Gerard Canonico, Trista Dollison to Lead STAND TALL at NYMF

Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and Trista Dollison (The Lion King) will head the cast of the NYMF production of STAND TALL at the 45th St. Theatre Mainstage from July 19th-29th.

Described as "a family-friendly musical that puts a contemporary pop/rock twist on the classic David and Goliath story," joining Canonico (as Goliath) and Dollison (as the Black Sheep) in the cast will be Bryan Welnicki as David, Jef Canter as King Saul, and Jill Shackner as Princess Mia. With book & lyrics by Lee Wyatt-Buchan and music by Aldie & Sandy Chalmers, the production will be directed from Simon Greiff and is produced by the New York Musical Theatre Festival and Shrill Productions. Originally written and based in the UK, it’s the only production from outside of North America in this year’s festival.

In STAND TALL it’s David vs. Goliath – but not a slingshot in sight! When shepherd boy David is prophesized to become the next king…heck, he’d rather be a rock star, anyway. Not that tough guy Goliath will let some freakin’ sheep-herder take the crown, setting the stage for the biblical rivals to clash in an epic Guitar Hero battle! Following a successful run in the UK, this family-friendly rock musical takes on the issue of bullying as it spins its tale of a little guy who must overcome obstacles, face fears and finally: Stand Tall!

The production will also feature costume design by recent Tony Award-winner Paloma Young (Peter and the Starcatcher), set design by Julia C. Lee, lighting design by KJ Hardy, and sound design by Charles Coes. Some of the musical numbers in STAND TALL include “Find Us a King,” “Teenage Daze,” “All Night All Day,” “Time to Talk,” “Stronger Than This” and “Stand Tall.”

STAND TALL will be performed at the 45th Street Theatre (354 West 45th Street) playing the following performance schedule: Thursday, July 19th at 8:00pm, Sunday, July 22nd at 1:00pm and 4:30pm, Wednesday, July 25th at 5:00pm, Friday, July 28th at 8:00pm and Sunday, July 29th at 1:00pm. Tickets, priced at $18, can be purchased beginning June 15 online at www.NYMF.org or by phone at 212-352-3101.