credit: rosspetty.com

Ross Petty Productions presents
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, The Savagely Silly Family Musical!

Starring Jake Epstein, Eddie Glen, Melissa O'Neil, Ross Petty, Jake Simons

Celebrating 15 years of Fractured Fairy Tales, Ross Petty Productions presents their premiere production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, The Savagely Silly Family Musical, at Toronto's Elgin Theatre this winter.

Don't look for dancing candlesticks or singing clocks, they have been unceremoniously cast aside by animal pop stars as magically created by the evil Barnum von Cowell. Shy Prince Edgar enters into a Faustian deal with Barnum and inadvertently becomes the Beasty Boy of the title. Our Beauty is the apple of Edgar's eye and even she cannot escape the malevolent spell of von Cowell. Is there no stopping this dastardly devil?

Melissa O'Neil, Canadian Idol winner from 2005, wears the mantle of Beauty with incredible grace, and a rock solid voice - she's a major Canadian talent whose theatrical career is just taking flight.

Jake Epstein who burned up the Elgin stage in 2008 as Cinderella's Prince, returns as the hirsute hero. Jake became a household name from his years of playing Craig on CTV's Degrassi, the Next Generation. Most recently, Jake starred in the U.S. stage tour of the coming of age musical Spring Awakening.

For more information, read the source at RossPetty.com.

For more photos, visit this gallery album.

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The national tour of Spring Awakening finished up in Orlando on May 23rd 2010 and here is some parting words from Jake Epstein:

"I'll never forget our closing show in Orlando. It was a truly great moment in my life- being up there on stage with people I love and respect, doing a play that had so much to say and meant so much to so many people, and realizing what an incredible year it's been.

My favourite city- though there were some great ones- was Washington DC. It was my first city officially taking over the role of Melchior, and we had a 4 week run at the Kennedy Center.

What a mindblowing year. I can't even put into words what this year has been. My fingers can't possibly do it justice: It was a dream-come-true, it was hard, it was fun, it was gruelling, it was lonely, it was like camp, it was like theatre school, it was so meaningful, I laughed 'till I cried a lot, I sang more than I've ever sung, I had a blast....it was amazing. Thanks to everyone for coming to the shows and saying hi after! You guys made this show so special."
Source at Totally Trucked!



Jake has been screen capped for the TotallyTrucked webisodes he was in (if I didn't miss any). Here's a list, complete with a link to the youtube video if you haven't watched it yet and the album in the gallery here at craig-ashley.com.

M&M's - An Obsession Gone Wrong *Youtube **Screencaps
Equality March: Lets Get This Done! *Youtube **Screencaps
The Bitch of Living Montage *Youtube **Screencaps
Totally F*cked Montage *Youtube **Screencaps
Paranormal Activity *Youtube **Screencaps
Jake Epstein Profile of The Month *Part 1 on Youtube *Part 2 on Youtube **Screencaps
Who Wants To Be An American Idiot? *Youtube **Screencaps
Juggling Competition *Youtube **Screencaps
Pizza Challenge *Part 1 on Youtube *Part 2 on Youtube **Screencaps
Matt's In The Heights *Youtube **Screencaps
The End, But Not *Youtube **Screencaps

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The Miami Herald Christine Dolen column: Musical about rock music, rage and the timeless anxiety of being young comes to Miami
by Christine Dolen for The Miami Herald

...Canadian actor Jake Epstein, who now plays Melchior, also likens being in the show to graduate school.

"It's incredibly grueling, so I'm lucky I love the show," says Epstein, a veteran of the popular Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation. "It makes you crazy, it's such an intense story line. But you can't half-ass your performance. The show doesn't allow it."

That love scene? He admits that it's tougher for him.

"I find that scene terrifying. I feel scared, excited, crazy -- this mix of emotions. Is it love? Is it lust? Is it violence? It's not my job to decide. I have to be in the moment."
Read more at the source.

Actor is unlike the characters he portrays
By Marvin Glassman for sun-sentinel.com

When an actor plays enough roles as a teen in trouble, people may think his life is in distress as well.

However, the life of 23-year-old Canadian actor Jake Epstein is very different from the roles he has played since being a teen himself, such as the bi-polar teen musician in the television series "Degrassi: The Next Generation" or the Hasidic Jewish gang member in the film "Crown Heights." Epstein is currently starring as the rebellious teen Melchior in "Spring Awakening," playing through May 16 at the Arsht Center.

Epstein is not a malcontent youth although he portrays one. Rather, Epstein comes from a middle class Jewish family in Toronto who have been supportive of his talents and whom he could always talk with. "My parents and sister have been supportive of me as a teen both in my career and in my own quest for independence, not like the teens I portray," said Epstein in a phone interview.

Epstein is deeply proud of his Jewish roots, learning that his maternal grandparents that he never met were Holocaust survivors from his mother, award winning author Kathy Kacer, who writes on children who survived The Holocaust. "The first book I wrote 'The Secrets of Gabi's Dress' was based on my mother. I wrote it first and foremost to my two children as a way of preserving that history for them — and both Gabi (Jake's sister) and Jake have helped me with my research for my books," said Kacer.

Epstein relishes the idea of playing a Holocaust survivor child if one of his mother's books becomes a play or film. "What my grandparents went through is tragic and I would be immensely proud to play such a role on the stage or screen. One of my mother's books is being discussed as a film project, so it would be a way of me paying homage to my family," said Epstein.

Epstein has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike for his portrayal of Melchior as the teen who needs to express love and disappointment in the repressive nineteenth century of Germany.

"Playing Melchior is a dream come true," Esptein said. "The play is relevant and topical and I hope that parents and teens can talk about the issues the play raises. It's a play that does not talk down to the audience and likes to portray teens who are not shying away from intense issues."

Read more at the source.

Check out a video clip of Jake Epstein with his Spring Awakening co-star Christy Altomare here, shot after the opening night in Orlando for cfnews13.com.


For more screen captures, visit this gallery album.

For other reviews of the national tour visit the official blog: Spring Awakening Reviews in Orlando

Coming soon: screen captures of all the TotallyTrucked you tube webisodes Jake has appeared in.

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