Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/6608
LIVEMAGS.NET FEBRUARY>>10 39 backwards in high heels the ginger musical S ection the "My mother told me I was dancing before I was born. She could feel my toes tapping wildly inside her for months." — Ginger Rogers International City Theatre will honor one of the greats of American dance and cinema when it kicks off its 25th Anniversary Season ,February 26, with the Los Angeles premiere of "Backwards in High Heels: The Ginger Musical." The show will run until March 21 at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 East Ocean Boulevard. Low-priced previews begin February 23. The musical was conceived and developed by Lynnette Barkley and Christopher McGovern, and is directed by Caryn Desai, with musical direction by Darryl Archibald and choreography by Melissa Giattino. "Backwards in High Heels" tells of both the public and private lives of Ginger Rogers, from her wide-eyed arrival in Hollywood at 14 years old to her Academy Award win in 1940 for "Kitty Foyle," at the age of 37. Most famous for her role as Fred Astaire's dance partner, Rogers chose the peak of their success to walk away from the partnership and strike out on her own. She became an acclaimed actress, and was one of the film industry's first women to demand equal pay. Barkley grew up watching Ginger Rogers movies back when the films were a staple of late night television. For Backwards in High Heels, she meticulously researched the star's life as well as her films. "It turns out there were two constants in Ginger's life: dance, and her mom," Barkley said "Show business was Lela's life, and she ended up doing it until she was in her eighties. --… Before I did all of the research, I didn't realize that Ginger Rogers was married and divorced five times. Another thing I discovered was that Fred and Ginger went on a date many years before they became Hollywood's favorite movie couple, while they were both still working in vaudeville. But Ginger's mother took her to Hollywood the very next day … so that was the end of that." Director Desai is the theater's general manager, and has been with the organization since 1990. She has an MFA from UCI; a certificate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London; and two certificates from CSULB in Arts Administration and Marketing and Fundraising. She also received a full fellowship to complete an Executive Program at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. The musical broke box office records in its world premiere production at Florida Stage, and is a combination of original songs by McGovern with vintage movie musical numbers like "Fascinatin' Rhythm," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "Embraceable You" and "A Fine Romance." Anna Aimee White will star as Rogers. The 20-something got her start as Annie in the eponymous musical as a child. She attended Orange County High School of the Arts, and turned down UCLA's dramatic arts program in order to focus on her career. She has since performed on Broadway in the ensembles of shows like "White Christmas" and "Grease," and has appeared on screen in films like "Georgia Rule" and "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement." Also onstage will be Heather Lee, who will play Ginger Rogers' mother Lela; Matt Bauer, in a variety of roles including Fred Astaire and Ginger's third husband, Jack Briggs; Christopher Carothers as Ginger's father and second husband Lew Ayres; Jeff Payton as Hermes Pan, Jimmy Stewart, and first husband Jack Culpepper; and Robin De Lano as Ethel Merman, Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich. The play's title comes from a Frank and Ernest comic strip from 1982 about Fred Astaire. "Sure he was great, but don't forget Ginger Rogers did everything he did, backwards… and in high heels!" one of cartoonist Bob Thaves's characters famously pronounced. "One of the most iconic images of Ginger is when she was dancing with Fred Astaire wearing a giant white feathered headdress and white gown," Barkley said. "We want to capture some of that magic." Tickets will be $35 to $45; opening night tickets are $50 and $60, and include a reception with the actors following the performance. Preview tickets are $32. writer>>candice yacono INFO International City Theatre 300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 436-4610 | www.ictlongbeach.org anna aimee White, playing role of ginger rogers