Laguna Playhouse

King of the Road: The Roger Miller Story

April 19 - May 14, 2017

Book by Cort Casady & Mary Miller

Music by Roger Miller

Directed by Andrew Barnicle

Riding a wave of success triggered by his mega-hits, “Dang Me” and “King of the Road,” a string of gold records and 11 Grammy Awards, wisecracking country star and Tony-winning Broadway composer (Big River) Roger Miller is forced to face his demons, confront his self-destructive tendencies and accept love. Andy Barnicle directs this true story with live music.

This production graciously underwritten by Lisa Hale.

LINDSEY ALLEY (Woman #1) is thrilled to return to Laguna Playhouse! Broadway: Hollywood Arms. Off-Broadway: Look Ma…No Ears (one-woman show). Regional: First Wives Club (Oriental Theatre-Chicago), Legally Blonde (LA Ovation Nomination), Having It All (LA Ovation Nomination), Young Frankenstein, Let’s Misbehave, Shear Madness, Paper Moon & many more. Film/TV/Web: “How I Met Your Mother”, “I Didn’t Do It”, “Bedtime Stories”, “The Mickey Mouse Club” (seven seasons/over 300 episodes), & her hit web series, “On the Patio.” Lindsey also tours the world, performing her acclaimed club act, Blood, Sweat & Mouseketears. University of Missouri-Columbia graduate. Love to Dave & Mr. Lee. Visit LindseyAlley.com.

Lindsey AlleyWoman #1
BRAXTON BAKER (Young Roger) was raised in Duluth, MN and now lives and works in Los Angeles. Stage appearances in Minneapolis, MN include Martin in Little Eyes at the Guthrie Theater and Angel Schunard in Rent, and Bartholomew in The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, all at the Children’s Theatre Company. Other roles include Hansel in the VPAC production of Hansel and Gretel and Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. His TV/Film appearances include Tony in Investigation Discovery’s “Murder Among Friends”, Nico in “DADS”, and Ryan in “Reckless Juliets”. He’d like to thank all family and friends who’ve helped him along the way.

Braxton BakerYoung Roger
ANDREW BARNICLE (Director) served as artistic director of The Laguna Playhouse from 1991 through 2010. In that time he produced over 100 Playhouse shows and directed over 40 of them, including many World, U.S., West Coast and Southern California premieres. Recent directing projects at the Playhouse include Niel Simon's The Odd Couple, Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine, Noel Coward’s Private Lives, and Ron Hutchinson’s Moonlight and Magnolias, which also played the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts as a co-production with McCoy/Rigby Entertainment, and Burbank's Colony Theatre. In the past few years, Andy directed Coward’s Present Laughter at Chapman University, The Lion In Winter, Who Am I This Time? and Gumetal Blues at North Coast Rep in San Diego, Shirley Valentine, the world premiere of Ken Levine’s A or B? at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, The Irish Curse at the Odyssey Theatre in LA, Blame It On Beckett and Lissa Levin’s Sex and Education, starring Stephanie Zimbalist, and Charles Evered’s Celadine at the Colony, and Private Lives at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. Andrew previously served as Head of Theatre at United States International University’s School of Performing and Visual Arts in San Diego, and was the Associate Artistic Director at North Coast Repertory Theatre. He has also directed at San Diego’s Theatre at Old Town, Michigan’s Meadow Brook Theatre, the Colony Theatre, and The Foreigner at the San Jose Repertory Theatre.

Andrew BarnicleDirector
BRITTNEY BERTIER (Woman #2) is excited to make her Laguna Playhouse debut! She can be seen in the premiere of London Calling (The Clash Musical) this summer at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and was most recently seen as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Sierra Repertory Theatre). She is also the voice of Alice in the musical recording of Hello! My Baby. Off Broadway: O Night Divine, National Tour: Seussical, TV: Atypical (Netflix). She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from The Hartt School. Many thanks to Todd Eskin, ATB, THE, + her family.

Brittney BertierWoman #2
Omar D. Brancato (Music Director/David) Previous Laguna Playhouse: I’m Still Getting My Act Together…, A Snow White Christmas. He’s also been seen plucking some strings in Return to the Forbidden Planet (Rubicon), The Boy From Oz (Celebration), American Misfit (Music Director/Arranger, Boston Court). Composed music/lyrics - NCTF award winning Beauty & the Beast (Best Score, Best Musical), The Boys Next Door (incidental music, Chicago revival), Hogpatch Holler (orchestrations/add’l music), The Talking Dead (Holiday Park, Haßloch, Germany). Film Scores include: “Out Of Luck,” “Hollywood Gamble," “The Michelle Show" (Best Score nom, Austin WebFest), and “Monster Heroes” (add’l music). Arrangements/Orchestrations include: FORD, Hewlett Packard, McDonald’s, Gypsy of the Year, Seibel Systems, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Universal Studios (Hollywood, Singapore), Bellagio/ Mirage Hotels, multiple BC/EFA Benefits. Thanks GHS, Rocktron, Risson Amps and JH Audio. Go Cubs!

Omar D. BrancatoMusical Director, David
Jesse Johnson most recently appeared in and is set up to recur in NCIS for CBS. Last summer found him in Chile, shooting the film Salty directed by Simon West. Prior to that, he shot a great role in David Lynch's remake of Twin Peaks for Showtime. Johnson is most known for his lead role of 'John Wilkes Booth' in Killing Lincoln for Tony & Ridley Scott, which Tom Hanks narrated, scoring record ratings and the highest ever viewership score in Nat Geo's history at the time. He has also starred in Law & Order for NBC and Grey's Anatomy for ABC. Prior to that, he shot the Michael Patrick King pilot A Mann's World for NBC. On the feature side, Jesse starred alongside Christine Woods and Chris Masterson in the critically acclaimed indie Chapman for Justin Owensby.

Jesse JohnsonRoger Miller
Kevin F. Story recently appeared in Hansel & Gretel (Valley PAC, LA & Campbell Hall, Santa Barbara), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Flute; Hollywood Fringe), and Songs for a New World (Ovation Arts, La Cañada). Other on-stage credits include Les Misérables (Valjean; Anchorage Concert Association & California Theatre, San Bernardino), West Side Story (Krupke; Musical Theatre West), Company (David; Cabrillo Music Theatre), Thénardier’s Inn (Enjolras; CAC Studios), Godspell (John the Baptist/Judas; Momentum Rep. NYC), and Smokey Joe’s Café (Theatre Three NY). A multi-instrumentalist and composer, Kevin has also music directed and played keyboards in shows on both coasts, including Rent, Miss Saigon, The Wedding Singer, High School Musical, Carousel, and Footloose. He is also a writer, director, and educator recently accepted into NYU’s graduate Performance Studies program.

Kevin F. StoryRandy
Matt “Tucc” Tucci started playing percussion in the school band at 9, but had been banging on pots and pans with wooden spoons since before he could walk. He owns/operates Groovru, a world renowned drum brand followed by drummers of some of your favorite bands including Travis Barker of Blink 182, Steve Smith of Journey, and Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon. His videos of original music, instruction, and drum covers have gathered hundreds of thousands of views online. He’s recorded on albums from New York to California, and has a Bachelor of Science in Audio from Ithaca College.

Matt TucciJerry
Trevor is delighted and honored to again be at The Laguna Playhouse and in the loving arms of the community here in Laguna. He was last seen here in Lonesome Traveler.Other credits include “A Christmas Carol” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence” “Return To The Forbidden Planet” (Rubicon Theatre) and “Fire On The Mountain” at Seattle Rep, “It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues” at Portland Center Stage and “Romeo and Juliet” at Island Stage Left.When not acting he and his wife write songs and play music in Nashville TN

Trevor WheetmanThumbs

Roger Miller sings King of the Road

Roger Miller sings a Medley of Songs

Roger Miller sings with the Muppets

Thanks to ‘King of the Road,’ it’s Miller Time in Laguna

No question that Roger Miller was one of the most singular talents ever to hit the pop charts, a quirky singer-songwriter with a wisecracking, self-deprecating persona and a musical style steeped in bluegrass.

Making heads or tails of his life in a musical stage bio must have been a challenge for Miller’s wife, Mary Arnold Miller, but also a labor of love – yet, in its world premiere at Laguna Playhouse, “King of the Road: The Roger Miller Story” emerges with the same ease and fluidity as any of Miller’s hit songs.

That’s a clear testament to the script, co-written with Cort Casady; director Andrew Barnicle’s adroit staging; and eight extraordinary performers: four filling the play’s dozens of speaking roles, four on-stage musicians (including musical director Omar D. Brancato).

King of the Road: The Roger Miller Story

Thanks to ‘King of the Road,’ it’s Miller Time in Laguna

'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3Runs June 12 & 19, 2017