Ongoing: Chanteuse, the musical, by Louise Richardson, City Theatre, January 14 - 28

UPDATE from the producers, January 23: "Don't miss your last chance to see "Chanteuse", a musical about friendship, fame and folk music, with more than 20 memorable songs, 7:00 PM, Wednesday, January 25th at Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Road, and 2:00 PM, Saturday, January 28th at The City Theatre, 3823-D Airport Boulevard."

Found on-line:

Chanteuse the Musical

a musical about friendship, fame and folk music

by Louise Richardson

Saturdays and Sundays, January 14 - 28:

• January 14 - 2:00 P.M.
• January 15 - 7:30 P.M.
• January 21 - 2:00 P.M.
• January 22 - 7:30 P.M.
• January 28 - 2:00 P.M.

City Theatre, 3823 Airport Blvd (behind the Shell station) (click for map)

and

January 25 - 7:30 p.m. Dougherty Arts Center 1110 Barton Springs Road (click for map)

For tickets call (512) 907-1821, e-mail chanteusemusical@gmail.com or click here.

Chanteuse, a musical written by Austin native Louise Richardson, will make its Austin debut in January of 2012 at the City Theatre, 3823 Airport Boulevard, Suite D.

In Chanteuse two young women from Texas, Johanna Clarke and Darcy Bailey, go to New York's Greenwich Village to be folk singers in 1959. They are first hired by Sidney Feldman, a former blacklisted comic, who owns The Colloquy Coffeehouse. Chanteuse follows the careers and friendships of these three through the turbulent years of the 1960s and 70s up to Darcy's return to perform at her college in 1981.

Through more than 20 memorable songs in styles ranging from traditional folk to Broadway to French cabaret, Chanteuse has the spirit of the 1960s at its core. With ASCAPlus-Award-winning music by Louise Richardson and the brilliant arrangements and playing of Richard Paul Thomas on guitar, Nelda Milligan and Tyler Mabry on piano and the singing talents of our wonderful cast, Kelly Connaughton, Danica McKinney and Timothy McKinney, Chanteuse will captivate you. Our songs will stay in your mind long after you leave the theatre.

The CD "Songs from Chanteuse" is available at Waterloo Records and Book Woman in Austin, Texas or it can be ordered from richard@tbcinternational.com.

Cast: Timothy McKinney as Sid, Danica McKinney as Darcy, Kelly Connaughton as Johanna.

Upcoming: Preview of Chanteuse by Louise Richardson, October 30

Found on-line:

Chanteuse

by Louise Richardson

preview performance, October 30, time to be provided

You are invited to a house concert to preview "Chanteuse", a musical about friendship, fame and folk music, which will be presented at The City Theatre in January. Come back with us to the early 1960s. Feel free to don your favorite pillbox hat and cat-eye sunglasses, or turtleneck dickie and sports coat with elbow patches, or your batik scarves and headbands...[Please do consider dressing up in your scariest 60's attire. After all, it is Halloween weekend and this is Austin!]

Be a part of the folk music scene in New York's Greenwich Village as two idealistic young women from Texas, Johanna Clarke and Darcy Bailey, melt the heart of curmudgeon, coffeehouse owner and blacklisted comic, Sidney Feldman. Hear songs you will not soon forget and get to know three characters you will care about.

Meet the up and coming cast, director Lizz Taylor, and Louise Richardson, playwright and ASCAPlus Award winning composer for the music in "Chanteuse". Have a nosh and tour the house.

Where: 6400 Dry Cliff Cove, Austin 78731, the imaginative and idiosyncratic home of Helen Roberts

To help us plan our program we would like to know if you would like to explore the grounds as well (safe walking shoes required!) These gardens will be featured in the coming season at KLRU's Central Texas Gardener. House and garden are wheelchair accessible.

Reservations are limited. Please RSVP to Louise Richardson at (512) 973-3885 or lrcaliche@gmail.com.

Upcoming: Chanteuse by Louise Richardson, City Theatre Summer Acts festival, July 8 - 17

Found on-line:

part of the City Theatre Summer Acts! festival:

Chanteuse
by Louise Richardson

Austin Civic Players

FR8@9, SA9@4,SU10@2
FR15@9, SA16@10, SU17@6

Two young women, Johanna and Darcy, audition as folk singers in Greenwich Village, 1959. They meet up with Sidney Feldman, a former blacklisted comic. Through music and song, Chanteuse follows their careers and relationships as they learn what it means to be artists.

reservations: 512-973-3885 lrcaliche@gmail.com caliche.tripod.com/store.html

Auditions for Chanteuse, Austin Civic Players, April 30 - May 1

Received via a non-profit theatre organization:

Austin Civic Players is looking for cast and crew for the Austin premiere of the musical Chanteuse in The City Theatre's Summer Acts Austin Theatre Festival in July. Call (512) 973-3885 or e-mail lrcaliche@gmail.com.

Auditions will be held by appointment at Recycled Reads, 5335 Burnet Road, on the afternoons of April 30th and May 1st.

Casting: Two women (playing ages 20 to 40) and one man (playing ages 40 to 60) are needed. Women who play guitar are especially encouraged to audition. Other than guitars, auditions will be acapella. Prepare one folk, pop or Broadway song. Scenes will be provided.

Austin Civic Players is a new non-profit community theatre group. Anyone interested in theatre production, experienced or not, is welcomed to join.

Louise Richardson. Playwright/Director

Upcoming: Chanteuse by Louise Richardson, Silver Spur Theatre, Salado, February 25 - March 5

Received directly:

New Musical Comedy

Chanteuse

by Louise Richardson

Spans ‘60s, ‘70s, Beyond;
Premieres Feb. 25, 26; March 4, 5

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturday matinees at 2 p.m.

at Silver Spur Theater, 108 Royal Street, Salado (click for map)

Admissions are $15 with $12 discount tickets for seniors, military and students. Sunday matinee tickets are $10 and $8. Children’s tickets are $8 both shows. Group rates are available for either event. For reservations, call the box office at 254-947-3456. Due to subject matter, parental discretion is advised.

Wine, beer, cider and expanded food choices will be available at the evening shows through The Spuradical Social Club in the lobby. http://www.spuradicalsocialclub.net/

For the female leads in the new musical Chanteuse, the story begins in 1959 in college with a dream of becoming professional folksingers in New York City. For the author Louise Richardson and the producer Richard Paul Thomas (RpT), the quest to tell that story began in 2007 in an International House of Pancakes in Austin.

This musical journey through the decades begins with best friends Johanna Clark and Darcy Bailey – Rose Mitchell and Chloe Vance -- struggling in “Gotham.” They are hired by Sid Feldman (Robert L. Schneider), owner of the Greenwich Village Colloquy Coffeehouse. The former stand-up comic was “blacklisted” from show business in the ‘50s during the nation’s “commie scare.” The storyline follows the ups, downs and eventual separations of the three character’s relationships through the civil right era, the Vietnam War and beyond.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Chanteuse, Cobalt Club at Cafe Caffeine, April 23 - May 9

Received directly:

The Cobalt Club proudly presents
the world premiere of a new musical --
Louise Richardson's

Chanteuse

A (Modern Vintage) Musical about Fame, Friendship, and Folk Music

Directed by Reppy
April 23 - May 9, Friday and Saturday 9:30 p.m., Sundays 2:30 p.m.
No performance April 25
Cafe Caffeine, 909 West Mary Street
Tickets: AusTIX or call 512-894.3100
Pick your price: $20, $15, $10; Sundays: pay as you can
Seating extremely lLimited. Advance purchase recommended. PG-13 Parental Guidance Suggested.

Twenty-six years ago, playwright and native Texan Louise Richardson conceived a delightful and inspiring coming-of-age tale that has at last come to the stage in this dynamic new production. It is the story of Johanna and Darcy, two talented, passionate, and idealistic nineteen-year old folk singers from Houston, whose dream it is to come to New York City in 1959 to escape their difficult pasts and change the world with their music.

It is also the story of Sidney Feldman, a former blacklisted comic from the post-WW II generation and Greenwich Village coffee house owner who ends up getting more than he bargained for when he gives the girls their first break. Spanning over twenty years and set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, the nuclear arms race, and the war in Vietnam, CHANTEUSE follows their evocative, musically-rich, volatile, poignant, and ultimately triumphant journey as they face success and fame, betrayal, heartbreak, and the truth about themselves, their relationships, and the nature of love.

Special Benefit Performance

Saturday May 1 at 7 p.m.
Tickets $30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and 100% of proceeds will be donated to the P.A.W.S. Shelter of Kyle, CARITAS of Austin, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure (of Breast Cancer)

Upcoming: Chanteuse, CrystalSwordFish Theatre Works at Cafe Caffeine, April 9 - May 1

Found on-line:

Greenwood Nook Productions, in association with CrystalSwordFish TheatreWorks

presents

Chanteuse

book, lyrics and music by Louise Richardson
April 9 - May 1, Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30 p.m., Sunday times to be announced
Cafe Caffeine, 909 W. Mary Street (click for Google map and directions)

Chanteuse is the compelling and moving story of two young folk singers and their relationship to their art, their agent, each other, fame, and being true to one’s self set against the backdrop of the rise of folk music, the onset of the civil rights movement, and the political landscape of the United States from 1959 to 1982.

It follows two young women from Texas in their friendship and careers, and the owner of the coffee house where they get their start in show business.

Summary and audio recordings available at caliche.tripod.com/chant.

Scenes from Chanteuse were produced at the 2007 FronteraFest Short Fringe, with Frank Delby, Katherine Fletcher and Angela Finney.

Go to AustinLiveTheatre.com to view the YouTube video that captures the opening of the show (9 min. 45 sec.)