Marc Kudisch Joins Katie Thompson and More in The Coterie: DOWNTOWN/UPTOWN, 9/9

Three-time Tony Award-nominated actor Marc Kudisch (Thoroughly Modern Millie, 9 to 5, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) joins Lauren Worsham (Dog Days, Where's Charley?), Joshua Jeremiah (Anna Nicole, La Périchole), Katie Thompson (Giant), Theresa McCarthy (Queen of the Mist, Floyd Collins, Titanic), Eve Gigliotti (Dark Sisters, Die Walküre at the Metropolitan Opera), Amelia Watkins (Sumeida's Song, Song from the Uproar), Jeff Gavett (loadbang), Cree Carrico (New York Philharmonic's Carousel) in singing for "The Coterie: Downtown/Uptown."

The Coterie, a downtown New York-based music theater company, goes uptown to the Church of the Advent Hope (111 East 87th Street) on September 9th at 8:00pm to present their latest concert of seven world premieres and past favorites celebrating the company's commitment to musical storytelling, from operatic arias and art song to indy rock jams and musical theater numbers.

The evening will feature compositions by David T. Little (Dog Days, Soldier Songs), Paola Prestini (Oceanic Verses, Body Maps), Hannah Lash (Blood Rose, Violations), Matt Marks (The Little Death, Vol. 1, The House of Von Macrame) Rachel Peters (Only Children), Joshua Schmidt (Adding Machine, A Minister's Wife), Andrew Gerle (Gloryana, Meet John Doe), Aaron Roche (iBlurMyEyes!), Mikael Karlsson ("Battlefield: Bad Company"), Jeff Myers (Buried Alive) Julia Meinwald (Pregnancy Pact), Christine Donkin (Magnificat), Marie Incontrera (Riot Girl Opera), Jude Vaclavik (Shock Waves at the New York Philharmonic), with lyrics by Royce Vavrek (Dog Days, Song from the Uproar).

Kleban award-winning musical theater writer Andrew Gerle will serve as pianist and music director. The evening's ensemble includes Sarah Goldfeather (violin), Char Prescott (cello), Eileen Mack (clarinet), Kevin Wunderlich (guitar), and special guests Andrew Kozar (trumpet) and a trio of singing bassists: Eleonore Oppenheim, Emily Pickell and Alex Droo. Theresa McCarthy will direct the evening that includes a video premiere by Fantasy Fawn.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $15. A limited number of seats can be reserved by e-mail, send email with subject line RSVP to eric@coteriedowntown.org.

The Coterie (Lauren Worsham and Royce Vavrek, co-Artistic Directors; Eric Hurtig, Managing Director) creates new works of music theater that feature sophisticated scores and narratives that speak to a contemporary audience. Eager to cultivate an operatic vernacular for the 21st century, The Coterie does not shy away from amplification, provocative subject matter, or popular musical influence: the projects are classical music hybrids that often graft rock, pop, jazz, musical theater, and folk strands into their D.N.A.

Lauren Worsham (co-Artistic Director) is a New York-based actress and singer whose favorite roles include Lisa in the world premiere of Dog Days at Montclair Peak Performances, Amy in Where's Charley at New York City Center, Cunegonde in New York City Opera's Candide, Lili in Goodspeed Opera House's Carnival (dir. Darko Tresnjak), Cinderella in Kansas City Rep's Into the Woods (dir. Moisés Kaufman), Clara in Weston Playhouse's The Light in the Piazza and Olive in the first National tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Other theater credits include Jerry Springer the Opera at Carnegie Hall, Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel) at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera,Master Class (Sophie) at Paper Mill Playhouse and The Fantasticks (Luisa) at Emelin Theatre. She also performs in concert frequently, including programs at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Oregon Bach Festival, Joe's Pub, Galapagos Art Space and New York City Opera's VOX Program. She is the co-founder along with librettist Royce Vavrek and co-Artistic Director of the downtown opera company The Coterie and she's the lead singer for the rock band Sky-Pony. Upcoming: Lauren will sing the role of Flora in NYCO's 2013 production of Turn of the Screw.

Royce Vavrek is a Brooklyn-based librettist and lyricist known for his standing as "a favorite collaborator of the postclassical set" (Time Out New York), his name "virtually synonymous with contemporary opera in New York" (I Care if You Listen).

Recent work includes Dog Days (Peak Performances, Montclair/Beth Morrison Projects), Am I Born (Brooklyn Philharmonic/Brooklyn Youth Chorus) and Vinkensport, or the Finch Opera (Bard Conservatory) with David T. Little; Song from the Uproar (Beth Morrison Projects at The Kitchen) with Missy Mazzoli; Strip Mall (Los Angeles Philharmonic) and A Song for Wade (This is Not That Song) (Alarm Will Sound) with Matt Marks; Angel's Bone (Mann Center for the Performing Arts) with Du Yun; Stoned Prince (loadbang) and Violations (Yale School of Music) with Hannah Lash; and Maren of Vardø (New York City Opera VOX) with Jeff Myers. Upcoming projects include 27 with Ricky Ian Gordon for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, JFK with David T. Little for Fort Worth Opera Festival and Midwestern Gothic with Josh Schmidt for Signature Theater, Virginia. Royce is co-Artistic Director of The Coterie, an opera-theater company founded with soprano Lauren Worsham. BFA: Concordia University, Montreal; MFA: NYU; American Lyric Theater's Composer/Librettist Development Program.

Eric Hurtig (Managing Director) joined The Coterie in 2010, bringing his background in film and TV development and production (WNET/WLIW, Andrew Lauren Productions, North Country Cinema) to the company. Eric serves as a consultant on film and television projects at WNET, New York Public Media; is Associate Director of the Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Public Policy and Education at Fordham University; and is a Research Associate at IESE Business School's New York Center. Eric is a graduate of Concordia University's (Montreal) Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema (B.F.A.)

For more information, visit www.coteriedowntown.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride