As Star Trek: Voyager's holographic Doctor, Robert Picardo had multiple opportunities to show off his singing talents, and this month he'll be singing onstage at UCLA along with several Star Trek alums.

"REPRISE! Broadway's Best" at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, a program that has, in its six seasons, presented eighteen classic American musicals is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the musical "On the Twentieth Century" with this special production, featuring Picardo and a cast that includes Bob Gunton and Dan Butler.

Gunton is familiar to Star Trek: The Next Generation fans as Captain Benjamin Maxwell in the episode "The Wounded" and Butler, perhaps best known for playing Bulldog on Frasier, also appeared on Voyager as Steth in the episode "Vis A Vis."

Opening January 21 and running through February 2, "On the Twentieth Century" features Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Music by Cy Coleman and is based on plays by Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur and Bruce Millholland. This production is directed by David Lee with Gerald Sternbach serving as Musical Director.

The musical takes place on the fabled train, the 20th Century Limited, in the early 30's from Chicago to New York. Onboard the storied train are famed stage producer/director Oscar Jaffee (Gunton), his press agent Owen O'Malley (Butler) and his business agent Oliver Webb (Picardo). Gunton's Jaffee is fleeing a disastrous out-of-town flop when he and his cohorts realize their next big show is on the train, right under their noses in the form of fabulous movie star (and Jaffee's former love) Lily Garland (played by Carolee Carmello), her new boyfriend, film star Bruce Granit (Damon Kirsche), and wealthy religious fanatic Letitia Primrose (Mimi Hines).

Picardo appeared last year onstage at the Pasadena Playhouse as Ed Kleban in "A Class Act" and as Max, the would-be tenor, in "Lend Me a Tenor." His West Coast stage credits include "The Waiting Room" at the Taper, "Three Sisters" at La Jolla Playhouse, "Beyond Therapy" and "Geniuses" at the Coronet Theatre. On Broadway, he created leading roles in Bernard Slade's "Tribute" with Jack Lemmon and Albert Innaurato's "Gemini."

On Broadway, Gunton created the role of Juan Peron in "Evita" opposite Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, and has appeared in "Big River," "Passion," "King of Hearts," "Working," "Happy End," and as "Sweeney Todd" in its Broadway revival.

Butler appeared at the Pasadena Playhouse in "Light Up the Sky" and at the Mark Taper Forum and in New York in Terrence McNally's "The Lisbon Traviata." He also appeared in New York in "Biloxi Blues," "Old Money," and "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Shakespeare Festival. He wrote and performed the one-man show "The Only Thing Worst You Could Have Told Me," in which he played 14 characters. It had engagements in Los Angeles and New York and was nominated for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Awards.

"On the Twentieth Century" will play at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, Macgowan Hall on the UCLA campus, beginning Tuesday, January 21 and running through Sunday, February 2, Tuesdays through Fridays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, tickets and reservations, call the box office at (310) 825-2101.

Photos by Tom Drucker

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