Ballroom Champions, Comedy Pros, and Quick-Stepping Newcomers Join Forces for FALSE STEPS
The Hilarious New Dance-Fueled Farce Opening This September at Theatre at St. Clements
A BALLROOM COMEDY LLC.
Proudly Presents
FALSE STEPS
A Ballroom Comedy about Love, Lives, and Finding Your Footing.
Play by
CANDACE H. CAPLIN and KIM ST. LEON
Starring
CANDACE H. CAPLIN, RONNY DUTRA,
SARAH HOGEWOOD, and JASON KENNEDY
Original Music and Lyrics by JESSE CORBIN
Choreography by RONNY DUTRA
Directed by KIM ST. LEON and RONNY DUTRA
LIMITED THREE-WEEK ENGAGEMENT
SEPTEMBER 5 – 28, 2025 AT THEATRE AT ST. CLEMENTS
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT FALSESTEPSCOMEDY.COM
A Ballroom Comedy LLC, Candace H. Caplin, Ronny Dutra, and Carrie Steinmetz, are pleased to announce FALSE STEPS, a dazzling new ballroom comedy, pirouettes into New York City this September for a strictly limited three-week engagement. FALSE STEPS, a play by Candace H. Caplin and Kim St. Leon, with original music and lyrics by Jesse Corbin, choreography by Ronny Dutra, and direction by St. Leon and Dutra. Performances begin on September 5, 2025, with the opening on Friday, September 12, 2025, and running through Sunday, September 28, at the Theatre at St. Clements (423 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036). Tickets are $49-$59 and are available at FalseStepsComedy.com.
Journalists are invited to preview these performances; the show is not open to reviews.
Starring real-life dance champions Candace H. Caplin and Ronny Dutra, FALSE STEPS tells the story of Rae Applebaum, a struggling playwright thrown into chaos when her recently widowed mother Sophie falls head-over-heels (and heels-over-head) for a charming, much younger ballroom dance instructor named Paulo. Suspicions swirl, secrets surface, and a retired NYPD homicide detective is pulled into the family fray. What follows is a madcap tango through maternal tensions, romantic confusion, and a whole lot of sequins.
The production stars Candace H. Caplin (Talia in the Kitchen, The Diary of Anne Frank) as Sophie Applebaum, Ronny Dutra (Wicked Brazil, On Your Feet) as Paulo Silva, Sarah Hogewood (Kiss Me, Kate) as Rae Applebaum, and Jason Kennedy (Law & Order: SVU) as Detective. The dancers include Jacqueline Babek (Take the Lead workshop), Dwayne Beach, Sophie Cazeneuve, Elizabeth Cuevas (Pro/Am Smooth Blackpool Champion, World Champion, and National Champion), Max Greenhouse (Take the Lead workshop), Milos Jadzic (Four-time Latin Champion), Vanda Polakova (Winner of Dancing with the Stars Slovakia, International Dance Champion, OBR: Grand Hotel), and Ricardo Souza.
The production features scenic design by Harry Feiner, lighting design by Ethan Steimel, and sound design by Sean Haggerty. Carrie Steinmetz serves as the assistant choreographer, Edward Simon is the partnering consultant, Drew Francis is the production manager, and Haley Robles is the stage manager. Publicity and Marketing is by Katie Rosin of Kampfire PR.
Performances begin September 5, 2025, opening Friday, September 12, 2025, at the Theatre at St. Clements, NYC.
Mondays at 7 pm
Thursdays - Fridays at 7 pm
Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
There is an additional performance on Wednesday, September 10 at 7 pm.
Tickets are $49-$59 and are available at www.falsestepscomedy.com.
@FalseStepsComedy
Media Kit with script and photos.
BIOGRAPHIES
CANDACE H. CAPLIN (producer, playwright) co-founded and ran Parade Productions, a Florida-based theater company that produced a broad spectrum of productions, including Brooklyn Boy, The SantaLand Diaries, The Last Schwartz, and more. Parade was also proud to present numerous works by new artists.
Her varied background, as a nationally published humorist, an actress, and ballroom dancer (she and dance partner and co-lead, Ronny Dutra, are 2019 National Pro Am Rhythm Champions) put her in perfect position to create Sophie Applebaum, both on the page (co-writing FALSE STEPS with Kim St Leon) and on the stage. Previous acting credits include Mrs. Frank (The Diary ofAnne Frank), Edna (The Prisoner of Second Avenue), Sara (Sisters Rosenzweig), Norma (Plaza Suite), film work, and a recurring character on Nickelodeon’s Talia In The Kitchen.
The production team’s commitment to this play knows no bounds; FALSE STEPS is a work of passion, about passion, an opportunity to inspire people to “find their footing,” and to fly.
KIM ST. LEON (writer/director) With an illustrious 35-year career in the entertainment industry, Kim St Leon is a visionary producer, director, and actor. Her career spans both film and stage production, and her remarkable versatility is reflected in her expansive body of work across multiple mediums. Kim is a proud co-founder of Parade Productions, where she served as the Artistic Director. Under her leadership, Parade Productions has cultivated a reputation for staging productions by veteran playwrights while also providing a platform for emerging local talent. She has directed at numerous prestigious venues, including the Mosaic Theater, Inside/Out, New World School of the Arts, City Theatre, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, and the Arsht Center, to name just a few.
As a director and co-writer, Kim’s award-winning film Lost Everything captured the attention of audiences and garnered critical acclaim, earning prestigious accolades, including the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival’s “Florida Favorite” Award and the “Best Director” Award at the Aphrodite Film Festival. Kim’s talent for storytelling continued with her role as producer and coeditor of Amelia’s 25th, which starred renowned actors Danny Trejo, Jennifer Tilly, and Margaret Cho. Kim’s most recent project, FALSE STEPS with her writing partner Candace (formerly titled Marry Murder F#k!!*), is a testament to their ability to find humor in the darkest of times. Written during the challenging period of The Great Pause (the covid years), the production uses dance to move the story forward, showcasing their ability to transform life’s most challenging circumstances into opportunities for laughter and reflection.
RONNY DUTRA (director/choreographer/producer), just back from directing and choreographing WICKED in São Paulo, Brazil is an internationally acclaimed theatre director, choreographer, performer, and producer, continuing a longstanding collaboration with Stephen Schwartz that also includes Brazilian stagings of PIPPIN (2018, 2019) and WICKED (2023). With over a decade of experience in New York City’s theatre scene, Dutra has built a dynamic career bridging Broadway and Brazilian stages.
He co-directed, choreographed, and performed in the NYC workshop of FALSE STEPS (formerly MARRY MURDER WHAT?!) and is thrilled to explore the crossover of two of his greatest passions, Ballroom Dance and Broadway. Other notable credits include directing the film adaptation of RIO UPHILL – A New Musical, staging Réveillon Branco – A New Year’s Eve Celebration, co-adapting and co-directing the award-winning OUT OF WATER – A Brazilian Pocket Musical, and starring in the title role of BUM FARTO – The Musical. (@ronnydutra)
CARRIE STEINMETZ (producer/assistant choreographer), a passionate force in the world of ballroom dance, found her calling mid-life and quickly established herself as a competitive Pro-Am finalist. She is the co-founder of the Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine Dance Studio, proudly NYC’s largest ballroom studio, which was established as a vital resource supporting the entire dance community following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her profound commitment to ballroom extends beyond the studio, evidenced by her seven-year tenure on the Board of Trustees for Dancing Classrooms. Serving three years as Chair, Carrie played a crucial role in creating a financially stable and innovative organization, which continues to bring ballroom and social dance into NYC schools today.
Now, as a producer and assistant choreographer for FALSE STEPS - A Ballroom Comedy, Carrie bridges her experience in the ballroom community with the vibrant world of Broadway, bringing an authentic voice and deep passion to the production. She shares, “It’s exciting now to bring the fascinating world of Ballroom to a large audience through the artistry of Candace and Kim’s play. It lit up my world, and I’m thrilled to help bring its joy to so many others.” Prior to her immersive involvement in dance, Carrie leveraged her analytical background in Economics for a successful career in finance and consulting. LI: carrie-steinmetz-nyc
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Listings Information:
Who: A Ballroom Comedy LLC presents
What: FALSE STEPS, a screwball ballroom comedy about love, lies, and finding your footing
Where: Theatre at St. Clements, 423 W 46th Street, New York, NY
When: September 5–28, 2025
How: Tickets $49–$59, available at www.FalseStepsComedy.com
A newly widowed socialite, a suspicious daughter, and a seductive dance instructor spin into chaos in this madcap ballroom comedy where family dysfunction meets the foxtrot.
