10-Minute Musical Lineup Announced for SOUND BITES 4.0 on Memorial Day

Join us for an evening of passion infused, energy packed, 10-minute musical premiers all in one night! Performing at The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Theatre at 7pm May 29 (Memorial Day).

This annual festival has sold out every year and we don't expect this year to disappoint. Continuing the tradition of bringing our audiences a diverse collection of stories to be told, we have brought together the very best creatives to take on the stage. With record breaking submissions this year, the shows you will see performed are the very best of the bunch. The evening promises everything from love, loss, historical figures, robberies, college woes, Facebook, puppies (I mean, who doesn't love puppies?) and more!

This year's festival is sponsored by Disney Theatrical Productions, Music Theatre International, and additionally is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement / Creative Learning Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Lower Manhattan Cultural Council empowers artists by providing them with networks, resources, and support, to create vibrant, sustainable communities in Lower Manhattan and beyond.

Theatre Now New York is a professional non-profit organization that facilitates the creation and development of new theatrical works as well as the re-imagining of previously produced known titles and the reinterpretation of classic works through productions, readings, workshops and work-in-progress presentations. Our history originates with two established companies - the Genesius Theatre Guild in New York City and ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park, New Jersey. We bring together the founding principles of both these companies; developmental work and main stage theatrical productions. We bring you Sound Bites as a chance for artists of all theatrical disciplines, at any point in their careers, to get their work seen and possibly developed further, or even produced. This night will give you, the audience a chance to be a part of the process and enjoy the ride!

"The SOUND BITES festival is a great opportunity for emerging and mid-career musical theater writers to showcase their new works. It's a real New York event, and a chance to discover what's up and coming." -Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Writer/Composer; Ragtime, Once On This Island, Seussical and more)

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THE LINEUP:

CONNECTED
(book, music & lyrics by Alanya Bridge) is a poignant through-composed musical that deals with love and loss, heartache and heartbreak.

Express
(book, music & lyrics by Janine McGuire and Arri Lawton Simon) is a musical in three parts, each of which takes place on an NYC subway car in a different time period (1946, 1964, and 1992).

The Facebook Fighter
(book, music & lyrics by Chris Kerrigan) is a darkly funny one-act musical about a bitter 30-year-old misanthrope who makes continuous attempts at human connection the only way he knows how: by antagonizing people on Facebook.

Franklin Pierce: Dragon Slayer
(The Untold Story of America's Debatably Least Effective President)
(book & lyrics by Rebekah M. Allen, music by Will Buck) When eighth-grader Jennifer is assigned Franklin Pierce for her class's President's Day project, she's bummed to have gotten one of the history's most forgettable presidents. However, late that night Franklin himself visits Jennifer to tell her the truth behind his presidency.

Happenstance
(book by Caitlin Gallo, choreography by Jimmy Burgio) is based on missed connections from Craigslist. Romantic, funny, sad and exhilarating this dance play uses contemporary modern dance set to popular music to tell a story that will enchant and captivate old and young audiences alike.

The Medium...The Music...and Me
(book, music & lyrics by DonnaD Lipari, creative direction by John DiGiorgio) is an autobiographical musical about learning to love and accept oneself and the extraordinary gift of mediumship. It is about the many struggles and "voice" lessons one must face to find the courage to free one's voice...the inner and the outer.

A Most Average Musical
(stage adaptation & lyrics by Jonathan Keebler, music by Bob Kelly, based on a screenplay by Talia Berger) follows freshman Jenny as she spends her first Friday night at college alone.

The Pound: A Musical for the Dogs
(book, music & lyrics by Phil Darg & Julie Ana Rayne) is the journey of a collection of colorful animal shelter dogs in their quest to find a home

Superhots!
(book & music by Joel Esher, book & lyrics by Blair Bodine) takes place in a fictional town in Texas where the sun is hot, but the salsa's hotter. This comedic 10-minute musical looks at the politics of competitive hot pepper growing in a small town.

The Wild & Wonderful Whites of West Virginia
(book & lyrics by Justin Anthony Long, music by Garrit Guadan) Shoot-outs, robberies, gas-huffing, drug dealing, pill popping, murders, and tap dancing - what do these all have in common? These are just a few of the parts of being a member of the Wild and Wonderful White Family.

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Our Mission: Theatre Now New York brings the audience into the creative process in its early stages. We believe when we meet the work and the artists from the beginning we can watch it grow and change together, letting us share in the beauty that is creating these stories and bringing them to life.

For more information, visit Theatre Now New York, www.tnny.org, go to Sound Bites www.soundbites.tnny.org, or follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/soundbitesnyc and Twitter: www.twitter.com/soundbitesny.

IF YOU GO:
Sound Bites 4.0, The Fourth Annual 10-Minute Musical Theatre Benefit Festival
WHEN: Monday, May 29, 2017 (Memorial Day Holiday) at 7:00pm
WHERE: Signature Theatre's Irene Diamond Stage The Pershing Square Signature Center 480 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036
HOW: For Tickets Online at www.tnny.org or call toll-free 855-254-SHOW [7469]