Matt Doyle, Betsy Wolfe and More Set for 8th Annual NEO Concert Tonight, 5/21

York Theatre Company presents the 8th Annual NEO 8 tonight, May 21 at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a champagne and dessert reception to toast the evening.

NEO (an acronym for "New, Emerging, Outstanding") celebrates songwriters primed to pen the next generation of musicals. The first NEO concert took place 7 years ago, recorded by England's JAY Records.

NEO 8 will include songs by the following new musical theatre writers: Andrew Gerle, Jenny Giering, Joe Kinosian & Kellen Blair, Marisa Michelson, and Ryan Scott Oliver.

Performers scheduled to appear include Whitney Bashor (The Fantasticks), Ben Crawford (Shrek, The Musical) Matt Doyle (Spring Awakening), Jake Kitchin, Theresa McCarthy (Queen of the Mist), Catherine Porter, Margo Seibert (Cinderella), and Betsy Wolfe (Ragtime). The evening will be directed by Daniel Goldstein (Godspell), with music direction by Matt Castle (York's Enter Laughing, The Musical), David Gardos and Michael Borth. Program mentors making special appearances include Adam Guettel (Light in the Piazza), Tom Jones (The Fantasticks), Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof), and Maury Yeston (Grand Hotel), Jill Abramowitz (9 to 5) and  Soara-Joye Ross (Les Miserables).

Tickets (in various increments) can be purchased by calling 212-935-5824 (x215) or via the York's website: www.yorktheatre.org.