FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 14, 2008
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu

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

COLUMBUS, Miss. - Theatergoers who missed the first performance of
“The Taffetas” at Mississippi University for Women will have an
opportunity to stroll down memory lane Aug. 21-24.

The Department of Music and Theatre will present “The Taffetas: A Musical Journey through the Fabulous Fifties” in Cromwell Theatre at 7:30 p.m. with exception of Sunday’s performance, which will be at 2 p.m. Tickets will be $10 for general admission and $5 for students.

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 Ginger Poole is the choreographer.

Additional credits include Patricia Talavera, scenic design; assistant professor of theater David Carter, lighting design and Anne Franklin Lamar, costume design.

“The Taffetas performance in April was rare in that it was the first time in many years that none of the cast members were graduating. This afforded us the perfect opportunity to hold the show over into the beginning of the new semester,” Biddy said. “The additional performances are a great way to introduce the work of our department to the new students on campus. We also expect a number of the audience members who saw it in April to return for a second (or third) viewing. It’s the kind of show you can enjoy more than once.”

Biddy added 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.”

For information or questions about ticketing, call (662) 329-7260.