Saycon Sengbloh (Hair, Fela!, Wicked), Sarah Stiles (Into The Woods), Christopher Jackson (In The Heights), and Lady Rizo (Lady Rizo: Unescorted @ Joe's Pub, The Lily's Revenge) lead the lineup of performers to join Max Vernon, one of the most innovative young voices in contemporary musical theater, in his return to Joe's Pub on November 30 at 9:30PM.
Featuring an incredible collision of talent from the Broadway and downtown theater scenes, Frisk Me: The Songs of Max Vernon is a one-night-only event that highlights Vernon's songwriting. With a sound described by the New York Post as "a unique blend of unfiltered pop, 1940s jazz and harmonic brilliance," Vernon's three featured musicals include WIRED (Ars Nova) and Sugarbaby (Tisch, music by Shane Parks).
The concert also features Alyse Alan Louis (Mamma Mia), Jo Lampert (The Last Goodbye, Marie Antoinette), Grammy Award nominee Maiysha, Molly Pope (Our Hit Parade, The Material World), Nathan Lee Graham (The Wild Party, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Lacrymosa (indie singer-songwriter), and Sheri Sanders (Rock The Audition). Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks.
Band members include Rona Siddiqui (musical direction/piano), Hiroyuki Matsuura (drums), Ayesu Lartey (bass), and Jared Weiss (guitar).
As a songwriter, performer, playwright, and visual artist, Max Vernon is a veteran of both the anti-folk and queer downtown scenes. With roots in musical theater, Vernon detoured through the pop, punk and Brooklyn indie genres before making his return to the contemporary theatrical world with a variety of genres to influence his writing. Most recently, his musical WIRED received a reading at Ars Nova Theatre with a cast featuring Patrick Page, Matt Doyle, Asmeret Ghebremichael, and Teal Wicks, among others, and was named a finalist for the 2012 Drama League New Works grant. Vernon is a member of the Dramatist's Guild and currently attends the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU Tisch.
Frisk Me: The Songs of Max Vernon is directed by Sam Pinkleton (OntheFloor, The Lyons) and produced by Lina Renzina (Kate Douglas and The Imaginary Menagerie) and Grammy Award winner Thirza Defoe.
Tickets for Frisk Me: The Songs of Max Vernon are $15 and can be purchased online at joespub.com or by calling (212) 967-7555. Joe's Pub is located at 425 Lafayette Street. Visit joespub.com for more information.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.
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