Melissa Gilbert, Abigail Breslin, Michael Park & More to Star in RUNAWAY HOME Industry Reading

The new musical RUNAWAY HOME, with book & lyrics by Darren J. Butler and music & lyrics by Judy Rodman, will present industry readings on Thursday, September 21st at 2pm & Friday, September 22nd at 2pm, at Theatre Row (410 W. 42nd St, NY, NY 10036). Emma Denson directs a cast including Emmy, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning performers, with music direction & orchestrations by Emmy-winner Sean P. Pallatroni, Choreography by Kayla Friend, and Sound Design by Daniel Lundberg.

The all-star cast includes Olivia Hardy (Kimberly Akimbo), Michael Park (Dear Evan Hansen, Stranger Things), Melissa Gilbert (Little House On The Prairie, The Miracle Worker), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, The Miracle Worker), Max Bartos (Sing Street), Cadence Baker (American Idol finalist), Ellis Gage (Into the Woods) King Orba, (DC’s Stargirl), Mat Hayes (Cognitive, Jane The Virgin), and Ali Gallo (Unhuman, The Sex Lives of College Girls). The cast is rounded out by ensemble members Cassandra Kubinski, Dani Apple, Albert Guerzon and Freedom Bremner. Michael Boxleitner will narrate.

RUNAWAY HOME is a pop/rock musical about a young woman fighting against a dark world of forced sex and drug trafficking to rediscover her true purpose in life and create a new path for herself, with the help of the unlikely community that forms around her. Set against the backdrop of urban America, this musical tackles teen homelessness and trafficking, betrayal and hopelessness, and the power of community within which healing and safety can become real. Centered around a powerful female lead character (Aleah), Runaway Home is at once a call to care and find answers for the plight of our nation’s most vulnerable, and also a message of hope and sanctuary to anyone who feels trapped, betrayed, outcast or alone.

The show has been a twenty year journey for the writing duo of Butler & Rodman, who workshopped the show regionally in 2006 and 2008. “We’re excited to be attaching some incredible talent to the project. It’s all in the timing, and the time is finally right for ‘Runaway Home’”, Butler said. “Even the early versions of this show elicited powerful praise, now the cast response is blowing my mind.” Rodman adds. Actor Abigail Breslin commented,   “Finally, a show for MY generation!” 

The reading is produced by Runaway Home Development, LLC and Bartos Entertainment Group LLC. Visceral Entertainment is the general manager. 

For more information on the new musical, visit RunawayHomeTheMusical.com.

BIOGRAPHIES

Darren J. Butler 

(Book & Lyrics) was a semi-finalist for the O’Neill Musical Theater Award 2022 for his work on the new musical ‘Out Of The Blue’. He has won numerous awards in film and stage festivals across the globe for his writing. Butler holds an MFA in Writing for Stage and Screen from Point Park University. Currently, Butler serves as a Story Associate Producer for “Buying Beverly Hills” – Season 2 for Netflix. More at www.DarrenJButler.com.

Judy Rodman 

(Music & Lyrics) is an award-winning songwriter, vocal coach, studio producer and singer. She won ACM’s New Female Vocalist Award, had chart-topping singles as artist on MTM Records, won BMI’s Million-air Award as songwriter, produced #1 records and has had song placements in films and the series ‘The Expanse. She is currently the vocal coach for the cast of a new Disney animated series set to air in 2024. More at www.JudyRodman.com.

Emma Denson 

(Director) is an Alabama-born, Brooklyn-based director and writer of theater. She won ‘Best Short” for Otis and Anna” at Downtown Urban Arts Festival. She was recently named director-in-residence at Mississippi State University. Other directing credits include a bi-lingual adaptation of “Hunger,” “The Keening,” “The Taming of Kate,” “I Love You,” “You’re Perfect, Now Change,” “Emily,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Blanche and Stella,” “Top Hate,” “The Messages,” “Wedding of the Painted Doll,” “UPCOMING: BARBIES.” 

Sean Pallatroni 

(Musical Director & Orchestrations) is an Emmy Award-winning composer, songwriter, music director an pianist. He has an undergraduate degree in Music Composition from the Hart School of Music, Dance, and Theatre (University of Hartford) and holds his MFA from the Tisch School’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, NYU. His works have premiered at New York Musical Festival. He won ‘Best Original Score’ at the New York Winterfest Theatre Festival, Alabama Orchestra Association Composition Contest, and the Edward Diamente Award. He is a vocal coach and accompanist at PACE University’s Musical Theatre and Commercial Dance departments and is arranger and music consultant for Broadway performers.