The new musical A Letter to Harvey Milk, based on the short story by Lesléa Newman will enjoy an invite-only staged reading in New York on Monday, September 26 & Tuesday, September 27, 2011. A Letter to Harvey Milk, has a book by Jerry James, lyrics by Ellen M. Schwartz, music by Laura I. Kramer, the music has been arranged and orchestrated by Ned Paul Ginsburg, Robert R. Blume (Executive Producer, Drama Desk Awards) is a consultant to the authors, and is directed by David Schechter.
San Francisco 1986. What can Harry, a retired kosher butcher and Barbara, a young lesbian writer, possibly have in common? So much more than they imagine! And it all starts to unfold when Harry writes a most unexpected letter, A Letter to Harvey Milk, the martyred gay political leader. Harry's letter sets off a series of life changing events that shake both Barbara's and Harry's worlds. This deeply emotional and surprisingly funny new musical deals with issues of love and loss, truths hidden and revealed, the grip of the past and the miraculous liberations set in motion by the most unexpected people
The cast of six will feature Leslie Kritzer (Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, Legally Blonde), Jeff Keller (Phantom of the Opera, Sunday in the Park, Candide), Judy Blazer (LoveMusik, 45 Seconds From Broadway, Titanic), Michael Bartoli (Forbidden Broadway), David Perlman (Yank) and Michael Padgett (Jekyll and Hyde).
David Schechter (Director) having studied theatre with
Leonard Bernstein,
Arthur Laurents and
Peter Brook, he has directed and/or co-written over 150 productions, including the original musicals: Hannah Senesh (Off-Broadway Drama Desk Award Nomination), Almost September (8 Bay Area Critic Circle Awards, 7 Dramalogue Awards, including Best Director), The Jungle Book (Broadway's New Victory Theater), Esmeralda (National Endowment Grant), Shlomo: Soul Doctor (Off-Broadway), Brechtspiel (commissioned by
Lucille Lortel), A Talmud Tale (published by Ben Yehuda Press), eight musicals for young audiences for Theatreworks/USA and Making Books Sing and his own one man show, Seen. He shared the Obie Award as a co-creator of Nightclub Cantata. His adaptation of I.B.Singer's story Gimpel The Fool (La Mama, ETC) was honored by the Nobel Laureate's personal endorsement. Other regional directing credits include: Angels In America, A Little Night Music, Three Sisters, Our Country's Good, The Miser, Candida, Antigone, A Midsummer Night's Dream. As screenwriter, he co-wrote
Steve Buscemi's film Interview (starring Buscemi and
Sienna Miller, - 2007 Independent Spirit Award nod) and
Stanley Tucci's film Blind Date (starring Tucci and
Patricia Clarkson). His acting credits include Runaways (Broadway), 3 Penny Opera (Broadway, starring Sting), Groundhog (title role - Manhattan Theatre Club) and The Haggadah (
The Public Theater) created by Liz Swados and
Julie Taymor.
Jerry James (Book) is the author of eleven plays, variously produced in New York City, Toronto, Munich, Denver, Philadelphia, Washington, Boca Raton, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and on tour in Great Britain. The National Library of Medicine twice commissioned works from him. He is also a writer of short fiction, his stories having been awarded prizes in San Diego, Chicago and Ireland. "...She Wears Red Feathers," won first prize in the Spring 2006 Coffee House Fiction contest. The holder of an MFA from Penn State, Jerry is a member of The
Dramatists Guild and an alumnus of the BMI
Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop
ELLEN M. SCHWARTZ (Lyrics) was the winner (with Bonnie Sanders) of the Quest For new Musicals for her work as lyricist, composer and librettist of COME UP "N SEE ME, an award sponsored by Andrew Lloyd Weber and
Richard Stilgoe. Her musical: The Trapped Family Singers, (Lyrics and Book) was a featured, award winning musical in the New York Fringe Festival. She wrote lyrics for Miami Beach Monsters which was presented at New York's Triad Theater and for Home For The Holidays, presented at the
Pasadena Playhouse. Ellen wrote (music and lyrics) for The Care Bears (books and records) and has had her music and lyrics featured in movies: Rappin...First Love Never Dies released by Atlantic Records and "Never Again," "You Can Go" produced by
Eric Schaeffer. She attended N.Y.U.'s Film School, The Juilliard School of Music and B.M.I Theater Music Workshop.
LAURA I. KRAMER (Composer) has written numerous songs both as composer/lyricist and composer. She collaborated with lyricist
Mitchell Bernard on the original musical, As The Years Go By. Her song "Armgart" can be heard on mezzo-soprano
Lori Brown Mirabal's album, "Geliebter, Komm." Laura's choral works have been performed by choruses in the U.S. and Canada, and she received a commission from her alma mater, Skidmore College, to write a choral composition. She met lyricist Ellen Schwartz while in the BMI-
Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Ned Paul Ginsburg (Arranger & Orchestrator) has been a contributing orchestrator to Beauty And The Beast (on Broadway), Minnelli On Minnelli, Wonder Pets, Paper Moon, Casper-The Musical, The Academy Awards Show, Radio City Easter Show, Night Of 1000 Stars, New York Pops At Carnegie, Inside Out, and to several Warner Bros. films, included the Oscar-nominated
Michael Collins. He orchestrated Sammy for
The Old Globe Theater in 2009, which is slated for a London production in 2012. He has worked for or with such composers as
Alan Menken,
Elliot Goldenthal,
Bobby Lopez, Michael-John La Chiusa,
Larry Grossman,
Jerry Bock, and
Jason Robert Brown, and for the entertainers
Bernadette Peters,
Diahann Carroll,
Liza Minnelli,
Elaine Stritch,
Chita Rivera,
Kathie Lee Gifford,
Tony Danza,
Faith Prince, and many, many others. From 1993-2000 he produced and arranged the highly acclaimed cd series
The Broadway Kids, showcasing young performers singing classic and modern musical theater songs.
LESLÉA NEWMAN (Based on Story) is the author of more than 60 books for readers of all ages including the poetry collection, Still Life With Buddy; the Young Adult novels, Jailbait and Fat Chance; the middle-grade novel, Hachiko Waits; and the children's books, Runaway Dreidel!, Matzo Ball Moon, and Heather Has Two Mommies. Her literary awards include poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation, a Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial fiction-writing grant, the
James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, three Pushcart Prize nominations, and a Parents' Choice Silver Medal. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. Her short story, "A Letter to Harvey Milk" was the Second Place Finalist in the 1987 Raymond Carver Short Story Competition. It was read by
Carl Reiner as part of the series, Jewish Stories From The Old World To The New hosted and narrated by
Leonard Nimoy, and produced by KCRW FM in Santa Monica, CA. A past poet laureate of Northampton, MA, Ms. Newman is currently a faculty member of Spalding University's brief-residency MFA in Writing program. Her newest poetry collection, October Mourning: A Song For
Matthew Shepard will be published by Candlewick Press in 2012.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos
