Disaster: Mary Birdsong to join cast on 09 Dec 2013

Mary Birdsong is to play 'Jackie' in the musical comedy Disaster! from 09 Dec 2013. She assumes the role from original cast member Michele Ragusa who will play her final performance on 06 Dec 2013.

Birdsong is known for her comedy TV roles as "Mel Bernstein" in "Crash & Bernstein" and as "Deputy Cherisha Kimball" in "Reno 911!" On Broadway she has appeared in 'Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me' and 'Hairspray.' Off-Broadway she has appeared in 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore' and 'Adult Entertainment.'

Birdsong is the show's second cast change. On the 12 Nov 2013 the musical's co-writer Jack Poltnick temporarily assumed the role of 'Tony' from original cast member John Treacy Egan, who is currently starring in Paper Mill Playhouse's production of 'Oliver!' Egan is to return to the show in Jan 2014.

Directed by Jack Plotnick, choreographed by Denis Jones, with music direction by Larry Pressgrove, the cast of Disaster! also features Mary Testa (Shirley), Tom Riis Farrell (Maury), Jennifer Simard (Sister Mary), Seth Rudetsky (Ted), Sherz Aletaha, Ashanti J'Aria, Haven Burton (Marianne), Charity Dawson (Levora), Saum Eskandani, Matt Farcher (Chad), Drew Geraci, Maggie McDowell, Rob Sapp (Scott) and Jonah Verdon (Ben/Lisa).

Disaster! opened at St Luke's Theatre on 04 Nov 2013, following previews from 14 Oct 2013, and is booking through to 31 Dec 2013.

The show opened to mixed, but mostly good reviews reviews: This self-consciously ditsy show, ..., really earns that exclamation point (NY Times); A hilarious little nugget. It ... is by far one of the funniest shows in town (NY Post).

Disaster! is a musical based on 1970's disaster movies with a score consisting of 1970's pop, rock and disco hit songs: 'Hot Stuff,' 'I Am Woman,' 'Knock On Wood,' 'Daybreak,' 'Signed, Sealed Delivered' and more!.

The year is 1979. All the hottest New York City A-Listers are putting on their platform shoes and polyester disco shirts and heading to the grand opening of Manhattan's first floating casino and discotheque. Little do they know that the pier built to house the huge boat was drilled into the center of a dangerous and unstable fault-line. Disaster! is a 1970's disaster movie musical and features songs from the '70's; Hot Stuff, I Am Woman, Knock On Wood, Daybreak, Signed, Sealed Delivered, and more!

Earthquake, tidal wave, infernos, killer bees, rats, sharks and piranhas all threaten the guests. Who will survive? The greedy tycoon? The aging showgirl and her 11-year-old twins? The washed-up disco star? The disaster expert still mourning the loss of his wife? The nun with the gambling addiction? The older couple with a terrible secret? And will the bra-burning feminist find love with the man who's lost his dreams?

The creatve team features set and lighting design by Josh Iacovelli, costumes by Brian Hemesath and sound by Brett Rothstein.