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Happy Days: A New Musical Celebrating Poodle Skirts & Sock-Hops Spins onto the Goodspeed Opera House Stage

EAST HADDAM, CT: Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, has announced the cast of Happy Days: A New Musical. This tuneful smash hit comedy will delight Goodspeed audiences when the full scale musical celebration of 50’s nostalgia begins April 11 - June 29, 2008. Happy Days is based on the hit Paramount Pictures television series created by Garry Marshall who also wrote the book, with music and lyrics by Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning Hall of Fame songwriter Paul Williams. This musical comedy promises to be a treat for young and old alike. Happy Days is sponsored by Robinson & Cole L.L.C. and Webster Bank.

Sunday, Monday Happy Days…..Tuesday, Wednesday Happy Days…..the whole gang is back! Richie, Fonzie, Ralph, Potsie, and all your favorites from the smash-hit TV series are rockin’ and rollin’ all week long. The laughs never end in a celebration of poodle skirts, jukeboxes, motorcycles and malt shops. 1959 is cool again as the gang tries to save Arnold’s in a sock hoppin’, engines revvin’ new musical for the entire family. These days are yours and mine…

Joey Sorge, who has performed in numerous Broadway productions including The Drowsy Chaperone, Thoroughly Modern Millie and as Young Buddy in Follies, returns to reprise his role as Fonzie. Richie Cunningham will be portrayed by Rory O’Malley who recently made his Broadway debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. O’Malley returns to Goodspeed Musicals where he played Richie in last season’s developmental production of Happy Days at the Norma Terris Theatre . Sandra DeNise who performed in the National Tours of Jersey Boys (Lorraine), Parade (director Hal Prince), Hairspray, and Rent, will play the role of the spirited Pinky Tuscadero. Returning to play the role of Marion is Cynthia Ferrer who originated the role of Kathy Selden in the First National Tour of Singin’ in the Rain. Kevin Carolan, playing Howard Cunningham, makes his long awaited return to Goodspeed Musicals where he last performed in Kudzu at the Norma Terris Theatre in 1997. Carolan has performed on Broadway and off-Broadway in musicals such as Big River and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Ralph Malph will be played by Stanley Bahorek who recently made his Broadway debut as Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Billy Tighe, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and recent featured soloist with the Cincinnati Pops, will be playing best-buddy Potsie. Savannah Wise makes her Goodspeed debut in the role of Joanie. Lannon Killea will be playing Chachi. Bob Amaral will play Arnold. Amaral has performed on Broadway in the revivals of Guys and Dolls and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Hanna-Liina Vosa will make her Goodspeed debut as Lori Beth and Matt Merchant will play Count Malachi. The members of the ensemble are Mia Price (Pinkette), Leah Sprecher (Pinkette) who previously performed in Goodspeed Musicals Pirates of Penzance, Matt Walker (Jumpy Malachi), Zach Frank, Rachel Frankenthal and swings Michael Bauer and Elise Kinnon.

Happy Days will be directed by Gordon Greenberg, who directed Pirates of Penzance for Goodspeed Musicals in 2006 and the Norma Terris Theatre’s developmental production of Happy Days in 2007. Greenberg’s other Goodspeed credits include The Baker’s Wife and O. Henry’s Lovers. Greenberg directed the current off-Broadway revival of Jacques Brel... (Zipper Theatre), Theory of Three (NY Stage and Film), Immaculate Misconception (Hampstead New End Theatre, London) and the National Tour of Peter Pan. Choreographer Michele Lynch who most recently created the waltzes for the Tony Award-winning play The Coast of Utopia (Lincoln Center), and choreographed Jason Robert Brown’s 13 (Mark Taper Forum) returns to Goodspeed Musicals where she choreographed last year’s production of Happy Days at the Norma Terris Theatre. Lynch is the Associate Choreographer for Hairspray (Broadway, National Tour, Toronto and Las Vegas), and The Full Monty on Broadway. Scenic design will be by Walt Spangler, whose recent projects include Carol Burnett's Hollywood Arms, directed by Hal Prince; the acclaimed revival of Mame, starring Christine Baranski for the Kennedy Center; and Twelfth Night in Central Park for NYSF. Some of his previous set designs for Goodspeed include Happy Days, Flight of the Lawnchair Man and Camille Claudel at The Norma Terris Theatre. Costumes will be designed by David C. Woolard. His work includes the costume designs for Goodspeed Musicals’ Happy Days, Pirates of Penzance, The 60’s Project, Redhead, and All Shook Up (Goodspeed Musicals and Broadway). Woolard’s designs for Broadway include The Who’s Tommy, revivals of Damn Yankees and Bells Are Ringing and the recent The Farnsworth Invention. Lighting Design will be by Jeff Croiter whose previous designs for Goodspeed include Happy Days, Pirates of Penzance, and The Baker’s Wife.

Emmy and Grammy award-winner John McDaniel returns as Music Supervisor. McDaniel returns to Goodspeed where he was Music Supervisor for the 2006 hit Pirates of Penzance. In addition to his work as Music Producer of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show”, McDaniel has worked extensively both on Broadway and regionally. The Music Director for Happy Days is Michael O’Flaherty. Music and Lyrics are by Paul Williams. “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and “An Old Fashioned Love Song” are among Williams’s timeless standards. His songs have been recorded by such diverse musical icons as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and Tony Bennett. “The Rainbow Connection” from the classic film “The Muppet Movie” and “Evergreen” from “A Star is Born” are two of his songs that grace the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie songs of all time. The book for Happy Days is by Garry Marshall, who is a veteran producer, director and writer of film, television and theatre. Mr. Marshall has created, written and produced some of television’s most beloved situation comedies, including “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Mork & Mindy,” and “The Odd Couple.” His plays include Shelves and The Roast, which he co-wrote with Jerry Belson (Winter Garden Theater). In addition, he co-wrote Wrong Turn at Lungfish with Lowell Ganz, which he then went on to direct in Los Angeles, Chicago, off-Broadway with George C. Scott, as well as at the Falcon Theatre starring Hector Elizondo. He has directed 15 movies. Among them are “Pretty Woman,” “Beaches,” and “Overboard.” Mr. Marshall built the Falcon Theatre, located in Burbank, California, with his daughter, Kathleen, in 1997. Happy Days is produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price.

Happy Days will run April 11 through June 29. Tickets are $26.00-$54.00 through the Goodspeed Box Office (860.873.8668) or online at www.goodspeed.org.