Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz's BE MORE CHILL Musical to be Licensed by R&H Theatricals

BE MORE CHILL - the new musical with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, book by Joe Tracz, and based on the novel by Ned Vizzini - will be licensed by R&H Theatricals, a division of Rodgers & Hammerstein. In addition, on the heels of a groundswell movement that has propelled the album to is current #12 position on the Billboard Broadway chart, a new music video of "Michael in the Bathroom" - starring original cast member George Salazar - is now available, featuring exclusive footage from the recording session and stage production. View it here.

To celebrate, R&H Theatricals is launching a special "Michael in the Bathroom" contest which will award a complimentary theatrical license of BE MORE CHILL for a school production. Record yourself, your choir, musical theater group, or music ensemble singing your version of "Michael in the Bathroom" from the musical to enter to win. If needed, the Lyric Sheet and MP3 Accompaniment for "Michael in the Bathroom" is available at www.rnh.com/BeMoreChillContest. Upload a recorded video of "Michael in the Bathroom" to YouTube and be sure to include BE MORE CHILL CONTEST in your video's title. Once you have your YouTube link, head back to to the contest homepage to officially register your video into the contest and agree to the terms and conditions. Also, don't forget to share your YouTube link on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #BeMoreChill. One grand prize winner will receive a complimentary license to present BE MORE CHILL and a web chat with Joe Iconis (Music and Lyrics) and Joe Tracz (Book). Ten runners-up will receive a signed copy of the BE MORE CHILL cast album from Ghostlight Records.

To enter the contest visit: www.rnh.com/BeMoreChillContest. For complete contest rules and restrictions visit: bit.ly/2sPYYtQ.

BE MORE CHILL - which had its world premiere in an extended run at Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ - was directed by Stephen Brackett with Chase Brock serving as choreographer. The orchestrator and musical supervisor was Charlie Rosen; the musical director was Nathan Dame; and music copyist was Paul Rigano. The BE MORE CHILL cast album was produced by Kurt Deutsch, Joe Iconis and Charlie Rosen.

Also available on Ghostlight is the cast recording of Things To Ruin - The Songs of Joe Iconis and The Joe Iconis Rock and Roll Jamboree. To order BE MORE CHILL, visit www.sh-k-boom.com/be-more-chill.

Jeremy Heere is just an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about "The Squip" - a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine, an invite to the raddest party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk?

The recording of BE MORE CHILL features Will Connolly (Jeremy), Eric William Morris (The Squip), Jake Boyd (Jake), Gerard Canonico (Rich), Katlyn Carlson (Chloe), Katie Ladner (Jenna Rolan), Lauren Marcus (Brooke), George Salazar (Michael), and Paul Whitty (Jeremy's Dad/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy).

The six-piece orchestra includes Nathan Dame (Conductor and Keyboard), Danny Jonokuchi (Theremin/Trumpet), Dan McMillan (Drums/Percussion), Josh Plotner(Vocoder/Reeds), Mike Rosengarten (Guitar) and Amanda Ruzza (Bass).

Joe Iconis has been nominated for two Drama Desk Awards and a Lucille Lortel Award, and is the recipient of the Ed Kleban Award and the Jonathan Larson Award for musical theater writing. His songs appeared on Season two of NBC's "Smash" and he is the author of Broadway BounTy Hunter (5 Berkshire Theatre Awards including Best Musical); The Black Suits, the rock and roll Spaghetti Western musical Bloodsong of Love, Things To Ruin, and The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks. Upcoming projects include The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical for La Jolla Playhouse and Love In Hate Nation for Penn State School of Theater.

Joe Tracz is the author of the Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominee The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (with Rob Rokicki; Theatreworks USA), and Poster Boy (with Craig Carnelia; Williamstown Theatre Festival). His work has been developed at The Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Ars Nova, Roundabout, and Second Stage, and published in "Best American Short Plays." He is currently a writer on "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" (Netflix). He has a BA from Kalamazoo College and an MFA from NYU Tisch.

NED VIZZINI (1981-2013) was the bestselling author of acclaimed young-adult books including It's Kind of a Funny Story (also a major motion picture), Teen Angst? Naaah... and Be More Chill.

Stephen Brackett is a New York City-based director of new plays and musicals. His recent credits include Jonathan Tolins' Buyer & Cellar (Rattlestick and Barrow Street Theaters/National Tour/London's Menier Chocolate Factory), Anton Dudley's City Of (The Playwrights Realm),and Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (Theatreworks USA).

Chase Brock recently choreographed Sara Bareilles' Waitress on Broadway and Michael John LaChiusa's First Lady Suite at The Public Theater. He is the Artistic Director of The Chase Brock Experience and the subject of the documentary film Chasing Dance.

Charlie Rosen's Broadway credits include The Visit (guitar, mandolin and zither) and Honeymoon in Vegas (orchestrations, Drama Desk nomination). His 17-piece jazz orchestra Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band is currently in residence at Feinstein's/54 Below.

Nathan Dame's credits include A Little Night Music (Berkshire Theatre Group), Pretty Filthy (The Civilians) and The Lightning Thief (Theatreworks USA).

The creative team for BE MORE CHILL included scenic designer Dane Laffrey, costume designer Bobby Frederick Tilley, and lighting designer Tyler Micoleau. The sound design was by Zachary Williamson, the fight direction was by UnkleDave's Fight-House, the casting was by Adam Caldwell, and the production stage manager was Amanda Michaelsand Carmelita Becnel during the extension run.

ABOUT Ghostlight Records

Ghostlight Records has become the leading independent force in Original Broadway Cast Recordings - building a library of over 150 records in the last 17 years, featuring some of the most successful Broadway musicals and solo albums by Broadway's brightest stars. Founded by Grammy Award winner Kurt Deutsch, Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight has won three Grammy Awards (for The Book of Mormon, In the Heights and Beautiful - The Carole King Musical) and is a frequent nominee, most recently for the OBCR of the 2016 "Best Musical" Tony Award nominee Bright Star by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Other notable recent releases include the 2017 "Best Musical Revival" Tony Award nominee Falsettos, the 2016 "Best Musical Revival" Tony Award nominee She Loves Me, the 2015 "Best Musical" Tony Award nominee Something Rotten! andDisney's Newsies. The label has also released solo albums from Patti LuPone, Billy Porter, Sutton Foster, Adam Pascal, Lea DeLaria, Kelli O'Hara, Ben Vereen, Christine Ebersole and more. The label continues to support the new generation of musical theatre composers with their extensive relationships with Michael John LaChiusa and Michael Friedman, as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Kitt, Pasek & Paul, Joe Iconis, Ryan Scott Oliver, Shaina Taub, Dave Malloy, Kerrigan & Lowdermilk and Adam Gwon. The label recently created a new joint publishing venture with Razor & Tie to represent songwriters that fuse theatrical and pop music. Sh-K-Boom Entertainment is a producer of the acclaimed film version of The Last Five Years, written and directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. www.sh-k-boom.com

ABOUT Rodgers & Hammerstein

Rodgers & Hammerstein is the organization founded in 1944 by the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II to protect and license their theatrical works. R&H own the rights to the world's most popular stage and film musicals, including Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella and The Sound of Music. With offices in New York City and London, the theatrical licensing division, R&H Theatricals, represents the stage performance rights to over 150 musicals by more than 200 writers. Collectively these include works by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart (Babes in Arms, Pal Joey), Kern & Hammerstein (Show Boat), Kurt Weill (The Threepenny Opera, One Touch of Venus), Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins, The Light in the Piazza), as well as the incomparable, Irving Berlin (Annie Get Your Gun, White Christmas). R&H Theatricals is home to works from Broadway (Sophisticated Ladies, Michael John LaChiusa's The Wild Party, Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights, [title of show] and First Date), Off-Broadway (Carrie the musical, Ordinary Days, Altar Boyz, Giant, 21 Chump Street), perennials such as Once Upon a Mattress, Big River and Footloose, a Theater for Young Audiences (TYA) collection which includes Garfield The Musical with Cattitude and Mad Libs Live!, and the longest-running revues in the history of Broadway - Smokey Joe's Cafe - and Off-Broadway - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. www.rnh.com.

ABOUT TWO RIVER THEATER

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, creates great American theater performed by award-winning artists. They produce American and world masterpieces, and new plays and musicals. Two River Theater offers new-play commissions and artistic development activities that support the most adventurous artists in the American theater; invites its audience to be part of the creative process through readings and open rehearsals; and cultivates students and young people to participate in innovative arts-education programs and become a new generation of theatergoers. Founded in 1994 by Joan and Dr. Robert M. Rechnitz, Two River Theater is easily accessible by car, train, or bus, with great restaurants and shopping within walking distance of the theater. For more information, visit tworivertheater.org or call (732) 345-1400.