BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERS PRESENTS GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER - A COMEDY THRILLER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Matt Rofofsky, 201-787-6477
mattrofofsky@gmail.com

BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERS PRESENTS GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER - A COMEDY THRILLER

Oradell, NJ, October 9, 2015 - The Bergen County Players presents "Getting Away With Murder" - a comedy thriller written by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth. Under the direction of Ellyn Essig, "Getting Away With Murder" will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre, 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell from Saturday, October 24^th through Saturday, November 14th. The curtain for Friday and Saturday performances will rise at 8 pm with Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office during regular box office hours.

While certainly better known for their musicals "Company" and "Merrily We Roll Along", co-playwrights Stephen Sondheim and George Furth also scored a hit with this killer of a comedy thriller! When members of a group therapy circle arrive to find their therapist murdered and evidence that one of them did it, they must work through their neuroses and discover the killer before, one by one, they are bumped off. "This is the first time that Sondheim, the master craftsman of the musical theater, has attempted a straight play. The man who concocted barbershop murders in "Sweeney Todd", fractured fairy tales with "Into the Woods" and wrote anthems for presidential "Assassins" has always had a sense for the macabre. An avid game enthusiast as well, he gets the chance here to combine vocation and avocation." NY DAILY NEWS

A BCP Life Member, Essig's previous directing credits here and elsewhere include "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Catch Me If You Can" and "A Christmas Carol". She is the current BCP Decor Chair and has served as Set Decor designer for 23 BCP main stage productions, her efforts resulting in a Perry Award for "Table Manners" (2005) and Perry Nominations for "Angel Street" (2008) and "Ruthless!" (2014).

The talented cast of "Getting Away With Murder" includes James Lugo (Martn Chisholm) of Congers, NY, Mark Bogosian (Greg Reed) of Tenafly, Rachel Alt (Dossie Lustig) of Ridgefield, Earle Ziff (Vassili Laimorgos) of Englewood, Joanne Guarnaccia (Pamela Prideaux) of Englewood Cliffs, Arno Austin (Dan Gerard) of Bergenfield, Elaine D'Addezio (Nam Jun Vuong) of New Providence, Joseph Sanchez (Roberto) of Paterson, James Lesko (Dr. Berring) of Englewood, Pauline Quinones (Charmaine) of Elmsford, NY and Kenneth J. Rivera (J.R.) of Teaneck.

In addition to director Essig, the production team includes Rhea Smith (Producer, Costumes, Program Notes and Props), Michele Roth and Leslie C. Cohn (Stage Managers), Michael Smith (Set Design & Construction, Photography), Gerard Boucier (Lighting Design), Tim Larsen and Rick Essig (Sound Design), Kathleen Ruland (Assistant to the Director), Lynne Lupfer (Decor), Teri Noel (Lighting Operation), Matthew Blum (Sound Operation), Barbra Murtha (Props) Brandon Essig and David Arts (Fight Coordinators), David Luke (Crew) and Matt Rofofsky (Publicity).

TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION

•        All performances for "Getting Away With Murder" take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, home to the Bergen County Players since 1949. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm.

•        Tickets for “Getting Away With Murder” are $21 for all evening performances, $17 for matinees and can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours. Visa, Master Card, and American Express are accepted.

•        Those interested in Group Sales of 20 or more tickets can email groups@bcplayers.org or call the main number and press #6.

•        As it has for the past few seasons, BCP continues to offer a "Questions & Artists" (Q&A) discussion following select performances. "Getting Away With Murder" Q&A will take place immediately following the October 30, 2015 performance. Admission is included in the cost of the ticket.

•        Advance discount tickets for students age 25 and under with proper ID are available for $14 by phone or walk-up only, and student rush seats can be purchased for $5 (cash only) starting 30 minutes before the curtain at every performance, pending seat availability. There is a limit of one rush ticket per student.

•        Parking is free at the Park Avenue municipal lot, across the street, one-half block north of the theatre.

The Bergen County Players has grown tremendously from its roots as a small community theatre when it was founded in 1932; today, more than 300 volunteer members, working on and off stage, make possible the nine productions presented each season.

Further information, including additional photos, can be found at www.bcplayers.org.

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0226A (l-r) Kenneth J. Rivera, Earle Ziff, Rachel Alt, James Lesko, Mark Bogosian, Elaine D'Addezio, James Lugo, Arno Austin, Joseph Sanchez and Joanne Guarnaccia appear in Bergen County Players' production of "Getting Away With Murder", opening October 24th at the Little Firehouse Theatre, Oradell. Photo by Michael Smith