Hurlburt, McDowell, and James to Headline NYTB in the D-Lounge Series

On Monday, September 26, 2011, New York Theatre Barn will present NYTB in the D-Lounge, a monthly platform for emerging musical theatre writers (now in its 4th year), at the Daryl Roth Theatre. The series fuses two contrasting writing teams to create an eclectic evening of music and theatre. Featured writers for the September 26th installment include the writing team of Zak Sandler and Greg Edwards, Dave Ogrin (The Legend of Julie Taymor), Steve Mackes, Ben Budick, Brett Schrier, Tess Barker, Nikki M. Jenkins, Rob Baumgartner, Jr., Carl Kissin, and Zoe Sarnak. Executive Producers for NYTB in the D-Lounge are Laura Brandel and Jason Najjoum.

The first set of the evening, Best of Fest, includes selections from new musicals featured in NYC's summer festival circuit. The new musicals featured in the set are: Wild Women of Planet Wongo (featured in the 2011 West Village Musical Theatre Festival) by Steve Mackes (Book/Lyrics), Dave Ogrin (Music/Lyrics), and Ben Budick (Lyrics); Time Between Us: A Musical Snapshot (featured in the 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival) by Brett Schrier (Book/Music/Lyrics), Tess Barker (Book/Lyrics), and direction by Richard Amelius; Disenchanted: A New Musical (Winner of Best Overall Production of a Reading, 2011 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity) by Nikki M. Jenkins (Book/Music/Lyrics); Date Of A Lifetime (Featured at the 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival), by Rob Baumgartner, Jr. (Music) and Carl Kissin (Book/Lyrics). The presentations will feature Autumn Hurlbert (Legally Blonde-The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods, Little Women, Tomorrow Morning), Jessica Bay Blyweiss, Claire Duncan (Celebration of Life), Lauren Ford (The Seduction of Edward Degas), Jeremiah James (Oklahoma) Tracy McDowell (Rent), Aaron Pratt, Nikki M. Jenkins, Marti Gould Cummings, J Harrison Ghee (aka Crystal Demure), DanielAustin Logan (aka Dallas Dubois), Farah Alvin (Nine, I Love You Because, The Marvelous Wonderettes), and
Jamie LaVerdiere (The Producers, Pirate Queen, Urinetown).

The second set of the evening is called The Songs of Zak Sandler and Greg Edwards. Greg Edwards (Lyrics) and Zak Sandler (Music) will present songs from their original musical Split Decision and their adaptation of Office Space. Greg and Zak's work has been has been performed at the Lincoln Center Songbook series, the White House, Joe's Pub, Theatre Works, Signature Theatre, and the BMI Workshop to which they're currently indentured as Advanced students. The presentation features Darren Bluestone, Chris Critelli, Augie Pralie, and Ashley Tobias, with Adam Neely on bass, Zak Sandler on piano, and Danny Taylor on drums.

The September 2011 installment of NYTB in the D-Lounge will take place on Monday, September 26, 2011 at 7:30pm at the D-Lounge, located at the Daryl Roth Theatre, 101 East 15
th St. (just east of Union Square). There is a $10 cover plus a 2-drink minimum. For more information and to learn more about New York Theatre Barn, visit: www.NYTheatreBarn.org.

Under the direction of Joe Barros (Producing Artistic Director) and Joy Lanceta (Managing Diretcor), New York Theatre Barn is a non-profit theatre company founded in 2007 and is dedicated to the investigation, development, and advancement of new works. Productions include the all-female musical I Married Wyatt Earp (59E59 Theaters/in partnership with Prospect Theater Co.) with Heather Mac Rae and Carolyn Mignini, the musical Wood (New York Musical Theatre Festival/Emily Miller) with Cady Huffman, and Bridget Bailey's award winning solo play Child of Hungry Times. New York Theatre Barn has been instrumental in the development of Ordinary Days, I Married Wyatt Earp, the musical parody Hey, You Know What Movie Would Make A Good Musical?, Hot Mess in Manhattan, R.R.R.E.D., and Welcome to My Life. NYTB is currently developing Speargrove Presents, a new musical conceived by the company.

New York Theatre Barn is a proud member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.