Photo Coverage: Eden Espinosa Sells Out at L.A's Upright, Brings 'ME' to Joe's Pub 3/22-24

After three sold out SRO engagements at Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles, Broadway star and Wicked alum Eden Espinosa brings her hit solo debut directed by Broadway/Recording star Billy Porter to Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003 on March 22-24, 2009.

Upright Cabaret producers Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel proudly present Broadway star and Los Angeles native Eden Espinosa (Broadway: Wicked, Brooklyn, Rent) in her first solo effort entitled 'Eden Espinosa - Me' directed by Broadway/Recording star Billy Porter with James Sampliner set to Music Direct.

During her last month of starring as Elphaba in Wicked at LA's Pantages Theatre, Eden Espinosa shed the green on her days off to perform three sold-out SRO solo concerts, and now she is bringing that show to NYC! Make-up stripped away, Eden shares a piece of herself in ME, singing songs that are close to her heart by artists who have inspired her. She and a guest perform new adaptations of classics, as well as soulful renditions of songs from the Broadway shows that made her a star. Each show features a different special guest, who in the L.A. shows included Ty Taylor (CBS' Rockstar: INXS, Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum), Tracie Thoms (Broadway: Rent, Devil Wears Prada, Grindhouse, Coldcase) and Billy Porter (Broadway: Miss Saigon, Grease, Five Guys Names Moe). In Los Angeles, Music Direction was shared by Ben Toth & Chris Bratten. Young Broadway turned out for the event including Wicked alum Megan Hilty, Jenna Leigh Green, and Adam Lambert, Lea Michele, John Lloyd Young and many more.

For her New York solo debut, Upright Cabaret creators and producers Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel have enlisted James Sampliner (Broadway: Legally Blonde, The Wedding Singer, Brooklyn, Never Gonna Dance) to Music Direct, and have also commissioned Mr. Sampliner to provide new arrangements for many of the songs first performed at Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles. A special guest has yet to be announced for the Joe's Pub dates.

Eden Espinosa recently closed the Los Angeles production of Wicked in Southern California, where she was born and raised. She has performed the role of Elphaba to critical acclaim on Broadway, the San Francisco stop on the national tour, and in the Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles, Eden took a 6 month break from Wicked to perform the title role in Flora, the Red Menace for Reprise! in Los Angeles, and then joined the final Broadway company of Rent as Maureen at the Nederlander Theatre in New York. She created the title character in Brooklyn the Musical and performed it from the original workshop, on through its Broadway run. You may have heard her on such recordings as Hair (BCEFA benefit recording), The Maury Yeston Songbook, Bright Lights, Big City, John McDaniel Live at Joe's Pub and Scott Alan's Dreaming Wide Awake. Eden made her solo debut at Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles in Dec 2008.

Eden Espinosa - Me

Produced by Chris Isaacson & Shane Scheel

Directed by Billy Porter, Music Direction by James Sampliner

Sun-Tues, March 22-24, 2009 at 9:30pm (Sunday Matinee 2:00pm)

Joe's Pub at The Public Theater - 425 Lafayette Street, New York City, NY 10003

Tickets: $30, on sale beginning Tues, Feb 17 at www.joespub.com or at door on day of show (if available).

Dinner Reservations Recommended; Please call 212-539-8778

For more info about this and other projects presented by Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel at Upright Cabaret and many other venues, please visit us at www.uprightcabaret.com

Photos courtesy of Lily Lim, Zane Berlin, Tye Jakobs and Tony DiMaio for www.ipartypix.com