Marla Mindelle, Lilli Cooper and More to Sing Music of Joey Contreras and Stephanie Johnstone at D-Lounge, 3/12

On Monday, March 12, 2012, New York Theatre Barn will present NYTB in the D-Lounge, a monthly concert for emerging musical theatre writers (now in its 5th year), at the Daryl Roth Theatre. The March 2012 installment of NYTB in the D-Lounge features composer/lyricists Joey Contreras and Stephanie Johnstone.

The first set of the evening, Love Me, Love Me Not: The Music of Joey Contreras, will feature selections from his internationally-selling debut album, "Love Me, Love Me Not," as well as never-before-heard tunes. Some of Broadway’s most exciting talent, including Marla Mindelle (Sister Act), Lilli Cooper (Spring Awakening), Eric Michael Krop (Godspell), and Mykal Kilgore (Hair), Alexa Green (Wicked), Blake Daniel (Spring Awakening), Marissa Rosen (My Big Gay Italian Wedding), Tim Young (Next to Normal), Gabe Violett (Spring Awakening), Brad Greer (Broadway Boys), Matthew Roscoe (Academy), and Emily Kay Shrader will perform.

The second set of the evening, Ride This Ride With Me: The Words and Music of Stephanie Johnstone, is a concert presentation of Stephanie Johnstone’s theater compositions inspired in part by her participation in the Occupy Movement. Some songs are co-conceptualized with Joshua William Gelb, Molly Rice, and Rachel Chavkin, with additional music for Sometimes In Prague by Scott Thomas. Ride This Ride With Me will be directed by Tomi Tsunoda(Brooklyn Soundpainting Company, Breedingground). Performers Heather Christian(Mission Drift), Eliza Poehlman (Kaspar Hauser), Brian DeCaluwe, Leah Goldstein,Jenni Lawton, Chris Lind, Mindy Lym, Doug Paulson, and Scott Thomas will join Stephanie.

Joey Contreras is currently working on his song cycle, This Thing Called Love, originally produced by Philly Music Theatre Works, and has two other musicals currently in development. Recipient of the 2010 ASCAP Foundation Max Dreyfus Scholarship Award, Joey holds a BFA in musical theatre from University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA and is in NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. His first album, "Love Me, Love Me Not: The Music of Joey Contreras" features performances by exciting Broadway talent and is available on iTunes and CDBaby.com. www.joeycontreras.com

Stephanie Johnstone studied at NYU/Tisch, Adam Guettel's group lab class, and the New Dramatists' Composer/Librettist Studio. Her works include: Tully (In No Particular Order)(NYMF), Thanksgiving! A! Pageant! (AdNauseum Lyceum), The Apostle Project (Theater Mitu/NYTW), Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Books On Stage at CSC, directed by Obie-Award winner Rachel Chavkin), and Sometimes in Prague with frequent collaborator Joshua William Gelb (Joe’s Pub, Ice Factory (3LD)). She recently spent a year in Prague collaborating with the Czech gypsy/folk band Tripura, and she has been organizing with the Occupy Movement since September. www.stephaniejohnstone.com

The March 2012 installment of NYTB in the D-Lounge will take place on Monday, March, 12, 2012 at 7:30pm at the D-Lounge, located at the Daryl Roth Theatre, 101 East 15thSt. (just east of Union Square). There is a $10 cover plus a 2-drink minimum. For more information and to learn more about New York Theatre Barn, visit: www.NYTheatreBarn.org.

Under the direction of Joe Barros (Producing Artistic Director) and Joy Lanceta (Managing Director), New York Theatre Barn is a non-profit theatre company founded in 2007 and is dedicated to the investigation, development, and advancement of new works. Productions include the all-female musical I Married Wyatt Earp (59E59 Theaters/in partnership with Prospect Theater Co.) with Heather Mac Rae and Carolyn Mignini, the musical Wood (New York Musical Theatre Festival/Emily Miller) with Cady Huffman, and Bridget Bailey’s award winning solo play Child of Hungry Times. New York Theatre Barn has been instrumental in the development of Adam Gwon’s Ordinary Days, I Married Wyatt Earp, the musical parody Hey, You Know What Movie Would Make A Good Musical?, Hot Mess in Manhattan, R.R.R.E.D., and Welcome to My Life. NYTB is currently developing Speargrove Presents, a new musical conceived by the company about a conservative Texas high school’s planned production of the musical Rent. New York Theatre Barn is a proud member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.