The Spider-Man Parody PETER, WHO? Opens At The NYMF Tonight

The critically acclaimed parody-musical PETER, WHO? makes its triumphant return to the New York Theater scene as an official selection of the 2018 New York Musical Festival's Next Link Project.

PETER, WHO? will run July 25-29th at the Acorn Theater on Theater Row. The production will be helmed by Broadway actor, John Treacy Egan (Jekyll & Hyde, Batboy, Sister Act, Little Mermaid, Producers, Nice Work, My Fair Lady) as the director; and musical direction by Emmy Award-winning composer Doug Katsaros (arr. Rocky Horror, Footloose, Altar Boyz, TV's "The Tick" and the immortal jingle "By Mennen"), who also co-wrote the score.

Formerly known as The Spidey Project, PETER, WHO? is an unauthorized musical parody of everyone's favorite web-slinging spider-based superhero. The show started in response to the media outcry surrounding Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, questioning how much money and how long a show takes to open... So in under thirty days, for no money whatsoever, The Spidey Project opened in NYC and quickly became a viral hit and international sensation being reported on as far away as Japan. The original production was hailed as "The Spider-Man musical fans deserve!" by MTV.com, Pia Catton of the Wall Street Journal ranked the show's musical score among her top 3 for the 2011 season, along with Book of Mormon and Sister Act. After a thrice extended run in Los Angeles, sporting several new songs, a streamlined script, and a flashy new title.

PETER, WHO? tells the story of a nerdy high school senior named Peter, who wants to be special, wants to stop being invisible to the other students, and maybe even talk to the girl that sits behind him in chemistry. But after he's bitten by a radioactive spider at a Science Expo he has to learn how hard being 'special' can be.

The cast stars Travis Nilan (known on TV as Skittles Steven Tyler, who sang with the rock star during the Super Bowl) as Peter Parker, Justine Magnusson (Whistle Down the Wind national tour) as Gwen Stacy, and two-time blood donor Jonathan Roufaeal as news reporter Kent Holbrook. The ensemble includes the talent of Zoe Farmingdale, T.J. Mannix, Dave Maulbeck, Chris Simpson, and Robin Taylor.

Rounding out the creative team is choreographer David Rossetti (Broadway's ANNIE revival, Something Rotten national tour), with Justin Moran the multi-award-winning author and lyricist of the 2015 NYMF hit POPE! An Epic Musical and Jonathan Roufeael (co-author of the FringeNYC 2012 pirate farce Nightfall on Miranga Island) co-authoring, and Brooklyn-based virtuoso Adam Podd (who has collaborated with some of the top artists in the field, such as: Idina Menzel, Darlene Love, The National Symphony Orchestra and others) co-wrote the score with Katsaros.

PETER, WHO? is produced by Compass Theatrical, who's keen eye for comedy has been seen in such hilarious musicals as the 2012 FringeNYC/Encore hit Nightfall on Miranga Island and the famed Los Angeles comedy/funk show Four Horsemen of the Funkpocalypse

Performances take place at Theatre Row's Acorn Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street, (between 9th and 10th Avenues). Tickets are $31.75 and can be purchased at www.NYMF.org - The show's running time is 80 minutes.

For more information: www.peterwhomusical.com

Performance dates:
Wednesday, July 25 @ 8:00 pm
Thursday, July 26 @ 1:00 pm
Friday, July 27 @ 9:00 pm
Saturday, July 28 @ 1:00 pm
Sunday, July 29 @ 9:00 pm

Facebook: www.facebook.com/peterwhomusical
Twitter: www.twitter.com/compassmusicals
Instagram: www.instagram.com/peterwhomusical

The New York Musical Festival nurtures the creation, production, and public presentation of stylistically, thematically, and culturally diverse new musicals to ensure the future vitality of musical theater.

Now in its fifteenth year, the Festival is the premier musical theater event in the world. The preeminent site for launching new musicals and discovering new talent, the Festival provides an affordable platform for artists to mount professional productions that reach their peers, industry leaders, and musical theater fans. More than 90 Festival shows have gone on to productions on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters in all 50 states, and in more than 24 countries worldwide. Festival alumni have received a wide array of awards including the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, NYMF received a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its work "creating and nurturing new musical theater, ensuring the future of this essential art form."

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. 2018 NYMF is sponsored by The City of New York Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, PRG, TheaterMania, Clear Channel Outdoor, Tinc Productions and Fox Stage Productions and is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The NYMF PASS is a great way to experience The New York Musical Festival. With a NYMF PASS, you can get into the theater before individual ticket holders. Passes also offer the exclusive ability to book tickets before they go on sale to the public. Individual tickets on sale now.

The 2018 New York Musical Festival will take place July 9th - August 5th. For more information, please visit: www.nymf.org.