The COUSINS GRIMM Premieres At Chicago's Bailiwick Repertory Theatre 7/10-8/23

Bailiwick Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director David Zak recently announced that a delightful new musical of GLTB fairy tales, The Cousins Grimm, will be featured in Bailiwick’s 2009 Pride Series, playing July 10 to August 23 at Hoover-Leppen Theater at Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted, Chicago, Illinois.

The Cousins Grimm is an original new musical that reworks the timeless fairy tales of The Brothers Grimm into contemporary urban fables filled with lesbian and gay characters. These stories of love, death, friendship, betrayal, and families of all kinds are beautifully interwoven with edgy humor and memorable songs.

Leon Grimm is a frustrated playwright who dreams of success and immortality. When his lesbian cousin Jackie magically shows up on the scene his life is changed forever as he and Jackie spin hilarious and moving versions of some of the greatest fables ever told.

The libretto is by Ted Sod whose musical 27 Rue de Fleurus, based on the domestic partnership of Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein, recently enjoyed a successful off-Broadway run at Urban Stages and is published by Samuel French. The music and lyrics are by the award-winning composer/lyricist team Dan Martin and Michael Biello whose previous Chicago Productions include their musical Breathe and their revue Q. The Cousins Grimm has had developmental readings at The York Theatre Company, The Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival, New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s Cabaret Conference.

The Cousins Grimm previews Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11 at 8:00 ($15) and opens Sunday, July 12 at 6:00. ($25). Regular performances are Thursday and Saturday at 8:00, and Sunday at 2:00 till August 23. Tickets are $25 Thursdays and Sundays, and $30 Saturday.

Scott Ferguson, who directed Bailiwick’s Jeff Nominated A Man of No Importance, returns to direct The Cousins Grimm. Musical direction is by Robert Ollis, who won a Jeff Citation for Musical Direction for Bailiwick's Kiss of The Spider Woman. Assistant Director is Jonathan Verge.

Chad stars as Leon Grimm, with Danni Smith as Jackie. Others in the ensemble are Christopher Slavik, Peter Buckley, Harmony France, and Kate Andrulis. For tickets call 773 883 1090 or visit
www.bailiwick.org. Tickets are also on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com or 1-800-838-3006.