Musical Mondays Announces BLING and THE SUICIDE in February; to Feature Courtney Reed, Jackie Hoffman & More

Bick Goss and Frank Evans, Producing Artistic Directors of Musical Mondays Theater Lab, Inc. today announced their two show February Festival of New Musical Previews: BLING on Thursday, February 2 at 6:30PM and THE SUICIDE, A MUSICAL COMEDY on Thursday, February 9 at 5:30 PM.  Both previews of the new musicals will be at the Jerry Orbach Theater in the Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50^th Street. 

"Bling!" moves a 1900 tale by O. Henry to present day Spanish Harlem: Fresh clothes and hot sneakers are everything when you are a young man living in the city.  But when a young thug decides to reform and make an honest life with his new girlfriend, he discovers that shoes aren't the only thing he's going to have to give up.

“Bling,” with music by Robert Maggio and book and lyrics by Matthew Hardy, is directed by Mark Schneider. The cast features Brandon Contreras (“In the Heights” 1st National Tour), Scott Cote (“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” 1st National Tour), Rodrick Covington (“The Lion King, “Pippin” at Mark Taper Forum), Preston Dyar (“Red, White and Tuna”), Courtney Reed (“In the Heights,” “Mamma Mia!”), Teddy Toye (“Lysistrata Jones,” “High School Musical” 1st National Tour), and AureLia Williams (“Madagascar” Live! Tour, “All Shook Up” 1st National Tour). The musical director is Beth Falcone, Kleban Prize Winner for “Wanda’s World.”

“The Suicide” is a wacky original musical comedy set in Stalin's brutal Soviet Union. An unemployed grumbler becomes convinced that suicide is his ticket to fame and glory. Before long, friends and neighbors are plotting to exploit his impending death for fun and profit, and while they're at it, topple an entire regime. “The Suicide” features music by Simon Gray, Lyrics by Raymond Bokhour and a Book by David Bridel, adapted from the play by Nikolai Erdman - banned personally by Stalin. Bokhour and Gray are BMI Foundation Harrington Award Winners. 

Tony® Award Winner Director (“Urinetown”) John Rando directs. The musical director is Fred Lassen (“South Pacific,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”) 

The cast includes Jackie Hoffman (“Addams Family,” “Xanadu”), Joanna Glushak (“Urinetown”,” Sweet Smell of Success”), Jen Frankel (“Catch Me If You Can,” Curtains,) Drew McVety (Billy Elliot, Spamalot,) Christine Bokhour (Chicago, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,) Jason Patrick Sands “Chicago,” “A Chorus Line” ,”Legally Blonde,”)  Adam Dannheisser, (“Coast of Utopia,” “Rock of Ages,” “Proof”) Kevin Carolan “Chicago,” “The Ritz”, “Dirty Blonde,”) Michael Dionissiou (Opa! MITF, Call Me Madam, Goodspeed) Jeffrey Kuhn (“Assassins” “Ragtime,” “Lion King” (First Canadian Company), Craig Fols  (“Musical of Musicals, The Musica”l)and Raymond Bokhour (Chicago) with music direction by Fred Lassen (“South Pacific,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”)

Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Directors Bick Goss and Frank Evans, and Board President Stephen Hanks, Musical Mondays Theatre Lab is celebrating its 13th year presenting a first look at new musicals at the Snapple Theater Center where the record-breaking runs of The Fantasticks and Perfect Crime currently play. Writers whose early work debuted at Musical Mondays include Tony® Winners Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Ave Q), Tony and Pulitzer Prize Winners Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), Drama Desk nominee Eric Weinberger and Kleban Prize Winner Beth Falcone (Wanda’s World), and Outer Critics Award Winner Andy Monroe (The Kid). Last spring, Musical Mondays presented a reading of The Fartiste, now appearing Off-Broadway at Sofia’s Downstairs Theater.

Single admission is $18.00. (Subscription for this and two more shows is $45.) For reservations, call 212 989-6706 or email musicalmondays@aol.com.