New BOTTLE SHOCK Musical Based on 2008 Film Gets Concert at Ars Nova, 12/7

A new musical based on the 2008 movie Bottle Shock is now in development as part of the Ars Nova Uncharted program by writers James D. Sasser and Charles Vincent Burwell. Director Kent Nicholson helms the process.

The movie Bottle Shock starred Chris Pine as Bo Barrett, son of winemaker Bo Barrett, played by Bill Pullman. Inspired by the true story of the early days of Napa Valley winemaking, it features the now infamous blind wine tasting held in Paris in 1976 by sommelier Steven Spurrier, played by Alan Rickman in the film, that has come to be known as "The Judgment of Paris."

The movie story is originally by Ross Schwartz & Lynette Pabon and Jody Savin & Randall Miller, with screenplay by Jody Savin & Randall Miller and Ross Schwartz. Savin and Miller are the duo behind Unclaimed Freight Productions, which recently released punk rock bio-pic CBGB about the infamous New York music club also starring Alan Rickman.

Burwell and Sasser are both graduates of the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writer's Program, and have performance and development backgrounds spanning Broadway and the international music and dance world. The story of Bottle Shock is close to Burwell and Sasser's hearts, as they both have roots in Northern California wine country. Their previous work includes the musical CUBAMOR, which was featured as part of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2013 New Works Festival this past summer.

The Ars Nova Uncharted program has provided a forum for burgeoning musical theater writers to showcase original work since 2003. The Uncharted writers group brings together four writing teams for monthly meetings, curated by Kent Nicholson, providing them with peer support and artistic support as they work on their new pieces. Near the end of the first year of their residency, members of the group also receive public concerts produced by Ars Nova offering the writers the chance to debut their new material in front of a live audience. During the second year of their residency, the writers participate in weeklong workshops of their musicals with top-notch directors and performers, culminating in a full public reading.

A concert will be held at Ars Nova on December 7th at 8pm as part of the Uncharted Program featuring songs from Bottle Shock as well as material from CUBAMOR. For tickets, visit https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/9833393.

For more information, visit bottleshockmusical.com.