New Musical REBEL GENIUS Makes Its NYC Premiere At 54 Below This Week

Peabody Award-winning composer, Matthew Puckett will present the New York City debut of his new musical Rebel Genius in concert for one night only at 54 Below (254 W 54th Street) this Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 9:30 PM. Tickets are available online here. 

Physics and love collide in Rebel Genius as a young, and highly ambitious, Albert Einstein falls madly  in love with Mileva Maric and risks everything he has to find the perfect Unified Theory. The acclaimed  new musical is an exploration into the heart and mind of a flawed icon and scientific genius. Max  Planck, Niels Bohr and the Atomic Bomb all play a part in the journey and choices of a brilliant human  being who is torn between a passionate love for the people in his life and a wild ambition to understand the universe.  

The 54 Below cast of Rebel Genius will feature DeAnne Stewart as Mileva (Jagged Little Pill), Steven Telsey as Albert (Harmony, The Book of Mormon), Drew Becker as Conrad (Tootsie), Caleb Mathura as Besso (Mean Girls), Jake Levy as Professor Marber (Anastasia), Jessie MacBeth as Elza (Xena: Warrior Musical), JJ Maley as Marcel (Command Z), Thom C. Warren as Max (The Lion King) and Anthony Chavers as Eduard.

Rebel Genius was a finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant presented by The American Theater Wing. Readings of the musical have been presented by Atlantic Theater Company in New York City, IAMA Theater Company in Los Angeles, University of Southern California's School of the Dramatic Arts' LIVEREAD series, ASCAP Workshop at The LIED Center in Lincoln, Nebraska and Zipper Hall/Colburn School in Los Angeles; directed by BT MacNichol. Rebel Genius has been presented in full productions at Wagner College directed by Ella Martin, and at UCLA directed by Brian Kite.

About the Artist

Matthew Puckett (book, music and lyrics) is an award winning songwriter and film composer based in Los Angeles, California. Originally from New York City, Matthew is an alum of CMU, Berklee College of Music and has a BFA in Theater from NYU. Matthew has worked with bands and artists such as: Rogue Wave, The Mowgli's, Jillea, Marsha Ambrosius, Jeremy Jordan and Garrison Starr. Matthew won a Peabody Award for his songs and score for the seven-part documentary ABC Series “Hopkins” and was the recipient of an ASCAP Film/TV Award for his song “Skyline,” the theme to the critically acclaimed ABC series “NY Med.” Matthew's new musical Rebel Genius was a finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant presented by The American Theater Wing. Rebel Genius was produced at UCLA (Directed by Brian Kite) and has been presented at the Lied Center/ASCAP workshop and The Atlantic Theater Company in NYC. Matthew's unique film scores include: Guidance (Dreamworks / AwesomenessTV), Caught (Anna Camp), Before I Go (Annabella Scoirra), Best Friends Forever (Brea Grant, Selection SLAMDANCE), Dial A Prayer (Brittany Snow, William H. Macy) and Some Boys Don't Leave (Jesse Eisenberg, Winner TriBeCa Film Fest) and TV scores for “Gravity” (STARZ) and “Still Single” (Showtime). Matthew is currently developing a new musical TV series for WB/Brownstone Entertainment. 

For more information, please visit RebelGeniusTheMusical.com.