INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL Set For NYMF 9/30-10/10

An inspiring new autobiographical musical about a composer determined to keep making music even as he is going deaf, will debut this fall when Jay Alan Zimmerman's INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL is presented by The New York Musical Theatre Festival and Geoffrey Cohen, with performances set for September 30 through October 10 at The Duke on 42nd (229 W. 42 St.) in Manhattan.

Based on the real life story of composer Jay Alan Zimmerman - an author, composer, performer and filmmaker whose original compositions include the musicals "My Café Cinderella" and "HoliDaze, the song cycle "Punctuated Thoughts" directed by Tom O'Horgan and the award-winning film musicals "Love Burns" and "Pawns" - Jay Alan Zimmerman'S INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL is described as a wild pop-rock-rap-dance-classical-disco-experimental-sign language-multimedia mash up.

DEAF MUSICAL follows Jay, who becomes one ticked-off composer when the noisy buzz of progressive deafness steals away his songs. As he struggles to hold on to the disappearing notes, can his wife and son convince him to strive for something other than fame or death? Jay Alan Zimmerman'S INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL is a lively and heartwarming autobiography of a man trying everything he can to keep the music flying.

With music and lyrics by Jay Alan Zimmerman, based on his life story, Jay Alan Zimmerman'S INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL is directed by Kristin McLaughlin, the cast of DEAF MUSICAL features Paul Amodeo as Jay, Jason Reiff, Pierce Gidez, Amber Harris, Casey Erin Clark, Howard Kaye and Tiffan Borelli. Choreography is by Derek Roland; Emily Otto is musical director; set design is by Merope Vachlloti; lighting design is by Herrick Goldman; projection design is by Michael Clark; sound design by Duncan Cutler and costume design is by Jesse Dunham.

Jay Alan Zimmerman'S INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL will perform, as follows:
Thursday, Sept. 30 at 8 pm
Saturday, Oct. 2 at 5 pm
Monday, Oct. 4 at 1 pm
Friday, Oct. 8 at 9 pm
Saturday, Oct. 9 at 9 pm
Sunday, Oct. 10 at 1 pm

Jay Alan Zimmerman is the author/composer of the award-winning film musicals "Love Burns" and "Pawns." His stage musicals include "My Café Cinderella" and "HoliDaze." His dance/film scores include "Do Not Call it Fixity" (winner of a Special Music Award at the Grand Prix International Video Danse Festival). He wrote music for the plays "Booth" and "Our Brutus," both Fringe First award winners at Edinburgh Fringe and both given productions in New York and London. He wrote the song cycle "Punctuated Thoughts" directed by Tom O'Horgan, and the symphony "Roboticus" for the LEMUR musical robots. Jay Began to experience mild hearing loss in his 20's; that hearing loss has progressed rapidly in recent years.

Kristin McLaughlin was assistant director to Stanley Tucci on the recent Broadway revival of "Lend Me a Tenor." She directed a European tour of "A Chorus Line," the world-premiere of "I/O" at Festival Novellum in France, and "Broadway's Always Dying" at Stonington Opera House.

Derek Roland choreographs and creates new work with the Drama Desk nominated company Parallel Exit, including the critically-acclaimed show Time Step at the New Victory Theater.

Paul Amodeo appeared on Broadway and in the first national tour of "Dirty Blonde." Off-Broadway credits include "How to Build a Better Tulip," "Dressing Room" and "Beau Jest." He also appeared in "The Visit" at Signature Theatre.

Jason Reiff performed in the international tours of "The Who's Tommy" as Tommy, "How to Succeed in Business...," and "Les Miserables." Pierce Gidez has appeared in productions of "Music Man," "Peter Pan" and "A Christmas Carol." Casey Erin Clark appeared Off-Broadway in the musical "Frankenstein" and in "Shout! The Mod Musical." Amber Harris performed Off-Broadway in "Streetlights" and "Below the Waist." Tiffan Borelli appeared in the NYMF musical "Emma" and in "Far Out! The Sci-Fi Musical Comedy" at NY Fringe Festival. Howard Kaye performed on Broadway in "Miss Saigon" and Off-Broadway in "Little Ham," "The Little Prince" and "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater."

Geoffrey Cohen is producer of the upcoming "Universal Feather," and serves as General Manager of the Broadway-bound play "Admit One", Mark Stuart Dance Theatre and Canada's World Rock Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Cohen co-founded the New York Musical Theatre Festival and was previously General Manager of Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens "A Christmas Carol", the national tour of "The Wizard of Oz", Paper Mill Playhouse, and was General Manager of last season's NYMF hit, "Cross that River" by Alan Harris.

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2010 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group,TheaterMania.com, and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and is supported by AP-Red.com, Back Stage, Barnes and Noble, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Broadway.TV, Clear Channel Spectacolor, DFD-TV, King Displays, NASDAQ OMX, New World Stages, Next Magazine, PMD Promotions, The Port Authority of NY & NJ, Queerty.com, Season of Savings, Tekserve, Terra Fossil, Thomson Reuters, TheMenEvent.com, Times Square Squared, and Yelp. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The Broadway League, The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Ariel Phinney, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, The Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Spiritus Gladius Foundation, and The Theater League. 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.

Tickets to Jay Alan Zimmerman'S INCREDIBLY DEAF MUSICAL are $20 and can be reserved through nymf.org or through Theatremania.com and by phone at 212 352 3101.