Breast In Show had six performances at the Virginia Repertory Theatre, March 7 - March 19, 2013. The cast is awesome, the venue is exciting and the producer, director, musical director and choreographer are acclaimed professionals that have all made a special personal commitment to bring this groundbreaking show to life.
Read Press Release
Directed by Billy Christopher Maupin
Music Direction by Kim Fox
Choreography by Jennifer Hammond
Produced by Carol Piersol, in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre
Read the review from the Richmond Times Dispatch
Check out the cast’s appearance on Virginia This Morning!
STARRING:
Andrew Hamm (Freddy) has worked across America as an actor, director, playwright, composer, and musician. Favorite local roles include Blankenhorn in two productions of 8 and the ensemble of This Beautiful City with Richmond Triangle Players (RTCC Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical), Salieri in Amadeus, Cassius in Julius Caesar, Horatio in Hamlet, Angelo in Measure for Measure, Feste in Twelfth Night, and serving as composer/musical director for over a dozen productions with Richmond Shakespeare, including last year's A Child's Christmas in Wales. He is the creator of the RTCC-nominated Steppin' Out: Joe Jackson's Night and Day, which premiered last year at RTP and has been showcased in New York City.
Brittany D. Simmons (Chelsea) just returned from London where she performed in a staged reading of the musical Balance which she wrote with Kevin Fogarty. In February she will be recording her debut solo album entitled When I Grow Up and performing at the "Broadway Bound" showcase in NYC. Before leaving for London, Brittany worked steadily in Richmond theatre. Some credits include The Merry Wives of Windsor (Anne Page/Bardoloh/Rugby) and Macbeth (Ross/Fleance/Son/ensem.) with Richmond Shakespeare, Little Red Hen (Hen) and House at Pooh Corner (Pooh) with Theatre IV America, Nunsense (Sister Mary Leo) with Barksdale Theatre (now Virginia Repertory Theatre), Quilters with Swift Creek Mill Theatre, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Crucible (Abigail Williams) with Sycamore Rouge, A Gender-Reversed Exploration of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius) with Firehouse Theatre Project. Brittany has a Bachelor's of Music in musical theatre from Belmont University.
Chloe Williams (Desiree) was last seen as Sister Chantelle in the staged reading of bare: A Pop Opera with Richmond Triangle Players. Other credits include To Whom It May Concern (2012 Acts of Faith Festival), a workshop production of Company of Angels (Richmond Triangle Players), Mame (Barksdale Theatre), Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Children of Eden, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo & Juliet, and Julius Cesar. Chloe placed 3rd in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (Division XII) competition, and has also performed and toured with VCU’s award winning Gospel Choir.
Jeanie Rule (Shirley) last appeared on Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Willow Lawn stage in the world premiere of David L. Robbin’s Scorched Earth. Previously, Jeanie appeared in The Full Monty as the feisty piano player, Jeanette, as Miss Stephanie in To Kill a Mockingbird, and in A Gender-Reversed Exploration of Coriolanus. She has also appeared at the Firehouse Theatre Project under the auspices of Carol Piersol, in Bill C. Davis’ world premiere production of Austin’s Bridge and Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge (staged reading). Other credits include Last Summer at Blue Fish Cove, Pulp, Torch Song Trilogy, Stop Kiss and Master Class (staged reading) at Richmond Triangle Players; Richard III with Henley Street Theatre Company; Much Ado about Nothing and Noël Coward’s Private Lives at TheatreVirginia; and Umbilical Discord by Janet Wilson at VCU (Guest Artist). Jeanie began her career as a lead singer with The In Crowd, a band that traveled the world with the USO. Jeanie performed as a headliner in many hotels in the Pocono and Catskill Mountains, NYC cabarets, and night clubs. Jeanie holds a BFA in Drama from Ithaca College and an MFA from VCU in Performance. Thank you Billy Christopher for your constant support and Sherry Burgess for your unending love.
Lauren Leinhaas-Cook (Wendy) lovingly dedicates her performance to the memory of her mother, Betsy Leinhaas, and mother-in-law, Irene Cook who each lost her life to breast cancer. Most recently Lauren appeared as The Woman/Jenny in Death of a Salesman at the Firehouse Theatre Project and Annie in Sara Ruhl’s In the Next Room, or the vibrator play with Cadence Theatre Company in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre. Recent past productions include My Fair Lady (Mrs. Pierce–2012 RTCC Nom/Best Supporting Actress/Musical) with Barksdale Theatre; Something Intangible (Sonia) and A Gender-Reversed Exploration of Hamlet (Osric) at FTP; Scrooge in Rouge (Vesta/Scrooge–2010 RTCC Nom/Best Actress/Musical) with Richmond Triangle Players, and the world premiere of Full Plate Collection (Betsy Crockpot), part of Minds Wide Open 2010: Celebrating Women in the Arts. Lauren holds a degree in vocal performance from VCU Music and is a senior paralegal at Williams Mullen, specializing in asbestos litigation. She is married to fellow actor, Larry Cook, and they have two wonderfully supportive sons, Matt and Sam Cook.
Russell Rowland (Pete) National tours: The Fantasticks (El Gallo/Troupe America Inc.). Virginia: Into the Woods, Cyrano de Bergerac, Annie Get Your Gun, Where’s Charley?, The Full Monty, Anything Goes (Barksdale Theatre), Pete n’ Keely (Swift Creek Mill Theatre), Bourbon Street Spell, Hearts Online, A Gender-Reversed Exploration of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Firehouse Theatre Project), Tomfoolery (Richmond Ensemble Theatre), The Sound of Music, How to Suceed in Business Without Really Trying, Carousel, Showboat, Annie, Annie Get Your Gun, Brigadoon, Guys and Dolls, Camelot (Riverside Theatre), A Gender-Reversed Exploration of Macbeth (Richmond Shakespeare), Godspell, The Fantasticks (Cadence Theatre Company), as well as many mainstage and touring shows with Theatre IV. Pennsylvania: Noah (Sight and Sound), Snap Swing & Pop (The Timbers). Christian album Touching Hearts available at russellrowland.net.
DIRECTOR, MUSIC DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRPAHER
Billy Christopher Maupin (Director) most recently directed last season’s The Children’s Hour (Chamberlayne Actors Theatre, Tabby Award for Best Director), The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (Theatre IV), Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them (Firehouse Theatre Project), and Becky’s New Car (Barksdale Theatre). He was honored by STYLE Weekly as one of Richmond’s 2010 “Top 40 Under 40.” Other Richmond directing credits include Butterflies Are Free (Barksdale Theatre), Jack and the Beanstalk (Theatre IV), 365 Days/365 Plays Revisited (K Dance and Firehouse Theatre Project), Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Gender-Reversed Explorations of Macbeth, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Coriolanus. Staged reading credits include Rabbit Hole, Fucking A, Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge, Heather Raffo’s 9 Parts of Desire, among others. Richmond stage credits include Smoke on the Mountain (Rev. Oglethorpe, Barksdale Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Fred, Theatre IV), Twelfth Night (Fool, Richmond Shakespeare), Something Intangible (Firehouse Theatre Project, RTCC Nomination for Best Actor).
Kim Fox (Music Director) most recently appeared as the Orchestra for Richmond Triangle Players’ production of Whoop Dee Doo! and as pianist for Georgia Rogers Farmer’s cabaret, Ball Drop. She received RTCC nominations in 2011 and 2012 for musical direction for This Beautiful City and Musical of Musicals (the Musical!), both with RTP. She is adjunct professor of piano and staff accompanist at Randolph-Macon College, teaches private piano lessons at her home and Richmond Piano, and serves as pianist at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and the Center for the Arts at Henrico High School. Kim is a candidate for the master’s degree in music education from VCU.
Jennifer Hammond is a dance instructor and choreographer working throughout the Richmond area. She has regularly choreographed for CYT Richmond for the last 8 seasons. Favorite shows include Fiddler on the Roof, Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast. Additionally she works with local high schools choreographing for musicals, concert choirs, and show choirs. Her performance credits include productions of Chicago, Cabaret, Ragtime, Singin’ in the Rain, Anything Goes, Seussical, and Moon Over Buffalo. Many thanks to Billy Christopher and Carol for the opportunity to work on such an important show.
Carol Piersol (Producer) is the Founding Artistic Director of the Firehouse Theatre Project. She held the position of Artistic Director at the Firehouse from October 1993 until December 2012. Under her direction, during the five years of Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards, the Firehouse won twenty awards including two Best Play Awards, one Peoples’ Choice Award, and 77 nominations. In 2011, the Firehouse Theatre was named “Best Theatre in Richmond” in Richmond Magazine’s public poll.
In September of 2011, Ms. Piersol was featured in the first Belle Magazine “Women In the Arts” issue “honoring seven forward-thinking leaders who help bring culture to Richmond.” In 2008, she was named one of the “Top Innovators at the Forefront of Richmond Arts and Culture” by Style Weekly and was featured in an article in Work magazine.
Ms. Piersol attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City where she studied acting under Sanford Meisner. She worked in film, television, and theatre in New York City before moving to Richmond, where her favorite roles were Blanche in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Miss Carroway in A.R. Gurney’s The Love Course, Emily Gulick in Joyce Carol Oates’ Tone Clusters, and Billie in John Patrick Shanley’s Women of Manhattan.
Carol was instrumental in developing the Firehouse Theatre Project’s Festival of New American Plays. Winners of the festival have gone on to have their plays produced in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and many other cities throughout the US. In 2011, Carol produced one of the first productions in the US of Bruce Graham’s Something Intangible and this production is featured in the published version of the script. In 2007, the Firehouse under Ms. Piersol’s direction produced the world premier of Bill C. Davis’ Austin’s Bridge. In 2003, Ms. Piersol commissioned an original work, Volume of Smoke, by Clay Chapman.
Ms. Piersol currently teaches adult Meisner classes and is involved in producing provocative cutting edge theatre in the Richmond area and beyond.
READ THE ARTICLE FROM THE RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH ABOUT THIS SHOW