Book, Music and Lyrics by Gregg Coffin

Directed Cynthia Levin

Musical Direction by Anthony T. Edwards

November 30-December 30, 2007
PREVIEWS November 28 & 29

Featuring Teri Adams and Jerry Jay Cranford

Talk back performances December 4, 9 & 11

Meet someone before the show to talk with after.

   LGBT Night December 6

Singles Night  December 13

6:30 Reception $5

7:30 Show Regular Priced Ticket

Call for reservations.

     

Gregg Coffin, whose earlier works include Convenience (produced at Unicorn in 2004) and Five Course Love (produced in New York in 2005) premieres his latest musical about the proximity and distance we feel towards one another. A moving, humorous, shattering and revealing examination of the space reserved for love…right next to you.

               Photos by Cynthia Levin

The Reviews are in...

 

Sun Publications--Posted on Thur., Dec. 6, 2007
Unicorn premiere a work in progress,...

(Click for Full story)

By RUSS SIMMONS

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Wed., Dec. 5, 2007
THEATER REVIEW | ‘Rightnextto Me’ at the Unicorn

(May require registration)

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

Pitch--Posted on Thur., Dec. 6, 2007
So Close, Yet So Far (Click for full story) 

By ALAN SCHERSTUHL

 

InfoZine--Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007
 Rightnextto Me World Premiere, Theatre Review (click for complete story)

Gregg Coffin's rightnextto me premieres at Kansas City's Unicorn Theatre amid smiles and tears.

By Jeannine Chatterton-Papineau

 

Other Press...

Kansas City Star--Posted on Sat., Dec. 8, 2007
‘Rightnextto Me’ comes together just in time for its world premiere at Unicorn

(May require registration)

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

KCUR--Airing on  Fri., Nov. 30, 2007

Gregg Coffin's rightnextto me Premieres at the Unicorn (Click to hear story)
In 2004, the Unicorn Theatre launched the world premiere of Gregg Coffin's musical, Convenience, which went on to numerous productions across the country. Coffin and the Unicorn are reunited for yet another premiere.
BY STEVE WALKER

 

Pitch--Posted on Thur., Nov. 29, 2007
Never Far  

By ALAN SCHERSTUHL

 

InfoZine--Wednesday, Nov.  21, 2007 :: infoZine Staff
World Premiere Musical rightnextto Me, Unicorn Theatre

(click for complete story)

Gregg Coffin's musicals (rightnextto me, FIVE COURSE LOVE, CONVENIENCE, EAST OF THE SUN/WEST OF THE MOON) and over 75 incidental scores have been produced at theatres Off-Broadway and throughout the U.S. and Canada including The Minetta Lane Theatre, The Duke on 42nd Street, The Stratford Festival of Canada, National Arts Centre (Canada), Unicorn Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Alley Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Indiana Repertory Theatre, B Street Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Syracuse Stage, The Tarragon Theatre, CanStage, California Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Human Race Theatre, Stages Repertory Theatre, International City Theatre, Actor's Playhouse at the Miracle Mile, Red Barn Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Minneapolis Music Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, PCPA TheatreFest, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, and Sacramento Theatre Company. His incidental music for SLAVS! at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto won the 2001 Dora Award. He is the recipient of several NEA Creativity Grants. Mr. Coffin was raised in Yarmouth, Maine, and now resides in California. www.greggcoffin.com

 

Cynthia Levin (Director) is beginning her 29th season with the Unicorn Theatre where she has worked as a director, actor, designer or producer for 220 productions. In addition to managing the Unicorn, she stays busy tending her 100-year-oldVictorian home (and gardens), two dramatic dogs and one very humorous cat. Most recently she directed Nickel and Dimed, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, tick, tick…BOOM!, Frozen, I Am My Own Wife, Bug, The Exonerated, Convenience, Take Me Out, Bat Boy: The Musical and the world premieres of How His Bride Came to Abraham, Light:Damage, Mercy Killing, Innocent Thoughts and Jack and Jill. At the Coterie Theatre she has directed Frankenstein, Gatherings in Graveyards (I and II), Valley Song and To Kill a Mockingbird. She is also a founding board member of the National New Play Network, an organization dedicated to the development and production of new works. She is the 2006 recipient of the Pinnacle Award for Excellence in the Arts from the Johnson County Library Foundation. Next up at the Unicorn, she will be directing the world premiere of 9 Parts of Desire at the Unicorn.

 

Anthony T. Edwards (Musical Director), a native of Humboldt, Tennessee, is delighted to be a part of this Unicorn production. Anthony has been privileged to be the Musical Director for theatres across the country including the Denver Center for the Performing Arts where he performed for four years in Always…Patsy Cline.  Anthony is currently the Resident Musical Director for the American Heartland Theatre, All Souls Unitarian Church, Epic Entertainment and Bar Natasha. He completed a Bachelor of Music degree in commercial music and piano performance at Belmont University in Nashville, TN and graduate studies in piano performance at the University of Missouri-Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, MO. He has appeared with the New Theatre Restaurant, the Quality Hill Playhouse, Starlight Theatre, Theatre in the Park, the American Heartland Theatre, the Unicorn Theatre, the Red Barn Theatre and Waterfront Playhouse in Key West, FL., Casa Manana in Fort Worth, Theatre Under the Stars in Atlanta and Late Night Theatre. Recent shows include: Swing Time Canteen, Always…Patsy Cline, Peter Pan, A Grand Night for Singing, The All Night Strut, Red Rock Diner, Valley of the Dolls, The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged), 1940’s Radio Hour, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, Forever Plaid, Sweet Underground Charity, Honky Tonk Angels, When Pigs Fly!, Pageant, Dames at Sea, Nuncrackers, Annie, The Big Bang!, Mashugganuns, From My Home Town, Married Alive!, My Way, Swing!, The Buddy Holly Story, Menopause the Musical, A Dog’s Life, Another Night Before Christmas, 8-Track Sounds of the 70’s and The Wizard of OZ, along with Headwig and the Angry Inch, Bat Boy, Crowns, Convenience, The Great American Trailer Park Musical,  and tick, tick… BOOM!, here at the Unicorn. Anthony lives in here in Kansas City with a great guy named Scott, and a really incredible dog named Samantha. Congratulations to Gregg, Cynthia, the Cast and the Unicorn staff on this world premiere!!

 

Teri Adams (Army Wife, Flight Attendant, Mother) simply loves spending the holidays at The Unicorn, as she is returning for her fourth season on a row! Her past holiday shows include: last years The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Painted Alice and Convenience, another original musical written by composer Gregg Coffin. Other Unicorn Credits include: Quilters, Ruthless! and Dirty Blonde. Teri has performed throughout Kansas City for the last 15 years. Audiences may remember her from the American Heartland Theatre’s productions of Menopause: The Musical, Steel Magnolias, and Blues in the Night. She is also a regular at the Quality Hill Playhouse and most recently appeared in The Music of the 60’s and 70’s. Teri is one of the Kansas City Diva’s, sponsored by Epic Entertainment, has been a featured soloist at the Kennedy Center and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity. Look for her this spring in the American Heartland’s production of I Love You, Because. Teri thanks all of the talented people who worked on this terrific project – it was an honor to be included. She thanks all of you for supporting your local theatre. And she thanks her brand new hubby, Parry –her very favorite person for being Rightnextto Me!

Jerry Jay Cranford (Captain/Marriage Counselor/Mailman) recently returned to Kansas City from LA with his partner Dana, having spent the last three years as the Genie in Disneyland’s ten million dollar production of Aladdin.  Some other favorite roles include:  Broadway:  Les Miserables (Prouvaire/Enjolras); Touring:  Les Miserables (Prouvaire/Enjolras), Singing in the Rain (Don Lockwood), Anything Goes (Billy Crocker), Evita (Featured Dancer-European Tour).  He was soloist for the televised International Arts Council Concert in Germany and featured dancer on the PBS Special Lawrence Welk:  Then and Now.  He holds a BFA in Music from the University of Oklahoma and 30 hours towards an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University.  Look for Mr. Cranford this spring in Musical Theatre Heritage’s Bernstein on Broadway and the American Heartland’s I Love You Because.  Jerry Jay has been a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association for over fifteen years and would like to thank Gregg, Cynthia, Anthony, Teri, and all those involved for making this world premiere an amazing, creative experience.

 

Buy rightnexto me tickets online NOW!

Call 816-531-PLAY x 10

Box Office Hours:

Monday-Friday 10-5pm

Saturday 12-4pm (During the run of the show)

 

 Unicorn Theatre offers $5.00 off for senior citizens and full-time students (with valid I.D.). Group rates are available, and students with valid I.D. can purchase Rush Tickets for $7.00 five minutes before curtain (based on availability)

SPECIAL THANKS
to those who generously donated their time, talents and services to this production:

The National Endowment for the Arts

Geva Theatre Center

Financial assistance has been provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.