New Musical LAUGH WHILE YOU CAN Comes to Torn Page This Weekend

A studio presentation of "Laugh While You Can," a new musical by Celine Carroll and Fiona Looney directed by the internationally celebrated director Ray Yeates, will be seen as part of the 2020 Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival in three performances this weekend. Music direction is by veteran Broadway music director Jeffrey Saver.

Taking place at Torn Page, 435 West 22nd Street, the Chelsea townhouse where Yeates - the Dublin City arts officer and former artistic director of axis: Ballymun - is an artist in residence, "Laugh While You Can" explores the touching and often funny experiences of people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Featured in the cast are George Lee Andrews ("A Little Night Music" and "Phantom of the Opera" for which he holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for longest stint in a Broadway production); Joe Grifasi ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood" "Bull"); Cass Morgan ("Memphis," "Mary Poppins"); Alma Cuervo ("Cabaret," "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"); Sara Jean Ford ("Cats," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"); Ryah Nixon ("9 to 5"); Kathleen Warner Yeates, and Ben Becher.

Yeates was formerly the artistic director of the famed Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Saver's music direction and conducting credits include "Chicago," "End of the Rainbow" and "Sister Act."

"Laugh While You Can" is the closing show of the month-long Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival which concludes on Monday February 3. The world's only festival devoted exclusively to producing the plays of contemporary Irish playwrights from around the world, the 2020 edition is presents productions from Belfast, Dublin, Wexford, Manhattan and Queens. Torn Page, the historic Chelsea townhouse that was the home of Rip Torn and the late Geraldine Page. For tickets visit www.origintheatre.org