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Atlantic to Present Patty Griffin Musical in June '07

By: Aug. 16, 2006
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After scoring a critical and commercial success with Spring Awakening, their first musical, the Atlantic Theater Company is set to present another show with songs.  A new musical featuring the songs of country star/songwriter Patty Griffin will fill the theatre's fourth slot of the season, for a premiere in June of 2007, according to Variety.

Griffin is a Grammy-Award nominee whose albums include "Impossible Dream" and whose songs have been sung by The Dixie Chicks, Bette Midler, Emmy Lou Harris and others.  The new musical--which is as of now untitled--will feature both new songs and pre-exisiting ones.   Keith Bunin, who recently picked up strong notices for his The Busy World is Hushed, has penned the book for the show, which is "about a road trip in a beat-up pickup."  Spring Awakening's Michael Mayer will direct.  As he did with the hit Duncan Sheik-Steven Sater musical, producer Tom Hulce brought the new Griffin musical to the attention of the Atlantic Theater Company.

An earlier workshop of the property starred Sutton Foster, Matthew Morrison, Linda Emond and Daniel Jenkins.  Although Jenkins will be busy with Mary Poppins, "there are hopes that some of those other thesps will reprise their roles in the full production."

The new musical joins a 2006-2007 season that also includes David Mamet's adaptation of Harley Granville-Barker's The Voysey Inheritance (Mamet co-founded the theatre with William H. Macy twenty years ago), Tina Howe's Birth and After Birth and Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song.  Artistic director Neil Pepe says that the company is keen on doing musical theatre with a contemporary edge: "I'd always had this idea of combining a rock 'n' roll concert with a theater event."

Spring Awakening, a rock musical adaptation of a classic Franz Wedekind play that received showers of accolades as well as an extended run at Atlantic, is headed for Broadway during the 2006-2007 season (although no details have been announced).

Visit www.atlantictheater.org for more information on Atlantic Theater Company.

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