Photo Flash: First Look at THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE

The New York Musical Theatre Festival and La Vie Productions present the new musical THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE - a musical comedy about first loves, youthful obsession, and the search for miracles - with music, lyrics and book by Tom Megan and Jack Megan, directed by Gabriel Barre ("The Wild Party"), and featuring a cast that includes some of Broadway's biggest, little, stars including: Kyle Brenn ("West Side Story"), Alison Jaye Horowitz ("Mary Poppins," "Sunday in the Park with George"), Matthew Gumley ("Elf," "Beauty and the Beast"), Leah Greenhaus ("Shrek The Musical"), Rachel Resheff ("The People in the Picture," "Billy Elliot"), etc. THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE is presented as part of the 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival and will play at The Theatre at St. Clements (423 West 46th Street) in Manhattan beginning September 26 - with only 6 performances available.

Billy's the new kid at Our Lady Of Perpetual Motion and he has a lot to learn about parochial school. When he meets his drama teacher Sister Katherine, a beguiling novice who jogs and sings like Julie Andrews, Billy falls hopelessly in love, resolving to become Pope and change the rules of the church so that they can one day marry. A charming musical comedy about first loves, youthful obsession, and the search for miracles.

Directed by Calloway Award winner Gabriel Barre ("The Wild Party," "Pippin") the cast of THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE features Eric Anderson ("South Pacific"), Jillian Louis ("The Piper," "Soul Doctor"), and Tina Stafford ("I Married Wyatt Earp," "Richard III"), along with some of today's biggest little stars of the stage: Kyle Brenn ("West Side Story, "Go Diego Go"), Leah Greenhaus ("Shrek The Musical," "Meet Me in St. Louis"), Matthew Gumley ("The Addams Family," "Elf"), Alison Jaye Horowitz ("Mary Poppins," "Sunday in the Park with George"), Rachel Resheff ("The People in the Picture," "Billy Elliot"), and Sarah Safer ("Irving Berlin's White Christmas," "Whistle Down the Wind").

THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPEhas book, music and lyrics by brothers Tom Megan and Jack Megan, music direction and arrangements by Jeffrey Lodin, set design by David Esler, costume design by Isabel Rubio, and sound design by Shannon Slaton.

Tom Megan is an award-winning composer, lyricist and librettist. His musical theatre work has been seen throughout the country, at venues including the Eugene O'Neill Music Theater Conference, Playwrights Horizon, Boston Music Theatre Projects, New Tuner's Theatre, and at Sacred Fools Theatre in West Hollywood, California. Some of his works include: "Surviving Ophelia," "A Town Call Civility," and "Sea Change" which was commissioned by the North Shore Music Theater. Tom holds an MFA from the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Program. He is the recipient of several ASCAP awards, the Yip Harburg Award from The Musical Theatre Project in New York City.

Jack Megan is the Director of The Office for The Arts at Harvard University, having held that position since 2001. Previously, he served as director of development of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Executive Director of the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. In June 1999, Jack received Longy's Distinguished Service Award, and a scholarship fund was endowed in his name. He holds a MFA in arts administration from Columbia University. Jack has co-written and composed several musicals over the past twenty years, several of which have been published by The Freelance Press.

Performances of THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE will run Monday, September 26 at 8:00pm; Thursday, September 29 at 9:00pm; Saturday, October 1 at 5:00pm; Saturday, October 1 at 9:00pm; Tuesday, October 4 at 5:00pm; and Friday, October 7 at 9:00pm at The Theater at St. Clements (423 West 46th Street) in Manhattan.

For additional information on THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE, please visit www.thekidwhowouldbepope.com or www.nymf.org.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski