Oscar Replaces Latessa in York's 'Body Beautiful' Oct.12-14

The York Theatre Company is now in rehearsals for The Body Beautiful, the third of the four shows in the Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series – the York's acclaimed series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances. This Series celebrates the work of playwright Joseph Stein.

The Body Beautiful will play October 12, 13, and 14 at the Theatre at Saint Peters (54th Street, East of Lexington Ave). Tickets are $35. For more information or to purchase tickets to any of the Mufti shows, visit www.yorktheatre.org or call York's Box Office at 212-935-5820.

The final cast of The Body Beautiful will feature: Tony Award winner Cady Huffman (The Producers, The Will Rogers Follies, Big Deal), Tony Award nominees Megan Lawrence (The Pajama Game, Urinetown) and Brad Oscar (The Producers, Aspects of Love) and Drama Desk nominee Capathia Jenkins (Martin Short - Fame Becomes Me).

The cast also includes: Angie Schworer (The Producers, The Will Roger Follies), Laura Marie Duncan (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty), Ryan Duncan (Altar Boyz), Stephen Bienskie (Silence!- The Musical, Cats), Amy Goldberger (Helen Hayes Award nominee – Side  Show, Austentatious NYMF), Jonathan Kay (Gemini the Musical NYMF, White Christmas),  Mike McGowan (The Apple Tree, The Producers), John Eric Parker (All Shook Up, Rent), Patrick Richwood (The Pirates of Penzance, Peter Pan tours) and Jim Sorensen (York's Plain & Fancy, Fulton Opera's Thoroughly Modern Millie).

The show will be directed by David Glenn Armstrong.  John Bell is the Music Director.

Brad Oscar will be playing the role of Dave, originally announced to be played by Dick Latessa.

The Body Beautiful has a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music by Jerry Bock.  The Body Beautiful was the first collaboration between Harnick, Bock, and Stein, who went on to write Fiddler on the Roof a few years later.  "The show is about a wealthy Dartmouth College graduate who wishes to be a prize-winning boxer and the girl he loves who disapproves of his ambitions.  His fight manager must deal with uninspired fighters, two ex-wives and a new girlfriend," explain press notes.

The Body Beautiful follows York's productions of Zorba and Enter Laughing: The Musical and will be followed by The Baker's Wife, which will run October 26-28 and will be directed by Gordon Greenberg with Mark Hartman as Music Director.   All shows play five performances: Friday at 8PM, Saturday at 2:30PM & 8PM, and Sunday at 2:30PM & 7:30PM. Audience discussions follow both matinees.  Tickets are $35 and are now on sale. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.yorktheatre.org or call York's Box Office at 212-935-5820.  The box office is open Monday-Friday, 10AM-6PM.

The York Theatre Company will honor playwright Joseph Stein with the Sixteenth Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on Monday, November 12, 2007 at Saint Peter's Church.  The Award culminates York's yearlong celebration of Stein with the Fall 2006 and Fall 2007 Musicals in Mufti Series.  The concert celebration of Stein's career will be presented at Saint Peter's Church, which is upstairs from the York Theatre space. For more info: www.yorktheatre.org or call 212-935-5820.