Mitch Jarvis, Michael Cunio to Lead THE ROCKAE Benefit for Prospect Theatre Company

Prospect Theater Company, one of America's leading producers of new musical theater, will kick off its 2012-2013 season with a one-night-only concert presentation of The Rockae, a hard rock musical based on Euripides' The Bacchae featuring music and lyrics by Kleban and Fred Ebb Award-winning writer Peter Mills and a book by Mills and Cara Reichel (Illyria, Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge, upcoming Death For Five Voices).

The announcement was made today by Prospect Theater Company Producing Artistic Director Cara Reichel and Managing Director Melissa Huber.

The cast of The Rockae will feature Rock of Ages' Mitch Jarvis and Hairspray's Michael Cunio with Bridget Beirne (Beehive), Andrew Brewer (Cole Porter's Nymph Errant), Sara Brophy (Iron Curtain), Matt DeAngelis (Hair), Jaygee Macapugay (Honor, Imelda: A New Musical), Samia Mounts (Once Upon a Time in New Jersey), Ryah Nixon (9 to 5 National Tour), Gordon Stanley (Iron Curtain, Ragtime) and Simone Zamore (The Flood), with more names to be announced soon.

The Rockae will be directed by Cara Reichel with musical direction by Alexander Rovang and musical staging by Marlo Hunter.

The Rockae will be performed at 7:30pm on Sunday, October 7 at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, NYC). Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets for the benefit performance ($15-$35) are available by visiting www.ProspectTheater.org or calling (212) 505-FISH.

Since its 2007 world premiere as a partner event of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, The Rockae has received further development through its collegiate premiere in August 2009 as part of Indiana University's Musical Theatre Program.