Joe Pantoliano Joins The Cast Of ROCK & ROLL MAN

Emmy Award-winner Joe Pantoliano has joined the cast of Rock & Roll Man. Pantoliano, known affectionately as "Joey Pants," will star alongside the previously announced Tony Award-nominee Constantine Maroulis in the New York premiere of the new musical celebrating the life of the legendary Alan Freed. Rock & Roll Man begins performances June 2, and the official opening night will be June 21, 2023 at New World Stages, Stage 3 (340 West 50th Street).

Tickets to Rock & Roll Man are on sale now through Telecharge.com or by calling (800) 447-7400 or in person at the New World Stages Box Office Entrance. Group sales (10 or more) available through Broadway Inbound or by calling 866-302-0995.

Joe Pantoliano will play Morris Levy, the owner of the New York nightclub Birdland, and Leo Mintz, the owner of Cleveland's Record Rendezvous. Both men were instrumental in Alan Freed's rise to fame.

Joe Pantoliano (Levy & Mintz). In a career spanning five decades, Joe Pantoliano has amassed an impressive catalog of classic American film, theater and television titles, collaborating with some of Hollywood's most prestigious filmmakers including Steven Spielberg (Empire of the Sun), Richard Donner (The Goonies), Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), Martin Brest (Midnight Run), Christopher Nolan (Memento), The Wachowskis (The Matrix, Bound, Sense-8), and Jerry Bruckheimer (Bad Boys 1, 2, & 3), among others. In addition to working on critically acclaimed feature films, Pantoliano has amassed an incredible resume of theatre credits. He received an LA Critics Circle Nomination for originating the role of Philip in Orphans and played Aldo in the world premiere of John Patrick Shanley's Italian American Reconciliation, directed by Shanley. Pantoliano's television appearances have included the likes of the hit TV series "The Sopranos" for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance as Ralph Cifaretto. Pantoliano has also lent his talents to writing two memoirs. The first, Who's Sorry Now: The True Story of a Stand-Up Guy, was released in 2003 to critical acclaim and became a New York Times best seller. Pantoliano later wrote the sequel, Asylum: Hollywood Tales From My Great Depression: Brain Dis-Ease, Recovery and Being My Mother's Son. Pantoliano can most recently be seen in From the Vine, Tacoma FD, and Bad Boys for Life reuniting with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. He recently completed filming on the independent feature film, Home Delivery, opposite Donald Faison, Jimmi Simpson, and Lesley Ann Warren. Pantoliano is an advocate for mental health, with his award-winning documentary, No Kidding! Me 2!! and his non-profit of the same name.

The New York Times said "Rock & Roll Man's songs include pioneering works tattooed upon the national memory....There's no denying the immense cultural influence of Alan Freed."

Winner of the 2019 Broadway World Berkshires Awards for Best Musical, Rock & Roll Man chronicles the remarkable life of Alan Freed (played by Contantine Maroulis), the boundary-smashing disc jockey rebel who popularized the records that became the foundation of rock. With an original score that also includes genre-defying hits like "Lucille," "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," "Tutti Frutti," "Good Golly," "Peggy Sue," "Wake Up Little Susie," "Ain't That A Shame," "Long Tall Sally," "Jim Dandy," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Yakety Yak," "I Put A Spell On You," Maybellene," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "Great Balls of Fire," and more, this edgy and inspiring new musical comes to New York after two sold-out critically acclaimed developmental productions at Bucks County Playhouse and the Berkshire Theatre Group.

Rock & Roll Man takes place on the last day of Alan Freed's life during a fever dream in which J. Edgar Hoover (as prosecutor) and Little Richard (as defense attorney) face off in a fantasy courtroom with Freed's legacy on trial. He brought the sound of rock and roll to the world. He popularized Black artists including Chuck Berry and Little Richard - playing their music, producing concerts, finding an audience coast to coast, and becoming "the voice" of a generation. For the first time in history, Black and white artists performed together on stage, for multi-racial audiences. Freed risked everything to integrate the airwaves and unite audiences across America thorough their love of music.

The music of Rock & Roll Man features some of the most well-known rock & roll classics created by legends such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Lavern Baker, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Screamin' Jay Hawkins, as well as explosive original songs by Gary Kupper (Freckleface Strawberry The Musical - Outer Critics Circle nomination).

Rock & Roll Man features book by Gary Kupper & Larry Marshak (editor of Night Beat Magazine and Rock Magazine) and Rose Caiola (Freckleface Strawberry The Musical - Outer Critics Circle nomination), original music and lyrics by Gary Kupper, Vintage Rock & Roll Elements developed by Marshak Classic Music LLC and Gary Kupper Music, direction by Tony Award-nominee Randal Myler (It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues), choreography by Stephanie Klemons (Associate Choreographer and Global Dance Supervisor of Hamilton), musical direction by Dave Keyes (Smokey Joe's Café), music supervision and arrangements by Dave Keyes and Gary Kupper, additional orchestrations and dance arrangements by Kenny Seymour (Ain't Too Proud). Scenic design is by Tim Mackabee (The Elephant Man), costume design by Leon Dobkowski (The Sound of Music at Paper Mill Playhouse), projection design by Christopher Ash (A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Guthrie), lighting design by Matthew Richards (Is God Is) and Aja M. Jackson (The Art of Burning), sound design by Ed Chapman (Leopoldstadt - Associate Sound Designer), casting by JZ Casting, Geoff Josselson, Katja Zarolinski and Jimmy Larkin. Rock & Roll Man is produced by 7-time Tony Award-winners Caiola Productions (Once On This Island, Dear Evan Hansen, The Color Purple, All The Way, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf) and Tony Award-winners Jay & Cindy Gutterman (The Piano Lesson, All The Way, Spring Awakening, Glengarry Glen Ross). Executive Producer and General Manager is JRJ Productions LLC, Jessica R. Jenen (Parade, Into The Woods, Company - Tony Award; Life of Pi; New York, New York).

Additional casting will be announced soon.

New World Stages box office hours are Monday 1pm to 8pm, Tuesday 1pm to 7pm, Wednesday 1pm to 8pm, Thursday, 12pm to 8pm, Friday 1pm to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 10am to 7pm.