ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME
Book by Joe DiPietro
Music by Brendan Milburn
Lyrics by Valerie Vigoda
Orchestration and Additional Music by Ryan O’Connell
Director: Craig Wells
Musical Director: Stephen Hulsey
This stylish, critically acclaimed new musical comedy with a tongue-in-cheek script by Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro (NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT) hits the CVRep stage for a Coachella Valley Premiere. In this wildly inventive and romantic adventure, a sleep-deprived single mom who makes her living as a video game music composer is contacted across space and time, via a crossed connection on her cell phone, by the famous early 20th century polar explorer Ernest Shackleton while he is stranded on an iceberg in the Antarctic in the early 1900s. Inspired by her music, he shares his epic journey with her and, together, they overcome the odds in a timeless, and very funny, musical romance for the ages. This show will transport you on the journey of a lifetime.
ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.theatricalrights.com
Sarah Manton* as Kat
Matt Miles as Ernest Shackleton
*Appearing through an Agreement between CVRep and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Craig Wells
CRAIG WELLS – Director
In 2023, Craig directed two productions for CV Rep—the West Coast premiere of The Fantasticks Reimagined and Hand to God. Most recently, Craig directed the West Coast premiere of the one-person play Destroying David for Dezart Performs in Palm Springs. In 2024, he directed two critically acclaimed productions for Dezart Performs: Hillary and Clinton and What the Constitution Means to Me, a Desert Theatre League award-winner for best play and best actress. Prior to moving to the Coachella Valley in 2020, Craig was on faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Vermont. He taught classes in acting, improvisation, and musical theatre performance. In Vermont he directed Shakespeare in Love, Hand to God, Stupid F#@king Bird, and A Grand Night for Singing. Craig’s Broadway acting credits include the musicals Chess and Les Misérables. Off-Broadway credits include, Forbidden Broadway (original cast recording Forbidden Broadway Vol. 3), Closer Than Ever, Colette Collage, and Balancing Act (original cast recording). www.cewellsdirector.com
Stephen Hulsey
STEPHEN HULSEY – Music Director
CVRep: Stephen Hulsey is the resident music director for CVRep’s musicals 2025-2026 Season. His previous CVRep productions include Love is Dead, Cabaret (Assistant MD), Julia & Janna Cardia’s Twinspiration, Christianne Noll’s cabaret performance, The Light In The Piazza, Next to Normal, Jesus Christ Superstar and, most recently, Dear Evan Hansen, Guys and Dolls.
Regional: Music director/conductor/pianist for West Side Story & Falsettos (Dezarts Performs), Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Titanic, Into The Woods, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love & Murder, Assassins, A Little Night Music, Chess, Tommy, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q, A Chorus Line, Les Misérables, The Producers, Forever Plaid, Songs For A New World, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Urinetown, Carrie, Beauty and the Beast, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Toxic Avenger, Evil Dead: The Musical, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, The Secret Garden, Rent, among others.
DESIGNERS
Jimmy Cuomo – Set Designer
Barbra Matis – Costume Designer
Moira Wilke – Lighting Designer / Technical Director
Joshua Adams – Sound Designer
Ryan Marquart – Prop Designer
Lynda Shaeps – Hair and Makeup Designer
Adam Karsten – Video Designer
CREW
Timothy Burr – Projection, Live Filming, Crew
John M. Galo* – Stage Manager
Melina Ginn – Assistant Stage Manager
SET CONSTRUCTION CREW:
Joshua Adams
Timothy Burr
Bill Faulk
Gerry High
Frank Kidd
Steven Lehrer
Jody Maas
Joaquin Ticonderoga
INTERNS
Solay Lewis
David Sanchez
Alyssa Schafer
THE REVIEWS
“Despite the inherent improbability of its premise—two characters separated by more than a century forming a connection—the production maintains its charm through committed performances and energetic direction by Craig Wells. The technical elements, combined with the actors’ versatility, kept me engaged throughout the brisk 90-minute runtime.”
~by Stan Jenson, StageAndCinema
“Director Craig Wells and music director Stephen Hulsey have worked hard with Manton and Miles. (Miles plays various roles, including both Shackleton and Kat’s pathetic husband, Bruce; he is so successfully different in those two roles that some audience members might wonder why poor Bruce didn’t get a curtain call.) This is not an easy show—no two-person show is easy—and difficult singing is required from both actors. Their amazing range is fully celebrated—and they actually played their own instruments live!
Ernest Shackleton Loves Me contains some comedy and light touches beyond the desperate attempts to conquer, or even survive, Antarctica. It is most unusual and enjoyable. Even if you won’t remember the songs, you will never forget these characters—or this play.”
~by Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, CVIndependent
“CVRep’s final offering of the season is most likely the quirkiest musical you’ll have seen in many a year. It’s called Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, written by Joe DiPietro with a score by Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda. It’s part Rom-Com, part self-motivational and all-together fun…
…This is not your usual musical with big dance numbers and choruses filling the stage. But it is an engaging, humorous, and quirky one and a must for any lover of musicals to see.”
~by Stephen Radosh, GayDesertGuide
“Okay, so imagine walking into a show knowing absolutely nothing about it — and walking out like, “wait… that was actually kind of amazing.” That’s exactly the vibe with Ernest Shackleton Loves Me over at Coachella Valley Repertory.”
Watch the video review here.
Coming Soon
In addition to our Season Sponsors, this production was made possible by the generosity of our Production Sponsor:
David Pollart
and our Production Underwriters:
Don Lupinetti
Peterson & Albright LGBT+ Legacy Trust
