Original Avenue Q cast member Jennifer Barnhart will play the title role in THE LEGEND OF Julie Taymor, or The Musical That Killed Everybody! which will get its world premiere this August at FringeNYC, playing the Bleecker Theatre. The musical by Travis Ferguson (book & lyrics) and Dave Ogrin (music & lyrics) tells the story of the rise and fall of Director Julie Taymor and the behind-the-scenes scandals of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark which has since become a modern Broadway legend.
This high-energy rock musical rips straight from the headlines and follows Julie's course through the most expensive Broadway musical of all time; facing financial problems, actor injuries, technical malfunctions, opening delays, scathing reviews, all while battling her arch-nemesis, an unrelenting theatre columnist, played by Christopher Davis Carlisle (Off-Broadway's With Glee). Barnhart has also appeared in Superior Donuts at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia and has been a puppeteer on Sesame Street since 2001; the production will showcase her puppetry experience.
Joining Barnhart and Carlisle in the cast will be Clint Carter, Lynn Craig (National Tour of CATS), Kiley L. McDonald, Shaun Rice, Barry Shafrin, and Michael Titone. Songs in the production include "Broadway's Burning," "Boy Falls From The Rafters," "65 Million!" "Julie, Julie, Why Did You Hurt Me?" "Tweet, Tweet, Tweet!" and "Julie's Turn."
A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Travis Ferguson co-developed the "Be A Broadway Star" board game with Broadway producer Ken Davenport which has sold thousands of copies in stores & online. Dave Ogrin has worked with the Beastie Boys, Paul Simon, and Run DMC as a musician & engineer. Ferguson also currently works for Playbill Online and the Jerome Robbins Foundation.
The production will feature direction and choreography from Joe Barros (I Married Wyatt Earp at 59E59, Reefer Madness and Sideshow at the Gallery Players) and is produced by Myra Wong (Subway Train at FringeNYC, and the Website Associate for the American Theatre Wing). The creative team also includes Casting by Danielle M. Falls of Daryl Eisenberg Casting, Luke Jones (Production Designer), Rachel Guilfoyle (Costume Designer), Michael Megliola (Lighting Designer), David Fletcher (Music Director), Nick Brennan (Associate Director), Stephanie Gandolfo (Assistant Choreographer), Caitlin Lyons (Production Stage Manager), George Bernard (Assistant Stage Manager), Steven Weinberg (Graphic Artist), and Lexie Pregosin (Conceptual Consultant).
THE LEGEND OF Julie Taymor, or The Musical That Killed Everybody! will run at FringeNYC at the Bleecker Theatre (45 Bleecker Street), with performances on Friday, 8/12 at 5pm, Tuesday, 8/16 at 2pm, Thursday, 8/18 at 8:30pm, Sunday, 8/21 at 3pm, & Wednesday, 8/24 at 7pm. Tickets can be bought beginning July 22nd online at www.FringeNYC.org or by phone at 866-468-7619. For more information on the show, please visit www.LegendOfJulie.com
