Marisa Tomei, Calista Flockhart, Christian Slater to Star in New Group 24/25 Season

The New Group has unveiled its 2024-2025 Season, celebrating the company’s 30th Anniversary. The season launches with the New York premiere of Babe by Jessica Goldberg, followed by Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class and the world premiere of a new musical The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse, with book by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley, music and lyrics by Michael Breslin with additional music and lyrics by Patrick Foley; and as previously announced, the world premiere of by Nazareth Hassan’s Bowl EP, a co-production by Vineyard Theatre and National Black Theatre in association with The New Group.  Season information and production detail follows.
 

Babe

by Jessica Goldberg, directed by Scott Elliott, with Marisa Tomei.  Additional casting to be announced.  This New York premiere production arrives in Fall 2024 with performances to take place at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theater, 480 West 42nd Street).
 
From grunge to femme punk hits, Abby (Marisa Tomei) and Gus have produced it all.  Their work marriage is legendary and Gus has the platinum records to prove it.  But when Katherine, a fresh A&R hire, calls Abby out on the compromises she’s made in her work union, Abby must face the music and fight to survive. 
 

Curse of the Starving Class

by Sam Shepard, directed by Scott Elliott, with Calista Flockhart, Cooper Hoffman and Christian Slater.  Additional casting to be announced.  Curse of the Starving Class arrives in Winter 2025 with performances to take place at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theater, 480 West 42nd Street).
 
Sam Shepard’s fiercely funny, OBIE award-winning play returns to the stage.  With their family home on the verge of collapse and the creditors closing in, the Tate family white knuckles to their past, while scratching and clawing their way towards a better future. Told through a contemporary biting lens, this classic story dismantles the American dream in its look at a family fighting to stay alive.
 

The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse

Book by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley; Music and lyrics by Michael Breslin, 
with additional music and lyrics by Patrick Foley; Orchestrations and Music Direction by Dan Schlosberg; Choreographed by Jack Ferver; Directed by and developed with Rory Pelsue.  Casting to be announced.  The world premiere of this new musical arrives Spring 2025, with performances to take place at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theater, 480 West 42nd Street).

In 2006, The New York Post infamously labeled Paris, Lindsay and Britney “The Three Bimbos of the Apocalypse.”  But who is the fourth girl in that famous photo?  Today, three Gen Z internet sleuths investigate that icon – Coco, an early 2000’s one-hit wonder who mysteriously vanished.  Their epic musical quest leads them to uncover the truth, deliver justice and rewrite pop history.
 

Bowl EP

Written and directed by Nazareth Hassan, with casting to be announced.  As announced earlier, this co-production by Vineyard Theatre and National Black Theatre in association with The New Group arrives in Spring 2025 with performances to take place at Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street).
 
Kelly K Klarkson and Quentavius da Quitter need to find a name for their rap group. Through flirty interludes, cringy overshares and practicing their ollies, they grow increasingly closer.  Skating and Smoking.  Skating and Drinking.  Skating and exorcizing a demon.  With live skating and original music, enter Bowl EP: a skateboard park, in the middle of a wasteland, at the edge of the galaxy.
 
The New Group’s Founding Artistic director Scott Elliott remarks, “Every milestone feels like a bit of a miracle, and we couldn't be more grateful that our audiences and artists keep coming back to The New Group for our specific brand of risk and reimagining.  For these three decades, we've set about presenting singular, intimate, theatrical ways of looking at our peculiarly American conundrums - and past our shared myths - through vivid characters and ensembles.  Looking forward to the next 30.”
 
Additionally in the 2024-2025 Season, The New Group welcomes playwright Preston Crowder into the company’s artistic community as a Tow Foundation Playwright in Residence.  This year-long residency includes a developmental reading of Bocking, previously presented at The New Group’s inaugural FreeFest in 2023, as well as additional development of Preston’s other new work.  Director of Artistic Programming Shariffa Ali proclaims, “Preston's innovative, ground-breaking work is in direct alignment with our mission, and we are thrilled to include his inimitable artistic voice to support our play development initiatives this season.”
 
 
Subscriptions to the full 30th Anniversary season and Patron Ensemble Memberships are currently available at www.thenewgroup.org.
 
Subscriptions include a ticket to each production, plus invitations to special events and added benefits throughout the season. A discounted membership is available for audience members under 40.