The New York Musical Theatre Festival, Patricia Miller and DiStar Productions/Diana Glazer are pleased to announce the world premiere production of THE GREAT UNKNOWN, choreographed by Liza Gennaro and directed by Don Stephenson. THE GREAT UNKNOWN will play a limited engagement at the Theater at St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, NYC). Performances begin Tuesday, October 5 and continue through Saturday, October 16. Press are invited to all performance after Tuesday October 5th.
The Great Unknown is a jubilant Americana musical about big dreams and even bigger risks.
Hoping to inspire and revive a fractured nation, one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell leads a daring expedition of veterans down the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon, in the spring of 1869. Aware of the physical dangers, Major Powell barely anticipates the emotional and spiritual challenges of the trip, leading back to the War.
The guide of the expedition is Somers, who escaped from slavery and embraced the new world of the West. Major Powell's wife Emma Dean, a noted environmentalist of the day, is present in the minds and hearts of both Major Powell and his brother Walter, a survivor of Andersonville prison; as they are in hers.
With a contemporary folk/musical theatre score enhanced by environmental elements, The Great Unknown is an American musical adventure.
The production stars Tom Hewitt (Broadway: title role in Dracula, The Musical; Frank ‘N' Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), The Boys From Syracuse, Scar in The Lion King, The Sisters Rosenzweig) as Powell, Dan Amboyer (Play About the Naked Guy) as his brother Walter, Kristin Maloney (NYMF Alum War Brides and Liberty Smith) as his wife Emma and Bobby Daye (Broadway: Shrek, The Color Purple, The Lion King, and Smokey Joe's Café) as Somers.
The production features scenic/props design by Edward K. Ross, costume design by Martin T. Lopez, and lighting design by Christopher E. Edwards. The sound designer is Daryl Bornstein.
Ritt Henn (Associate Music Director) will lead an onstage band of musicians composed of Liz Queler, Spiff Wiegand and Robin Daniels.
The Great Unknown plays the following schedule:
Tuesday, Oct 5th, 2010 at 8:00 pm - preview, not open to review
Wednesday, Oct 6th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Sunday, Oct 10th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Friday, Oct 15th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Saturday, Oct 16th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Tickets are $20 and are available online at http://www.nymf.org/show-1393.html
Running Time: 95 minutes
Website: www.greatunknownmusical.com
BIOGRAPHIES
Jim Wann (Composer/Lyricist) is the principal author/composer of Broadway's Tony-nominated (Best Musical) Pump Boys and Dinettes in which he appeared, originating the role of "Jim". The London production of Pump Boys received an Olivier nomination for Best Musical, and the Toronto version won Canada's Best Musical (Dora Award). The longest-running musical in Chicago theatre history, Pump Boys continues to be produced across the country and around the world, most recently in South Korea.
Off-Broadway, Mr. Wann co-wrote (with Bland Simpson) Diamond Studs: The Life Of Jesse James, A Saloon Musical; Kind Mackerel & The Blues are Running: Songs And Stories Of The Carolina Coast (with Mr. Simpson, Don Dixon, and Jake Mills); and The People Vs. Mona: A Musical Mystery Screwball Comedy (with his wife Patricia Miller). The new Mona cast recording (JAY Records, London) features Marc Kudisch, Christiane Noll, Lillias White, Natalie Toro, and Ron Raines. Songs from King Mackerel and its cd followup, Wild Ponies, are performed annually in concert by the Coastal Cohorts (Wann, Simpson, and Dixon), now in their 25th year of fundraising for environmental and arts organizations.
