Screen and stage actor GLEN BOLES will offer a talk back on Weds. Oct. 1 following the final performance of THE ROAD TO RUIN at The 45th Street Theater. Now 96 years old, Boles played one of the male leads in the 1934 version of the legendary cult film. At the height of his film career, he walked out on his contract with Warner Brothers to move to New York and star on Broadway (including the original production of You Can't Take It With You). During WWII he worked as a codebreaker in South America, and studied with Margaret Meade at Columbia University. He attained a PhD in psychology and has been a practicing psychotherapist for fifty years. He most recently appeared as himself in the documentary When Ocean Meets Sky, a history of gay Fire Island.
THE ROAD TO RUIN is the cautionary tale of 15 year old "Little Sally Canfield" -- the nicest girl at Central High. When evil temptress Eve exposes Sally to her dark, delinquent side, it destroys Sally's dreams. But Soon, Sally's provincial life is surrounded by dark forces including narcissistic parents, a holier-than-thou entrepreneur, an alcoholic business woman, desperate housewives lusting after well-built young men, as well as an assortment of college athletes, strippers, prostitutes and dancing rabbits. The absurdity of America's moral conscience in 1928 is exposed through eerily familiar Corporate Christians, the self-help movement, and the bottled water health craze. But can Sally find redemption?
The production stars Brooke Sunny Moriber (The Wild Party, James Joyce's The Dead), Ann Morrison (Merrily We Roll Along, LoveMusik), Lori Hammel (Mamma Mia), John O'Creagh (The Field) , Cristina Fadale (Rent), Michael Dantuono (42nd Street), and Christy McIntosh (Evil Dead: The Musical, Elvis and Juliet) with sets by Jesse Poleshuck, lighting by Jeff Croiter and costumes by Sarah Maiorino.
Even without a full production, THE ROAD TO RUIN has already spawned an acclaimed 2005 "cast" album from Original Cast Records. It was a National Alliance For Musical Theatre semi-finalist in 2006 and further developed in cooperation with The Academy for New Musical Theatre in Los Angeles,
East of Doheny, and The Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle.
In addition to THE ROAD TO RUIN, William Zeffiro produced and performed on the debut recording of
Randy Newman's song, "Stupid Little Songs" with
Brooke Sunny Moriber. Other recent projects: Producer/Music Supervisor of the Original Cast Recording of Jack: An Opera About The Life Of John F. Kennedy and producing Kitty
Carlisle Hart's final recordings in 2006. Other writing projects include scripts for USA Television Network's Up All NIght and The Backseat Of The Lincoln, a play about obsession with the Kennedy assassination. He is regarded as an expert on the music of
Kay Swift, and co-produced the 1986 Merkin Hall concert featuring Ms. Swift,
Steve Ross,
Julie Wilson and Balcom and Morris.
Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals – many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide. NYMF 2004 hit
Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum
[title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway. Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Frank & Camille's Fine Pianos, HX Magazine, Jossip.com, King Displays, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, Metromix.com, The New York Blade, Next Magazine, Panasonic Astrovision, Queerty.com, Tekserve, TheMENEvent, VOGA Italia, and The Zipper Factory. 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. Festival memberships are on sale now and can be purchased online at
www.nymf.org or by calling (212) 352-3101. For more information, visit
www.nymf.org.
THE ROAD TO RUIN runs Weds. Oct. 1. at 4:30pm. The 45th Street Theater is located at 354 W. 45th Street (between 8th and 9th Aves). Tickets are $18, available at 212-352-3101 or www.nymf.org beginning September 1. For more information visit
www.theroadtoruin.com
