LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS and MB ARTISTS, INC. ANNOUNCE FULL CASTING
FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE of the “BEATNIK” HORROR COMEDY MUSICAL…
DID YOU SEE WHAT
WALTER PAISLEY DID TODAY?
Dig this, hepcats! LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS and MB ARTISTS, INC. announce full casting for a very special event: the World Premiere of the “beatnik” horror comedy musical, DID YOU SEE WHAT WALTER PAISLEY DID TODAY? with book, music & lyrics by Randy Rogel, produced by Kevin Bailey/MB Artists, Inc., with musical direction by Andrew Orbison, musical supervision by Kimberly Grigsby, choreography by Connor Gallagher, and developed and directed by BT McNicholl. DID YOU SEE WHAT WALTER PAISLEY DID TODAY? will preview on Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 pm & Friday, March 17 at 8 pm (with a press opening on Saturday, March 18 at 8 pm) and will run through Sunday, April 2, 2023 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
When a struggling beatnik sculptor in San Francisco stumbles upon a new style of art that thrusts him into fame, fortune, and perhaps some big trouble, well – you’ll just have to see what Walter Paisley did today. Three-time Emmy winner Randy Rogel (“Animaniacs”) serves up a delightfully varied score of cool jazz, Petula Clark-like knockouts, Neil Sedaka bubble-gum pop, and more. Directed by BT McNicholl (original Broadway creative team member of Spamalot, Billy Elliot, and Cabaret). Be the first to catch this World Premiere musical!
The “Beatniks” of DID YOU SEE WHAT WALTER PAISLEY DID TODAY? will feature Steven Booth (Broadway’s School of Rock) as “Walter Paisley,” Vanessa Sierra as “Carla,” Ross Hellwig as “Maxwell Brock,” Kingsley Leggs (Broadway’s Sister Act) as “Leonard DeSantis,” Kathy Fitzgerald (Broadway’s Wicked and The Producers) as “Mrs. Swickert,” Janna Cardia as “Lili Von Vondergraff,” Ashley Moniz (Broadway’s Kinky Boots and Legally Blonde) as “Beatnik Girl,” Josh Adamson as “Detective Lou Raby,” James Caleb Grice as “Beatnik Guy,” and Jamir Brown as “Clive.”
THE CREATIVE TEAM
RANDY ROGEL (Book, Music & Lyrics) has won three Emmy Awards (nominated for ten), a Peabody Award, two Annie Awards, three Leo Awards, and an Ovation Award. Randy spent nine years on staff at Warner Bros. writing for such shows as “Batman,” Steven Spielberg’s “Animaniacs,” “Pinky and the Brain,” and at Disney Television he wrote and composed for “Monsters, Inc.,” “Peter Pan,” “Cinderella,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “Tarzan,” “The Seven Dwarves,” and “101 Dalmatians.” Randy is a West Point graduate with ten years of service as an officer in the combat arms. He has a B.S. in Engineering from the academy and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Boston University.
BT McNICHOLL (Director) has been on the original creative teams of a dozen Broadway shows, including the Tony-winning hits Billy Elliot, Cabaret, and Spamalot, as the Associate Director for Sam Mendes, Jerry Zaks, Stephen Daldry, David Hare, Rob Marshall, and the legendary Mike Nichols. Internationally, McNicholl won the Helpmann (the Australian Tony Award) for Best Direction and staged the European premiere of The Producers for Mel Brooks. A BMI award-winning writer, his musicals have played Off-B’way (The IT Girl, supervised by Tony winner Jerry Zaks), on national tour, and Madison Square Garden. He has developed new work at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and directed award-winning productions for The Goodspeed Opera House (Best Musical), Walnut Street Theatre (Kleban Award), and Ogunquit Playhouse (Moss Hart Award). Additionally, he has directed at the Hollywood Bowl, was a Development Consultant for MGM On Stage, spent three years with the Shubert Organization, and wrote for the Associated Press Newswire.
CONNOR GALLAGHER (Choreographer) Broadway: Beetlejuice. Other: The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout, Astaire Award); Beauty and the Beast (Disney Dream, Brass Ring Award); Found (Philadelphia Theatre Company); Elf (Kennedy Center); The Twelve (Denver Center); Tangled (Disney Magic, world premiere); and productions at The Public Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, ACT, Two River, Westport Country Playhouse, TheatreWorks, and Northern Stage. Currently developing two musicals as director: Miss Step (Playwrights/The Village) and a new project for The Walt Disney Company. Connor is a graduate of CCM, where in 2021 he received the Young Alumni Award.
KIMBERLY GRIGSBY (Musical Supervisor) Her music directing/conducting credits include, on Broadway: Flying Over Sunset; To Kill A Mockingbird; Head Over Heels; Amélie; Spider- Man: Turn Off The Dark; Spring Awakening; The Light in the Piazza; Caroline, or Change; The Full Monty; You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; Twelfth Night. Off-Broadway: The Lucky Ones; The Fortress of Solitude; Here Lies Love; Coraline; Mother Courage and Her Children; Two Gentlemen of Verona; Songs From an Unmade Bed; Radiant Baby. Other collaborations include My Life Is A Fairy Tale; Orphan of Zhao (Lincoln Center Festival); and Fiddler on the Roof (Lyric Opera of Chicago).
ANDREW ORBISON (Musical Director) is a Los Angeles-based musical director, composer, musician, and arranger. Favorite credits include “It’s A Dog’s Life” theme (Co-composer, Disney+), The Final, Final Farewell Tour of Dick and Delores Del Rubio (Composer/Dick Del Rubio, U.S. Tour/Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Drag the Musical (Associate Musical Director/keys, world premiere – Bourbon Room), Ilcahuilia A Musical (Arranger/Musical Director), Hairspray, All Shook Up (Conductor/keys – San Diego Musical Theatre), Sister Act, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Musical Director).
The Design Team for DID YOU SEE WHAT WALTER PAISLEY DID TODAY? is as follows: Scenic Design by John Iacovelli; Lighting Design by David Lander; Projection Design by Ryan Marsh; Sound Design by Cricket S. Myers; Costume/Hair/Make-up Design by Ann Closs-Farley; Puppet Design by Aran de la Peña; Orchestrations by Tony-winner Larry Hochman (The Book of Mormon). Music Supervision by Kimberly Grigsby (Camelot). Dance Arrangements by David Dabbon (Dancin’). Casting by Binder Casting/Chad Murnane, CSA. The Production Stage Manager is Bree Sherry. The Managing Director is Gene O’Donovan.
DID YOU SEE WHAT WALTER PAISLEY DID TODAY? will preview on Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 pm & Friday, March 17 at 8 pm (with a press opening on Saturday, March 18 at 8 pm) and will run through Sunday, April 2, 2023 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 2 pm & 8 pm and Sundays at 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm. There is no performance on Saturday, March 18 at 2 pm.
There will be a talkback with the cast and creative team on Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 pm.
Tickets range from $28 – $40 (prices subject to change) and can be purchased at La Mirada Theatre’s website www.LaMiradaTheatre.com or by calling the La Mirada Theatre Box Office at (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. Group and military discounts are available. $14 Student Tickets are available. Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue, where the 91 and 5 freeways meet. Parking is free.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS COVID PROTOCOLS
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts continues to follow the County and State Public Health guidelines and will follow the protocols in place at the time of any given performance.
The Tony-nominated LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the best Broadway-style houses in Southern California.” This beautiful state-of-the-art theatre has been presenting quality productions since 1977. The theatre has produced several national tours and is the recipient of numerous accolades, including Tony, Emmy, and Ovation Award nominations and the L.A. Stage Alliance OVATION AWARD for “Best Season of the Year.” The theatre is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, California, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue. Parking is theatre-adjacent and free. For further information call (562) 944-9801 or visit
