30 DAYS OF NYMF: Day 7- Arnie The Doughnut

Book by Frances Limoncelli
Music and Lyrics by George Howe
Based on the story by Laurie Keller

The process of bringing Arnie the Doughnut to life for NYMF has been far more than the last 30 days. As of this moment, it's been 96 days since I was hired to direct this zany love bomb of a show, and each and every one has been a joy.

It began with meeting (by phone) our writers, Frances, and George, both of whom are intelligent and hilarious veterans, who are inspiring in the degree to which they know what they are doing, and to which they are trusting me to execute a bold and semi-unusual vision.

Next were interviews to hire our crack design team, who hail from all over the country, and coordinating our production meetings over skype. What we came up with is an endlessly surprising pop-up book of a set inspired by the retro quirkiness of Pee-Wee's playhouse. The costumes are equally inspired by Pee-Wee's as well as Warner Brother's cartoons. But since aren't many examples to follow in the theatrical tradition for how to best make a show full of human-sized doughnuts, we created our own unique and delicious solutions.

Then finally, came rehearsal: a hilarious, challenging, joyful work-out which we are just coming to the end of now. Our cast is a group of top-notch comedic geniuses, with outstanding vocal chops to boot.

The result...a silly, surprisingly complex world, where dramatic doughnuts sing, dance, have a wry sense of humor, and where thinking outside the box (the bakery box) is the way to find happiness

-Adam Arian, Director

To buy tickets or to learn more about Arnie The Doughnut go to www.nymf.org/arniethedoughnut or call 212-352-3101

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