NYMF Finishes Up 2008 Festival Tonight 10/5
By: Eddie Varley Oct. 05, 2008
Tonight, Sunday October 5th, The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) concludes its fifth year which featured 24 full productions, a dance series, a developmental series, concerts and special events. Since its inception in 2004, this three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals - many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide. NYMF 2004 hit Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances Off-Broadway and spawned two National Tours; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently opened at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway; Nerds The Musical is coming to Broadway this Spring; and Off-Broadway audiences will soon see My Vaudeville Man.
To celebrate the successful 2008 Festival NYMF'S BROADWAY PROM will take place tonight Sunday, October 5th 2008 at TOUCH (240 W 53nd Street) from 8PM to 12am.
"In celebration of its fifth year, NYMF is throwing the closing party to end all closing parties. At this prom, the drama club will not be relegated to the table in the corner waiting for the "Grease" megamix, they will take to the floor and dance the night away! We have scoured the earth for some truly priceless dance remixes of showtunes, wrangled together some stellar giveaways,and are ready to party!"Tickets include unlimited wine, beer, and signature cocktails, as well as your very own prom photo to be posted on Metromix.com.The first 150 people to purchase tickets will be entered into a drawing to win the ultimate prom experience. The NYMF Ultimate Prom Experience Package will include a limo ride to the event, dinner for 2 at a Manhattan restaurant, a fancy up-do at one of New York's premiere salons, and a flip-cam to document your evening at the prom.This year's Festival will began September 15th and continued through October 5th. A full breakdown of this year's performances and venues follows.
Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Frank & Camille's Fine Pianos, HX Magazine, Jossip.com, King Displays, Queerty.com, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, Metromix.com, The New York Blade, Next Magazine, Panasonic Astrovision, Tekserve, TheMENEvent, VOGA Italia, and The Zipper Factory. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
Book & Lyrics by David Arthur; Music by Jeffrey Lodin
Featuring Barbara Walsh (Company - revival, Falsettos- Tony® nomination), Pamela Myers (Company - original production, Tony® nomination), Mark Zimmerman (President of Actor's Equity Association)
Suggested by Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and set in 1955 amid the sexually charged hijinks of Whittney College, this rollicking, romantic comedy finds Coach Benedick and English Literature Professor Beatrice Stanton waging their "merry war of wits." Love, laughter and a little mischief are on a spree in this high-flying, heartwarming musical that puts the comedy back in musical comedy!
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 17, 8pm; Sept. 19, 8pm; Sept. 20, 1pm & 5pm; Sept. 21, 1pm; Sept. 24, 9pm Bedbugs!!!
Book & Lyrics by Fred Sauter; Music by Paul Leschen
Featuring Celina Carvajal ("Legally Blonde: The Search for the Next Elle Woods"), Brian Charles Rooney (Threepenny Opera), Tracey Gilbert (Hairspray)
80's rock excess meets the Creature Feature. It's 2012 and Carly, an exterminator hell-bent on avenging her mother's freak death, has accidentally mutated New York City Bedbugs into bloodthirsty killer Hair Metal Rock Gods. Sweet sidekick Burt has a plan, and troubled Canadian chanteuse Dionne Salon has stumbled onto the scene. But will Carly listen to them and save NYC - or be seduced by her own creation?
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 16, 8pm; Sept. 17, 4:30 pm; Sept. 20, 8pm; Sept. 21, 1pm; Sept. 24, 8pm; Sept. 27, 4:30pm Bonnie & Clyde: A Folktale
Book by Hunter Foster; Music and Lyrics by Rick Crom
Featuring Jason Wooten (The Times They Are A-Changin', Rocky Horror, Jesus Christ Superstar), Kevin Cahoon (The Wedding Singer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Kevin Carolan (Chicago, Dirty Blonde), Diane Davis (Old Acquaintance, Festen), Mark Waldrop (director) (Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly…)
America's most romantic gangsters outwit and outrun a relentless (yet always ladylike) J. Edgar Hoover to the delight of the poor and downtrodden, as their relationship changes from "strictly business" to reluctant love. Funny, tuneful, and historically dubious, Bonnie and Clyde: A Folktale is a good ol' musical about the bad ol' days.
WHERE: American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 16, 8pm; Sept. 19, 7pm; Sept. 21, 5pm, 9pm; Sept. 27, 4:30pm; Sept. 28 5pm The Bubble: A Musical Dot-Comedy
Book by Karen J. Paull; Music by David Pack; Lyrics by Karen J. Paull and David Pack
Featuring Danielle Lee Greaves (Rent, Hairspray), John Jeffrey Martin (High School Musical)
Welcome to Silicon Valley, circa 1991, a magical place packed with scooter parks, massage parlors, and "options" in something called…THE DOT COM. Nobody knows what it is but everybody wants a piece, including Matt. Will his greed get the better of him? Or will he flush his future down the toilet to join hottie hippie Harmony's quest to save the oh-so-rare yellow-bellied hoo-doo?
WHERE: The Zipper Factory (336 West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 17, 8pm; Sept. 18, 3pm; Sept. 20, 3pm; Sept. 24, 9:30pm; Sept. 27, 3pm; Sept. 28, 5pm Castronauts
Book & Lyrics by Bobby Houston; Music by Randy Courts
El Club Voodoo is an underground cabaret in a Havana slum, where impresaria Lolita rules with a manly fist (in a woman's glove). She's got her hands full with drag queens, bootleggers, loyalists and dissidents; things come to a boil when Fidel himself shows a too-healthy interest in the cast. Farce turns to catastrophe and a desperate flight to Florida in a converted '56 Chevy - with dancing, singing, and drinking The Whole way!
WHERE: The Zipper Factory (336 West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 16, 8pm; Sept. 18, 10pm; Sept. 19, 2pm; Sept. 21, 9:30pm; Sept. 23, 9:30pm; Sept. 28, 9pm College: The Musical
Book, Music and Lyrics by Drew Fornarola & Scott Elmegreen
Featuring Juliana Ashley Hansen (Saved, "Grease: You're The One That I Want"), Molly Ephraim (Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof), Brandon Espinosa (Gypsy, Les Miserables, Big, Will Rogers Follies)
Endless parties. Skipping classes. Drunken hook-ups. And… um… finding yourself? COLLEGE: The Musical offers a tuneful take on modern campus life - celebrating the ridiculousness and pure fun of dorm living and reflecting on the growing up that somehow goes on amid the insanity.
WHERE: American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 18, 8pm; Sept. 19, 10:30pm; Sept. 20, 1pm; Sept. 26, 10:30pm; Sept. 27, 1pm; Sept. 28, 9pm Cyclone (and the Pig-Faced Lady)
Book & Lyrics by Dana Leslie Goldstein; Music by Rima Fand
Sally Kaplan's hit comic book "Cyclone" is set in the glamorous, seedy Coney Island of the 1920's, where Cyclone, a sultry gypsy heartbreaker, and her freakish twin sister, the Pig-Faced Lady, always save the day. But after 9/11, there are no superheroes, and Sally must find a way to become the hero of her own story.
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 23, 8pm; Sept. 24, 1pm; Sept. 28, 4:30pm; October 1, 8pm; October 3, 4:30pm; October 4, 8pm The Fancy Boys Follies
Book & Lyrics by David Pevsner
Music by Michael Skloff, Jamie Forsyth, Michael Orland, Mark Hummel, Chris Lavely & David Pevsner
Featuring Jim J. Bullock ("Too Close For Comfort," Hairspray)
Down and dirty meets brains and heart as five sexy men sing, dance and strip in this hilarious low-rent Ziegfeld Follies from one of the creators of Naked Boys Singing. Filthy… but FABULOUS!!!
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 29, 8pm; October 1, 1pm; October 2, 8pm; October 3, 8pm; October 4, 4:30pm; October 5, 1pm The Hatpin
Book & Lyrics by James Millar; Music by Peter Rutheford
Featuring Caroline O'Connor (Chicago, Moulin Rouge) and Paul Kandel (Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar)
Amber Murray advertised her baby in a newspaper classifieds section in the hope of saving his life and ended up embroiled in one of the most captivating, moving and exciting criminal trials in Australian history. Inspired by a true story, this gripping musical drama comes to NYMF following an acclaimed run in Sydney, Australia.
WHERE: American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 15, 8pm; Sept. 17, 8pm; Sept. 20, 4:30pm & 9pm; Sept. 21, 1pm; Sept. 24, 8pm Heaven in Your Pocket
Book by Mark Houston, Francis J. Cullinan & Dianne Sposito; Music and Lyrics by Mark Houston
Featuring Lisa Asher (Woody Guthrie's American Song)
En route to musical stardom in Nashville, The Heavenly Belles - a female family singing trio from Heaven, Oklahoma - take an unexpected detour to Kansas City where an unusual inheritance wreaks havoc with their plans. A handsome cowboy, a kindly Miss-Fixit and a "can-do" decorator all chime in with the Belles as they face the music (and each other) in this lighthearted, tuneful romp!
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 16, 8pm; Sept. 17, 8pm; Sept. 20, 8pm; Sept. 21, 1pm; Sept. 23, 4:30pm; Sept. 28, 1pm I Come For Love
Book, Music and Lyrics by Terrence Atkins and Jeffery Lyle Segal
A jaded reporter in search of a story; an adorable alien looking for love; and a diner in need of a waitress. Intergalactic sparks and saucers fly in this screwball comedy that might just be the story of the century!
WHERE: American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 30, 8pm; October 2, 8pm; October 3, 7pm; October 4, 4:30pm & 8pm; October 5, 1pm Idaho!
Book & Lyrics by Buddy Sheffield; Music by Buddy Sheffield and Keith Thompson
Featuring Ramona Keller (Brooklyn, Caroline or Change), Bill Nolte (The Producers)
Whip Masters, Jed Strunk, Slim Johnson, Aunt Pearlie and the rest of the good folks from Idaho! are rarin' to introduce you to potato country's simplest pleasures - spud-peelin', dancin' and devirginizin' - in this bawdy new musical that satirizes and pays homage to Broadway's most beloved classics.
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 25, 8pm; Sept. 26, 5pm; Sept. 28, 5pm & 9pm; Sept. 30, 9pm; October 4, 9pm Jason & Ben
Book, Lyrics & Music by Matthew Loren Cohen
Featuring Will Taylor (A Chorus Line)
A chance encounter one cold Christmas Eve leads songwriters Jason and Ben to question each other and themselves. On the "loneliest night of the year," they play a game of sexual and psychological manipulation in this new indie rock musical about the violence that lies within.
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 24, 8pm; Sept. 26, 8pm; ; Sept. 27, 8pm; Sept. 28, 4:30pm; October 4, 1pm; October 5, 4:30pm The Jerusalem Syndrome
Book & Lyrics by Laurence Holzman & Felicia Needleman; Music by J. Kyle Rosen
Featuring Liz Larsen (Hairspray, A New Brain, Most Happy Fella - Tony® nomination), Stuart Zagnit (Lachiusa's The Wild Party, Seussical), Austin Miller ("Grease: You're The One That I Want," Hairspray), Chandra Lee Schwartz (Nerds, High School Musical), Roger DeWitt (The Adding Machine, The Woman In White), Bruce Sabath (Company)
This tuneful Kleban Award-winning musical brings to life the real psychological phenomenon that makes ordinary tourists in Jerusalem come to believe they are figures from the Bible. When a host of characters - including Noah, Jesus, God, and not one, but two, Virgin Marys - are led by Moses in an Exodus from the hospital psych ward, the result is a journey that is both hilarious and heartwarming.
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 23, 8pm; Sept. 24, 1pm; Sept. 26, 9pm; Sept. 27, 1pm; October 2, 9pm; October 4, 1pm Love Jerry
Book, Music & Lyrics by Megan Gogerty
Featuring Donna Lynne Champlin (Tony nominee for Hollywood Arms, Sweeney Todd)
The relationship of two adult brothers is tested in this unforgettable musical that explores the long-term affects of child abuse on a family. Jerry is likeable and shy; his brother Mike is a macho family man. When Jerry is accused of sexually abusing his young nephew, the brothers must reconcile their love for each other with the grim circumstances that force them apart.
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 18, 8pm; Sept. 19, 1pm; Sept. 20, 4:30pm; Sept. 21, 8pm; Sept. 25, 8pm; Sept. 27, 8pm Max and the Truffle Pig
Book by Suzanne Bradbeer; Music by Bert Draesel and Lyrics by Nancy Leeds.
Based on the story by Judith Gwyn Brown
Max is a serious boy. Suzette is a light-hearted pig. Max's father is the most temperamental of French chefs. When the neighborhood Countess announces her plan to come to dinner, Max and Suzette are sent deep into the French woods to find that rarest of gastronomic delicacies: the truffle. Nothing goes according to plan. A classic tale of dirt and duty (and Louis XIV), Max and the Truffle Pig is a sparkling new musical for all ages.
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 15, 8pm; Sept. 17, 4:30 pm; Sept. 20, 1pm & 4:30 pm; Sept. 21, 4:30, Sept. 23, 8pm
Play It Cool
Book by Martin Casella and Larry Dean Harris; Lyrics by Mark Winkler, Music by Phillip Swann; Directed by Sharon Rosen; Additional musical contributions by Michael Cruz, Marilyn Harris, Robert Kraft, Emilio Palame, Joe Pasquale Jim Andron, Larry Steelman and Dan Siegel.
Featuring Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Sally Mayes (She Loves Me - Tony® nomination, Urban Cowboy)
In 1953 Hollywood, gay life was a world of shadows, innuendo and fear, but at Mary's Hideaway a stiff gin, a wink and a hot jazz number made it all worthwhile.
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 22, 8pm; Sept. 24, 4:30pm; Sept. 28, 8pm; Sept. 29, 1pm; October 3, 8pm; October 4, 1pm The Road to Ruin (The 1928 Exploitation Musical)
Book, Music and Lyrics by William Zeffiro
Featuring Brooke Sunny Moriber (LaChiusa Wild Party, Parade, Follies), Ann Morrison (Merrily We Roll Along, LoveMusik)
The Road to Ruin: where sex delinquency, neglectful parents, bottled water and Christians bring down Little Sally Canfield, 'The Nicest Girl at Central High.' But never fear - by the final curtain, justice is served and redemption achieved through good works, cookies and dogs.
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 18, 8pm; Sept. 19, 8pm; Sept. 21, 8pm; Sept. 25, 8pm; Sept. 28, 8pm; October 1, 4:30pm She Can't Believe She Said That!
Book, Music and Lyrics by Matt Prager
Featuring Heather Laws (Company, The Boy From Oz, Cabaret), Paul Anthony Stewart ("The Guiding Light")
She Can't Believe She Said That! recounts the true story of talk show hostess Kathie Lee Gifford over thirty years, creating an identity out of thin air to achieve national fame… and international infamy. The original Kathie Lee-sical, this loony satire from one of the writers of "South Park" is like Evita but cheesier - it's Velvevita, if you will.
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 26, 8pm; Sept. 27, 1pm; Sept. 29, 8pm; October 1, 4:30pm; October 4, 4:30pm; October 5, 1pm That Other Woman's Child
Book, Music and Lyrics by Sherry Landrum & George S. Clinton
When the folks at Hanover farm hear their long-lost big city half-sister - 'that other woman's child' - is coming to Kentucky to claim her share of the farm, all hell breaks loose! They've dreaded this moment for twenty years, and they ain't gonna let no city woman take what's theirs. Little do they know that she's actually coming to connect with the family she never knew. That Other Woman's Child is a joyful, bluegrass-laced look at the trials and tribulations of the ties that bind.
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 29, 8pm; Sept. 30, 1pm; October 1, 5pm; October 3, 9pm; October 4, 5pm; October 5, 1pm To Paint the Earth
Book & Lyrics by Daniel F. Levin; Music by Jonathan Portera
Featuring Darin de Paul (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Jane Pfitsch (Company, Les Liaisons Dangerouses), Robin Skye (Parade), Lee Zarrett (Spelling Bee)
In every person there is a fighter. Inspired by first-hand accounts of the Jewish Underground in the Warsaw Ghetto, To Paint the Earth tells a fictional account of the resisters and their families, exploring how a broken community was brought to one of history's most stunning and inexplicable decisions - to fight a battle they had no chance of winning.
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 22, 8pm; Sept. 24, 5pm; Sept. 27, 5pm, 9pm; Sept. 28, 1pm; October 1, 9pm
Twilight in Manchego
Book, Music & Lyrics by Matt Gould, Directed by Billy Porter (Being Alive),
Featuring Adam Halpin (Glory Days), Chuck Cooper (Tony winner for The Life, Caroline or Change, Lennon), Natalie Venetia Belcon (Avenue Q), Valerie Wright (Steel Pier, Annie Get Your Gun, Damn Yankees)
Esau Munsey teaches his students at Manchego Elementary School that change is an inevitable factor of life - but that doesn't keep him from clinging to the ghosts of his own past. When tragedy strikes in Manchego, everyone in the small town must cope with loss, and Esau is forced to finally put his haunting past to rest.
WHERE: American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 25, 8pm; Sept. 26, 7pm; Sept. 27, 9pm; Sept. 29, 8pm; Oct. 1, 8pm; Oct. 4, 1pm Villa Diodati
Book by Collette Inez & Mira J. Spektor; Music & Additional Lyrics by Mira J. Spektor
Lyrics by Colette Inez; Additional Lyrics by Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley & William Wordsworth.
Come spend a summer holiday of intrigue and possibilities, ghosts and secrets, where Dr. Frankenstein's Monster is born at the gorgeous Swiss lakeside Villa Diodati. There the beautiful but tormented Mary Shelley, her lover, the brilliant rebel poet Percy Shelley, and the scandalous Lord Byron and his mistress Claire sing about love, premonitions, and death. Your room is ready!
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 22, 8pm; Sept. 23, 1pm; Sept. 27, 4:30pm; October 1, 8pm; October 3, 4:30pm; October 4, 8pm Wood
Book and Lyrics by Dan Collins; Music by Julianne Wick Davis
Featuring Cady Huffman (Tony winner for The Producers, Tony nominee for The Will Rogers Follies),Joe Cassidy (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1776, Show Boat), Jason Michael Snow (Saved), Kate Wetherhead (Legally Blonde, Spelling Bee)
When a young man sneaks away to the seedy wood on the outskirts of his Normal town, his community is forced to face the secrets, desires and dreams long relegated to the shadowy confines at the fringe of their society. The result is a night complete with spandex clad color guard enthusiasts, shirtless Christians, quarreling divas, undercover mothers and a trio of Fairies who sing, dance and put En Vogue to shame from the stalls of a public men's room.
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 15, 8pm; Sept. 17, 8pm; Sept. 19, 8pm; Sept. 20, 1pm; Sept. 25, 1pm; Sept. 28, 1pm NYMF Dance Series The Hourglass and The Poisoned Pen
Co-written by Andrew Pepoy; Choreographed by Mark Yonally
Young Elizabeth is granted the power to control time. Together, she and Daphne, her best friend (and total comic book geek) fight The Conductor and The Poisoned Pen, two nefarious and dangerous super-villains. In this original production by Chicago Tap Theatre, the action and comedy are only overshadowed by the tap dancing!
WHERE: Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (248 West 60th Street, between Amsterdam & 11th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 27, 8pm; Sept. 28, 1pm & 4pm Sophia's Fall
Music by Benjamin Birney; Book by Rob Seitelman; Choreographed by Jason Summers
Sophia's Fall is an intense dance/rock retelling of the creation story… with a twist. Sophia, the feminine divine, drives the action and drama of the story toward an edge-of-your-seat conclusion. A four-piece rock band and fluid modern dance choreography round out a dark, tuneful score.
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 18, 8pm; Sept. 19, 1pm & 4:30pm; Sept. 20, 9pm Ward 9
Book by Gregory Victor and Matt Williams; Choreographed by Matt Williams; Directed by Matt Williams and Mark Robinson
A tragicomical story told entirely through dance, Ward 9 is set in a mythic asylum hosting famed patients Vincent Van Gogh, Howard Hughes, Vivien Leigh, Bobby Fischer, Sylvia Plath, Ludwig Van Beethoven and Vaslav Nijinsky. When they clash with the Head Nurse as she attempts to "cure" them of their creative madness, strait jackets, padded rooms, and electric shock treatment are the orders of the day. Strap yourself in and get committed, because it's medication time on Ward 9!
WHERE: Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (248 West 60th Street, between Amsterdam & 11th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 18, 8pm; Sept. 20, 5pm; Sept. 21, 1pm & 7pm Wild About Harry
(2008 "Born at NYMF" Dance Commission)
Book by Susan DiLallo; Music by Dan Acquisto; Directed by Elizabeth Lucas
Choreographed by Kelly Devine, Linda Goodrich, Shea Sullivan and Jeff Shade
This unique, danced-through musical, created especially for NYMF '08 and choreographed by five of today's most talented young choreographers, begins where the tabloids left off. A completely fresh look at Leona Helmsley, one of NYC's most colorful characters-as well as the man who loved her, the many others who did not, and her dog… who inherited 12 million bucks.
WHERE: Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (248 West 60th Street, between Amsterdam & 11th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 19, 8pm; Sept. 20, 2pm & 8pm; Sept. 21, 4pm; Sept. 28, 7:30pm Special Events A Puppet Music Thing
Curated by Alissa Hunnicutt
What happens when naughty, edgy, silly, experimental puppetry procreates with musical theatre? A strange, wild and wonderful demon baby that can only be called A Puppet Music Thing - NYMF's first-ever slam of short works showcasing music and puppetry from socks to bunraku, by artists from all over New York and beyond!
WHERE: American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 23, 7pm & 9:30pm Chocolate Soup
Music and Lyrics by Matt Corriel; Book by Jill Jaysen
What do you get when you combine Mia's ancient chocolate soup recipe with her semi-sweet middle school BFFs? An intoxicating delicacy that seems to be having quite an effect on everyone in the neighborhood - except Mia's new neighbor, Justin, who seems more concerned with saving the Polar Bears than with the big party Mia and her friends are planning. Will he come to his senses, or is there actually something more important than chocolate? Find out in this musical tale how middle school mayhem transforms into a movement. Melt Chocolate, Not the Ice Cap!!
WHERE: The Zipper Factory (336 West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 21, 3pm & 6:30pm Freshly Tossed
Co-Created and Co-Curated by Wendy Seyb and Mark Lonergan
What happens when you take physical comedy...dance... musical theatre...and mix them all together? Find out as curators Wendy Seyb (Walmartopia, School Daze, But I'm a Cheerleader) and Mark Lonergan bring together some of New York's most exciting artists in search of the next evolution of musical theatre comedy.
WHERE: American Theater of Actors - Chernuchin Theater (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 22, 7pm & 9:30 pm Giant Killer Shark
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Sam Sutherland
A killer shark stalks the residents of a copyright-protected island through late-night skinny-dipping, a rapping fisherman, a break dancing policeman, and a 100% Autopsy Dance Party. (Awarded "Best of the Fringe" at the Toronto Fringe Festival)
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: October 2, 4:30pm & 8pm; October 3, 11pm
Wood
Book and Lyrics by Dan Collins; Music by Julianne Wick Davis
Featuring Cady Huffman (Tony winner for The Producers, Tony nominee for The Will Rogers Follies),Joe Cassidy (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1776, Show Boat), Jason Michael Snow (Saved), Kate Wetherhead (Legally Blonde, Spelling Bee)
When a young man sneaks away to the seedy wood on the outskirts of his Normal town, his community is forced to face the secrets, desires and dreams long relegated to the shadowy confines at the fringe of their society. The result is a night complete with spandex clad color guard enthusiasts, shirtless Christians, quarreling divas, undercover mothers and a trio of Fairies who sing, dance and put En Vogue to shame from the stalls of a public men's room.
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 15, 8pm; Sept. 17, 8pm; Sept. 19, 8pm; Sept. 20, 1pm; Sept. 25, 1pm; Sept. 28, 1pm
Written by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj; Directed by Nick Petri
Born Poor. Born Black. Born Female. Their journeys took them far beyond their pre-ordained lives into the heralded world of science. Yet they have remained the Footnotes of History. This is their story.
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 30, 4:30pm & 8pm; October 2, 4:30pm; October 3, 1pm
TICKETS: $15 Lines
Book, music and lyrics by Timothy Huang
Featuring Becca Ayers (South Pacific; Sarah, Plain and Tall), Thomas Cannizzaro (Spamalot, Cabaret), Jared Gertner (Spelling Bee), J. Elaine Marcos (A Chorus Line, Wedding Singer, Flower Drum Song), Joe Aaron Reid (Chicago, Curtains)
Straight lines, curved lines, body lines, bloodlines. Lines of fire, lines of communication. Lines we sometimes shouldn't cross and lines we always should. Composer/lyricist Timothy Huang (The View From Here) examines the word and its power in a brand new song cycle that travels from rock, to Americana, to contemporary theater, to R&B and back again. Five versatile actors lead us through twelve stories, questioning what happens when the line that separates black from white becomes irreversibly blurred.
WHERE: TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 30, 4:30pm & 8pm; October 2, 10:30pm; October 3, 1pm
TICKETS: $15 Wrapped
Book by Dennis Nehamen; Music and Lyrics by Craig Nehamen
Winner of National Music Theater Network's 2008 Director's Choice Award
A hip-hop musical that carries you into the soul of a struggling artist and sets you face-to-face with the cold-hearted music industry, Wrapped is the warming story of a man, broken by his dreams, who lands on an unthinkably noble plan that has nowhere to lead but the dumps. When all inevitably goes awry, he's left fighting twice as hard to put his life back together.
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: October 3, 1pm & 5pm
TICKETS: $15 Fairy Tale
Music and Lyrics by John D. Bronston II; Book by Joshua Robinson
Fairy Tales just got fabulous! This super-fierce Sleeping Beauty Redux follows the banishment of the evil queen - drag queen, that is! - and her revenge: to put the sweet-faced young prince to an enchanted sleep from which he can only be awakened by his one true love...his squire. A sly poke at the politics of gay marriage by way of Fairyland.
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 19, 1pm & 4:30pm
FREE READING (Reservations for NYMF Members & Patrons Only)
I Love You, Madam President
Music and Lyrics by Phyllis Lynd, Book by Phyllis Lynd and Martha Kearns,
with Additional Dialogue by Soir Aniroc and Scott Tobin
Judith Carlin is the first female President of the United States. Her husband Dan is the first First Gentleman. Will the first Firsts persevere through thick and thin, sickness and health, Oval Office incest and garbage-slinging gubernatorials? See how the votes add up in this new musical comedy that takes a good hard look at the ins and outs of politics - in and out of the bedroom.
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 26, 1pm & 4:30pm
FREE READING (Reservations for NYMF Members & Patrons Only) Robin Hood
Book, Music and Lyrics by Tim Frey
ZOUNDS! Tyranny abounds! Can Robin Hood save the day with a handful of daredevil orphans and a swashbuckling Marian? Find out in this rowdy rock musical comedy adventure.
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: October 2, 2pm & 5pm
FREE READING (Reservations for NYMF Members & Patrons Only) Ubu: A 'Patamusical
Book by Brantley Aufill, Monty Holamon, and Tony Mayes; Music and Lyrics by Monty Holamon
Based on Alfred Jarry's Ubu Plays
Ubu: A 'Patamusical adapts all three of Alfred Jarry's infamously absurd Ubu Plays (Ubu King, Ubu Cuckolded, and Ubu Bound) into one new absurdist musical. Watch Pa Ubu kill the king, raid the treasury, go to war…and buy Ma Ubu a good, stout umbrella. Merde!
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: Sept. 16, 4:30pm & 8pm
FREE READING (Reservations for NYMF Members & Patrons Only) ConcertsProspect Theatre Company's 10th Anniversary Concert
Currently scheduled to appear: Malcolm Gets, Gavin Creel, Matt Cavenaugh, Jose Llana, Adam Jacobs
Celebrate ten years of innovative new musicals from Prospect Theater Company! Join Broadway stars and Prospect members in an anniversary retrospective of songs from shows including Illyria, Iron Curtain, Tock Tick, The Taxi Cabaret, The Tutor, The Pursuit of Persephone and many more...
WHERE: 37 Arts Theater C (450 West 37th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
WHEN: September 21st, 9pm Prozak & the Platypus CD Release Party & Concert!
Come celebrate the release of Jill Sobule sings Prozak & the Platypus - a CD and Comic based on the rockjazzfolkambient musical she wrote with Elise Thoron. Hear acclaimed singer-songwriter Jill Sobule & band sing songs from the show, thumb the dazzling graphic novelette, enjoy special appearances by mammalia from the rock and theater worlds, or just crack open a yabbie and kick back in the mud-wallow with the titular web-foot.
WHERE: The Zipper Factory (336 West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: October 2nd, 10pm The Kerrigan-Lowdermilk Contingent
Hailed as "perhaps the most important young writers in musical theatre today," Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk bring their unique blend of pop and musical theatre to the Zipper Theatre. Join Kait, Brian and some of the best new voices on Broadway for a laid-back evening of songs from Tales from the Bad Years, The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown, and more. www.kerrigan-lowdermilk.com
WHERE: The Zipper Factory (336 West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: September 23rd, 10pm The Gay Agenda
Micah and Nicholas, two harmonizing homos with their ears perked for the latest sounds in the cutting edge world of musical theatre, concoct mangled love ballads and disjointed showstoppers to delight the twisted, sentimental show queen in all of us. The Gay Agenda has a single goal: Complete and utter world domination through SHOWTUNES. Come. Listen. Be offended. Songs have never dripped with such innocent sass and biting satire.
WHERE: 45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: September 27th, 11pm Pasek and Paul in Concert
With Steven Booth (Glory Days), Gavin Creel (Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie), Mary Faber (Saved, Avenue Q), Patina Renea Miller (Hair), Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal, Wicked, Saved)
After becoming the youngest songwriters ever to win the JoNathan Larson Award last year, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Edges, White Noise) have been touted as two of the most refreshing voices in contemporary musical theater today. The boys take the stage with some of Broadway's hottest performers to rock The Zipper with their soul and pop-infused musical styling.
WHERE: The Zipper Factory (336 West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
WHEN: September 22nd, 10pm Educational Series, Presented by The ASCAP Foundation Comedy Tonight: Composers and Lyricists Who Write for Laughs
September 18th at 5:30pm
at Barnes and Noble Booksellers at Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway at 66th Street)
Moderator: Peter Filichia (TheaterMania, The Star Ledger)
Guests: Chad Beguelin & Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer), Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), Hal Goldberg (Nerds), Mark Hollmann (Urinetown), Zina Goldrich (Junie B. Jones), Bobby Lopez (Avenue Q), Matt Prager (She Can't Believe She Said That)
Writing the perfect music and lyrics to accompany a musical comedy can be an arduous task. The composers and lyricists must write songs that don't drag down the comedic script, but rather, bring it to the next level. After all, a musical comedy without funny songs is laughable - in a bad way. Learn what it takes to write the music that complements some of today's funniest musicals as our panelists give you the scoop on how they create show-stopping musical hilarity. An Original Musical: [title of show] goes from NYMF to Broadway
September 25th at 5:30pm
at Barnes and Noble Booksellers at Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway at 65th Street)
Moderator: Isaac Robert Hurwitz (Executive Director/Producer, NYMF)
Guests: Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen ([title of show])
Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen are pretty candid about their journey to Broadway fame - after all, their musical, [title of show], documents the highs and lows they've encountered on the path from NYMF to the Great White Way. Find out how Hunter and Jeff have adapted, updated and developed [title of show] through each stage of its life. We can't think of a better way to celebrate NYMF's success than to showcase our first musical to make it to Broadway!! So join the fun, y'all, because we've got a panel about a musical about writing a musical about writing a musical that's sure to please all you tossers out there. A Lot of Livin' to Do: Up Close and Personal with Charles Strouse
October 2nd at 5:30pm
at Barnes and Noble Booksellers at Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway at 65th Street)
Moderator: Michael A. Kerker (Director of Musical Theatre, ASCAP)
Guests: Craig Carnelia and Karen Mason
One of America's foremost musical theatre composers, Charles Strouse, is the winner of three Tony® Awards. From his first Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie, Mr. Strouse has made an indelible mark on American music and Broadway for the past fifty years, including Annie, Golden Boy, and Applause, and continues to make his mark today. Michael A. Kerker, ASCAP's Director of Musical Theatre, conducts an intimate one-on-one interview with Charles Strouse to discuss his craft and compositions, up to and including his most recent musical, The Night They Raided Minsky's, due to open in Los Angeles in January. The panel features special guest performances of Strouse's beloved songs, both classics and new.
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