North Shore Makes "Contact"
June 10 - 29

So do ya wanna dance?

"Contact," the hit of the 2000 Broadway season and winner of 4 Tony Awards, will dance across the stage for its New England Regional Premiere at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly. The unique three-part dance play runs June 10 – 29.

"Contact" will be directed and choreographed by Tomé Cousin, who performed in and helped to develop the original production, both off-Broadway and on, from 1999-2002. He has been selected by the show's original director and choreographer Susan Stroman, to recreate the show.

Barry Ivan, NSMT’s new Artistic Director and Executive Producer, commented, “This season pays tribute to the legendary Tony Award-winning Director and Choreographer Susan Stroman and we felt that 'Contact' would be a great way to honor her and be an entertaining departure from the standard definition of a musical. The show is wonderfully unique in that it tells three separate stories of romance and escapism primarily through Stroman’s clever and witty choreography. This will be a rare treat for NSMT audiences.”

"Contact" is a moving and often humorous dance play that tells three separate stories -- “Swing,” “Did You Move?” and “Contact.” Each is about the different ways people pursue love. Featuring a book by John Weidmann & Susan Stroman, the show offers an eclectic array of songs for the mini-vignettes, including Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible,” Dean Martin’s “You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” Dion’s “Runaround Sue,” the Beach Boys’ “Do You Want to Dance?” and “Sing Sing Sing” from Benny Goodman and his Orchestra.

"Contact" stars Tony Award winner Jarrod Emick (left) as Michael Willey, Naomi Hubert as A Girl in the Yellow Dress, Sally Mae Dunn as Wife, and Steve Luker as Husband.

Emick is best known for his Tony Award-winning performance as Joe Hardy in "Damn Yankees," which also garnered him a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor and a Theatre World Award. He has also starred in Broadway productions of "The Rocky Horror Show," "The Boy From Oz" and "Ring of Fire."

Prior to becoming the girl in the yellow dress, Hubert was an original cast member in Stroman’s Broadway productions of "The Producers" and "The Frogs." She has also appeared in national tours of "Spamalot," "Doctor Dolittle" and "Annie Get Your Gun" and played Cassandra in the national tour of "Cats."

Dunn has appeared on Broadway in "Never Gonna Dance," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public," "The Will Rogers Follies" and in a national tour of "Chicago." Luker has appeared in more than 80 professional shows including "42nd Street" on Broadway, national and European tours of "Footloose" and "42nd Street," and was last seen at NSMT in "Damn Yankees."

The theater is offering two free pre-show swing dancing classes taught by a member of the "Contact" cast. Classes will take place June 19 from 5 - 6 p.m. and June 20 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in Studio One in the Theatre Arts and Education Building adjacent to the theatre. While the program is free of charge, advanced reservations are required as class size is limited to 20 participants. You may email class reservations to pr@nsmt.org.

Additional Free Audience Enrichment events include:

Meet the Theatre
A post-show audience discussion with the artists following the 7:30 p.m. performance on June 17 and the 2 p.m. performance on June 28.

Spotlight on History
A free pre-show discussion (one hour prior to the 2 p.m. matinee on June 22) focusing on historical issues related to the performance.

Out at the North Shore
An evening for the Gay and Lesbian Community on June 26 with a post-show reception.

For tickets and information, call 978-232-7200 or visit www.nsmt.org. "Contact" is recommended for theater goers 16 and over.

-- OnStage Boston