THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (NYMF) and EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE are pleased to announce the New York premiere production of HEAVEN IN YOUR POCKET, directed by Alan Souza. HEAVEN IN YOUR POCKET will play a limited engagement as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at the 45th Street Theatre (354 west 45th Street). Performances begin Tuesday, September 16 and continue to Sunday, September 28.
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!
The production stars
Lisa Asher (New York Nightlife Award, a MAC Award) as Celeste,
Chuck Saculla (B'way: Aida and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Sam, Claire Slemmer (The Shawshank Redemption and The Insider) as Grace, Rebecca Spencer (Phantom-The Las Vegas Spectacular and B'way: Jekyll & Hyde) as Arlene, Mark Shock (Apollo Theatre: If This Hat Could Talk) as Billy and Pheonix Vaughn (LA: The People vs. Friar Laurence and Fools) as Kay Lee.
The production features scenic design by Tim McMath, costume design by
David Withrow, and lighting design by G. Benjamin Swope.
Aaron Blank is the sound designer, Jenny Lee Mitchell is the Producer's representative and Alison Carroll is the stage manager.
HEAVEN IN YOUR POCKET plays the following schedule through:
Tuesday, September 16, at 8 PM - opening
Wednesday, September 17 at 8 PM
Saturday, September 20 at 8 PM
Sunday September 21 at 1 PM
Tuesday, September 23 at 4:30 PM
Sunday, September 28 at 1 PM
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
PAUL ADAMS (Co-Producer) Artistic Director and Founder of Emerging Artists Theatre, PAUL ADAMS (Co-Producer) has been at its helm for 15 years, producing over 30 full-length original plays and over 200 new one-act plays. He is also a member of the Steering Committee of League of Independent Theatre and a committee member of The New York Innovative Theatre Awards. Paul has directed Layout by Richard Ploetz, Real Danger by Jeff Hollman, My Sister the Cow by Greg Fletcher, Reunion by William Borden, Counter Girls by Jonathan Reuning and most recently Sisters' Dance by Sarah Hollister. Paul is extremely proud and happy to be producing Heaven in Your Pocket, Emerging Artists' first venture into musicals.
HUBERT "TEX" ARNOLD (Musical Director) A native of Texas, TEX ARNOLD has pursued a career as a pianist, arranger, music director and composer. For over 25 years he was musical director for the legendary
Margaret Whiting, arranging and conducting for her performances on radio, television, and records, and with major symphony orchestras. He has written orchestrations for the Lincoln Center American Songbook series and for Carnegie Hall tributes to the song-writing teams of Alan and
Marilyn Bergman,
Betty Comden and
Adolph Green. As a pianist, he has accompanied Broadway stars
Melissa Errico at the Cafe Carlyle in NYC, and
Barbara Cook in concerts throughout the country, including performances at the LA Music Center and Carnegie Hall. An instructor for the annual Cabaret Symposium at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center for many years, he has continued in that capacity for its successor program, the Cabaret Conference at Yale University. Mr. Arnold is a member of ASCAP and Local 802, American Federation of Musicians.
FRANCIS J. CULLINAN (Book) Co-Librettist FRANCIS J. CULLINAN has directed over 125 productions for professional theatres and opera companies throughout the USA and Canada. His work has been seen at Eisenhower Theatre in D.C., Boston's Huntington Theatre, Missouri Repertory Theatre and The Perry Street Theatre in New York City. He is a regular guest director at the Creede (Colorado) Repertory Theatre and The Opera Institute of Boston University's School of Fine Arts and his work will soon be seen at Opera Omaha, where he will direct Pirates of Penzance. He has served as Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Missouri at Kansas City where he was the principal coordinator for the MFA professional directing program and supervisor of the studio theatre series. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Henderson County (NC).
MARK HOUSTON (deceased) (Music & Lyrics/Book) The late Composer & Lyricist MARK HOUSTON is best remembered for his long running satirical review, Six Women with Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know, a breakout hit at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and featured in the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Other works include Commedia Paradia, Tommyknockers, Reggie and the Riddle, Harbledown, incidental music for
A Christmas Carol at Missouri Repertory Theatre, and a world-premiere opera, Hazel Kirke, commissioned by the Lake George Opera Festival. The delightful Changin' Lanes, produced regionally, is now finding new life as Heaven in Your Pocket.
ALAN SOUZA (Director) is a busy, freelance director who just directed the world premiere of the musical The Little Hours by David Bucknam, based on the short stories of Dorothy Parker, for the New Jersey Repertory Theatre. Other recent projects include The Full Monty for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, I Do! I Do! for the New Theatre in Kansas City, and two very different productions of Side by Side by Sondheim - one for the Walnut Street Theatre and one for Virginia Musical Theatre. Coming up: regional productions of Ears on a Beatle and Little Women. He and Becky Spencer were separated at birth. Find out more at www.alansouzaonline.com
DIANNE SPOSITO (Book) Dramatist DIANNE SPOSITO partnered with late composer Mark Houston on three musicals: Commedia Paradia with Pamela Berlin, the poignant Harbledown and Heaven in Your Pocket with Francis J. Cullinan. Solo work includes Almost Full Circle at the Guggenheim and When There's a Will, They're Away! both produced at Emerging Artists Theatre. Current projects are: Officials of the Stardust Mission, Time Squared, What'll the Neighbors Think? and the screenplays Boris, Me, Boris and Suddenly, Lasagna! Ms. Sposito teaches in the Speech, Communications & Theatre Arts Department at BMCC (CUNY) and is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.
EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE'S mission is to provide a dynamic home for emerging writers and artists, providing the unique opportunity for playwrights to collaborate with directors, actors, and designers throughout the development process--from idea through fully realized production. EAT's supportive environment nurtures a close-knit group of artists working toward the common goal of creating dynamic theatre, and its commitment to the development of new works is integral to the cultural enrichment of New York City.
The 2006-2007 season garnered EAT their first Drama Desk Award nomination for
Capathia Jenkins in (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story. In its 15th season, EAT showcased over 20 premiere works, 3 Off-Broadway full-length plays, and worked with more than 400 emerging NYC-based theatre artists.
THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, 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 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.
