will come away feeling they've experienced it for the first time."

The cast features Richard Bermudez as Giorgio (Che in Evita; Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman), Meghan Andrews as Fosca (recently seen in Boston Court's Ladies), and Bryce Charles as Clara (Sarah in the Ovation Award-winning Ragtime at The Pasadena Playhouse). Julia Aks, Ted Barton, Mark Doerr, Tyler Joseph Ellis, Andrew Rudy Galindo, Nicholas Hormann, Alexandra Melrose, René Ruiz, and Jacob Sidney complete the cast.

The creative team features musical director and orchestrater Darryl Archibald; scenic designer Tesshi Nakagawa; lighting designer Jared Sayeg; costume designer David Kay Mickelsen; sound designer Martin Carrillo; choreographer Rhonda Kohl; conductor Ron Colvard; and stage manager Trixie Hong.

Press openings will be held on Saturday, March 14 at 8PM and Sunday, March 15 at 5PM.

Tickets for Passion range from $25-$55 and are available at bostoncourtpasadena.org or by calling the box office at 626-683-6801.