The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has announced a full slate of musical productions, a developmental reading series and special events for their eighth annual festival. This year's Festival will begin September 26th and continue through October 16th.
A full breakdown of this year's performances follows and a full list of performances, dates and venues can be found at www.nymf.org/daybyday
Notable additions include: oratorio-dance hybrid Tut, written by Grammy Award® songwriter Marcus Hummon; Rock The Audition In Concert by Sheri Sanders, who teaches a master class on how to audition for rock musicals and recently wrote a book on the subject, released by Hal Leonard; and Tour De Fierce by The Broadway Dolls, the official girl group of Broadway.
NYMF will also again partner with the Paley Center to present a weekend of television musical screenings, which will run in conjunction with the Festival. The Paley Center has been associated with NYMF since 2004.FULL PRODUCTIONS
* denotes a selection of the Next Link Project, NYMF's writer service program to discover, nurture, and present the work of emerging musical theatre artists
The Big BankCentral Avenue Breakdown
Music and Lyrics by Kevin Ray
Book by Kevin Ray and Josh Sohn
Additional Story by Suellen Vance
It's 1940s Los Angeles and the hottest place to be seen is Central Avenue, in the shadow of Hollywood where hot swing blows all night long at clubs like Jack's Chicken Basket and the Club Alabam. Brothers Bill and Jim Marcel are sax players struggling to carve out their own legacies, but first they must overcome a destructive rivalry, addiction, and tragedy before it's too late.
*Date of a Lifetime
Book and Lyrics by Carl Kissin
Music by Robert Baumgartner Jr
Marvin meets Katie at a speed-dating event. During their limited time together, he hypothesizes what their life as a couple might be like -- going all the way from present day to death. Then... it's her turn. Will this awkward first encounter become yet another "looking for love" horror story, or could it truly be the date of a lifetime?
ENNIO: The Living Paper Cartoon
Created by and Starring Ennio Marchetto
The global phenomenon Ennio Marchetto is the original transformation artist, revolutionizing the art of origami into a unique performance that is nothing short of comic genius. With his hilarious physical comedy, a sizzling soundtrack and ingenious paper costumes Ennio magically and hysterically morphs into over 50 of our favorite personalities from Lady Gaga and Eminem to Fred Astaire and Mona Lisa. Wonderfully, wickedly funny! "A sustained hour of heaven by an entertainer touched by genius...this is performance at its crazy, creative unfettered best." (Time Out, London)
Book, Music and Lyrics by Matthew Martin and Tim Realbuto
According to backstage lore, the ghost of a Ziegfeld Follies star haunts the New Amsterdam Theatre. Ghostlight excavates the true story of Olive Thomas, a small-town girl who rises to headlines alongside Fanny Brice. Seduced by the decadent world of the theater, Olive stumbles into a secret affair, an unfulfilling Hollywood marriage, and a downward spiral into drugs and alcohol. An homage to Broadway's Golden Age, Ghostlight captures the glamorous and tragic lives of those who changed the face of the American musical forever.
Book, Music and Lyrics by Tor Hyams and Adam LeBow
Brimming with hilarity and heart, Greenwood is the story of long-lost performing arts camp friends who reconnect decades later through social networking. Though adulthood has led them far from each other and even further from their true selves, the milestone anniversary of a special summer reunites them unexpectedly. Their past and present selves come crashing together and sparks fly, illuminating the way to the future.
*Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, A Musical
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs
Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy's romance comes to life with fresh eyes as Jane Austen revisits her unpublished manuscript, First Impressions. As Austen transforms their story into what will ultimately become her masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice, both the author and her characters struggle to learn the joy of second chances.
*The Kid Who Would Be Pope
Book, Music and Lyrics by Tom Megan and Jack Megan
Billy's the new kid at Our Lady Of Perpetual Motion and he has a lot to learn about parochial school. When he meets his drama teacher Sister Katherine, a beguiling novice who jogs and sings like Julie Andrews, he falls hopelessly in love, resolving to become Pope and change the rules of the church so that they can one day marry. A charming musical about first loves, youthful obsession, and the search for miracles.
Kiki Baby
Book by Lonny Price and Kitt Lavoie
Lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh
Music by Grant Sturiale
Based on the novel "Sing, Brat, Sing" by Rene Fulop-Miller
Germany. 1931. Christine Maladan is the only thing standing between her family and the pit of a worldwide depression, until one day a visiting impresario hears the voice of an angel floating from her flat - and determines to make her four-year-old daughter an international star. A tale of fame, fortune, failed opera divas, dwarfs, sweatshop bosses, monumentally bad parenting, and what happens to a little girl when no one will tell her "no."
Les Enfants De Paris
Music and Lyrics by David Levinson
Book by Stacey Weingarten
Additional Development by Donna Drake
The streets of Paris are not safe after young Pierre Frollo's love for a fiery Muslim refugee sparks a series of cataclysmic events. Featuring a chanson- and Arab-influenced score, this gripping musical re-sets Victor Hugo's Notre Dame De Paris amongst the disenfranchised youth and xenophobia of France 1958, and the Algerian War for Independence.
*Man of Rock
Book and Lyrics by Daniel Heath
Music by Kenneth Flagg
In the summer of 1982, Dorimant, lead singer of Silverwolf, broke hearts all down the Jersey Shore with his panty-dropping hit ballad, "Come Down Angel." But now it's 1986, and he's still a one-hit wonder. When the hot and brainless JJ Rock rolls into town with his band Hämmer, Dorimant must rediscover the spirit of rock'n'roll, or lose his band, his bar... and his one shot at a girl who can rock as hard as he does.
My History of Marriage
Book and Lyrics by Lee Kalcheim
Music and Lyrics by David Shire
After surviving a disastrous divorce, New York Magazine writer Nan Freeman finds her illustrious career flushed down the pipes. Her last chance at a comeback arrives in the form of a lecherous publisher and a lunatic proposal: Nan must write a book about the history of marriage. Scenes from her book take us on a hilarious journey through the annals of matrimony where she learns a thing or two about her own relationships. Will she give love another shot?
*Outlaws
Book by Perry Liu, Joe Calarco and Alastair William King
Music by Alastair William King and Perry Liu
Lyrics by Perry Liu
Conceived by Alastair William King and Perry Liu
A media sensation before his time, Billy the Kid was one of the Wild West's most infamous outlaws. He, Pat Garrett and their young gang live a rebellious carefree life, but that quickly changes after Billy draws his gun. On the run, these ‘kids' must learn to grow up... the hard way. Driven by a heart-pounding rock score, this edgy musical spins a tale of youth and friendship, fame and violence in America.
*Rio
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mitch Magonet and Joey Miller
Sky. Neon. Sun on Glass. Concrete. Carnaval. The Escola de Samba Foltando presents a tale of change. Conversion. Perversion. Our Version! In a re-invention of Oliver Twist set in modern day Rio, twelve year-old Pipio searches for his lost mother among the street-kids, gangs and drug-lords that rule Rio's slums, or ‘favelas'. When the reigning drug-lord's girlfriend Neves gets entangled in Pipio's plight, a search for identity becomes a struggle for survival as they defy a ruthless boyfriend, a ferocious street-kid and a hell-bent police Captain in the hottest place on earth.
This One Girl's Story
Book by Bil Wright
Music and Lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney
Meet Cee-Cee and her friends - four women in search of a drama-free night filled with dancing andmaybe a little romance - hopefully not with yet another W.G.F.M (Wrong Girl For Me). They've ditched Newark to party in the Big City, but a shocking incident forces them to face difficult truths about themselves. Inspired by actual events, this powerful musical combines R&B, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop to sing a tale of love and courage.
*Time Between Us
Book and Lyrics by Brett Schrier and Tess Barker
Music by Brett Schrier
Fresh out of art school, best friends Morgan and Matthew begin "real life" with the shared dream of having it all. But is it really possible to build the perfect career and the ideal personal life? Across the span of thirty years, irresistible opportunities and heart-wrenching decisions bring each of the friends towards achieving half of their dream - and force them to leave the other half behind. A beautifully haunting portrait of best friends, passions, and time.
Tour De Fierce
Created by Hollie Howard
Production Conceived by Hollie Howard and Joey Murray
Music by various artists
Starring The Broadway Dolls
Five of the sexiest, sassiest, and brassiest ingénues of the Broadway Stage are strutting their stilettos down to NYMF this year in the debut of Tour De Fierce. This ambitious stage production mixes elements of Broadway, Cabaret, Fashion, Performance Art and Film, in a non-stop song and dance concert. The best of Broadway and pop music is belted, twirled and tipped by these remarkable ladies, as they tell the story of their road to Broadway. 5 women, 2 hours, 1 word: FIERCE. Get into it.
Tut
Concept, Music and Lyrics by Marcus Hummon
A young ruler striving to bring peace to his country. A British archaeologist desperate to salvage his career with one great discovery. Tut, a mesmerizing and entirely unique oratorio-dance hybrid, interweaves the lives of two men across thousands of years: Tutankhamun, the mysterious pharaoh, and Howard Carter, the man who discovers his long-lost tomb. Featuring a magical score and stunning choreography, Tut gets into your bloodstream with rhythms you'll feel for days to come.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Balls...the Musical?
Book and Lyrics by Bret Carr, Mick Bonde, Brandon Ellis, Michael "Tuba" McKinsey, and Nick
Vering Music by Various Composers
Take an unruly quintet of testosterone-laden performers and a brilliant talent on the piano, add in the reinterpretation of a few old musical theater "chestnuts," and POW! You get a hilarious hour and a half of entertainment! Bridged with heartfelt moments, Balls unabashedly celebrates its own inappropriateness. It's a parody show from a totally new vantage! Sooo...Buckle your seatbelts and join us as we examine the role of the straight male in musical theatre!
Blanche: The Bittersweet Life Of A Wild Prairie Dame
Book and Lyrics by Onalea Gilbertson
Music by Onalea Gilbertson, Jonathan Lewis and Morag Northey
Blanche is set in a dusty sitting room in the far corner of a 93-year-old woman's mind. The songs are poetic family movies inspired by the indomitable spirit of a woman who survived the Great Depression, the Second World War and tragic lost love. Told through the eyes of her granddaughter with piano, violin, cello and soundscape; this exquisitely poignant new musical is a meditation on memory - if we don't tell their stories, all will be forgotten...
Gatsby: The Songs in Concert
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Music by Lee Pockriss
Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
Inspired by the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
UnsungMusicalsCo. Inc. presents the world premiere of the original score from Gatsby. Written by Tony Award winner Hugh Wheeler, Grammy Award nominee Lee Pockriss and Tony Award nominee Carolyn Leigh, the unproduced musical adaptation was announced to open on Broadway in spring 1970 but never came to fruition. This world premiere concert of Gatsby will feature the rich, jazz-infused score written for F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic roaring '20s tale of passion, decadence and desire.
Jeremy Schonfeld: Long Time, No See
Singer/Songwriter, composer/lyricist and NYMF alum (Drift, Clear Blue Tuesday) Jeremy Schonfeld takes to the stage for a one-night only concert of songs from recent and upcoming projects, including his new album "Iron and Coal" and new musical in development, Kissing Frogs. "Long Time, No See" is Jer's first live concert in NYC for a couple of years, so come out and see what he's been doing all this time! Special guests tba.
Gotta Getta Girl
Book and Lyrics by Peter Charles Morris
Music by David Caldwell
Gotta Getta Girl is an old-fashioned musical comedy with a modern twist. An homage to Singin' In The Rain, the show poses the question, "What would happen if Gene Kelly ended up with Donald O'Connor instead of Debbie Reynolds?" A panoramic view of the entertainment world in the 1930s, this three-person tap dance show travels from Vaudeville to Broadway to Hollywood to the battlefields of World War II, where America and love conquer all.
Marry Me!
Book by Daniel Korb
Lyrics by Daniel Korb and Darren Korb
Music by Darren Korb
This new musical bromance by the Korb Brothers is an outrageous comedy with a lot of heart about two straight best friends who marry each other for the financial benefits. But their faux gay marriage turns to all out war when one inherits a small fortune and the other refuses to give him a divorce.
Matchmaker Matchmaker I'm Willing to Settle
Book by Kelvin Moon Loh and Nikki MacCullum
Music and Lyrics by Brandon James Gwinn
Join Nikki as she plunges into the matrix of the world wild web to emerge as a guru of the do's and don'ts of Internet Dating. Armed with an antiquated guide to matchmaking (passed down from her dear old bubbe) and the enlisted help of three modern day Cyber Yentas (Match.com Guy, JDate Guy, and OK Cupid), Nikki shares her "sure-fire" strategy to nab the near impossible: One Good Date. Although all the dating stories are TRUE, the USER names have been changed to protect the innocent.
The Pigeon Boys
Book and Lyrics by Anne Berlin
Music by Andrew Bleckner
The Pigeon Boys tells the story of the forgotten pigeoneers of World War II and explores the lives of three soldiers -- an American, a Brit, and a German. As the boys face the harsh realities of war and one life-or-death mission, they reveal the mysteries of the 50,000 pigeons used to save the lives of soldiers and airmen. Their intertwined stories of love, hope and fear look at the struggles of becoming a man.
PARTNER EVENT
Musicals on Television: Twice-Told Tales
The Paley Center for Media will screen different musical "takes" on Cinderella and Peter Pan. Two of these programs made television history; the other two are rarities that have not been seen since their initial broadcasts in the Seventies. Bill Rudman, host of Sirius XM Satellite Radio's "On the Aisle," will introduce the October 2 screenings.
Screenings are free with Paley Center admission. Suggested donation: $10; $8 students and seniors; $5 children under 14.
The Paley Center for Media is located at 25 West 52 Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues). For more information call (212) 621-6800 or go to www. paleycenter.org
Peter Pan (1960)
NBC; 100 minutes; color
In 1954 Mary Martin created the definitive portrayal of Peter Pan in a Broadway production staged and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, with music and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and Moose Charlap, and additional music and lyrics by Jule Styne, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green. This 1960 telecast stars Martin and Cyril Ritchard, and features Margalo Gillmore and Sondra Lee. Directed for television by Vincent J. Donehue.
HallMark Hall Of Fame: Peter Pan (1976)
NBC; 105 minutes; color
This television adaptation of the J.M. Barrie tale includes music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, and stars Mia Farrow and Danny Kaye. Directed by Dwight Hemion and choreographed by Michael Kidd, and featuring Virginia McKenna, Paula Kelly, and John Gielgud.
Cinderella (1957)
CBS; 90 minutes; black and white
The only collaboration for television by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, this 1957 telecast is a bona fide classic. Starring Julie Andrews, with Edie Adams, Kaye Ballard, Alice Ghostley, Ilka Chase, Jon Cypher, Dorothy Stickney, and Howard Lindsay. Directed by Ralph Nelson and choreographed by Jonathan Lucas.
Sunday, October 2 at 4 p.m.
Cindy (1978)
ABC; 100 minutes; color
This original musical version of Cinderella-with songs by Stan Daniels-is set in Harlem in 1943. With Charlaine Woodard (in the title role), Clifton Davis (as "Joe Prince"), Mae Mercer, Nell Carter, Alaina Reed, and Cleavant Derricks. Directed by William A. Graham
NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2011 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The Broadway League, The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Ariel Phinney, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating, and tickets to individual events are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org. Single tickets for Festival events will go on sale September 1.
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