The Last Smoker in America
Encyclopedia
The Last Smoker in America is a four-character, one-act musical comedy
featuring book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Peter Melnick
. The musical had its world premiere at Contemporary American Theatre Company
in Columbus, Ohio
in the fall of 2010 in anticipation of an Off-Broadway
opening.
) and Melnick, directed by Sheryl Kaller. Following the inital workshops at The Rubicon, two additional readings, produced by Andy Sandberg
were presented in New York in the fall of 2006 at the York Theatre
and the spring of 2008 at New World Stages
.
Following additional readings, The Last Smoker in America received a workshop production as a part of The New York Musical Theatre Festival
(NYMF) in October 2009. The NYMF production sold out and received an extension of one month prior to its first performance.
The Last Smoker in America scheduled its pre-New York
engagement at Contemporary American Theatre Company
(CATCO) in Columbus, Ohio
for the fall of 2010. This production was co-produced by CATCO and Sandberg. In anticipation of the Ohio run, an industry reading was held in May 2010. Following the reading, it was announced that producer Andy Sandberg, who had co-directed the reading, would assume sole directorial duties of the production as well.
The Last Smoker in America began preview performances on September 29, 2010 at the Vern Riffe
Center in Columbus, Ohio. The official opening was on October 6, 2010. Due to strong sales and positive reviews, the show added additional performances to its run. The final performance of the CATCO run was held on October 24, 2010. No official dates have been announced for the New York production.
Katy Blake................................................PAM
John Bolton
.............................................ERNIE
Natalie Venetia Belcon
..........................PHYLLIS
Teddy Toye............................................JIMMY
Felicia Finley............................................PAM
Marcus Neville.......................................ERNIE
Natalie Venetia Belcon
........................PHYLLIS
Alex Wyse.............................................JIMMY
and
Alice Ripley.........................Voice of ASPHYXIA
2010 Industry Reading Adinah Alexander (Pam), John Bolton
(Ernie), Natalie Venetia Belcon
(Phyllis), Paul Iacono
(Jimmy), Christina Bianco (Voice of ASPHYXIA)
2008 Reading Rachel de Benedet
(Pam), Malcolm Gets
(Ernie), Natalie Venetia Belcon
(Phyllis), Paul Iacono
(Jimmy)
2006 Reading - York Theatre Company Rachel de Benedet
(Joyce), David McDonald (Ernie), Natalie Venetia Belcon
(Phyllis), Paul Iacono
(Jimmy)
2005 Reading - Rubicon Theatre Company Alice Ripley, David McDonald, Julie Dixon Jackson and Nick Cearley.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
featuring book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Peter Melnick
Peter Rodgers Melnick
Peter Rodgers Melnick is a composer for film, television and musical theatre.-Biography:Melnick is the son of Daniel Melnick and Linda Rodgers, and grandson of Richard Rodgers.Melnick grew up in New York City...
. The musical had its world premiere at Contemporary American Theatre Company
Contemporary American Theatre Company
CATCO is a regional professional theatre company in Columbus, Ohio. Operating under an Actors' Equity SPT 6+ contract, it produces a five- to six-show season that commonly runs from October through June and consists of contemporary, classic, and new works.In January 1985, founding artistic...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
in the fall of 2010 in anticipation of an Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
opening.
Synopsis
A dysfunctional family struggles to survive in a world in which smoking has recently been outlawed, and the anti-smoking laws have grown increasingly more Draconian. Pam, an English professor at a small college, is having an impossible time quitting smoking. Her husband Ernie, recently fired from his job as an elementary school music teacher, dreams of being a rock star and constantly practices his guitar in the basement. Their teenage son Jimmy listens to so much rap music he's convinced he's black. Meanwhile, their nosy, anti-smoking zealot neighbor Phyllis lurks around every corner hoping to catch transgressors mid-puff.Development
The show began its development at the Rubicon Theatre Company in entura, California in December 2005. The Last Smoker in America was part of an evening of readings of three one-act musicals by Russell (who had written Side ShowSide Show
Side Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. The show was written by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger . The show starred Alice Ripley as Violet and Emily Skinner as Daisy...
) and Melnick, directed by Sheryl Kaller. Following the inital workshops at The Rubicon, two additional readings, produced by Andy Sandberg
Andy Sandberg
Andy Sandberg is an American producer, director and actor. A 2006 graduate of Yale College, he is best known as a producer of the Broadway and West End revivals of the musical Hair.-Early years:...
were presented in New York in the fall of 2006 at the York Theatre
York Theatre
The York Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre at 619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of 54th Street in the East Midtown section of Manhattan, New York City. It is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each season consists of three or...
and the spring of 2008 at New World Stages
New World Stages
New World Stages, originally Dodger Stages, is an Off-Broadway venue. The architects were Beyer, Blinder, and Belle. The theatre designers were Sachs Morgan, and the interior designer was Klara Zieglerova.It is currently home to 6 shows:* Rent...
.
Following additional readings, The Last Smoker in America received a workshop production as a part of The New York Musical Theatre Festival
New York Musical Theatre Festival
The New York Musical Theatre Festival is an annual three-week fall Festival which presents more than thirty new musicals at venues in New York City's midtown theater district...
(NYMF) in October 2009. The NYMF production sold out and received an extension of one month prior to its first performance.
The Last Smoker in America scheduled its pre-New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
engagement at Contemporary American Theatre Company
Contemporary American Theatre Company
CATCO is a regional professional theatre company in Columbus, Ohio. Operating under an Actors' Equity SPT 6+ contract, it produces a five- to six-show season that commonly runs from October through June and consists of contemporary, classic, and new works.In January 1985, founding artistic...
(CATCO) in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
for the fall of 2010. This production was co-produced by CATCO and Sandberg. In anticipation of the Ohio run, an industry reading was held in May 2010. Following the reading, it was announced that producer Andy Sandberg, who had co-directed the reading, would assume sole directorial duties of the production as well.
The Last Smoker in America began preview performances on September 29, 2010 at the Vern Riffe
Vern Riffe
Vernal G. Riffe Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic party. Riffe served for many years in the Ohio House of Representatives and was the longest serving speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives in the history of that institution, holding that office for 20 years.-Life and political...
Center in Columbus, Ohio. The official opening was on October 6, 2010. Due to strong sales and positive reviews, the show added additional performances to its run. The final performance of the CATCO run was held on October 24, 2010. No official dates have been announced for the New York production.
CATCO (World Premiere Cast)
Katy Blake................................................PAM
John Bolton
John Bolton (actor)
John Bolton is an American actor. He was born in Rochester, New York.-Career:Bolton has performed on Broadway, television shows, and TV commercials. He played the recurring character D.A. John Summerhill on the soap opera All My Children in 2006. He appeared in "Vacancy", a 2006 episode of Law &...
.............................................ERNIE
Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon is a Trinidad-born American actress and singer. She is best known for originating the role of former child television star Gary Coleman in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q...
..........................PHYLLIS
Teddy Toye............................................JIMMY
NYMF (Workshop Cast)
Felicia Finley............................................PAM
Marcus Neville.......................................ERNIE
Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon is a Trinidad-born American actress and singer. She is best known for originating the role of former child television star Gary Coleman in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q...
........................PHYLLIS
Alex Wyse.............................................JIMMY
and
Alice Ripley.........................Voice of ASPHYXIA
Reading Casts
2010 Industry Reading Adinah Alexander (Pam), John Bolton
John Bolton (actor)
John Bolton is an American actor. He was born in Rochester, New York.-Career:Bolton has performed on Broadway, television shows, and TV commercials. He played the recurring character D.A. John Summerhill on the soap opera All My Children in 2006. He appeared in "Vacancy", a 2006 episode of Law &...
(Ernie), Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon is a Trinidad-born American actress and singer. She is best known for originating the role of former child television star Gary Coleman in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q...
(Phyllis), Paul Iacono
Paul Iacono
Paul Stanley Iacono is an American actor. He appeared in the 2009 remake of Fame and was also the star of the show The Hard Times of RJ Berger on MTV.-Early life:...
(Jimmy), Christina Bianco (Voice of ASPHYXIA)
2008 Reading Rachel de Benedet
Rachel deBenedet
Rachel Helene Kasper deBenedet is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre. As of 2011, she stars in the musical Catch Me If You Can on Broadway.- Biography :...
(Pam), Malcolm Gets
Malcolm Gets
Hugh Malcolm Gerard Gets is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Richard in the American television sitcom Caroline in the City. Gets is also a dancer, singer, composer, classically trained pianist, vocal director, and choreographer. He has a small part in the film adaptation of...
(Ernie), Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon is a Trinidad-born American actress and singer. She is best known for originating the role of former child television star Gary Coleman in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q...
(Phyllis), Paul Iacono
Paul Iacono
Paul Stanley Iacono is an American actor. He appeared in the 2009 remake of Fame and was also the star of the show The Hard Times of RJ Berger on MTV.-Early life:...
(Jimmy)
2006 Reading - York Theatre Company Rachel de Benedet
Rachel deBenedet
Rachel Helene Kasper deBenedet is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre. As of 2011, she stars in the musical Catch Me If You Can on Broadway.- Biography :...
(Joyce), David McDonald (Ernie), Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon
Natalie Venetia Belcon is a Trinidad-born American actress and singer. She is best known for originating the role of former child television star Gary Coleman in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q...
(Phyllis), Paul Iacono
Paul Iacono
Paul Stanley Iacono is an American actor. He appeared in the 2009 remake of Fame and was also the star of the show The Hard Times of RJ Berger on MTV.-Early life:...
(Jimmy)
2005 Reading - Rubicon Theatre Company Alice Ripley, David McDonald, Julie Dixon Jackson and Nick Cearley.