Lillias White, Amber Iman & More Star in NYMF Musical About Harriet Tubman Today

A reading of Harriet, a musical based on the life of Harriet Tubman, will be presented today, July 16, at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and on Sunday, July 20 at 12 p.m. in The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street (between 9th Avenue & Dyer Avenue). Harriet is an official selection of the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Harriet brings to life the remarkable story of an American heroine - a woman they called Moses. Harriet is a collaboration of sister and brother Colette Call Lofgren (composer/lyricist/co-librettist) and J. Michael Call (co-librettist). They were raised in Salt Lake City and currently live in Utah and Hawaii, respectively.

"Armed with faith, humor, and a handgun, Harriet Tubman proves that anything is possible as she leads her people to freedom in the face of horrific odds," they say about their show.

Harriet is directed by Broadway veteran (original Dreamgirls) Lee Summers (NAMT Alumni writer/composer/director, creator of Off-Broadway's From My Hometown) and under the musical direction of Michael O. Mitchell (Motown The Musical). Assistant music director is Annastasia Victory.

Summers says, "I am always inspired to tell the under-documented stories of heroes of color - especially when the piece is well-researched and expertly-crafted - as is Harriet."

The cast includes: Tony Award Winner Lillias White (The Life), Amber Iman (Soul Doctor), Capathia Jenkins (Newsies The Musical), Raun Ruffin (The Civil War), Aisha de Haas (Caroline, or Change), Charles E. Wallace (Miss Saigon), Jennifer Babiak (Fiddler on the Roof), Alan H. Green (Sister Act), Darius Kaleb (A Raisin in the Sun), Harriett D. Foy (Mamma Mia) Connie Pachl (When the Lights Go On Again), Gary Sorenson (Utah Opera, Weber State University voice faculty), Jared Young, (American Idiot UK/Asia, 110 in the Shade with Audra McDonald), Shira Averbach (NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation), Eden Duncan-Smith (Fences w/ Denzel Washington, Lion King), Reed Armstrong (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Phantom). Stage Manager is Gwendolyn M. Gilliam (Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth) and Line Producer is Matt Schicker of Show Shepherd Consulting. Running Time is 2 hours and 15 minutes, including intermission.

Ticketing by NYMF patrons:

NYMF Platinum and Diamond Members and Patrons may book tickets online at nymf.org/harriet or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets will be released to the general public 48 hours prior to curtain on as as-available basis.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize musical theatre culture by discovering and promoting new musical theatre artists, producers and projects; nurturing a vibrant and innovative artistic community; and connecting one of America's greatest art forms with a diverse, contemporary audience.

Now in its eleventh year, the Festival is the largest musical theatre event in America. 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 theatre fans. More than 90 Festival shows have gone on to productions on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters in 48 states, and in more than 20 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 theatre, 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. NYMF 2014 is presented in association with Fuzzrocket, TheaterMania, and Production Resource Group. NYMF is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating and tickets to individual events, are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org/member.

For more information, visit: www.nymf.org.