Jonathan Tolins, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie Will Write Broadway-Aimed LAST DIVA Musical

New Works Provincetown, a developmental theatre lab founded by Producer Mark Cortale to create and develop new theatrical works, has commissioned its first full length musical entitled The Last Diva with book by Jonathan Tolins (Buyer & Cellar), music by Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens, War Paint) and lyrics by Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, War Paint). The creative team's first writing retreat will take place this summer in July in Provincetown with subsequent workshops in the fall and spring that will each culminate in public presentations at the renowned Art House theatre in Provincetown, MA.

In addition to The Last Diva, New Works Provincetown is in the process of commissioning two more major theatrical works that will be created by voices of diversified race, ethnicity and gender in August and then October. These new pieces will each also be developed in Provincetown with workshops during the 2020/21 season.

Mr. Cortale, who serves as Producing Artistic Director of The Art House has also announced an auspicious new partnership behind New Works Provincetown's first three major commissions: Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese's Wild Oak Media. Mr. Murray, as half of television's legendary Bunim/Murray Productions, is widely credited for inventing the modern reality television genre, including creating and/or executive producing the groundbreaking shows The Real World, Road Rules, The Challenge, The Simple Life, Making the Band, Project Runway, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and the Emmy award winning Born This Way, among others. Together with his partner, Harvey Reese, they have been longtime supporters and investors in theater, including Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays and Motherhood Out Loud.

The Last Diva tells the story of Victoria Merritt, a gorgeous, superstar soprano facing conflict at a major opera house in the wild world of classical music in the 1990s. As professional and personal pressures mount, and "artistic temperament" becomes a less acceptable excuse for bad behavior, Vicky struggles through both triumph and humiliation as she finds her true, even more beautiful voice.

Commenting on the new venture, Mr. Cortale stated: "During these unprecedented circumstances that have caused all live performances to be postponed or cancelled, I believe it is the right time to broaden my focus to the creation and development of new works for the American theatre. I'm excited to collaborate with producers Jon Murray and Harvey Reese to move forward with New Works Provincetown this season, and highlight the works of an incredible, diverse scope of artists. We're greatly inspired by Provincetown's rich history where incredible playwrights like Eugene O'Neill, Susan Glaspell, and Tennessee Williams came to work and we want to do everything possible to foster that tradition."

New Works Provincetown began its inaugural season this past October with Edmund Bagnell's one man show He Plays The Violin. Bagnell, the first violinist and vocalist of the critically acclaimed singing string quartet Well-Strung co-wrote the show with director Michael Schiralli. He Plays The Violin, conceived by Mark Cortale and music directed by Matthew Aument also includes an original song by composer Scott Frankel. The show premiered at The Art House in early November followed by an immediate New York debut at 54 Below. A national tour of the show and subsequent summer run at The Art House have been postponed to 2021. New Works Provincetown is sponsored by the Anchor Inn Beach House and The Commons.