Goodspeed Musicals, the only two-time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, has announced that they will produce three new musicals at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn. Kicking off the season is Band Geeks!, the homegrown smash hit from Goodspeed's 2009 Festival of New Artists. This feel-good musical comedy will run from May 13 through June 6. The darling Radio Girl, based on the much loved classic Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, will charm audiences July 29 through August 22. The third new musical, which will be announced soon, is scheduled to run October 21 through November 14.
Band Geeks! is a high-stepping tribute to high school marching bands and misfits everywhere! With just nine members and dwindling funds, the Cuyahoga High Marching Beavers are close to extinction. When a troubled athlete is relegated to their ranks, Elliott, the tuba-playing band captain and Laura, his best friend, must find a way to unite the band, embrace their inner geek and save the Marching Beavers. A rousing and triumphant musical for all ages.
In January 2009, this infectious and fun-loving tuner wowed Connecticut audiences as part of Goodspeed's 4th Annual Festival of New Artists. Since then the writing team has been working to develop and fine tune this brassy new musical. The team has furthered their progress through work with the Music Theatre Program at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Most recently Band Geeks! became the highlight of the 2009 National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) Festival of New Musicals in New York.
Band Geeks! features Music by
Mark Allen, Gaby Alter, and Tommy Newman with Lyrics by Gaby Alter and Tommy Newman, and Book by Tommy Newman and
Gordon Greenberg. Concept by Tommy Newman.
Band Geeks! will be directed by Goodspeed audience favorite
Gordon Greenberg. Greenberg returns to Goodspeed where he directed the 2006 production of Pirates of Penzance and the 2008 comedy Half a Sixpence as well as The
Norma Terris Theatre and Opera House productions
Happy Days: A New Musical. The choreographer will be
Denis Jones whose Broadway credits include associate choreographer for Legally Blonde and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Mr. Jones performed on Broadway in numerous musicals including Never Gonna Dance, The Full Monty, Chicago and Grease. Band Geeks! will be sponsored by Essex Savings Bank and is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Rebecca is a spunky ten year-old with a "can do" attitude and enormous talent. She doesn't let anything get her down . . . not even being an orphan, or living during the Depression, and especially not her cantankerous Aunt Miranda! With charm, street smarts, pluck and a glorious voice, Rebecca triumphs as Lucky Little Radio Girl and lifts the spirits of America. Based on Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, everyone will fall in love with Radio Girl!
Radio Girl features Music by
Henry Krieger who wrote the music for such Broadway hits as Dreamgirls and Side Show. Lyrics will be written by
Susan Birkenhead who has been nominated for multiple Tony Awards for such Broadway hits as Working and Jelly's Last Jam. Book will be written by
Daniel Goldfarb whose Broadway credits include the comedy
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. Radio Girl will be directed and choreographed by
Christopher Gattelli . Mr. Gattelli returns to Goodspeed where he recently directed the world premiere production of
Jim Henson's Emmet Otter. Gattelli also choreographed
Goodspeed Musicals' 13 at The
Norma Terris Theater, which continued on to Broadway, and Me and My Girl at the
Goodspeed Opera House. He choreographed the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George, and was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for Best Choreography for South Pacific. Mr. Gattelli's other Broadway credits include The Ritz,
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, and High Fidelity.
Band Geeks!, Radio Girl and the fall production will be produced for
Goodspeed Musicals by
Michael P. Price.
The
Norma Terris Theatre is located at 33 North Main Street in Chester which was recently voted "Best Small Town in Connecticut" by Connecticut Magazine. Season Tickets ($117) are available now through the
Goodspeed Opera House Box Office. Individual tickets ($42) will go on sale March 25, 2010. For more information call the Goodspeed Box Office at 860.873.8668 or visit
www.goodspeed.org.
Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre,
Goodspeed Musicals produces three musicals each season at the
Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn., and additional productions at The
Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. The only regional theatre to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement), Goodspeed also maintains the Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The
Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater.
Goodspeed Musicals gratefully acknowledges the support of our Corporate Partner Comcast and Official Audio Sponsor Sennheiser Electronic Corporation.
Goodspeed Musicals is supported in part by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
