THE BURNT PART BOYS Original Cast Recording Released

After a run in Spring 2010 as a co-production between Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director, Tim Sanford; Managing Director, Leslie Marcus) and Vineyard Theatre (Artistic Director, Douglas Aibel; Executive Director, Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell), the critically-acclaimed score of THE BURNT PART BOYS has been recorded by Yellow Sound Label, produced by Michael Croiter in conjunction with Playwrights Horizons, to be released in digital and CD formats on December 6, 2011. The album may be purchased at www.yellowsoundlabel.com and www.playwrightshorizons.org (at which one may also watch an exclusive making-of video), as well as through online outlets such as iTunes and in stores nationwide.

With music by Chris Miller, lyrics by Nathan Tysen and a book by Mariana Elder, THE BURNT PART BOYS (under the direction of Joe Calarco) was nominated for a 2010 Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Musical and received 4 stars in Time Out New York. The musical was described as “a warm-hearted coming-of-age story with a stirring score” (Daily News) with “excellent bluegrass-pop songs: tuneful, catchy and moving” (The New York Observer).

The album features performances by original cast members Michael Park (“As The World Turns,” Daytime Emmy Award Winner; How to Succeed…), Charlie Brady (South Pacific), Al Calderon (13), Andrew Durand (Spring Awakening), Noah Galvin (Our Town, Lortel nomination for The Burnt Part Boys), Steve French (In Transit), Molly Ranson (August: Osage County, the upcoming Carrie), and Randy Redd (Million Dollar Quartet). Evan Harrington (Broadway’s Avenue Q, Phantom) joins the cast for the recording. Orchestrations are by Tony Award winner Bruce Coughlin (The Light in the Piazza) and Musical Direction is by Vadim Feichtner.

The musicians on the album, under the direction of Mr. Feichtner (also Piano), include Matt Hinkley (Associate Conductor, Guitar), Maxim Moston (Violin/Mandolin), Todd Low (Viola), Mark Vanderpoel (Bass), and Frank Pagano (Drums). The music coordinator for the production and the album is John Miller, with Music Copying by Emily Grishman and Music Preparation by Ms. Grishman and Katharine Edmonds.

The CD release will include a 24-page color booklet featuring complete lyrics, production photos by Joan Marcus, show credits, and a synopsis by Playwrights Horizons Director of Musical Theater Kent Nicholson.

Set in rurAl West Virginia in 1962, THE BURNT PART BOYS follows fourteen year-old Pete (Mr. Calderon), who is fighting to claim his past. His older brother Jake (Mr. Brady) is hoping to forge a future. With an eclectic band of friends teetering on the brink of adulthood, the youngsters embark on a life-altering journey to the coal mine that took their father’s life. With its soaring, elegiac bluegrass and pop-inspired score, this inspirational new musical finds both the streaks of light and the heart of darkness within us all.

Tony Award-winning author and composer William Finn (Falsettos; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) has praised Mr. Miller and Mr. Tysen as “enormously talented young writers scoping out difficult territory, trying to find a new and amazing world.” Since THE BURNT PART BOYS, the pair has written tunes for “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company” as well as an adaptation of the popular novel Tuck Everlasting (book by Claudia Shear). Upcoming: the album release of their 2008 Drama Desk nominated song cycle, Fugitive Songs. Their website: www.millerandtysen.com.

Leadership support of the Playwrights Horizons Musicals in Partnership Initiative and partial funding of the developmental lab production of THE BURNT PART BOYS at Vineyard Theatre was generously provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Funding for the development of THE BURNT PART BOYS at Vineyard Theatre was also provided by The National Endowment for the Arts and The Maurer Family Foundation.

THE BURNT PART BOYS also received generous support from The Shen Family Foundation.

BIOGRAPHIES

Mariana Elder (Book). Credits include The Burnt Part Boys (Playwrights Horizons, NY Stage and Film, Vineyard Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, Theatreworks Palo Alto, University of Nebraska: Lincoln, National Endowment of the Arts Grant, American Critics New Play Finalist); This Side of Paradise (Theater for a New City, Bank Street Theater, Hudson Backstage Theater, Manhattan Theatre Source, published Estrogenius Sourcebook); Run Teddy Run (Electric Pear, NYU/Playwrights Horizons, Musical Theater Works, Ensemble Studio Theatre Rusty Magee Fellowship, Daryl Roth Award). Graduate of NYU Tisch (Dean's Fellow) and Grinnell College, teaching artist for Lincoln Center Theater and Dreamyard Project.

Chris Miller (Music) studied piano and voice at Elon University and Musical Theatre Writing at NYU. With Nathan Tysen, he has written The Burnt Part Boys (book by Mariana Elder), an album of folk/cabaret songs entitled Point A, a musical based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Joe Calarco, book) and the Off-Broadway song cycle Fugitive Songs (cast album forthcoming), which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Revue). He is a contributing composer (Mark Campbell, lyrics) to the song cycle Songs From an Unmade Bed produced at NYTW in 2005 (cast album on Sh-K-Boom Records). His string quartet Moment of Weakness premiered at Symphony Space in 2007. His songs have been performed on “Sesame Street,” “The Electric Company,” and at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, Don’t Tell Mama, The Triad and The Knitting Factory. Awards: 2003 Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Grant, 2003 Frederick Lowe Foundation Grant, 2004 Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award, 2006 Richard Rodgers Award, 2007 Kitty Carlisle Hart Musical Theatre Award from the Vineyard Theatre, ASCAP Plus Awards 2005-07, one of the Dramatists Guild Magazine’s “50 To Watch” in 2007. Currently in development: Tuck Everlasting, a new musical (book by Claudia Shear) for Broadway Across America.

Nathan Tysen (Lyrics) has been profiled in The Dramatist Magazine under “Fifty to Watch.” Off-Broadway: The Burnt Part Boys (music by Chris Miller, book by Mariana Elder, finalist for the American Theatre Critics New Play Award). Other work with Miller includes their song cycle Fugitive Songs (2008 Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Revue, cast album forthcoming) and an adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (book by Joe Calarco, world premiere at Barrington Stage, Boston Globe Top Ten Pick of 2008). He’s received awards and grants from many foundations including Richard Rodgers, Jonathan Larson, Frederick Loewe, Kitty Carlisle Hart and Daryl Roth. He is currently working with Miller on Molly's Delicious (book by Craig Wright) for Playwrights Horizons/Theatreworks, an adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, and a new musical commissioned by Lincoln Center Theater.

Charlie Brady (Jake) made his Broadway debut in the Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific. National tours: Les Misérables, Mamma Mia! Regional: Barrington Stage Company (The Burnt Part Boys, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick), North Shore Music Theater (Les Misérables), St. Louis Muny (Miss Saigon), Moonlight Amphitheater (The Music Man). He was a series regular on the TV show “Kids Incorporated.”

Al Calderon (Pete) made his Broadway debut as Eddie in the Jason Robert Brown musical 13. He performed the role of Patrick in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular 2007, also appearing in the role on television. Regional: Grease, Bye Bye Birdie, The Sound of Music, 13.

Andrew Durand (Chet) recently appeared in the Off-Broadway premiere of the musical Yank! at The York. He made his Broadway debut as Georg and understudying Moritz in Spring Awakening. He is a recent graduate of the Boston Conservatory, BFA musical theatre.

Steve French (Roy Tinns). New York: Manifesto (Second Stage); Still the River Runs, Professional Skepticism (Zootopia). Regional: Avenue X (Alliance Theatre); Camelot, Big River (Goodspeed Musicals); Othello, A Christmas Carol (Hartford Stage Company); A Moon for the Misbegotten, The Mystery of Irma Vep (Long Wharf).

Noah Galvin (Dusty) earned a Lortel nomination for his performance in The Burnt Part Boys. He originated the role of Billy in Ace (Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati) for which he won a Kevin Kline Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical. Galvin also originated the role of Jamie in Cirque du Soleil’s Wintuk at Madison Square Garden. National tour: Les Misérables (Gavroche). Regional: The Who’s Tommy (Bay Street Theatre).

Evan Harrington (Miner Taylor) Broadway: The Phantom of the Opera (Piangi), Avenue Q (Brian National tours: The Music Man (Quartet), Kopit/Yeston’s Phantom (Cholet), Camelot. Other credits include Into the Woods (Baker), The Full Monty (Dave), Sweeney Todd (Pirelli/Beadle), The Pirates of Penzance (Samuel), Oliver! (Mr. Bumble) and Titanic (Hartley). Television: “30 Rock.” He has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall.

Michael Park (Dad) has earned three Daytime Emmy nominations for his long-running role as detective Jack Snyder on the CBS daytime drama “As the World Turns.” His Broadway credits include the revival of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, the original company of Smokey Joe's Café, Little Me and as standby for Billy Bigelow in Carousel at Lincoln Center. He most recently starred opposite Christine Ebersole in the Encores! production of Applause. Off-Broadway credits include Middletown at the Vineyard, Violet at Playwrights Horizons, Hello Again at Lincoln Center and Milk and Honey at AJT.

Molly Ranson (Frances). Broadway: Pea in Jerusalem; Jean in August: Osage County (also London, 2009 Olivier Award nomination, Best Company Performance). Graduate of LaGuardia Arts High School: Mother in Ragtime, Moll in The Cradle Will Rock. She will play the title role in the upcoming production of Carrie.

Randy Redd (Miner Boggs). Broadway: Ring of Fire, Parade (Lincoln Center and national tour). Other credits include Million Dollar Quartet and What’s That Smell (New World Stages), Some Men (Second Stage), Lucky Stiff (York), Smoke on the Mountain (Lambs), Pump Boys and Dinettes (20th Anniversary) and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s By Jeeves (Kennedy Center). Film: Kinsey, After the Storm.

www.playwrightshorizons.org
www.yellowsoundlabel.com