Summerhays Replaces Lawrence in 'Sympathy Jones' at NYMF

Tony Award nominated actress Jane Summerhays, last seen on Broadway in The Wild Party, will join the cast of the new musical Sympathy Jones, which will debut at this year's New York Musical Theatre Festival.  Summerhays will replace the previously announced Megan Lawrence, and will play 'Kitty Hawk,' opposite Kate Shindle as the title character.  It was also announced that Lucy Sorensen (who starred in last year's NYMF show The Tutor), will replace Nicole Lewis as 'Caprice Nova'.

Sympathy Jones is written by Masi Asare (music and lyrics) and Brooke Pierce (book), directed by Sarah Gurfield and choreographed by Christine O'Grady.   It will play six performances at the Julia Miles Theatre (424 West 55th Street), beginning Monday, September 24 through Thursday, October 4.

The complete cast of Sympathy Jones includes Jimmy Ray Bennett, Tony Chiroldes, Christopher Carl, Thursday Farrar, Amanda Ryan Paige, Charlie Pollock, Glenn Peters, Shindle, Sorensen and Summerhays.

"The musical tells the story of Sympathy Jones, an overqualified receptionist at a prestigious intelligence agency, who dreams of becoming a super spy.  When Sympathy is passed over – yet, again – for a promotion to agent, she decides to take matters into her own hands and steals a top-secret file.  She quickly sets out to stop evil mastermind Katherine "Kitty" Hawk, the leader of the Secret Coalition for Revenge, Assassination, Terrorism, Counterintelligence and Heists (S.C.R.A.T.C.H.).  From gadgets to henchmen and bombs to bombshells, the quirky heroine braves it all and, in the process, discovers there is more to being a spy than putting on a catsuit in this funny and heartwarming musical adventure," explain press notes.

The complete design team for Sympathy Jones includes Herrick Goldman (lighting), Susan Nicholson (associate lighting), Kerry Chipman (set), Matt Kraus (sound), Mike Floyd (costume), Maggie MacDonald (fight director) and Phillip Kirchman (musical director).

Sympathy Jones will be part of NYMF's Next Link Project, and is one of only 18 shows selected from over 400 entries. For more information visit www.sympathyjones.com.

Sympathy Jones will play the following performance schedule: September 24 at 8PM, September 25 & September 27 at 1PM, September 29 & October 1 at 8PM, and October 4 at 4:30PM.  Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.nymf.org.

Now in its 4th year, The New York Musical Theatre Festival is the largest musical theatre event in America.  NYMF premiered 99 new musicals during its first three seasons, with more than a dozen of these shows transferring to successful off-Broadway and regional productions.  NYMF is widely regarded as the premier source for new material and talent discovery.