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REOPENING of THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, THE MUSICAL at the YORK THEATER-- MAY 24

By: May. 25, 2004
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The Musical of Musicals - The Musical!, The York's Theatre Company's hit musical comedy that opened to rave reviews in December 2003, will return for a limited run, May 24 - July 31.

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The original cast will return, and the show will play at the Company's home, The York Theatre at Saint Peter's in the Citigroup Center, 619 Lexington Avenue (at 54th Street).

A June 10 re-opening is scheduled. The New York Times wrote, "The Musical of Musicals - The Musical!" has real wit, real charm.

It's great fun!"



The Musical of Musicals- The Musical! was just nominated for a 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical. It was recently released on CD by London's Jay Records, LTD, and is available at the York Theatre and stores across the country.

The Associated Press called the show, "A delightful, fizzy concoction."
The review continued, "Has the York Theatre Company got a show for you!"
The Village Voice called it, "Witty, refreshing and shameless."

Artistic Director James Morgan said, "We are delighted to be able to bring The Musical of Musicals – The Musical! Back. We extended the original run as many times as we could, but had to close for a previously scheduled production. We are very excited that we have been able to re-arrange our current season to allow "Musicals" to re-open. There has been a great demand for tickets since its initial run, from people who didn't get to see it – and from those who want to see it a second or third time. The CD sales have increased interest in it, as well.

The Musical of Musicals - The Musical! is a musical about ... musicals. In a comic satire of musical theatre genres, one story becomes five musicals, each in the distinctive style of a different master of the form, from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim. It has music by Eric Rockwell, lyrics by Joanne Bogart, and book by Rockwell and Bogart. The cast of The Musical of Musicals - The Musical! is Craig Fols, Lovette George, and the authors, Rockwell and Bogart. Pamela Hunt directs.

June, an ingénue who can't pay the rent, is threatened by her evil landlord. Will the handsome leading man come to her rescue?

In an evening of variations on a theme, this basic plot is musicalized the way Rodgers and Hammerstein might have envisioned it, taking place in Kansas in August, complete with a Dream Ballet. The story is then done in the style of Stephen Sondheim, featuring the landlord as a tortured, artistic genius who slashes the throats of his tenants in revenge because they don't appreciate his art.

When presented in the style of Jerry Herman, the story becomes a splashy star vehicle, while the Andrew Lloyd Webber version is a rock musical, with borrowed themes from Puccini. The story is re-told one last time in the style of Kander and Ebb, set in a speakeasy in Chicago. The tone of this evening of satire is loving/irreverent "in a sorry/grateful kind of way."
Now beginning its 35th season, The York Theatre Company, (James Morgan, Artistic Director; Louis Chiodo, Managing Director) is the only theatre in New York City—and one of very few in the world—dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals, and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. For over three decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and neglected classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. More than 20 cast recordings from York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, and commercial transfers of such York productions as Jolson & Company, Sweeney Todd, and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs. The Musical of Musicals – The Musical! was developed in the York Theatre Company's Developmental Reading Series, where the current Broadway hit, Avenue Q, also started.

The Musical of Musicals- The Musical performs Monday - Friday evenings at 8:00pm, Saturday evenings at 5:00pm and 8:00pm, and Wednesdays at 2:30pm, through July 31. Tickets are $55. Students tickets are available on the day of the performance for $20, subject to availability. Tickets are available by calling Smarttix at (212) 212-868-4444, at smarttix.com, or in person at the York Theatre at Saint Peter's box office on the lower vel at Saint Peter's Theatre, 619 Lexington Avenue (corner at 54th).


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