Inside Cherry Pitz Starring Cyndi Freeman
This website appears to have been created to publicize and promote Cyndi Freeman and her new one-woman show, INSIDE CHERRY PITZ. The site was live between 2004-2008. At some point the domain expired. Recently I discovered that the domain was available.
I had been cruising around on the web checking out online eyeglass lens replacement sites. I was tired of going to my local optician and getting lenses for my myriad glasses replaced at what I felt were relatively high prices. So I decided to see if there were any sites that could replace eyeglass lenses and what it would entail. The best site I discovered said that their replacement eyeglass lenses were easy to order. All you had to do was send your glasses' frame and your new prescription along with your phone number, and an optician would call to discuss the best, high quality lens choices and options for your needs. Sounded great to me. Anyway, after I finished with that search I was doodling around and must have inadvertently clicked on something that brought me to one of those sites where you can buy domains. I have a Cherry Pitz poster on my wall. I glanced at it and then on a lark I typed in cyndifreeman.net. Amazingly the site was available. I couldn't believe my luck. I quickly bought it with the goal of using archived content to recreate the essence of the original site. I have been a fan of Cyndi Freeman for a number of years and think she is a delightful, delectable actress, stand-up comedian and burlesque performer. Why should this site disappear or be bought by someone who uses it for a totally different purpose. I believe that cyndifreeman.net should be only about Cyndi Freeman. And so it will remain true to its original intention. Enjoy looking back to the early 2000's when Cyndi Freeman introduced us all to CHERRY PITZ.
PLANET GIRL
presents
Inside Cherry Pitz
Starring Cyndi Freeman, Co-written with Zack Stratis, Directed by Cheryl King
Two-time Fringe NYC award-winner Cyndi Freeman's new one-woman show, INSIDE CHERRY PITZ is an epic comic adventure about fame, love and sideburns. CHERRY PITZ, our plucky heroine, recalls the inspirational journey that took her from a nobody in her hometown of Nowheresville to mega-stardom in Tinseltown -- where the streets are paved with rhinestones and the gutters are lined with mink. From a dingy room high atop an all-girl hotel (really a front for a brothel), eternal optimist Cherry quickly learns Easy Street ain't listed in the A Z. Hitting rock bottom, Cherry gets a waitress job at a Karaoke Bar where, after singing an Elvis tune, she becomes an overnight sensation…but does super-stardom really bring happiness? Are the magazine covers, action figures, pink Cadillacs, and the 43 pool boys enough?
Wigs and costumes fly! The eclectic collection of misfits in Cherry's orbit include boarding house mother/madam Elsa, starlet-in-training roommate Maybelene, childhood sweetheart turned superhero Johnny Angel, pop-singing sensation Glam Glam Bronco, Drag Queen dad Harry Pitz, and the King himself!
****
“Stunning in more ways than one…as charming as it is funny.” Theatermania.com
“A pink-wigged, leopard-print, hip-gyrating gem…” nytheater.com
“A daring, delightful, and delectable one-woman quixotic adventure.” Off Broadway review
"Inside Cherry Pitz is a daring, delightful, and delectable one-woman quixotic adventure" The Off-Off-Broadway Review
"...as charming as it is funny. This is one of those rare festival shows that deserve a commercial production." TheaterMania: The Siegel Column Jul 26, 2005
"Inside Cherry Pitz is a pink-wigged, leopard-print, hip-gyrating gem" Midtown International Festival Reviews
"Inside Cherry Pitz is a fun, frothy, one person show that keeps a smile on your face." 2004-05 Theatre Season Reviews
"(Freeman's) instincts, charm and inventiveness as a performer are first rate." MITF Roundup #3
****
"INSIDE CHERRY PITZ"
Written & Performed by Cyndi Freeman
Co-written by Zack Stratis, Directed by Cheryl King
Music by Hector Coris & John Florencio, Choreography: Adam Cates
New York International Fringe Festival Award Winner 2002
(Excellence in the category of solo show)
Biographies
Performer & Writer: Cyndi Freeman is an actress, playwright, stand-up comedian and burlesque performer. Her one woman show Inside Cherry Pitz has been presented in NYC at The Midtown International Theater Festival ( 2004 & 2005) and at The Cherry Lane Theater as part of the Downtown Urban Theater Festival (2005). Her one-woman show, Greetings From Hollywood, was spotlighted on CNN, received a "Best in Fringe Festival" award at the NY International Fringe Festival (1997), was voted "Best New Play of New England (1998)” by the Independent Reviewers of New England. Greetings was also presented at the Edinburgh Fringe (1998) at the Gilded Balloon. Her one-woman show, I Kissed Dash Riprock!, was presented as part of the Edinburgh Fringe (2000) at the Assembly Rooms. Winner of a "Best in Festival Award for Excellence" at the NY International Fringe Festival (2002) Riprock also enjoyed success in NYC, Boston, toured England with Guy Masterson Productions and was presented by Xaviera Hollander in Amsterdam. Ms Freeman is a recipient of a grand prize play writing fellowship award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (with collaborator Ellen Groves). Other credits include HBO, Comedy Central and Showtime. She resides in NYC.
Co-Writer: Zack Stratis is an award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles where he is in development with television and film projects. His first feature film, Could Be Worse!, premiered to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000 and won the "Audience Award" at the Provincetown International Film Festival and The Film Advisory Board, Award of Excellence. His 1993 documentary film, Midburb, has been recognized with a CINE Eagle Award and Best Documentary at the Humboldt International Film Festival. Zack's short film, . . .and a Song and Dance, won First Prize at the Festival De Belfort, France; Second Prize at the Marin County Film Festival and Special Jury awards at the Humboldt and Ann Arbor Film Festivals. Stratis is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America – West, where he serves on several committees.
Director: Cheryl King recently created her own theatre, Stage Left Studio, which has the only solo show repertory in NYC. She is Artistic Director of Sola Voce: Estrogenius at Manhattan Theatre Source and co-artistic director of the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Her internationally acclaimed solo show, not a nice girl, has had runs Off-Broadway in NYC, in Los Angeles and Ft. Collins, CO. Her television credits include ABC's 20/20, Oprah! and Faking It on TLC. Ms. King is an advisory board member of ARIA and a member of the Dramatists Guild. In addition to private coaching in acting and writing, she directs the solo shows of Cyndi Freeman, Beth Bongar, Susan Little, Karen Thibodeau and Jane Aquilina. Info: www.cherylkingproductions.com.
Musical Accompanist (Edinburgh): Jodie Oliver is going into her final year studying music at Edinburgh Univ. and hopes to pursue a career in musical theatre. Credits as MD include 3hree! (Music Theatre Scotland), I love you, you’re perfect, now change (Hotbox Productions – Edinburgh Fringe 2004), Honk (Fringe 2003). As assistant MD she has worked on Goblin Market (Youth Music Theatre: UK – Fringe 2005) and Carousel (George Heriot’s) among others. National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) productions include The Dreaming (Fringe 2002), Oklahoma (Peacock Theatre), Nos Vies en Rose (Birmingham Hippodrome). She is a regular accompanist in and around Edinburgh, and is currently musical director for the Millennium Stage School, and teacher for Stagecoach Edinburgh North.
Musical Director & Accompanist (NYC): Hector Coris is on the Board of Brooklyn Family Theatre and is their resident art director. He has performed leading roles in The Wiz, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Bye Bye Birdie, and performed in numerous cabaret shows and revues. Hector is also a MAC Award-nominated songwriter. He recently finished a run of his new original musical revue, What’s Your Problem? His songs (written with Paul L. Johnson) have been performed by Broadway performers, at BC/EFA Benefits and by Forte - the Toronto Men's Choir. For more information on his many other current projects, please visit www.hectorcoris.com.
Choreographer: Adam Cates has enjoyed collaborating with and coaching the fantastic Ms. Freeman for the past 2 years! Choreography includes a National Tour: Doctor Doolittle (asst. choreog.; director/starring Tommy Tune); International: Tommy Tune's Paparazzi (asst. choreog.), Holland America (asst. choreog.), Barbados Jazz Festival; US Regional: On the 20th Century (asst. choreog.), The Magic of Eli Kerr, The Eyes Are the First Thing to Go (asst. choreog.), Once Upon a Mattress, The Boys Next Door and several industrials. He has also taught master classes throughout the US and Canada. For more info please visit www.adamcates.net.