4@15: FOUR NEW 15 MINUTE MUSICALS Will Feature BEMIDJI, TOMATO RED and More

4@15: Four New Fifteen-Minute Musicals, performed in conjunction with University of California, Irvine, will commence performances Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, for three performances only at the Playroom Theater. Tammy Holder serves as Music Director; Brian Blythe directs.

4@15 commissions musical theatre writing teams to write mini-musicals for musical theatre actors from UCI's New York Satellite Program (Dr. Myrona DeLaney, Director). The writers are given two weeks to write the new musicals tailored specifically for the talents of the actors, culminating in a staged concert performance. Now in its seventh year, this cycle represents the 45th, 46th, 47th and 48th show in the 4@15 catalog.

Performances are Friday, April 19, at 1:00 PM; and Saturday, April 20 at 11 AM and 2:30 PM. Tickets: $10 (general admission) available online at: 4at15uci2013.eventbrite.com. Performances at The Playroom Theater, 151 W 46th Street, 8th Floor.

The four new musicals include:

BEMIDJI
Book, Music & Lyrics by Mary Liz McNamara
A young woman moves to New York and is horrified to discover that everyone from her hometown has moved to New York, too.
With Michelle Ditto, Natalie Elder, Maria Hargrove, Marlena Mack, Monica Mandapat, Grant Markin, Marisa Moosekian, Eric Parmer, Melanie Pyle
TOMATO RED
Book, Music & Lyrics by Rachel Peters
A wild ride through the history of the tomato in America, which is far stranger, funnier, and darker than you may imagine.
With David Castor, Lindsey Iversen, Laleh Khorsandi, Lindsay Martin, Cheyenne Nall, Catherine Nickerson, Jeffrey Salsbury, Daniel Song

HEART OF A BATTLE
Book, Music & Lyrics by Eric Loehr
Kate faces bulimia. Her roommate Ellen, her boyfriend Jack, a saucy barista and other friends seek to help Kate, if she'll let them.
With Jolie Adamson, Rachelle Clark, Clint Foley, Derrick Gaffney, Asha Iyer, Ashley Larson, Réanna Morris, Christy Yin

La RHONDA
Book, Music & Lyrics by Andy Monroe
A guy shouts the wrong girl's name during sex, setting off a madcap chain of events in this modern update of the classic, La Ronde.
With Alex Dreschke, Melissa Glasgow, Laura Hanlon, Dean Hendricks, Heather Hershow, Michael Huey, Jake Saenz, Ashley Wible

More info on the writers:

ERIC LOEHR is an actor/singer/songwriter. He was most recently seen in the staged reading of the new musical The Coincidentals as John Tanner. Eric will graduate with his master's degree in music theatre from NYU this May. NYU credits: Celebration, Fiorello! and Cendrillon, as well as two 4@15 shows: Eden and Casual Bob. As a songwriter, Eric has performed at multiple venues in the city with his original material. Eric would like to thank his sister for her support in this project. Love you, Christie! ericloehr.com.

Mary Liz McNamara wrote the book, music and lyrics for the new, original musical The Good Girl. She won the 2013 Bistro Award for songwriting, the 2011 Harrington Award from BMI for excellence in musical theater writing, and two MAC awards for songwriting, one for her song "Bacon" which was recently featured on "So You Think You Can Dance." Really. Upcoming projects include a musical adaptation of the 2009 documentary Body And Soul by filmmaker Alice Elliot. Mary Liz's songs are sung by theater and cabaret artists across the country. She is a member of the BMI Musical Theater Workshop, Dramatist Guild, SAG-AFTRA and Actor's Equity. marylizmcnamara@gmail.com

Andy Monroe is the recipient of a 2011 Jonathan Larson Grant. He wrote the music for The Kid, produced at The New Group (2010 Outer Critics Circle Award winner, 2009 BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award recipient) and co-wrote material for Rosie O'Donnell's 2010 HBO special A Family Is A Family Is A Family. In addition, he wrote the score for The Tragic And Horrible Life Of The Singing Nun (New York Musical Theatre Festival, 2006). He was a 2007-8 Dramatist Guild Fellow and was the recipient of the 2001 BMI Foundation Jerry Harrington Musical Theater Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement.

Rachel Peters Musicals: Only Children, Tiny Feats of Cowardice, Write Left, f2m, Public Domain. Operas: The Wild Beast of the Bungalow, Companionship, Monkey Do. Scores for plays: Stretch (a fantasia), The Bacchae, Unrequited, Veritas, The Tale of the Good Whistleblower..., Definite Possibilities. Concert works: Jack's Vocabulary, I Live Here, Canon I, And Then. Songs at Lincoln Center, Second Stage, Laurie Beechman Theatre, Cornelia Street Café. Awards: Anna Sosenko Assist Trust, ASCAPlus. Member, ASCAP, Dramatists Guild. Fellowships: New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, American Opera Projects, John Duffy Composers Institute. Directory of Contemporary Musical Theatre Writers Top 25. Double B.A. Brandeis University; MFA, NYU. www.racheljpeters.com.