FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACT: Caroline Mendoza
Caroline@Creativelimelight.com
203-919-0120
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES: DerricksMngmt@aol.com

CLEAVANT DERRICKS, TONY AWARD WINNER
AND ACCLAIMED ACTOR, RETURNS TO THE STAGE
STARRING IN THE NATIONAL TOUR OF "THE FULL MONTY"

Los Angeles, April 11, 2002 - Cleavant Derricks, the award-winning and acclaimed star of Broadway, film and television, makes his return to the stage in the national tour of the hit Broadway show The Full Monty, the stage musical of the hit British film. The tour is scheduled to open in Los Angeles on April 24 (previews begin on April 16) at the Ahmanson Theatre and will run until early June. Derricks will portray the character "Noah 'Horse' T. Simmons," one of six jobless steelworkers who form a male striptease act to solve their financial woes.

"I love performing on stage and will thoroughly enjoy this opportunity to connect with a live audience again," says Derricks.

Following Los Angeles, The Full Monty's national tour company will perform in Boston (6/9 - 7/7), Washington, DC (7/8 - 7/21), Costa Mesa, CA (9/2 - 9/15), San Francisco (9/16 - 10/13), San Diego (10/14 - 10/20), Denver (10/21 - 11/3), Sacramento (11/4 - 11/17), Seattle (11/18 - 12/8), Tempe, AZ (12/9 - 12/15) and three major cities in Japan. The musical with music and lyrics by David Yazbek, book by Terrence McNally, was nominated for a 2000 Tony Award and is currently running on Broadway.

Actor-singer-composer Derricks originated the role of "James Thunder Early" for Michael Bennett's hit Broadway production of Dreamgirls, for which he was honored with a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award. He also won an LA Drama Critic Circle Award for the vocal arrangements. Derricks starred in one of Bob Fosse's last musicals, Big Deal, in which he was nominated for a Tony and Drama Desk Award as Best Actor in a Musical.

Derricks is beloved by science fiction fans for his five-year starring role as "Rembrandt 'Crying Man' Brown" in the hit TV series Sliders -- Derricks being the true original "slider" having been with the show since its original premiere on Fox.

Derricks began his career writing gospel music in Nashville. Artists as diverse as Bonnie Pointer and Dale Evans have recorded his songs. Along with his father, a Baptist Minister and gospel composer, Derricks wrote a gospel album, Satisfaction Guaranteed, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. His most recent CD is entitled, Beginnings, and is available for purchase through his official website, www.cleavantderricks.com and on www.amazon.com. Beginnings has attained global attention while receiving airplay in over 50 top radio markets in the Top 40, Urban, Gospel and Jazz formats.

Studying with Vinette Carrol at the Urban Arts Theatre, Derricks received rave reviews in her Broadway shows Your Arms Too Short To Box With God and But Never Jam Today. Again, working with Carrol, he served as composer, musical director, and featured actor for the musical, When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate, which later aired as a PBS special. Most recently starring in Bart Freundlich's World Traveler with Billy Crudup and Julianne Moore, Derrick's other film roles include Paul Masursky's Moscow on the Hudson with Robin Williams, Neil Simon's Slugger's Wife, Michael Diner's Offbeat and Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls.

In addition to Sliders, television credits include series regulars on ABC's Thea with pop sensation Brandy, Fox's Drexell's Class with Dabney Coleman, CBS's Good Sports with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O' Neal and Witt Thomas's Woops! on Fox. In addition, Derricks has guest starred on many critically acclaimed and Emmy-Award winning series such as The Practice, The Bernie Mac Show, Touched By An Angel, Charmed, Roseanne, A Different World, LA Law, Moonlighting, Spencer For Hire, Miami Vice, Something Wilder, The Equalizer, Private Eye and Sibs.

# # #