NYMF To Present Children's Musical 'Max and the Truffle Pig'

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL and Kim Vasquez/ GRAYLADY ENTERTAINMENT, INC. present NYMF's only Children's musical this year, MAX AND THE TRUFFLE PIG

A culinary tale of longing and adventure book by Suzanne Bradbeer, lyrics by Nancy Leeds, music by Bert Draesel based on the story by Judith Gwyn Brown directed and choreographed by Erica Gould

An official selection of the 2008 New York Musical Theatre Festival September 15th – September 23rd

The 45th Street Theatre, 354 West 45th Street , between 8th and 9th Avenues THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF) and Kim Vasquez/ GRAY LADY ENTERTAINMENT, INC. are pleased to present MAX AND THE TRUFFLE PIG

Performances will take place at the 45th Street Theatre, 354 W. 45th Street . Performances are September 15th at 8:00 pm, September 17th at 4:30 pm, September 20th at 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm, September 21st at 4:30 pm, and September 23rd at 8:00 pm. All tickets are $20.00. Tickets can be purchased at www.nymf.org or by calling 212-352-3101.

MAX AND THE TRUFFLE PIG is a family musical based upon the story by Judith Gwyn Brown, and created to appeal to adults as much as to children. 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 mischievous and off-beat new musical for all ages.

Featured in the cast of MAX AND THE TRUFFLE PIG are JEN ALBANO (BITTERSWEET PLACE, Jury Prize, Tribeca Film Festival); Cindy Cheung (LADY IN THE WATER), ANTOINETTE LAVECCHIA (KIMBERLY AKIMBO, MTC), KEVIN MICHAEL MURPHY (Craig Stevens VIDEO BLOG, SNAPSHOTS with Stephen Schwartz), JEREMY SCHWARTZ, and ROB SKOLITS. The design team includes sets and props by ERICA HEMMINGER, costumes by Meghan Healey, lighting by Karen Spahn, stage manager LILITH BEITCHMAN, marketing director and Public Relations MARIE REYNOLDS.

Lyricist Nancy Leeds and composer Bert Draesel met in the BMI Workshop under the direction of Lehman Engel. Ms. Leeds has written lyrics to songs recorded by The Mills Brothers, The Shirells, Peter Dean, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Carol Townes & Fifth Avenue , and LeRoy Holmes. She is a member of ASCAP, and is listed in Who's Who in America , and Who's Who in the World. Ms. Leeds owned and operated Roseland Ballroom, which was founded by her father, Lou Brecker.

Composer Bert Draesel is currently working on the music for FANCY NANCY, a new musical based on a children's book of the same title, words by Jim Semmelman. In cabaret, he wrote and played the music for STEP INTO THE LIGHT and GALLERY at "Don't Tell Mama" with lyricist and performer Russ Thacker. He also wrote several contemporary liturgical settings and religious songs, including REJOICE and CELEBRATION recorded by Scepter Records.

Bookwriter Suzanne Bradbeer is currently a member of the BMI Workshop. Her play FULL BLOOM premiered at Barrington Stage Company, where it was named best new play of the season by the Berkshire Eagle and was short-listed for the Humana Festival and nominated for the American Critic's Association's Osborn Award. She is a founding member of The Fire Dept., and was a writer in the collaborative project, SPEAKEASY, which enjoyed a sold out run at Joe's Pub.

Director Erica Gould's recent credits include AT WAR: AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS RESPOND TO IRAQ with David Strathairn, Bebe Neuwirth, Daniel Sunjata, Peter Sarsgaard, michael cerveris (The Fire Dept./45 Bleecker); and the world premieres of Neil LaBute's plays AUTOBAHN and STAND UP (with Mos Def). Ms. Gould is the founder/co-artistic director of The Fire Dept.

Kim Vasquez/ Gray Lady Entertainment, Inc. (Executive Producer) is a theatrical producing and consulting company. Current productions include: Pterodactyl Island, book and lyrics by Peter Morris, with music by Michael Jeffrey; One Way Ticket To Hell, book by Drew Taylor, music by Robert Cioffi and Simon Says a play by Mat Schaffer. She has produced for NYMF, Such Good Friends with book, music and lyrics by Noel Katz. Such Good Friends was the recipient of five theatre awards including: Best New Musical of the Year from Talkin' Broadway 2007 and Emerald Man with book by Janet Cole Valdez, Music by Tom Valdez and Lyrics by Marc Bosserman. As a Director, Kim directed the first-female version of Fully Committed by Becky Mode, starring Amy Stiller as "Sam" and Beirut by Alan Bowne. As an Actor, Kim has performed in many stage productions most recently Arthur Kopit's Chamber Music playing Woman with Notebook. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota , The National Shakespeare Conservatory, The Commercial Theatre Institute and she is a founding Producer of the New York Musical Theatre Festival and an adjunct member of The Broadway League.

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. Since its inception in 2004, the 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 is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.

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, Queerty.com, 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.

Festival memberships are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.nymf.org or by calling (212) 352-3101; single tickets go on sale on September 1. For more information, visit www.nymf.org. MAX AND THE TRUFFLE PIG plays at the 45th Street Theatre as follows: September 15th at 8:00 pm, September 17th at 4:30 pm, September 20th at 1:00 pm and at 4:30 pm, September 21st at 4:30 pm, and September 23rd at 8:00 pm. All tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at www.nymf.org or by calling (212)352-3101. For more information, please visit www.nymf.org.