Brand New National Tour of Evita coming to Orpheum Theatre January 28-February 2

MINNEAPOLIS - Minneapolis Musical Theatres (MMT) madcap and lighthearted look at love, Five Course Love, makes its Twin Cities debut January 24-February 16, 2014 at Hennepin Theatre Trusts New Century Theatre (street level of City Center in downtown Minneapolis). MMTs artistic director Steven Meerdink, directs Five Course Love starring just three actors playing 15 different roles who are on the hunt for one true love. Tickets are on sale now. To purchase and for more information, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org, call 612.455.9501 or buy in person (no service fees) at the New Century Theatre (615 Hennepin Ave.).

With book, music and lyrics by Gregg Coffin, Five Course Love is inspired by classic sketch comedy television like The Carol Burnett Show in a lively and musical combination of romance, conflict and a whole lot of fun. Each course is set in a different restaurant presenting the audience five musical services of laughter and song.

Five Course Love tells the story of five entangled encounters with love in five different restaurants. The evening begins at Deans Old-Fashioned All-American Down-Home Bar-B-Que Texas Eats, where a blind date goes charbroiled wrong. Next, at the Trattoria Pericolo, a mob wife has a secret rendezvous behind her husbands back. At Der Schlupfwinkel Speiseplatz, a waiter, a dominatrix and her kept man discover at the same hilarious moment that they are all dating each other.

In Ernestos Cantina, a hill bandit and his rival battle for the hand of the beautiful Rosalinda. And at the Star-Lite Diner, a waitress pines for her true love and gets a little help from Cupid in making her dreams come true. Five Course Love is artfully silly and genuinely funnyhilarious and imaginative, said The Associated Press when it ran off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre.

Playing the smorgasbord of characters are local actors Ryan McGuire Grimes as Matt, Gino, Klaus, Guillermo and Clutch, Joseph Pyfferoen as Dean, Carlo, Heimlich, Ernesto and Pops, and Amanda Weis as Barbie, Sofia, Gretchen, Rosalinda and Kitty. Grimes has brought many characters to life at the Fringe Festival and Theatre in the Round and directed the Twin Cities premiere of Urban Samurai Productions [title of show]. Pyfferoen makes his MMT debut in Five Course Love and has previously appeared in The Vampire! and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Weis is returning to the MMT stage after most recently appearing as Miss Gardener in MMTs Carrie the Musical. She also performed in last seasons Reefer Madness and Sunset Boulevard.

Directed by Steven Meerdink, Five Course Love features musical direction by Suzanne Reyburn, scenic design by Darren T. Hensel, lighting design by Grant E. Merges, sound design by Peter Morrow, costume design by Joshua Stevens and prop design by Valerie Larche. Benjamin Tucker Thompson is the assistant director and Matthew Bear is the assistant music director.

MMT and the Hennepin Theatre Trust continue their second season of a unique partnership where both organizations combine resources in artistic exploration and audience development to present new, or rarely-seen, musical works. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson completes the season in June.

BIOS

Ryan McGuire Grimes (Matt/Gino/Klaus/Guillermo/Clutch) returns to Minneapolis Musical Theatre for his seventh production with the area premiere of Five Course Love. A theatre arts graduate of the University of Minnesota, Ryan has brought many characters to life for the Fringe Festival, Theatre in the Round, 20%, Starting Gate, Pigs Eye, nimbus, Chameleon, Bloomington Civic, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, and Urban Samurai Productions, for whom Ryan directed the Twin Cities premiere of [title of show]. Ryan can be found online as part of the web series Theater People (theaterpeoplewebseries.com) and is looking forward to joining MMT once again later in the season for the area premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

Joseph Pyfferoen (Dean/Carlo/Heimlich/Ernesto/Pops) is thrilled to be making his MMT debut with Five Course Love. Having recently graduated from the U of M with a BA in Theatre (May '13) he is ready to make his mark in the "real world"...whatever that is. Favorite credits include John Livingstone in Sweet Revenge, Lord Ronald in The Vampire!, and Will Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. For more, visit www.josephpyfferoen.com

Amanda Weis (Barbie/Sofia/Gretchen/Rosalinda/Kitty) is returning to the MMT stage after most recently appearing as Miss Gardener in Carrie the Musical this past October. Weis performed Mary Lane in Reefer Madness and appeared in the ensemble of Sunset Boulevard in MMT's previous season. She obtained her BA in Vocal Performance from the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University where she performed such operetta roles as Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone, and the Counsel for the Plaintiff in Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury. Weis received her Masters in Music from the University of MN, Duluth. Favorite operatic roles at UMD include Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, First Tourierre in Suor Angelica, and Soprano II in the regional premiere of Review. Amanda has had the privilege of performing with such musical theater companies as the Duluth Playhouse, the Seasons Players, Cerulean River Productions, the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, and the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. Miss Weis will be returning to the MMT stage this spring performing the Storyteller in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Five Course Love are on sale now and range from $24 to 29 depending on performance dates. Tickets may be purchased in person (no service fees) at the New Century Theatre, online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org or by calling the New Century Theatre Box Office at 612.455.9501. Prices include applicable facility fees. Additional charges may apply. Groups of 10 or more should call 612.455.9525 for information and reservations.

Performance dates are Friday, Jan. 24 to Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014 at Hennepin Theatre Trusts New Century Theatre.

Performance times are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.

There is an additional performance Monday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday, Feb. 16 performance is at 2:30 p.m.

2013-2014 MINNEAPOLIS MUSICAL THEATRE SEASON
Two-show subscription packages for the remaining productions in the 2013-2014 season are on sale now for $44 by calling 612.455.9501, online through HennepinTheatreTrust.org or in person at the New Century Theatre. Additional service charges may apply. Groups of 10 or more should call 612.455.9525. Please note: Tickets are not being sold at the State Theatre Box Office.

In addition to Five Course Love, the two-show package includes:

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson June 6-29, 2014
The coveted Twin Cities debut of this comedic rock musical re-invents the life of Andrew Jackson, our nations seventh president. Nominated for two Tony Awards, The New York Times called it the most entertaining and most perceptive political theatre of the season.

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Dale B. Stark | Communications Manager
612.455.9537 | 612.562-5200 cell
Dale.Stark@HennepinTheatreTrust.org
615 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 140 | Minneapolis, MN | 55403
HennepinTheatreTrust.org