Kansas City, MO – Set in New York City, this musical comedy follows Austin Bennet, a young greeting card writer, whose life is turned upside down when he finds his girlfriend with another man. Forced back out into the treacherous New York dating scene, Austin meets Marcy, whose spontaneity is matched only by her ability to drive him insane. It’s a comedy that explores the rules and nuances of dating and reminds us that true companionship means learning how to love someone, not in spite of their differences, but because of them. The production runs March 7 through April 20, 2008.
Ryan Cunningham (Book and Lyrics) is a native of Needham, MA, and he holds a B.A. in Theatre and Graphic Design from the University of Notre Dame and an M.F.A. from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. At Notre Dame Ryan wrote the book Chance At Love with Composer/Lyricist Tommy Curtin, which toured nationally in the summer of 2001. Cunningham also received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Lyrics for I Love You Because. Current projects include Queen Esther, a family musical based on the Jewish holiday of Purim, and an untitled song cycle. He makes his television writing debut this year with Joshua Salzman creating songs for Disney's Johnny And The Sprites, starring John Tartaglia. Joshua Salzman (Music) is the composer of I Love You Because. Current projects for Salzman include Queen Esther as well. Joshua holds an M.F.A. from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and degrees in composition and music education from Muhlenberg and Moravian Colleges. He has served in the music departments of Wicked and All Shook Up and is currently on faculty at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Memberships include: The Dramatists Guild, AFM Local 802 and the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.
The AHT production of I Love You Because stars Seth Golay as Austin Bennet. AHT audiences may remember him from Forever Plaid, The Rainmaker, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Dames at Sea, and The 1940's Radio Hour. Locally, other credits include work at The Coterie Theatre (Seussical, Stuart Little and Twice Upon a Time: The Emperor and The Lorax), The Kansas City Repertory Theatre (The Front Page, The Pirates of Penzance and A Christmas Carol) and Quality Hill Playhouse (Tapestry, Tin Pan Alley, and New York State of Mind). Other Kansas City credits include The Foreigner (The New Theatre) Bernstein's Broadway (Musical Theatre Heritage) and the title role in Bat Boy: The Musical (Unicorn Theatre). Hollis Scarborough stars as Marcy Fitzwilliams. Favorite credits include Hairspray in Las Vegas (Brenda/Penny cover), Pure Country The Musical NYC Workshop cast, NYMF’s Lunch, Godspell, Summer of ‘42 and Footloose. This past winter Hollis competed alongside her mother on the CW’s Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants, where they finished as 2nd runners up. Teri Adams stars as Diana Bingley. Credits include Menopause The Musical, The Trailer Park Musical and rightnexttome at The Unicorn, Music of the 1960’s and 70’s at The Quality Hill Playhouse and Menopause The Musical at The Grand Opera House of 1894, Galveston, TX; The Lutcher Theatre in Orange, TX; The Geva Theatre, Rochester, NY and The Shaw Theatre, Kalamazoo, MI. Jerry Jay Cranford stars as Jeff Bennet. Cranford last appeared in AHT’s Sugarbabies. He performed in Musical Theatre Heritage’s Bernstein’s Broadway, the Unicorn Theatre’s rightnexttome and La Cage Aux Folles as Dindon. Jay has performed in the Broadway and touring companies of Les Miserables as Prouvaire and Enjolras; was the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin; starred in the national tours of Singing In The Rain and Anything Goes and was a featured dancer with the European tour of Evita.
Supporting cast includes Lauren Braton (Woman) and Chris Holbrook (Man). Lauren’s local credits include Music of the 1950’s and Blues in the Night at Quality Hill Playhouse, Everlasting Universe at the Kansas City Civic Opera Theatre and Songs For a New World at Union Station. Regional credits include the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre’s Into The Woods, Tom Sawyer and Sugar. Chris’ favorite shows include The Laramie Project, Parade, Ragtime, and Cabaret. Most recently he played The Cat in the Hat in The Coterie Theatre's production of Twice Upon A Time. Mandy Mook serves as understudy to Ms. Scarborough, Ms. Adams and Ms. Braton. Recent credits include Dog Sees God (Eubank Productions), Jekyll and Hyde (Just Off Broadway Theatre), True Confessions of a Go-Go Girl (Kansas City Fringe Festival 2007), the Writer’s Intensive with Arthur Kopit and The Showgirl of 52nd Street (Kansas City Festival of New Musicals).
I Love You Because is directed by Paul Hough with musical direction by Anthony T. Edwards. Assistant direction for movement is by Jerry Jay Cranford. Costume design is by Frank Krainz, and William J. Christie and Jan Kohl are serving as stage managers. Sound design is by Roger Stoddard, lighting design is by Shane Rowse, and set design is by Del Unruh. Scenic construction is by Alex Perry.
To purchase tickets, call 816-842-9999, visit the box office in Crown Center, or visit www.ahtkc.com. Groups of 12 or more may call 816-842-0202 ext. 220 for reservations (group discounts are available). Tuesday through Thursday evening performances begin at 7:30pm. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 8:00pm. Sunday matinee performances begin at 2:00pm. There are select Sunday evening performances and select matinee & twilight performances. Visit
http://www.ahtkc.com/ for a complete schedule. Tickets have an attached coupon for discounts at several Crown Center restaurants on the date of the performance. Parking is inside, secure and free with theatre validation. Handicapped seating and assistive listening devices are available. An ASL interpreted performance is scheduled for April 16, 2008 @ 7:30pm. Rated PG.
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Recently, we have acquired a furry new family member at AHT, if only for the short term. Our current show stars a vibrant young woman named Hollis Scarborough. Originally from Texas, and now a resident of New York City, Hollis currently calls the Westin Crown Center home while the show is running. Her roommate is a tiny pooch named Henry. Henry is a 2-year-old Papillon Poodle (also known as a PappyPoo). Needless to say, we have all fallen head over heels for him. On the first day of rehearsals, Hollis brought Henry into my office and asked if it would be okay to try having him hang out with us while she worked. None of us had any problem with it, as we are all dog-lovers. Henry was a little apprehensive at first, but quickly warmed up to this group of women fawning over him. In no time he became my shadow and followed me everywhere. I was told that when I leave to go to the restroom or grab some lunch that he whimpers and cries. That made me feel pretty good until I realized he does that for pretty much all of us! 
