For Immediate Release: September 10, 2005
Media Contact: Charlene Thellmann, Ritz Theatre Company, 856.488.9093

The Ritz Theatre Company’s 20th Anniversary season closer is “Jekyll & Hyde,” running October 20 - November 19, 2005 at the historic Ritz Theatre, located at 915 White Horse Pike in Camden County, NJ.

Broadway veteran Fred Inkley of Cedar Grove, NJ takes the lead role of the enigmatic Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde. Tenor Fred Inkley’s credits include the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway and on the Third National Tour, which took him across the U.S., Canada and to Singapore. As Valjean, Inkley was nominated Best Actor at Chicago's Jeff Awards. Inkley also toured the United States as the Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for this role in Washington, D.C.

“By introducing a Broadway veteran as a guest artist, we raise the bar for ourselves and move to the next plateau in our growth as a major Arts Organization in Southern New Jersey. We elevate the level of commitment and the quality of our work by engaging Mr. Fred Inkley to play the lead role in our upcoming production of Jekyll and Hyde. This New Jersey artist brings with him the experience of performing 8 times a week for over a year on the Broadway stage as well as National Tours. By interacting with the discipline, passion and expertise that Fred brings to the role, we ask more of ourselves and strive for a new level of excellence. We are proud of the fact that we have always attracted and presented a high level of artistry on our stage. This initiative will create a bigger “buzz” and get more exposure and recognition for those actors and musicians that have been working in this historic theatre for over 20 years. As a “training” theatre, by bringing this exposure, recognition and experienced leadership to our artists and our audiences, we meet a major goal of our organization” says Bruce A. Curless, Ritz Producing Artistic Director.

Based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, the Frank Wildhorn-Leslie Bricusse gothic musical tells the gripping tale of Dr.Jekyll/Mr.Hyde’s battle of good and evil. In 19th century London, murder runs rampant and evil lurks around every corner in this engaging thriller. Dr. Henry Jekyll believes that there are two distinct sides to man - good and evil. Through separation, man can then become liberated. Through his own experimentation, Jekyll’s drug induced alter ego transforms him into Hyde, who commits horrendous crimes. When he discontinues the experiments it is already much too late...

Appearing as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde is Fred Inkley of Cedar Grove, NJ. Kim Curless of Haddon Heights plays Emma Carew, Dr. Jekyll’s fiance. Kemper Florin of Philadelphia takes the role of Lucy Harris. Steve Zellers of Mt. Laurel is Sir Danvers Carew and Pat DeFusco is Gabriel John Utterson.

Directed by Ritz Producing Artistic Director Bruce A. Curless of Haddon Heights.Vocal director Marian Stieber of Philadelphia. Music director Mat Wright of Camden. Choreography by Mark Lenard of Berlin, Costumes by Trish Reichfeld of Voorhees. Sound design by John Zettlemoyer of Audubon with lighting by Shawn McGovern of Laurel Springs. Set design by Bart Healy of Collingswood.

Performances Oct.. 20 - Nov. 19, 2005. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM ($22.00) and Sundays at 2 PM ($17). Wednesday, Nov. 2 & 16 at 7:30 PM ($17). Preview performance Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 PM ($14). Opening night performance, Friday, Oct. 21 at 8 PM ($20). All seats reserved. Advanced reservations by calling the Ritz 24 hour ticket hotline (856) 858-5230 or on the web at: www.ritztheatreco.org. Student rush tickets available ($10) 10 minutes prior to curtain.

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