Casting has been announced for The Mistress Cycle,Jenny Giering's and Beth Blatt's new musical that explores the lives and loves of five notorious adulteresses. Presented by the New York Musical Theatre Festival, AWOL Theatre Project, PenneySeal Productions and Van Hill Entertainment, the show will run September 15-24 for six performances only at The Lion (at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street, NYC), as part of the second annual NYMF.
With a book and lyrics by Beth Blatt, music by Jenny Giering, and direction by Joe Calarco, The Mistress Cycle will star Sally Wilfert (Assassins, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) as Tess Walker, a contemporary Manhattan photographer, Lisa Brescia (Aida, Jesus Christ Superstar) as Anais Nin, the famed sexual adventurer of the early 20th century, Lynne Wintersteller (Grand Night for Singing, Closer Than Ever) as Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of King Henri II in 16th-century France, Mary Bond Davis (Hairspray, The Women, Jelly's Last Jam) as Luly White, a turn-of-the-century bordello madam, and Stephanie Bast (Nine, Miss Saigon, The Scarlet Pimpernel) as Ching, a 14-year-old concubine in 12th-century China.The design team for The Mistress Cycle comprises Michael Fagin (scenic design), Anne Kennedy (costume design) and Chris Lee (lighting design). Karma Camp will choreograph the show, and James Sampliner will serves as musical director.
The Mistress Cycle, the first collaboration between Giering and Blatt, is one of only three winners of this year's Director's Choice Award from the National Music Theatre Network, the parent company of NYMF. The Mistress Cycle was also awarded the prestigious Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award in 2000 as well as the 2002-2003 Dramatists Guild Jonathan Larson Fellowship. Developmental readings of the piece have been produced by the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Barrington Stage Company and TheatreWorks/Palo Alto's New Works Festival. Giering and Blatt are currently at work on the new musical Caraboo, Princess of Javasu with playwright Marsha Norman ('night Mother). Caraboo will be presented this September at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's 17th annual Festival of New Musicals.Dedicated
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The Mistress Cycle's performance schedule is: Thursday, September 15th at 8pm, Saturday, September 17 at 4:30pm, Sunday, September 18th at 1pm, Wednesday, September 21 at 8pm, Thursday, September 22nd at 1pm, and Saturday, September 24th at 8pm. Tickets are $15.00 each and available through www.TheaterMania.com, or by calling 212-352-3101.