New Musical Yankee Doodle Debuts at MN's Ordway August 5

Yankee Doodle, a new musical based on the life and work of writer, performer, and producer George M. Cohan will open the 2008-2009 season at St. Paul's Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Written by David Armstrong (Producing Artistic Director of The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle), the musical is scheduled to begin performances on August 5, 2008, and, according to press notes, promises "a very realistic picture of the star-spangled "Man Who Owned Broadway,.""

Yankee Doodle is a showbiz saga centering on the brash, charismatic, and uncompromising character whose unstoppable drive gave birth to the myth of Broadway. Cohan’s raw passion is embedded deep in the consciousness of every American and continues to influence musicals on Broadway today.

This new musical began on a beach in Cancun when Armstrong and Albert Evans (who researched and adapted Cohan’s songs for the show) were both reading different Cohan biographies. Both men came across a startling fact. Armstrong remembers it like this: "In 1942, near the end of his life, Cohan who had been bed-ridden for months, got out of his sick bed and had his nurse take him to see the James Cagney movie Yankee Doodle Dandy. After watching the film for fifteen minutes Cohan changed his plan, and instead went to visit his old haunts — the theatres he used to own — the places he used to frequent. They walked all over Time Square, went home and Cohan died! He literally gave his regards to Broadway on one of the last nights of his life. True story."

Such Cohan hits as "Give My Regards to Broadway," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Over There" will be heard in this musical that will be directed and choreographed by James A. Rocco (Ordway Center’s Producing Artistic Director) and Jayme McDaniel (Ordway Center’s Associate Artistic Director) and stars Sean Martin Hingston (Broadway’s Contact and Curtains) as the young Cohan and Richard Sanders (famous as Les Nessman on the hit TV show WKRP in Cincinnati) as the elder Cohan.

Yankee Doodle will play at the Ordway from August 5 through 17. For more information, visit: www.ordway.org.