[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story, starring Kayal Boye and directed by Michael Weber, will have its world premiere in the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival, running June 10–15 at The Hudson Theatres.
About Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story
On a soundstage at the 1970 MGM studio auction, dancer Ann Miller revisits the Golden Age of Hollywood and discovers her second act as a Broadway star. Featuring selections from the Great American Songbook, this love letter to entertainment is written by and stars Kayla Boye, whose Call Me Elizabeth premiered in the 2022 Hollywood Fringe and has since sold out a critically acclaimed, international tour.
States Boye, “At a time when so much is uncertain, our hearts long to feel unbridled joy. That is the essence of Ann Miller, whose talents graced the screen in pictures such as Kiss Me Kate, Easter Parade, and On the Town, and who danced her way around the world in productions such as Mame, Hello Dolly, and Sugar Babies. She embodied resilience by persevering through enormous challenges, and she always gave the best of her authentic self to her audiences. I am excited to share her story.”
The Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story Team
Written by and starring Kayla Boye
Directed by Michael Weber
Choreographed by Tammy Mader
Music Directed by Linda Madonia
Kayla Boye (Writer/Actor) returns to the Hollywood Fringe with Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story following 2022’s production of Call Me Elizabeth, a critically acclaimed show about the life of Elizabeth Taylor which continues to tour internationally following sold-out runs Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Mexico’s San Miguel Solo Theatre Festival. Credits: Sierra Madre Playhouse, NAMBA Arts, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Theatre, Fireside Theatre, Capital City Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Mercury Theater Chicago, Music Theater Works, BrightSide Theatre, Citadel Theatre, Bigfork Summer Playhouse, The Huron Playhouse, The Youngstown Playhouse, and City Lit Theater (Winnie in Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days). Awards: Best Choreography, Chicago Musical Theatre Festival (Wonder Women: The Musical). Her work has been awarded grants from Illinois Arts Council and the Arts Midwest Touring Fund. kaylaboye.com | callmeelizabeth.com
Michael Weber (Director) is a nationally recognized, award-winning director, producer, actor and educator. He currently serves as the Resident Director of the Chicago company of Titanique produced by Porchlight Music Theatre, where he serves as Artistic Director. He recently directed the Off-Broadway and European premieres of Call Me Elizabeth written by and starring Kayla Boye as Elizabeth Taylor. Porchlight productions that he directed include Anything Goes, Cabaret, Gypsy, End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd, Pal Joey, Assassins, and Side Show, as well as Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center, were each nominated for the Jeff Award Award for Best Production. Directing credits include Living the History-125 Years of The Auditorium Theatre starring Patti LuPone and John Mahoney, Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena featuring stars of Cirque du Soleil with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, Weber’s regional acting credits include The Merry Widow (starring Renée Fleming) at Lyric Opera, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia Festival, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, It Had To Be You (starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka) at Little Theatre on the Square, Angel Street at First Folio Shakespeare, and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. He is author of the play, WAR of the WELLeS (about Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast) and he is a longtime pledge host for PBS station WTTW channel 11. michaelweberonline.com
Tammy Mader (Choreographer) is a musical theatre performer, director, choreographer and educator. She’s choreographed over 30 productions in the Chicagoland area as well as regional theatre productions, and commercial and video projects. Currently, she is an Associate Teaching Professor of Musical Theater at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and Program Director of their one-of-a-kind Musical Theatre Dance Concentration BFA. Tammy is a proud member of SDC, the union of Stage Directors and Choreographers.
Linda Madonia (Music Director) is currently the Music Supervisor and Associate Conductor on Titanique for Porchlight Music Theatre where she has previously worked on Anything Goes, Cabaret, and A Chorus Line. Other projects include Guys and Dolls, Legally Blonde, Shrek, Mamma Mia, and Camelot at Music Theater Works; and Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, and Sister Act at Mercury Theater Chicago. Linda is the vocal coach for the Master’s Degree program in Music Theatre Pedagogy at Carthage College and owns American Eagle Productions, which has been at the forefront of Theatre Education in the Chicago area for the past 35 years.
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