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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 25th, 2005                    

OVER THE TOP: SONGS BY JIM STEINMAN PRESENTED FOUR CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS, JUNE 9TH THRU JUNE 12TH, 2005 AT THE CABARET AT MOHEGAN SUN, UNCASVILLE, CT

Producers Steven Rinkoff and Tom Lazenby present classic and new songs from the rock operatic imagination of Jim Steinman, songwriter and producer behind “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”, “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”, “Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All)”, “Holding Out For A Hero”, Bat Out Of Hell (albums) , “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and many others.

Starring Rob Evan and featuring vocalists Elaine Caswell, Jeremey Kushnier & Nicki Richards, OVER THE TOP unites, longtime Steinman collaborator, Steve Margoshes at the piano with a group of singers and musicians providing soaring talent to these iconic rock and theatrical masterpieces.

This time out, after a succesful run at Joe's Pub (NYC), Over The Top adds Alex Skolnick, Matt Zebroski and Mat Fieldes, together with Margoshes and Ben-David, forming a powerful band of multi-dimensional musicians that offer a reinvented take on the Steinman classics as well as the premiering of new Steinman songs.

“If you don’t go OVER THE TOP, you'll never see what's on the other side.”

Performances are June 9th thru 12th , 7:30pm 2005. Tickets available at Mohegan Sun box office or through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com. All tickets $25. Associate Musical Direction by Adam Ben-David. Lighting Design by Herrick Goldman. Presented in part by Linda C. Russak.

OVER THE TOP: SONGS BY JIM STEINMAN. STARRING ROB EVAN WITH STEVE MARGOSHES ON PIANO. VOCALISTS ELAINE CASWELL, JEREMY KUSHNIER & NICKI RICHARDS. ALSO FEATURING ADAM BEN-DAVID, ALEX SKOLNICK, MATT ZEBROSKI, MAT FIELDES & OTHERS

Jim Steinman, whose feverish college epic The Dream Engine, inspired Joseph Papp to hire him at the end of the Act 1, went on to write such standards as Bat Out Of Hell (two albums – Meat Loaf) "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out For A Hero" (Bonnie Tyler), "Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All)" (Air Supply), “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” (Celine Dion) to name a few. Beyond that, Jim Steinman has written stage musicals recently running in England (Whistle Down The Wind w/ Andrew Lloyd Webber), Sweden (Garbo), NYC and currently, in its eighth year, Tanz Der Vampires, in Hamburg and Vienna, soon to be opening in Poland and Japan.






Jekyll's Evan and Vampires' Gonzalez to Sing Jim Steinman Songs Jan. 30-31
By Andrew Gans
06 Dec 2004
http://www.joespub.com

Over the Top: Songs By Jim Steinman will be presented Jan. 30 and 31, 2005, at Joe's Pub.

Jekyll & Hyde's Robert Evan and Dance of the Vampires's Mandy Gonzalez will be among the singers interpreting the works of Steinman, whose chartbusters include "Total Eclipse of the Heart," "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Making Love Out of Nothing at All." Steinman's Broadway credits include Footloose (additional songs) and Dance of the Vampires (book, music and lyrics). Show times are 9:30 PM on Jan. 30 and 7 PM on Jan. 31.

Presented by Steven Rinkoff and Tom Lazenby, Over the Top: Songs By Jim Steinman will also feature the vocals of Elain Caswell and orchestrations/piano accompaniment by Steve Margoshes.

Robert Evan, a recent star of Little Shop of Horrors and Johnny Guitar, has appeared on Broadway in Dance of the Vampires, Jekyll & Hyde and Les Misérables. Another recent project was Off-Broadway's The Prince and the Pauper. His tour credits include Les Miz, Jekyll & Hyde and Hello, Dolly! A former UGA football player, Evan has appeared on ABC-TV's "All My Children," and his recordings include "Jekyll & Hyde," "The Civil War," "Cyrano," "The Broadway Musicals of 1940," "The Prince and the Pauper" and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's third Christmas album.

Mandy Gonzalez starred as Sarah in Dance of the Vampires. She won an Obie Award for her work in the Off Broadway musical Eli's Comin', and was most recently on Broadway in Aida.

Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. Tickets, priced at $25, are available by calling (212) 239-6200.

The Confidence Man

Beechmont Players announces it's Fall production of The Confidence Man by
Ray Errol Fox and Jim Steinman. Directed by James "Smeghead" Updike & Sarah
Updike. Production dates are October 29, 30 and November 5, 6. With a
Matinee performance on November 6th.

Steinman's Wuthering Heights: MTV 9/14 @ 8pm - read more


MTV Set to Air Next Original Movie for Television 'Wuthering Heights' in September 2003


Music Driven Film Inspired By Bronte's Classic Novel Set to Feature

Erika Christensen ('Traffic' and 'Swimfan')

NEW YORK, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- It was previously announced by MTV's Lois Curren, Executive Vice President, Series & Movie Development that "Wuthering Heights" will be the next original movie to appear on MTV. "Wuthering Heights" will be an adaptation of the classic novel by Emily Bronte about doomed and tragic love, conflicting passion and revenge -- updated for the MTV audience in a dramatic and music-driven tale.

The movie just finished production in Puerto Rico in May 2003 and will air in September 2003. A blockbuster group of young actors and actresses including Erika Christensen ("Traffic"), Mike Vogel ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre") Chris Masterson ("Malcolm in the Middle") Katherine Heigl ("Roswell") and Johnny Whitworth ("The Rainmaker") are set to star in this adaptation. Christensen will play the role that was immortalized by Merle Oberon in the 1939 classic movie also starring Sir Laurence Olivier. Christensen, Vogel and Whitworth will be making their on-screen singing debut.

Maggie Malina, Vice President MTV Original Movies, will serve as executive in charge of production. Jim Steinman (Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell") will executive produce the movie and will provide his signature sound in original songs written for and performed in the movie by Christensen and Vogel. Suri Krishnamma ("A Man of No Importance," "New Year's Day") is set to direct.

"Our movies to date have been infused with music, culture and originality," says Lois Curren. We are excited about our latest project because it captures all three of these aspects and we anticipate that the adaptation of this classic story will undoubtedly make an indelible impact with our audience."

"We have a tremendous cast of established talent along with some new, fresh faces who we are confident are poised to be the stars of tomorrow," commented Maggie Malina. "To date, we have had amazing success at finding new talent, casting them in our movies and watching them catapult to stardom - like Joy Bryant, Bow Wow and Beyonce Knowles all in their acting debuts. We're confident that our intuition will be right on with some of the new faces you'll see in 'Wuthering Heights'."

"Wuthering Heights" tells the story of CATE (Erika Christensen) and HENDRIX (Johnny Whitworth), young siblings living with their counterculture father EARNSHAW in a ramshackle lighthouse known as 'The Heights'. Cate is free-spirited and happy, but curious about the world outside her home. On his travels, Earnshaw encounters a reclusive homeless boy, HEATH (Mike Vogel), who he invites into their home. Heath is an intense child with natural musical abilities, and he draws immediate reactions from the family -- love from Cate, fatherly love from Earnshaw, and jealousy from displaced Hendrix.

Cate, in a desperate attempt to quash her feeling for Heath, accepts a hasty marriage proposal from EDWARD LINTON (Chris Masterson), a shy suitor. But their happiness is short-lived as Cate cannot escape her true feelings for Heath. As she withdraws, her adoring husband grows impatient and jealous. When Heath returns to reclaim the Heights from Hendrix, it's only a matter of time before he and Cate are reunited for one secret tryst.

CAST INFORMATION

Erika Christensen stunned audiences as Michael Douglas' drug addicted daughter in Steven Soderbergh's Oscar and Golden Globe winning film, TRAFFIC. Recently, Christensen starred in two feature films, which were released in September 2002. In the high school thriller SWIMFAN, Christensen plays a student whose crush turns into an unexpected obsession, with Jesse Bradford and Shiri Appleby. Christensen was also seen as the daughter of ex-groupie, Susan Sarandon, in Fox Searchlight's THE BANGER SISTERS, co-starring Goldie Hawn and Geoffrey Rush. Christensen will next be seen this fall starring in Paramount Pictures' THE PERFECT SCORE.

Mike Vogel just wrapped the Warner Bros. feature film entitled GRIND for director Casey La Scala. GRIND chronicles four young boys as they journey across the United States to get on a coveted skateboarding tour. He stars opposite Adam Brody, Jennifer Morrison and Vince Vieluf. GRIND is scheduled to be released August 2003. Also upcoming for Vogel, is the remake of 11974 horror classic, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE set for release in October 2003, and co-starring Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour and Jonathan Tucker.

Christopher Kennedy Masterson, is a young and talented actor currently starring as a cast member of the FOX Emmy award-winning hit comedy, "Malcolm in the Middle". Chris portrays 'Francis,' Malcolm's eldest brother, a smooth-talking delinquent whose escapades land him in military school. He also had a reoccurring role this season on FOX's hit series "That 70's Show" where he played Todd, a nerdy, obsessed type manager of a cheese shop and Jackie's love interest. Masterson has also appeared in numerous films including the Wayans' Brothers film "SCARY MOVIE 2", "MY BEST FRIENDS WEDDING" and "SINGLES".

Katherine Heigl is most widely recognized for her role on the WB hit show, "Roswell." Heigl made her feature debut at the age of 12 in THAT NIGHT which starred Juliette Lewis and C. Thomas Howell and later appeared in the Steven Soderbergh Depression-era drama, KING OF THE HILL. Those films laid the foundation for what was to be her breakout performance in Touchstone Pictures' MY FATHER THE HERO. Recently, Heigl has starred in "Critical Assembly" for NBC, "Romy and Michele" for ABC and "Love Comes Softly" for the Hallmark Channel.

Johnny Whitworth began his acting career appearing in such hit films as EMPIRE RECORDS, BYE, BYE LOVE, SOMEBODY IS WAITING and most notably, playing the leukemia victim Donnie Ray Black in "THE RAINMAKER" opposite Matt Damon and Jon Voight. Johnny also has appeared on the small screen on "NYPD Blue", "The Shield", Robert Altman's GUN, and BIRDLAND to name a few. Johnny's next film is the independent romantic comedy, KISS THE BRIDE.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS is written by Max Enscoe & Annie de Young who wrote DAY THE WORLD ENDED for HBO and THE GOGO'S for ABC. It is produced by Barstu Productions Inc. in association with Domain Cinema Inc. and Constellation Partners LLC. Paul Mason serves as Executive Producer for Barstu and Steven J. Brown and David Williams will be Executive Producers for Domain.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE:VIA, VIA.B), owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VHI, NICKELODEON/NICK at NITE, TV LAND and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of nine digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide. In addition, MTV Networks operates MTV Networks Online, a portfolio of leading Internet properties built to address every interest of today's music fan and Internet-savvy kid.


MTV GREENLIGHTS AND GOES INTO PRODUCTION ON NEXT ORIGINAL MOVIE FOR TELEVISION "WUTHERING HEIGHTS"


Music Driven Film Inspired By Bronte's Classic Novel Set to Feature
Erika Christensen ("Traffic" and "Swimfan")


Santa Monica, CA, April 21, 2003 - MTV's Lois Curren, Executive Vice President, Series & Movie Development announced today that "Wuthering Heights" has been greenlit as the next original movie to appear on MTV. "Wuthering Heights" will be an adaptation of the classic novel by Emily Bronte about doomed and tragic love, conflicting passion and revenge -- updated for the MTV audience in a dramatic and music-driven tale.

The movie is set to go into production in Puerto Rico in May 2003 and will air in Q3'03. A blockbuster group of young actors and actresses including Erika Christensen ("Traffic"), Mike Vogel ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre") Chris Masterson ("Malcolm in the Middle") Katherine Heigl ("Roswell") and Johnny Whitworth ("The Rainmaker") are set to star in this adaptation. Christensen will play the role that was immortalized by Merle Oberon in the 1939 classic movie also starring Sir Laurence Olivier. Christensen, Vogel and Whitworth will be making their on-screen singing debut.

Maggie Malina, Vice President MTV Original Movies, will serve as executive in charge of production. Jim Steinman (Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell") will executive produce the movie and will provide his signature sound in original songs written for and performed in the movie by Christensen and Vogel. Suri Krishnamma ("A Man of No Importance," "New Year's Day") is set to direct.

"Our movies to date have been infused with music, culture and originality," says Lois Curren. We are excited about our latest project because it captures all three of these aspects and we anticipate that the adaptation of this classic story will undoubtedly make an indelible impact with our audience."

"We have a tremendous cast of established talent along with some new, fresh faces who we are confident are poised to be the stars of tomorrow," commented Maggie Malina. "To date, we have had amazing success at finding new talent, casting them in our movies and watching them catapult to stardom - like Joy Bryant, Bow Wow and Beyonce Knowles all in their acting debuts. We're confident that our intuition will be right on with some of the new faces you'll see in 'Wuthering Heights.'

"Wuthering Heights" tells the story of CATE (Erika Christensen) and HENDRIX (Johnny Whitworth), young siblings living with their counterculture father EARNSHAW in a ramshackle lighthouse known as 'The Heights'. Cate is free-spirited and happy, but curious about the world outside her home. On his travels, Earnshaw encounters a reclusive homeless boy, HEATH (Mike Vogel), who he invites into their home. Heath is an intense child with natural musical abilities, and he draws an immediate reactions from the family --- love from Cate, fatherly love from Earnshaw, and jealousy from displaced Hendrix.

Cate, in a desparate attempt to quash her feeling for Heath, accepts a hasty marriage proposal from EDWARD LINTON (Chris Masterson), a shy suitor. But their happiness is short-lived as Cate cannot escape her true feelings for Heath. As she withdraws, her adoring husband grows impatient and jealous. When Heath returns to reclaim the Heights from Hendrix, it's only a matter of time before he and Cate are reunited for one secret tryst.

CAST INFORMATION
Erika Christensen stunned audiences as Michael Douglas' drug addicted daughter in Steven Soderbergh's Oscar and Golden Globe winning film, TRAFFIC. Recently, Christensen starred in two feature films, which were released in September 2002. In the high school thriller SWIMFAN,
Christensen plays a student whose crush turns into an unexpected obsession, with Jesse Bradford and Shiri Appleby. Christensen was also seen as the daughter of ex-groupie, Susan Sarandon, in Fox Searchlight's THE BANGER SISTERS, co-starring Goldie Hawn and Geoffrey Rush. Christensen will next be seen this fall starring in Paramount Pictures' THE PERFECT SCORE.

Mike Vogel just wrapped the Warner Bros. feature film entitled GRIND for director Casey La Scala. GRIND chronicles four young boys as they journey across the United States to get on a coveted skateboarding tour. He stars opposite Adam Brody, Jennifer Morrison and Vince Vieluf. GRIND is scheduled to be released August 2003. Also upcoming for Vogel, is the remake of 11974 horror classic, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE set for release in October 2003, and co-starring Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour and Jonathan Tucker.

Christopher Kennedy Masterson, is a young and talented actor currently starring as a cast member of the FOX Emmy award-winning hit comedy, "Malcolm in the Middle". Chris portrays 'Francis,' Malcolm's eldest brother, a smooth-talking delinquent whose escapades land him in military school. He also had a reoccurring role this season on FOX's hit series "That 70's Show" where he played Todd, a nerdy, obsessed type manager of a cheese shop and Jackie's love interest. Masterson has also appeared in numerous films including the Wayans' Brothers film "SCARY MOVIE 2", "MY BEST FRIENDS WEDDING" and "SINGLES".

Katherine Heigl is most widely recognized for her role on the WB hit show, "Roswell." Heigl made her feature debut at the age of 12 in THAT NIGHT which starred Juliette Lewis and C. Thomas Howell and later appeared in the Steven Soderbergh Depression-era drama, KING OF THE HILL. Those films laid the foundation for what was to be her breakout performance in Touchstone Pictures' MY FATHER THE HERO. Recently, Heigl has starred in "Critical Assembly" for NBC, "Romy and Michele" for ABC and "Love Comes Softly" for the Hallmark Channel.

Johnny Whitworth began his acting career appearing in such hit films as EMPIRE RECORDS, BYE, BYE LOVE, SOMEBODY IS WAITING and most notably, playing the leukemia victim Donnie Ray Black in "THE RAINMAKER" opposite Matt Damon and Jon Voight. Johnny also has appeared on the small screen on "NYPD Blue", "The Shield", Robert Altman's GUN, and BIRDLAND to name a few. Johnny's next film is the independent romantic comedy, KISS THE BRIDE.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS is written by Max Enscoe & Annie de Young who wrote DAY THE WORLD ENDED for HBO and THE GOGO'S for ABC. It is produced by Barstu Productions Inc. in association with Domain Cinema Inc. and Constellation Partners LLC. Paul Mason serves as Executive Producer for Barstu and Steven J. Brown and David Williams will be Executive Producers for Domain.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VHI, NICKELODEON/NICK at NITE, TV LAND and the THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of nine digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide. In addition, MTV Networks operates MTV Networks Online, a portfolio of leading Internet properties built to address every interest of today's music fan and Internet-savvy kid.


Jim will be the Executive Producer of this MTV Wuthering Heights movie and will both contribute to and supervise the program's music.

MTV Returns to 'Wuthering Heights' Once Moor
April 21, 2003

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Heathcliff, Heathcliff, no one should terrify the neighborhood. MTV is hard at work prepping a new version of Emily Bronte's gothic novel "Wuthering Heights." Displaying MTV's trademark touch with the classics, the new version of the story will be a contemporary retelling and it will be a musical. The film will star Erika Christensen ("Traffic"), Katherine Heigl ("Roswell") and Mike Vogel ("Grounded For Life"), according to The Hollywood Reporter .

Written by Max Enscoe and Annie deYoung and following in the footsteps of such literate MTV faire as "Carmen: A Hip Hopera," the new "Wuthering Heights" will feature Vogel as Heathcliff, Christensen as his all-consuming love Catherine and Isabella as Catherine's tortured sister.

Suri Krishnamma ("A Man of No Importance") will direct.

Astute fans of musical theater will note that "Wuthering Heights" has already added songs on several occasions including Bernard Herrmann's opera version, the not-so-immortal "Heathcliff" and Bernard Taylor's more recent version, which featured songs like "They Say He's a Gypsy" and "Heathcliff's Lament."

The novel has been adapted for the screen several times including the famous 1939 William Wyler version, starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as well as a more recent TV version starring Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes.
--------------------------------------------------
Trio set to scale musical 'Heights' for MTV original

April 21, 2003

By Zorianna Kit and Nellie Andreeva

Erika Christensen, Mike Vogel and Katherine Heigl are in final negotiations to topline "Wuthering Heights," MTV's musical adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic novel.

The movie, written by Max Enscoe and Annie deYoung, takes a contemporary look at the tragic story of revenge and romantic love between the offspring of the Earnshaws, who live at Wuthering Heights, and their genteel, refined neighbors the Lintons.

"Wuthering Heights" centers on the saucy and selfish Catherine Earnshaw (Christensen), who falls in love with Heathcliff (Vogel), an orphan adopted by the Earnshaws, but marries her neighbor Edgar Linton instead. Meanwhile, Linton's sister Isabella (Heigl) marries Heathcliff but escapes after his ill temper makes her life miserable.

The project marks Christensen's onscreen singing debut.

Suri Krishnamma is set to direct the movie, overseen at MTV by executive vp series and movie development Lois Curren and vp original movies Maggie Malina.

Christensen, repped by WMA, James/Levy/Jacobson and attorney Michael Fuller, next stars in Paramount Pictures' "The Perfect Score." Her credits include "The Banger Sisters," "Swimfan" and "Traffic."

Heigl, best known for her role on the series "Roswell" and the feature film "Valentine," was recently tapped to star in UPN's drama pilot presentation "Vegas Dick." She is repped by WMA and Untitled Entertainment.

Vogel, repped by CAA and Management 360, next stars in New Line Cinema's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and Warner Bros. Pictures/Gaylord Films' skateboarding feature "Grind." On TV, he co-stars on the WB Network series "Grounded for Life."

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