A gem of a show brimming with intelligence, wit and beautiful melodies, the chamber musical John & Jen opens in January in the intimate 35below theatre at Asheville Community Theatre. John & Jen stars local musical heavyweights Mark Jones and Kelli Mullinix in this two person tour-de-force. The musical will open Friday, January 9 and run through Sunday, January 25, 2015 with performances Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm. Tickets are available online, over the phone, or in person at the Asheville Community Theatre Box Office. All tickets are $20.00.
John & Jen is a truly original musical honoring brothers and sisters and parents and children, set against the background of a changing America between 1950 and 1990. It features book and music by Andrew Lippa, who also wrote the music and lyrics for The Addams Family, with music and lyrics by Tom Greenwald.
“John & Jen has been a part of my life since I first heard the original cast recording in 1995,” said star Mark Jones. “This show resonates with me, because I have a very strong relationship with my family, and this show is a beautiful story about the relationships between parents, children, brothers and sisters and how those very relationships can change and affect you throughout your life.”
Adds Jones, “I had the pleasure of performing in the show in 2007, and I have always wanted to do it again. So, I asked my best friend, and local actress, Kelli Mullinix if she was interested, and the rest is history. This is a very challenging show for both of us, because it encompasses 40 years in Jen’s life…and her relationship with her brother and her son. So, Kelli gets to play Jen from age 6 to 46…and I get to play both her brother and son from birth to age 18.”
Mark Jones and Kelli Mullinix are both beloved veterans of the local theatre scene, and each have lengthy theatrical resumes. At Asheville Community Theatre, Jones most recently appeared as Lurch in The Addams Family; Mullinix wowed audiences in the popular Honky Tonk Angels. Musical direction is by John Crawley.