Eric L. Summers, Lena Hall, Felicia Finley & More to Lead BASQUIAT Concert at Joe's Pub, 12/13

Basquiat, a new musical about the life and times of 80's art-star, Jean Michele Basquiat will be given a private industry reading on December 13th at 3pm.

Eric L. Summers (Motown: The Musical) will headline the reading as Basquiat. Joining Summers will be Broadway's Lena Hall (Kinky Boots) and Felicia Finley (Mama Mia, The Wedding Singer).

Other performers include Ken Robinson (Memphis), Julius Thomas III (Motown: The Musical) Chad Carstarphen (In the Heights), Ben Mapp, James Lambert, Roger DeWitt, Ruben Ortiz, Eddie Varley and Nikki Kimbrough (A Night with Janis Joplin). Summers, who recently won an Astaire Award for Outstanding Male Dancer for Motown the Musical, will be playing the title role of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Basquiat is conceived and directed by Paul Stancato.

Basquiat was a New York graffiti artist who shot to stardom in the early 80's with his neo-expressionistic paintings and bad-boy image. He was a part of a cultural revolution that included fellow painters, Keith Haring and Fab 5 Freddy, New Wave bands Blondie and Talking Heads and Basquiat's mentor, Andy Warhol. He was one of the most sought after painters in the 80's until his untimely death in 1988 at only 27 years old. Written by Chris Blisset (music and lyrics), Matt Uremovich (lyrics) and Larry Tobias (book), Basquiat deals with the triumphs and failures of one of the art world's most controversial figures.

The reading is in addition to a special concert version of the musical at Joe's Pub on December 16th at 7:30pm.

For reservations for Joe's Pub, please visit www.joespub.com.