Felciano, Burgess, Etc. Sing Barnett Songs in 7/17 Concert

This July, ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty) will launch The ArtCents Concert Series, a monthly benefit concert featuring the works of emerging songwriters, at The Triad on New York's Upper West Side (158 W. 72nd St.).

The inaugural ArtCents concert, featuring the music of Stephen Barnett, is scheduled for Monday, July 17th at 7 p.m. The concert will feature musical direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Sweeney Todd, Company), and performances by Tituss Burgess (Jersey Boys), Jacque Carnahan, Joe Cassidy (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd), Colby Foytik, Christopher Graves, Adam Mastrelli, Michelle Miller, Manu Narayan (Bombay Dreams), Meghan Ritchie, Q. Smith, Elizabeth Stanley (Company) and Cullen Titmuss. Additional names will be announced soon.

"I met Stephen in theNYU grad writing program and instantly loved his writing," said Campbell. "He has such an original voice and the way he uses melody in a rock-folk style is very impressive. When we decided to launch this concert series, he immediately came to mind as one of the first new voices to be heard."

Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) is a non-profit organization which mobilizes the global community of artists to create positive change for young people in need worldwide. Built on the foundation of Art-in-Action, ASTEP hosts experience programs in which teaching artists immerse themselves into poverty-stricken communities to educate youth on issues ranging from racism to AIDS awareness to personal hygiene through the universal language of art.

Barnett is a classically trained pianist and composer/songwriter who received his B.A. in Music Composition from Duke University and his M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. As an undergraduate, he studied under the tutelage of Stephen Jaffe and Scott Lindroth, and while pursuing his Masters at NYU, his teachers included Bill Finn and Michael John LaChiusa. His thesis musical, Beautiful, received its Off-Broadway premiere in August 2005 as part of the NYC Fringe Festival. Currently, Barnett is providing the music preparation for the 2006 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company. In 1999, Barnett released Free Spirit, a collection of neo-classical piano works composed during his study at Duke, and in 2004, he and lyricist/bookwriter Michael Arquilla released the original concept recording of Beautiful.

"Admission to this and all future ArtCents benefit concerts is … a jar of change. Gather all of your spare change, put it in a jar – any jar, and bring it with you," state press notes.

There is also a two-drink minimum. Reservations can be made by calling 212-706-1516 or by sending an email to createsomethinggood@gmail.com.

All proceeds from the concert benefit ASTEP. Visit www.createsomethinggood.org to learn more. Future concert dates will be announced shortly.