Colony Theatre presents JAY JOHNSON: THE TWO AND ONLY! 12/3-12/13

The Colony Theatre Company presents a very special limited engagement, the triumphant return of the 2007 Tony Award Winner for Special Theatrical Event, which was also one of the most popular shows in the Colony Theatre's history, Jay Johnson: THE TWO AND ONLY!, directed by Murphy Cross and Paul Kreppel. Jay Johnson: THE TWO AND ONLY! is scheduled for TEN PERFORMANCES ONLY, beginning Thursday, December 3 and running through Sunday, December 13 at the Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.

Best known for his role on TV's "Soap," Jay Johnson reveals the full scope of his talent in his acclaimed solo show, where he breathes life into every object he touches. Jay's personal journey intertwines the dark history of ventriloquism with the story of a shy boy in Texas who finds his passion -- and a series of classic routines that leave the audience howling with laughter. It's more than just a stand-up act -- it's an evening of heartwarming hilarity for the whole family. (Parental notice: A couple of puppets are given to slightly salty language.)

ABOUT THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Jay Johnson won the American Theatre Wing Tony Award for "Best Special Theatrical Event" for his one-man show, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!, which opened on Broadway in 2007 to rave reviews. The year prior, the show won the Los Angeles Ovation Award for "Best Solo Show."

Jay has starred in four television series, including "Soap," which was in production for 4 years and still runs in syndication all over the world. He has produced and performed in two network television specials, two HBO specials, and hundreds of guest appearances on variety shows. He has also hosted three comedy specials and appeared in over thirty national commercials. Over the years, Jay has shared the stage with a list of entertainers that reads like a who's who of entertainment in places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Tahoe, and in theater venues around the United States and other countries.

Jay started performing at 11 years old when he discovered his natural ability to make a cousin's doll come to life. In the world of his imagination, Jay's acute dyslexia did not stand in the way of the pursuit of his goals. In high school he produced and starred in his own local television show sponsored by a car dealership. This led to summers performing in theme park shows at Six Flags over Texas, Astroworld, and Six Flags over Georgia, where he logged 918 performances during the summer he graduated from high school. In the mid 70's, Jay moved to Los Angeles to pursue his ideas for television.

In addition to being a ventriloquist, Jay is also a writer, comic, cartoonist, poet, and puppeteer. For more information about the Broadway production of Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!, visit www.thetwoandonly.com.

Paul Kreppel (Director / Co-Conceiver) is a Tony Award-winning partner in WetRock Entertainment, Inc., for co-creating / directing / producing Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! on Broadway. The show also won Los Angeles' Ovation Award, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle nomination and the IRNE Award at Boston's A.R.T. The Two and Only! had previously received a Lucille Lortel nomination for its original off-Broadway run at the Atlantic Theater Company. WetRock also produced the Ovation Award-winning The Big Voice: God or Merman? Mr. Kreppel's theatre directing credits include Both Barrels: A Salvo of John Forster Songs in LA and at The Goodspeed Opera House which moved off-Broadway as A Good Swift Kick, the national tour of Godspell, the west coast premiere of Ashman and Menken's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, the world premieres of Zero Hour, Quirks, the west coast tour of Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! and the world premiere of Don't Hug Me - a Minnesota Love Story with Singin' and Stuff, for which he received the Best Director of a Musical Award from the VAlley Theatre League.

Paul's on and off-Broadway acting credits include Godspell, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! - The Allan Sherman Musical, My Mother's Italian..., The Proposition, and Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival Productions of The Comedy of Errors, Agamemnon, and Alice in Concert, as well as starring in the national tour of Jerome Robbins' Broadway. He has appeared at The Arena Stage, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, the Lennox Art Festival, and The Williamstown Theatre Festival. Los Angeles appearances include Reprises' Promises, Promises, the Taper's Cabaret Verboten, The Big Bang, and Both Barrels. Of his hundreds of television appearances, he is best remembered as Sonny Mann, the obnoxious but lovable piano player on the 80's comedy It's A Living. Other appearances include ER and as Jackie's Dad on That 70's Show. TV directing credits include Dave's World, Brotherly Love, Simon, and It's A Living.

Murphy Cross (Director / Co-Conceiver) is a Tony Award and Ovation Award-winning partner in WetRock Entertainment, Inc., for co-creating / directing / producing Broadway's Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! She is a Broadway acting / singing / dancing alumna of A Chorus Line, Pal Joey, Bubbling Brown Sugar, and Division Street. She has directed Sunday's Children All Fall Down, Blinders, The Magic Feather, Lysistrata, Spirit Awakening, Rosie The Riveter, Hollywood Canteen Christmas Spectacular (Best Director nominee, VAlley Theatre League), Sacrifice, Big Tush, Little Tush, Pinocchio, Now And Then, Is This America, Or What?! Choreography credits include Annie Get Your Gun (with Donna McKechnie), The Cradle Will Rock, A Good Swift Kick!, Both Barrels, Don't Hug Me, Little Shop Of Horrors, Oh, Coward!, Noel & Gertie, Forum, and Anything Goes. TV choreography includes HBO's "Deadwood," "Carnivale," "Yes, Dear," "Roseanne," "CBS Summer Specials," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Coach," and "It's Garry Shandling's Show." She has choreographed for such stars as John Travolta, Debbie Reynolds, Rip Taylor, Dick Van Dyke, and Mary Tyler Moore. Her short film "Blinders" garnered several festival awards. Murphy has extensive television acting credits including "Numb3rs," "Cheers," "Night Court," "Family Law," and the classic "Taxi" episodes where she played Louie's blind blind-date. One of her favorite gigs was playing Australia with Peter Allen in his show "Up in One."

Jay Johnson: THE TWO AND ONLY! has assembled an award-winning design team and features scenery by Beowulf Boritt; Lighting is by Clifton Taylor and Original Music by Michael Andreas.
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

Jay Johnson: THE TWO AND ONLY! will open on Thursday, December 3 and perform 10 PERFORMANCES ONLY through Sunday, December 13, 2009. Performances for Jay Johnson: THE TWO AND ONLY! are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Ticket prices range from $35.00 - $40.00. For tickets, call the Colony Theatre Box Office at 818/558-7000 ext. 15 or online at www.colonytheatre.org.

The award-winning Colony Theatre Company is Burbank's premiere professional theatre. It was voted "Best Live Theatre in L.A." in The Daily News 2006 Readers' Choice poll, and has been named one of "25 Notable U.S. Theatre Companies" by Encyclopedia Britannica Almanac for 6 years in a row.

The Colony Theatre Company is a 35-year old organization dedicated to bringing the finest-quality theatrical productions to Los Angeles. The theatre is located at 555 North Third Street, at the corner of Cypress, in the heart of Downtown Burbank. For further information, call (818) 558-7000. Fax: (818) 558-7110. E-mail: colonytheatre@colonytheatre.org. Or visit our website at www.colonytheatre.ORG.

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