Jelani Remy, Emily Skeggs & More to Star in THE APPLE BOYS Industry Reading

An industry reading of the new musical THE APPLE BOYS, book by Jonothon Lyons, Music & Lyrics by Ben Bonnema, and directed by David Alpert, will be presented April 25 and 26 at Open Jar Studios in Manhattan.

THE APPLE BOYS is a wildly fast-paced, heartwarming and optimistic four-person comedy set in turn-of-the-century Coney Island. Jack, the grandson of Johnny Appleseed, sets out to save his family apple orchard with the help of Nathan (of hot dog fame), Warren ("The World's Strongest Person"), and Hank (aspiring roller coaster designer). In pursuit of their dreams, these unlikely friends discover the transformative power of working together, and joining their voices in song.

THE APPLE BOYS' prior development includes presentations at Dixon Place and Ars Nova, and a full production Off-Off Broadway in the Dorothy B. Williams Theatre at HERE Arts Center in 2018.

The reading features Alex Gibson (Spongebob, Octet), Jelani Remy (Back to the Future, Ain't too Proud), Tony Award-nominee Emily Skeggs (Fun Home), & Teddy Yudain (Little Shop of Horrors), with Rona Siddiqui (A Strange Loop) as Music Supervisor, and stage management by Jereme Kyle Lewis. General Management by Hillel Friedman from Evan Bernardin Productions.

Website: www.theappleboys.net

Instagram: @theappleboys

Jonothon Lyons

(Book) is an Independent Theater Award winning writer (Outstanding Original Short Script The Tenement 2010) and a recipient of the Jim Henson Foundation Seed Grant (Ensō 2013). He has performed Off-Broadway in Little Shop of Horrors, Blue Man Group, and Sleep No More. And at The Metropolitan Opera in Simon McBurney's Die Zauberflöte, Lileana Blain-Cruz's El Niño, and Anthony Minghella's Madama Butterfly. He's received over 2 billion views and 5 million followers for his viral internet creation Buddy the Rat (@jonothonlyons). He is a proud member of Actors' Equity, AGMA, The Dramatists Guild, and the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Ben Bonnema

(Music, Lyrics) has received a Jonathan Larson Grant, the Fred Ebb Award, and the Harold Adamson Lyric Award. Theatre: The Apple Boys with Jonothon Lyons, One Way with Christopher Staskel (NAMT, Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed), Boys Who Tricked Me (Musical Theatre Factory, "heart-healing musical theatre" -Joshua Barone of the New York Times) THE LOST GIRL with Arianna Rose. New Media: Peter Panic with James Marion (Adult Swim Games, two million downloads). Film: Mary Poppins Returns (Music Associate to Marc Shaiman). Ben holds an M.F.A. from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. He helped form the Climbers United Union.

David Alpert

(Director) is an award-winning New York City based director, whose work has been applauded by both the New York Times and The New Yorker. NY: The Apple Boys (HERE Arts), Our Brother's Son (The Linney at Signature), A Scythe of Time (June Havoc). Creative Director for Tony Award-Winner Idina Menzel (Carnegie Hall, Radio City, Bridges Tour, "Which Way to the Stage" Disney+ documentary), Founding Artistic Director of BroadwayCon, Creator & Host of the "E-Ticket to Broadway" podcast, creator of the "Living for Today" Concert series which benefits Gilana's Fund. Broadway associate work: If/Then, The Trip to Bountiful, The Best Man, Guys & Dolls. Faculty: NYU Steinhardt. David is a member of SDC, and graduated summa cum laude from Western Michigan University with a BA in Theatre Studies (Directing). Upon graduation he was awarded both of the Department's top honors: the Presidential Scholar, and the Conspicuous Achievement in Theatre Award, and in 2016 was selected as a Distinguished Alumni of the University. david-alpert.com

Rona Siddiqui

(Music Supervisor) Grammy-nominated artist Rona Siddiqui is a composer/lyricist based in NYC. She is a recipient of the prestigious Kleban Prize for lyric writing, Jonathan Larson Grant and Billie Burke Ziegfeld award. Her show Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan, an autobiographical comedy about growing up bi-ethnic in America, has had a concert at 54 Below and development at Playwrights Horizons (dir. by Raja Feather Kelly). Other musicals include One Good Day, Hip Hop Cinderella, and The Tin. She is the recipient of the ASCAP Harold Adamson Lyric Award, the ASCAP Foundation Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award and ASCAP Foundation/Max Dreyfus Scholarship. She has performed on NPR's Tiny Desk, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Residencies: Musical Theatre Factory's Makers Residency, Ars Nova's Vision Residency. Music Direction: Broadway: A Strange Loop (Obie Winner and Grammy nominee). Off Broadway: Bella: An American Tall Tale, Who's Your Baghdaddy. Orchestration: Monsoon Wedding, An Untitled New Play by Justin Timberlake, numerous albums - Broadway Records, Broadway Backwards. Faculty member: BerkleeNYC, New York University. Masters from NYU's GMTWP.

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