PrideArts Artistic Director Jay Españo has announced his cast for the Chicago premiere of TOMMY ON TOP – a comedy that premiered in London’s West End at the Above the Stag Theatre last summer. TOMMY ON TOP is a laugh out loud bedroom farce about a closeted hunky actor, Tommy Miller, who is about to become the first gay actor to win an Oscar – if he plays his cards right and keeps his queerness at bay. TOMMY ON TOP is by the British playwright Chris Woodley, whose credits include scripts for the long-running BBC series EASTENDERS. Españo will direct and design the set. TOMMY ON TOP will open to the press on Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30 pm at the Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago; following previews from June 10. It will play through July 17.
The TOMMY ON TOP cast includes Ryan Cason as Tommy Miller, the closeted Hollywood heartthrob who is nominated for an Oscar and is a shoo-in to win Best Actor. Theresa Liebhart will be his bibulous sister Molly, and Patrick Gosney will play Tommy’s musical theater obsessed hair stylist boyfriend George. Beth Johnson has been cast as the celebrity talent manager Judy, and Blythe Butler will play the celebrity blogger Kiki Lopez, who is threatening to out Tommy with some incriminating gay photos. Completing the cast is Mark Anderson as Eddie, Tommy's Trump-loving Republican gay talent agent who goes berserk when he discovers that Judy is also trying to poach Tommy to be in her roster of stars.
Top row L-R: Mark Anderson, Blythe Butler, Ryan Cason. Middle row L-R: Patrick Gosney, Beth Johnson, Theresa Liebhart. Lower row L-R: Sandra Franco, Christopher Gliege, Kiefer Otto. Not pictured: Brian Boller.
The production team for TOMMY ON TOP, in addition to Españo as director and scenic designer, includes Johan Gallardo (Costume Design), Maggie Meyer (Lighting Design), Val Gardner (Sound Design), Dean Hahn (Master Electrician), Jack Mcelroy (Fight Choreography), Garrett McCann (Intimacy Director), Emily Chen (Stage Manager), and Eleanor VanHouten (Assistant Stage Manager)
Tickets to TOMMY ON TOP are priced at $35 for regular performances (June 15 through July 17) and $25 for previews June 10-14. Seniors and students will receive a $5 discount for regular performances. Tickets will be on sale beginning May 15 at www.pridearts.org or by phone at 773-857-0222.
LISTING INFORMATION
TOMMY ON TOP
By Chris Woodley
CHICAGO PREMIERE
Directed by Jay Españo
June 10–July 17, 2022
Previews June 10 and 11 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, June 12 at 3 pm and Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30 pm
PRESS OPENING Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Curtain times June 16–July 16 Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays July 3, 10 and 17 at 3 pm
Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.
Tommy Miller, closeted Hollywood heartthrob is nominated for an Oscar and is a shoo-in to win Best Actor. His bibulous sister Molly and musical theater obsessed hair stylist boyfriend, George are with him to celebrate the event in his Beverly Hills suite. But the day is dampened when talent manager to the stars Judy shows up to break the shocking news: celebrity blogger Kiki Lopez is threatening to out Tommy with some incriminating gay photos. Meanwhile, Tommy's Trump-loving Republican gay talent agent goes berserk when he discovers that Judy is also trying to poach Tommy to be in her roster of stars. More chaos ensues when Kiki shows up at the door and they all concoct hilarious antics to protect Tommy's secret.
BIOS
Jay Españo (PrideArts Artistic Director, Director). Born in Manila, The Philippines, he joined the prestigious Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors Company in 1998, where he trained with acclaimed Filipino director Nonon Padilla. He acted in several commercials, television series and films. Notably, he was a regular cast member of Koko KwikKwak - a spin-off of Batibot (Philippine SESAME STREET). He toured The Philippines with that show’s mascots, performing for kids throughout the country. In 2000, Jay was one of many Filipino actors who were cast in the Action Theater Singapore’s hit musical CHANG AND ENG, which toured Asia for several years.
Since moving to the Chicago area, Jay has worked with storefront theater companies such as Silk Road Rising, Prologue, Ghostlight, Halcyon, and PrideArts. He has played the role of the King in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I with various theater companies in the US and in Canada.
Chris Woodley (Playwright) Chris Woodley is a British/Irish screenwriter, playwright and performer based in East London. Chris has recently completed the BBC EASTENDERS Shadow Scheme and is currently writing two television movies for a US network channel. He is developing a number of original television ideas.
ABOUT PRIDEARTS
PrideArts tells queer stories on a variety of platforms, including both live and virtual performances. Since its founding in 2010, PrideArts has had several chapters, including operating as an itinerant theater for their first six seasons, and as the developer and primary tenant in the Pride Arts Center from 2016-21.
The company produces full seasons of plays and musicals, as well as events including cabaret, film, and more. The company has earned 39 Jeff Awards and nominations, and six nominations in the most recent (2019) ALTA Awards from the Alliance of Latinx Theater Artists of Chicago. Programming has reflected the diversity of queer communities by including work made by and illuminating the experiences of women, gay men, transgender people, and BIPOC.
PrideArts is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, The Pauls Foundation, The Heath Fund, The Service Club of Chicago, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation, Arts and Business Council, and Alphawood Foundation.
PrideArts is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. PrideArts is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Northalsted Business Association, Lakeview East, Uptown United, and The League of Chicago Theatre.
For more information and to donate, visit www.pridearts.org or call 1.773 857 0222.