NYMF THIS ONE GIRL’S STORY Opens

The New York Musical Theater Festival and Aaron Glick present This One Girl's Story, a new musical with book by Bil Wright (LAMI Award Winning Playwright and Novelist) and music and lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney (TruPraise Gospel Ensemble).

The musical, inspired by actual events, will be directed by Jeremy Dobrish (Signs of Life, Spain, Election Day) and choreographed by renowned music video choreographer Tanisha Scott (Beyonce's Upgrade You, Alicia Keys and Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind, Rihanna's LOUD World Tour).

The production will feature: Angela Grovey (30 Rock, Wig Out), Zonya Love Johnson (Celie in The Color Purple on Broadway), Danielle K. Thomas (Gary Coleman in Avenue Q on Broadway), Desiree Rodriguez (Barrio Girrl! Nat'l Tour), Jade Hicks (Rent Nat'l Tour) and Antonio Edwards Suarez (American Buffalo on Broadway).

This One Girl's Story is the journey of Patrice and her friends - four young women in search of a drama-free night filled with dancing and maybe a little romance - hopefully not with yet another W.G.F.M ("Wrong Girl For Me"). They've ditched their troubles in Newark to party in the Big City, but a shocking incident forces them to face difficult truths about themselves. This powerful musical combines R&B, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop to sing a tale of love and courage.
The production will have lighting design by Jeff Croiter (The Pee-Wee Herman Show, Next Fall), sound design by Jill B.C. Du Boff (Other Desert Cities, Good People), scenic design by Caleb Levengood (associate designer Wonderland, Oleanna) and costume design by Josh Quinn (assistant designer Finian's Rainbow). Additional arrangements and music direction are by J. Oconer Navarro. The production stage manager is Carly J. Price.

This One Girl's Story will play the McGinn-Cazale Theater 2162 Broadway @ 76th Street from September 27 - October 9.

The performance schedule is: September 27 at 8pm, September 28 at 1pm, September 30 at 8pm, October 2 at 4:30pm and 8pm, October 5 at 4:30pm and October 9 at 8pm.

All tickets are $25.00 and will go on-sale to the public on September 01.

To buy tickets please visit www.nymf.org or call 212-352-3101.

Biographies:
Jeremy Dobrish (Director): Recent Off Broadway: Signs of life (Amas), Judas and Me (NYMF), Spain (MCC), Election Day (Second Stage). REGIONAL: Barrington Stage, Goodspeed, Hangar, North Shore, NY Stage and Film, Old Globe, O'Neill, Village. Jeremy is the Co-Artistic Director of Midtown Direct Rep, has served as an Artistic Associate at Second Stage, and was the Artistic Director of Adobe Theatre Company for 13 years. He lives in Maplewood with his wife Beth and daughters Clea and Quinn.

Tanisha Scott (Choreographer): Most recent stage work includes Venice (co-choreographer, Center Theater Group/Kansas City Rep). Film and television credits include Bring It On; All Or Nothing and Notorious (choreographer), Bride Wars (assistant choreographer), So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew (guest choreographer). Commercials include Nike, Subway, Wheat Thins, Dunkin Donuts and Miller Beer. Tanisha has worked with top artists including Beyonce, Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls, Ne-Yo, Jordin Sparks, Sean Paul, and Alicia Keys.

Bil Wright (Book) is a novelist, playwright and educator. He has published four novels including the highly acclaimed When the Black Girl Sings, (A Junior Library Guild Award Winner) and Sunday You Learn How to Box, (a New York Public Library Choice for Young Readers and a Coretta King Celebrating the Dream Award). His plays include Bloodsummer Rituals, based on the life of poet Audre Lorde, (Jerome Fellowship) Leave Me a Message (San Diego Human Rights Festival premiere) and This One Girls Story, (GLAAD AWARD nominee). He is the winner of a LAMI (LaMama Playwriting Award, chosen by La Mama herself, Ellen Stewart).

Dionne McClain-Freeney (Music and Lyrics) is a musician and teaching artist. She is the composer & lyricist of This One Girl's Story, nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in 2011. As a singer and choral director, she has appeared on numerous national and international stages. As a New York City-based gospel accompanist, she has played at some of the city's most beloved churches. Dionne is currently Artistic Director of TruPraise Gospel Ensemble, a consultant to, and regular performer in France's Absolute Gospel Festival, and is Community Musician at Middle Collegiate Church, in New York's East Village, where she provides musical support to the music ministry, youth ministry, and is Music Worship Leader for SoulFood, a midweek worship experience.
Aaron Glick (Producer) has produced Off and Off-Off Broadway Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party at Theatre Row, Hedwig and the Angry Inch at The Producer's Club and Hair at Marymount Manhattan College. Aaron has also worked with producer David Stone and 321 Theatrical Management on such Broadway shows as Three Days of Rain (with Julia Roberts), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling, Wicked and Next To Normal, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Now in its eighth year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the largest annual musical theatre event in America and is widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next generation of musicals and their creators to ensure the continued vitality of one of America's greatest art forms. Hailed as the "Sundance of Musical Theatre," NYMF discovers, nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and producers at all stages of development, and inspires a diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new work.

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2011 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group, and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by American Eagle Outfitters, Back Stage, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Clear Channel Spectacolor, Disney Store Times Square, FOX 5 New York, King Displays, NASDAQ OMX, New World Stages, Next Magazine, PMD Promotions, The Port Authority of NY & NJ, Queerty.com, Season of Savings, Terra Fossil Wines, Thomson Reuters, TheMenEvent.com, Times Square Squared, and Yelp. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Ariel Phinney, Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, The New Musical Development Foundation, The Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. 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, in partnership with the City Council and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating, and tickets to individual events, are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org. Single tickets for Festival events will go on sale September 1.