Matt Sax and Eric Rosen's VENICE Gives Preview at Joe's Pub Tonight

What's a nice Jewish boy from Westchester (who can't read a note of music) composing rap and hip-hop music and lyrics for his play set in the future? Well, Irving Berlin didn't know how to read music either, and he seemed to do alright for himself - just like Matt Sax.

The Public Theater will present a new musical, Venice, with book by Eric Rosen, music by Matt Sax, lyrics by Matt Sax and Eric Rosen, additional music by Curtis Moore, choreography by Chase Brock, and directed by Eric Rosen, running Tuesday, May 28 through Sunday, June 23. Time Magazine called Venice "the next major American musical that could well be in the making," and Variety said "a new synthesis of rhythm and rock opera no fan of either art form should pass up."

Matt Sax and his Venice co-stars will perform 5-6 songs in a special sneak-peak preview at 9:30 p.m. tonight, May 11th at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette St., New York 10003 - 213.539.8778).

The show premiered at the Copaken Stage in Kansas City in 2010 as a co-production between Kansas City Rep and Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.

VENICE will ignite the stage with a fusion of musical styles from hip-hop and rock to soaring anthems of love and hope, tracing a young man's rise as he fights for what's right against a backdrop of deceit and sibling betrayal. Part epic romance, part political tale, Venice will transport you to a fallen city in the not-so-distant future where revolution is in the air, political structures are crumbling, and only the children of the city's fallen heroes can change the course of history.

Tickets for The Public Theater performances of this Public Lab production are an affordable $15.00 - a way of introducing theatre to a new generation of theatregoers.

Although his time is tight with Venice, Matt Sax is currently collaborating on a potential musical with hip-hop legend Dr. Dre, and is working on his musical Up & ADAM, a play about regular people who don superhero costumes to fight crime and corruption.

Photo Credit: Joseph Moran