Larsen, Powers in 'Jerusalem Syndrome' at York Theatre 10/22

A staged reading of The Jerusalem Syndrome, an original musical comedy with book and lyrics by 2006 Kleban Award winners Laurence Holzman and Felicia Needleman and a score by Kyle Rosen, will take place Monday, October 22 at 7:30PM at the York Theatre as part of their Developmental Reading Series.

The reading will feature the talents of Liz Larsen, Jenny Powers, Stuart Zagnit, Robert H. Fowler, Danny Binstock, J.D. Webster, Gayle Turner, Staci Rudnitsky, Vanessa Lemonides, Ron DeStefano, A.J. Irvin and Felicia Ricci.    

"The Jerusalem Syndrome is based on a real-life psychological malady that affects about 200 tourists a year who arrive in the Holy City and suddenly come to believe that they are biblical figures.  With proper medical treatment, many of these people, who have no history of psychological problems, snap out of their delusion within a week, and return to their everyday lives.  The musical follows an ensemble of characters whose lives intertwine when they journey to Israel and experience the syndrome.  Zaniness ensues as Moses leads Noah, Abraham, John the Baptist and not one, but two Virgin Mary's on an exodus from the psych ward while Jesus roams the Holy City working his own kind of miracles," explain press notes.

The reading will be directed by Annette Jolles, whose credits include Little by Little, That Time of the Year, Wall to Wall Sondheim at Symphony Space, and TV's "9/11 Memorial from Ground Zero," for which she received an Emmy Award.   Rick Hip-Flores will serve as musical director.

Laurence Holzman and Felicia Needleman's other collaborations include That Time of the Year, an original holiday musical revue that had its off-Broadway premiere last December at the York Theatre (original cast recording due out on JAY Records this fall); A Million Tomorrows, a musical drama about Raoul Wallenberg which premiered at the New York Musical Theatre Festival last year; Suddenly Hope, an original musical comedy that played at the Denver Civic Theatre and the Stamford Center for the Arts; and a musical version of the 1942 film I Married a Witch, for which they earned ASCAP's Sammy Cahn Award for Outstanding Lyricists.

Reservations for the free reading can be obtained by calling the York Theatre at 212-935-5820.