THE ELEVENTH HOUR! Comes to New York City

The Eleventh Hour!, an original and irreverent rock musical comedy born in a New Brunswick, New Jersey basement is making its New York debut with three performances at NY Winterfest this January.

It's the end of the world in New Jersey! A burnout basement rocker and his ex-girlfriend, a rising star astrophysicist, may have the key to surviving the black hole bearing down on earth.

If they can reconcile their feelings and manage a dangerous journey on the NJ Turnpike, they just may save their music, each other, and the mole people who live beneath them. The Eleventh Hour! features music, book, and lyrics by David Seamon, direction by Annie Rutherford Lutz, and is produced by Smugbug Productions. The story for the musical was originally created by Seamon, Lutz, and Shimmy Schwartz through a commission by coLAB Arts. Limited performances are located at the Hudson Guild Theater (441 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001) on Monday, January 22 at 6:15pm, Friday, January 26 at 9:00pm, and Sunday, January 28 at 3:30pm. Tickets are $23.00 each and can be purchased at the door and in advance at newyorktheaterfestival.com/the-eleventh-hour/.

The Eleventh Hour! features: Tam Justin Garcia (Nevin Denham), Troy Giel (Colin Goldchild), Heather Holmes (Neil DeGrasse Tyson), Christopher Pasi (Astor Whitewater), Song Ravinan (Leslie), Ben Simons (Shawn Ryan), Kara Willow (Amy Leonardo), Brianne Wylie (Thelma), and is stage managed by Dusty Petrillo.

David Seamon (Composer/Book/Lyrics) is a playwright, composer, and actor. He works as a teaching artist for the George Street Playhouse and McCarter Theatre and is the co-director of the company ensemble at the Wharton Institute of Performing Arts. In 2013, David won the Silver Tripod Award at Campus Movie Fest for best score to a short film, Melody. David has an extensive background as a musical director and touring children's theater performer, and has a degree in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University. His 2007 album "The Brotherhood of Teenage Haze" is available on iTunes and Spotify and his 2017 release "Minimum Rage" is available on Soundcloud. David is a frequent collaborator with coLAB Arts, having worked as an actor, composer, and playwright. The Eleventh Hour is David's first full-length musical. Thedaveseamon.com

Annie Rutherford Lutz (Director) is a Director, Performer, and Teaching Artist Throughout the school year, she leads Theater Arts Integration programs across the state of New Jersey, specializing in the creation of new works and ensemble-based theatre. Most recently, she became the Resident Teaching Artist / Project Coordinator for George Street Playhouse, where she has the privilege of managing in-school theatrical residencies and fostering new Teaching Artists. Annie has been the Director of The Eleventh Hour since its inception and is honored to have followed this piece throughout its development. Annie is a proud graduate of Douglass College at Rutgers University.

Tam Justin Garcia is an NJ-based Singer-Songwriter. He has been performing since he was fourteen years old at coffee houses, busking train stations and city streets, festivals, benefit concerts to help the community, and large concert venues. This past October, Tam made his theatre debut as the lead role as Jon in Rooftop Theatre Collaborative's production of Tick, Tick...Boom. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter for Garden State Line, who were nominated for Best Rock Band by the Asbury Park Music Awards in 2014 and 2015, and was the House Band for the Stone Pony in Asbury Park for 4 years. He has also toured the USA and has performed in Europe. He is currently working on his first solo record.

Kara Willow is so excited to be working with such a creative and talented team and cast. Previous roles include Queenie (Wild Party), Judy (9 to 5), Logainne (...Spelling Bee), and Carla (Nine).

Song Ravinan graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Ravinan is originally from Bangkok, Thailand and moved here two years ago to pursue her dream of acting. Ravinan has been in productions such as Kentucky by Leah Nanako Wrinkler and directed by Broadway and television veteran Jonathan Bolt, Medusa by William Ker Hugel directed by Kelsey Head, and is currently in Vanessa Long2 dance company.

Christopher Pasi is cataclysmically thrilled to be making his acting debut in New York! after being a part of the original production of The Eleventh Hour! in coLAB Arts' 48 Hour Musicals. It has been an apocalyptically wonderful experience seeing this show explode into the masterpiece it has become.

Brianne Wylie is thrilled to be making her debut in NYC with this unique show! Brianne is a Seattle native/NYC transplant who recently graduated from Ithaca College with a BFA in Musical Theater. Favorite previous roles include Rose (Dogfight, Ithaca College) and Martha (Spring Awakening, Balagan Theater). briannewylie.com

Heather Holmes is a multi-disciplinary performer, writer, and teaching artist from east Texas. She is a lead artist facilitator for the There is a Field Community Residency series produced by Jen Marlowe's Donkey Saddle Projects. Theatrical work includes: The Promised Land (Amsterdam Over Het Ij Festival, The Netherlands); Covenant (workshop, New York Theater Workshop); Flight (Dixon Place); Hemispheric Institute's EMERGENYC; Naked Angels Theater Company's Issues Project Lab; LPAC's Rough Draft Festival 2018. Heather is currently developing a strange and beautiful play about dreams, and she hopes to learn to dance like no one's watching. MFA, The New School for Drama.

Troy Giel's favorite past roles include Carl (Ghost: The Musical), Jesus (Jesus Christ Superstar), Andrew Jackson (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Chip (...Spelling Bee), Reverend Hale (The Crucible), Tommy Wiseau (Stage Adaptation of The Room), Clarence (It's a Wonderful Life), and Max (Lend Me a Tenor).

Ben Simons is a New Jersey native, born in New Brunswick, and is therefore thrilled to be taking part in this wonderful ode to Jersey as well as the apocalypse. Previous roles are Will in American Idiot, Ren in Footloose, Moritz in Spring Awakening, and most recently as the Male Vocal Swing for the Busch Gardens Williamsburg Core Season.

Hannah M'Lynn (Producer) runs the New Milford High School Theater Department in New Milford, NJ, and is an administrative assistant for the Rutgers Summer Acting Conservatory. For Smugbug Productions she has stage managed Shake and Bake: Love's Labour's Lost, Dumb Luck!, and Merchant of Venice. Production Assistant--Repairing a Nation, Autumn (Crossroads Theatre Company). Assistant Stage Manager--Behind the Moon Beyond the Rain, A Watershed Moment (coLAB Arts), Children of Eden (Bergen Pac). Hannah has also served as assistant director under Marshall Jones, III for Crossroads Theater Company's Genesis Festival. Hannah is a recent graduate of Rutgers University.

Smugbug Productions chooses projects that are challenging, stimulating, and reinvent audience engagement. We engage with work on all levels of creation and presentation including stage direction, production management, producing, general management, and consulting. Our work includes projects in theater, dance, public art, video, and community engagement. Our experience spans from shoe-string to multi-million dollar budgets.

Dan Swern is the founder and owner of Smugbug Productions, with professional credits as a stage director, producer, public art and creative engagement artist, teaching artist, and activist. Based out of New Brunswick, NJ, Swern is the co-founder and producing director of nonprofit arts organization coLAB Arts, engaging artists, social advocates, and communities to create transformative new work. Swern is pioneering Creative Engagement, a method of art making that produces new works through transdisciplinary collaboration, integrated education, and high quality artistic production. Swern has developed new platforms for artist/advocate/community collaboration in dance, theater, and public art and annually creates massive community-based immersive performances.

The musical was originally commissioned by New Brunswick, NJ's coLAB Arts, engaging artists, social advocates, and communities to create transformative new work. coLAB Arts facilitates creative conversation through innovative programs and artist infrastructure, connects artists with community partners and mentors, and executes productions that challenge perceptions and inspire action.