FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2008
Contact: Tracy Power
(662) 574-1728

MUW presents `The Taffetas: A Musical Journey through the Fabulous Fifties’

COLUMBUS, Miss. - The Department of Music and Theatre at Mississippi University for Women will present “The Taffetas: A Musical Journey through the Fabulous Fifties” Thursday, April 24th through Saturday, April 26th.

All performances will take place in the Cromwell Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be $10 for general admission and $5 for students. Beginning April 14th, advance tickets can be purchased in Shattuck and Cromwell.

Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance due to quick sell out of all performances of the February production “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding.”

The Taffetas are a fictitious musical sister act based on the soft sounds of groups such as The McGuire and Andrews Sisters. Conceived by Rick Lewis, “The Taffetas” is full of hits including “Mr. Sandman,” “Johnny Angel,” “Sh-Boom” and “Tonight You Belong to Me” and many others.

The cast includes Rachel Smith as Kaye, Jessica O’Quinn as Cheryl, Jessi Tidwell as Peggy and Kelsey Sample as Donna. William “Peppy” Biddy, chair of the Department of Music and Theatre, is directing while Deborah Atkinson serves as the musical director and adjunct dance teacher Ginger Poole is the choreographer.

 
Poole is in her first year at MUW teaching several dance courses. “Having taught all of the cast members in current dance classes offered this semester it is a pleasure to see their hard work grow from the classroom to the stage.”

She added, “Working on a show of this nature has multiple facets--singing, dancing and acting. It is a delight to see all the components come together… which is not as easy as it looks.”

According to Biddy, “The show contains some of the most beautiful arrangements of classic songs from the 1950s. Whether you have grown up listening to these songs or you are hearing them for the first time, you are sure to have an enjoyable evening.”

Additional credits include Patricia Talavera, scenic design; David Carter, lighting design and Anne Franklin Lamar, costume design.
“The Taffetas” is fun for all ages and would be the perfect outing for the entire family. For information or questions about ticketing, call MUW theater at (662) 329-7260.