GrooveLily to Perform Their New Album At TheatreWorks 1/8/2010

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, is thrilled to announce the return of its favorite pop-rock group, GrooveLily. The authors of TheatreWorks' sensational hit shows STRIKING 12 and LONG STORY SHORT are returning to the Lucie Stern Theatre on Friday, January 8, to perform a benefit concert of their latest album, SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES, a fractured fairytale. Band members Brendan Milburn, Valerie Vigoda, and Gene Lewin give this classic children's story an exciting and decidedly modern twist when, after her centuries long snooze, Beauty wakes to find herself far from her magic kingdom, in a contemporary sleep disorder clinic where all the princes seem to have disappeared. V.I.P. tickets, which include a pre-show dinner reception with GrooveLily, center orchestra seats, and a copy of the hit album, are $225. Performance-only tickets are available for $75. All audience members are invited to attend a post-show champagne reception with the band. Proceeds will directly benefit TheatreWorks' education and outreach programs. For more information, please call (650) 463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES began as a commission from Deaf West Theatre, who after seeing STRIKING 12, asked GrooveLily composers Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda to create another musical fairytale that could be performed with a company of both deaf and hearing actors, but without focusing on issues of deafness. Intrigued by the idea, Milburn and Vigoda proposed the story of "Sleeping Beauty" set in a sleep disorder clinic, not only unraveling the plight of the dislocated princess trying to find her way in a world of malls and clinics, but exploring the concept of what it means to break out of sleep, and live awake in the world. The story was especially significant for Milburn and Vigoda, who were new parents at the time, and could relate to the plight of the king and queen, who go to extreme, ridiculous, and ultimately futile lengths to keep their daughter safe. SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES premiered in 2007 as a co-production with Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, and included Milburn and Vigoda signing, singing, acting, and playing instruments onstage with the rest of the cast.

GrooveLily's holiday offering, STRIKING 12, a rewired version of Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale "The Little Match Girl," debuted at TheatreWorks in 2004, and was an instant hit, going on to enjoy a successful Off-Broadway run. More recently, TheatreWorks partnered with Vigoda and Milburn to bring the world premiere of their work, LONG STORY SHORT, to the Bay Area in December 2008, where it was lauded by critics and audiences alike. At TheatreWorks' 2009 New Works Festival, local crowds got a sneak peek at the group's latest work with Joe DiPietro, ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME, a fever dream musical in which exhausted but talented video game score composer Kat hallucinates that the famed Arctic explorer is phoning her from beyond time. In addition to contributing songs for the latest installment in Disney's Tinker Bell films, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Milburn and Vigoda have been selected to receive the 2009 ASCAP Foundation Richard Rogers New Horizons Award.

Valerie Vigoda (electric violin, vocals) has toured the world with Cyndi Lauper, Joe Jackson, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and has opened for Tina Turner and Cher. An honors graduate of Princeton University and a former Army lieutenant, Vigoda founded GrooveLily (originally The Valerie Vigoda Band) in 1994, and has seen the band release six critically acclaimed albums. Brendan Milburn (keyboards, vocals), received his MFA in musical theatre from NYU's Musical Theatre Writing Program but was instead drawn into a rock band. His road time with GrooveLily has proven to be a way back into writing musicals. Gene Lewin (drums, vocals), earned a Master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music and has appeared on album recordings with George Coleman, John Patitucci, and many others.

TheatreWorks is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary season. With approximately 9,000 subscribers and 100,000 patrons per year, TheatreWorks has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatregoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast from across the country.