Press Release: Billy Bishop Goes to War

May 23, 2006…Burbank…The Colony Theatre Company presents the first production of its 2006 – 2007 season, BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR, a play with music, written by John Gray with Eric Peterson, directed by David Rose (Sherlock’s Last Case, The Drawer Boy) and starring Ovation Award winner Larry Cedar (Around the World in 80 Days, Accomplice) and Ovation Award nominee Jeffrey Rockwell (Gunmetal Blues, The Musical of Musicals). BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR will preview Wednesday, June 14; Thursday, June 15 and Friday, June 16 and will open on Saturday, June 17 and continue through Sunday, July 16 at the Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.  

Witness the trials and tribulations of a World War One flying ace as he struggles to reconcile his joy of being a pilot with the horrors of the war he’s asked to fight. Set to music, this tale of heroism takes you down in the trenches, up to the skies, through the halls of Buckingham Palace, and inside the human spirit.

Comments Colony Artistic Director Barbara Beckley: “What a delight to begin our 31st season by bringing three of the Colony’s most loved talents, the extraordinary Larry Cedar and Jeffrey Rockwell and director David Rose back to our stage to bring this amazing World War I story to life. Our subscribers and audiences are going to be moved and thrilled by this tale of humanity and heroism that has a remarkably timely resonance to the current events of today.”

Director David Rose has 20 productions to his credit since he became a company member in1990. He staged recent Colony productions of Sherlock’s Last Cases, The Drawer Boy, Fuddy Meers, The Nerd (with French Stewart), The Man Who Came to Dinner, and the World Premiere of Bea[u]tiful in the Extreme. He also directed Our Country’s Good (six L.A. Ovation award nominations, Drama-Logue award), the L.A. Premiere of The Living, The Front Page (L.A. Weekly award – Revival Production of the Year), You Can’t Take it With You (Drama-Logue award), June Moon, and the West Coast Premiere of Peccadillo. As an actor, he has appeared at the Colony in Mornings at Seven, The Clearing, Incident at Vichy, Einstein and the Polar Bear, Pastoral, and Bedroom Farce (Drama-Logue award.) Elsewhere in Los Angeles, he has directed productions of Geniuses (Drama-Logue award), Justin Tanner’s Big Bear, and the smash hit Road to Nirvana (Drama-Logue award) – all at Third Stage, as well as The Dining Room at Theatre 40, Inspecting Carol at the Ivy Substation (Drama-Logue award) and Chased From Paradise and The Blues are Running at the Lost Studio. He is the former Artistic Director of The New York Comedy Repertory Ensemble and a founding member of Washington D.C’s acclaimed Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR has assembled an award-winning design team. The set design is by David Potts (Grand Hotel, Sherlock’s Last Case). The costume design is by A. Jeffrey Schoenberg (The Ladies of the Camellias, Side Show). The sound design is by Drew Dalzell (Grand Hotel, Around the World in 80 Days). The lighting design is by Jeremy Pivnick (Toys in the Attic, The Ladies of the Camellias).

BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR will open on Saturday, June 17 and perform through Sunday, July 16, 2005. Performances for BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Additionally there will be performances on Saturday, June 24 and Saturday, July 1 at 3:00pm; and also Thursday, July 6 and Thursday, July 13 at 8:00pm. There will be no 7:00pm performance on Sunday, June 18. Ticket prices range from $30.00 - $40.00 (student, senior and group discounts are available). Preview performances will be Wednesday, June 14, Thursday, June 15 and Friday, June 16 at 8:00pm – all tickets $20.00. Opening night performance with reception - all tickets $65.00. There will be two Talk-Back performances with the cast on Friday, June 23 and Thursday, July 6 immediately following the performance. For tickets, call the Colony Theatre Box Office at 818/558-7000 ext. 15.   

For more information, press interviews, photos or for press comps, please contact David Elzer/DEMAND PR at 818/508-1754 or at ELZERD@aol.com or visit www.demandpr.com.