Nikki M. James and Mauricio Martínez Will Lead New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series

New York Theatre Barn will host a free live stream of its New Works Series on Wednesday, October 14th, 2020 at 7PM EDT, featuring excerpts from the new musicals Love & Southern D!scomfort and Present Perfect. The live 45-minute presentation will also feature a conversation with the writers and creative team.

The new musical Love & Southern D!scomfort has music and lyrics by Bobby Daye (Aladdin, The Color Purple), book and lyrics by Monica L. Patton (The Book of Mormon, Finian's Rainbow), and is directed by Tamara Tunie (NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). When dowager Mrs. Catheine Dejoie, of polite Louisiana society, dies, she leaves the entire estate to her estranged granddaughter, Milla, but only if Milla comes home from her self-imposed, decade-long exile to bury Catherine. Milla reluctantly leaves her life in France and returns to her ancestral home, a sprawling postbellum Southern mansion, and to her mother, a faded alcoholic debutante undone by the burden of bearing the family's legacy. With the help of the family's cherished maid, the women begin to repair their relationship until the reconciliation grinds to a sudden halt when a long-held secret is uncovered. Featuring performances by Tony Award winner Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon, Les Misérables), Ramona Keller (Caroline, Or Change, Brooklyn) and Anthony Wayne (Tootsie, Once On This Island).

The new musical Present Perfect has music and additional Spanish lyrics by Jaime Lozano (Songs by an Immigrant) and book and lyrics by Nancy Nachama Cheser. A young woman steps outside the confines of her insular ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn and finds herself as much an immigrant in a new land as the recently arrived students she teaches in her New York Adult English class. Lives intertwine as each in their own way struggles to belong, find love, and succeed in a new country. Life changes in an instant when an earthquake rocks a village in Peru, sending aftershocks throughout the classroom, and each must decide how far they will go to protect those they love. Present Perfect is a uniquely American story told with a contemporary twist, infectious vitality and a Latin beat. Featuring performances by Mauricio Martínez (On Your Feet!) and Stephanie Lynne Mason (Fiddler on the Roof).

Love & Southern D!comfort received its world premiere production at South of Broadway Theatre Company in January 2020, a concept album of the show is forthcoming, and a single of the song "Liquid Courage" by Broadway veteran Ramona Keller was recently released. Present Perfect is the recipient of the Live & in Color Development Award and was developed at Manhattan Theatre Source, Sugden Theatre, Bonita Center for the Arts, Area Stage Company, Southwest Florida Theatre League, Florida Southwestern College and with Salgado Productions.

The 45-minute presentation will be available on New York Theatre Barn's YouTube channel and Broadway on Demand, and is hosted and produced by Jen Sandler and Joe Barros. For more information, visit New York Theatre Barn's website: www.nytheatrebarn.org.