NYMF Announces Casting For 2009 Festival, Extensions Announced for COUNT TO TEN, HURRICANE and PLAGUED
By: Gabrielle Sierra Sep. 11, 2009
In the glory days of the movie musical, folks joked that MGM stood for "Makes Great Musicals" and it boasted more stars than in the heavens.
Well, in the 21st century, both are also true of The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), which this year will feature many of Broadway's and Off-Broadway's favorites including Matthew Alvin (film Rainbow Around the Sun), David Andrew Anderson (The Wild Party, Man of La Mancha), Mary Ellen Ashley (Annie Get Your Gun), Joan Barber (Man of La Mancha), Natalie Venetia Belcon (Avenue Q), Patrick Benedict (Joseph the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Forever Plaid), Stephen Berger (The Pajama Game, Into The Woods), Stephen Bienskie (Chess, Cats), Stephanie Youell Binetti (Curtains), Nick Blaemire (Cry-Baby, Altar Boyz, Glory Days), Randy Blair (Adding Machine), Corey Boardman (Altar Boyz), Brenda Braxton (Smokey Joe's Café, Jelly's Last Jam), Michael Buchanan (Cry-Baby, Mame at the Kennedy Center), Tituss Burgess (Guys Dolls, The Little Mermaid), Jamie Buxton (film Rainbow Around the Sun), Jenna Coker-Jones (Little Shop of Horrors, Evil Dead, Fame on 42nd Street), Jenn Colella (High Fidelity, Urban Cowboy), Cicely Daniels (The Little Mermaid, Rent, All Shook Up), Kathy Deitch (Wicked, Footloose), James DePaiva ("One Life to Live"), Janine DiVita (Grease), Harris Doran (Love Jerry), Kevin Earley (A Tale of Two Cities, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Miserables), Willy Falk (Tony nominee for Chris in the original cast of Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, A Chorus Line), Felicia Finley (Catch Me If You Can, Happy Days), Kathy Fitzgerald (9 to 5, The Producers), Andy Gale (Side Show, Rags), Rita Gardner (The Wedding Singer, The Fantasticks), Gregg Goodbrod (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Michael Halling (A Tale of Two Cities, In My Life, Pajama Game, The Boy From Oz The Scarlet Pimpernel), Colin Hanlon (Rent), Ann Harada (Avenue Q, 9 to 5), Neil Haskell ("So You Think You Can Dance," 9 to 5, Altar Boyz), John Herrera (Edwin Drood), Greg Hildreth (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Rosena M. Hill (The Color Purple, Spamalot, Ragtime), Rob Hinderliter (Pinkalicious The Musical, College: The Musical), Lisa Howard (9 to 5, South Pacific, ... Spelling Bee), Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening), Carly Jibson (Cry-Baby, Hairspray), Jeremy Jordan (Rock of Ages), Laura Jordan (Cry Baby), Paul Kandel (Tommy), Russell Arden Koplin (Les Miserables, James Joyce's The Dead), Doug Kreeger (Rooms, The Visit), Leslie Kritzer (Legally Blonde, Rooms), Austin Ku (The Pirates of Penzance, Anything Goes), Liz Larsen (Hairspray, Tony Award & Drama Desk Award nominee for Most Happy Fella, Damn Yankees), Michael McCormick (Curtains, The Pajama Game, Gypsy, Kiss Me Kate, 1776, Kiss of a Spider Woman), Emily McNamara (The Awesome 80's Prom, My First Time), Paolo Montalban (The King I, Pacific Overtures), Manu Narayan (Bombay Dreams, "The Love Guru"), Jim Newman (Curtains, Minelli on Minelli, Sunset Boulevard, The Who's Tommy), Jack Noseworthy (Sweet Smell of Success, Jerome Robbins' Broadway), Christine Pedi (Forbidden Broadway, Talk Radio), Charlie Pollock (9 to 5, Urinetown), Everett Quinton (Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company), Peter Reardon (La Cage aux Folles, Passsion, Urinetown), Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys), Rob Richardson (A Tale of Two Cities), Kate Rockwell (Legally Blonde), Soara-Joye Ross (Les Misérables, Dessa Rose), Tory Ross (9 to 5, Cry Baby), William Ryall (Guys & Dolls, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chess, How to Succeed In Business Without Trying), Sarah Saltzberg (...Spelling Bee), Lorraine Serabian (Zorba, Cabaret), Marlon Sherman (Mary Poppins, Beauty the Beast), Megan Sikora (Curtains), Jefferson Slinkard (Mamma Mia), Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde), Dale Soules (Grey Gardens) Nick Spangler (Winner of "The Amazing Race", The Fantasticks!), Ben Steinfeld (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Greg Stone (The Pirate Queen, Oklahoma!, Les Miserables), Dennis Stowe (Shrek, The Wedding Singer), Nick Sullivan (Footloose), Sam Tedaldi (Naked Angels' The Black Crook), Mary Testa (42nd Street, On the Town, Xanadu), Jennifer Laura Thompson (Urinetown, Wicked), Clarke Thorell (Catch Me If You Can, Hairspray), Charles Wallace (Miss Saigon, Smokey Joe's Café, Jekyll & Hyde), Barbara Walsh (Company, First Wives Club), Noah Weisberg (South Pacific, Legally Blonde), Marguerite Willbanks (Beauty and the Beast), Darryl Winslow (Avenue Q), Michael Winther (33 Variations, Damn Yankees, 1776, Mamma Mia!), Kristine Zbornik (A Catered Affair, Road Show), and Our Lady J.
Tickets to all shows and festival events are now on sale. NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating, and tickets to individual events are available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org.
The New York Musical Theatre Festival, now in its sixth year, has premiered more than 175 new musicals since 2004. The largest musical theatre event in America, NYMF has been hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," and is widely regarded as the key source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2009 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by Back Stage, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, Broadway.TV, Clear Channel Spectacolor, DFD-TV, Frank & Camille's Fine Pianos, King Displays, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, New World Stages, NASDAQ OMX, Next Magazine, PMD Promotions, Queerty.com, Reuters, Sweet Caroline's, Tekserve, TheMenEvent.com, The Tank, and Times Square Squared. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The Broadway League, The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jaimie Mayer, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. NYMF's programs are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
A complete list of the 2009 Festival follows...
Full Productions
Academy
Book, Music and Lyrics by John Mercurio
Conceived and Developed by Andrew Kato
At St. Edward's Academy, two seniors make a harmless bet on whether they can influence an unsuspecting freshman to break a few rules to succeed. But when the transaction goes recklessly out of control, the boys become entangled in a fight for their own academic and personal survival. Inspired by Goethe's Faust, Academy is a pop chamber musical about boys learning to become men-and remaining true to themselves.
With Corey Boardman (Altar Boyz, Next to Normal) and Gabriel Violett (Spring Awakening)
Directed by John Carrafa (Tony noms for Urinetown and Into the Woods)
TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 6, 8pm; Oct. 7, 1pm; Oct. 10, 8pm; Oct. 13, 8pm; Oct. 15, 4:30pm; Oct. 17, 4:30pm
All Fall Down
Book by Greg Turner; Music and Lyrics by Selda Sahin
Golden boy Ben Little is embarking on his next great adventure: college. Everything comes crashing down, however, when he inexplicably jumps from the window of his sixth story dorm room. Astonishingly surviving the fall, Ben returns home-where nobody will talk about what happened or ask questions that might tear apart their picture-perfect world.
With Mary Testa (Tony noms for 42nd Street and On the Town; Xanadu), Jenn Colella (High Fidelity, Urban Cowboy), Charlie Pollock (9 to 5, Urinetown)
Directed by Lonny Price (Tony nom for A Class Act)
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 9, 8pm; Oct. 10, 1pm; Oct. 14, 4:30pm; Oct. 15, 8pm; Oct. 17, 1pm; Oct. 18, 4:30pm
Anjou: A Tale of Horror
Book, Music and Lyrics by Guillermo Mendez and Lupita Sandoval
Catalina d'Medici, queen of France, engages in bloody crimes and inexpressible cruelties against her own people in her quest to enthrone her son, Henry d'Anjou. Politics and passion are interwoven throughout one of history's most sordid events in this electrifying and magnificent musical tale of horror. Sixteenth-century France comes to life in a modern-day Mexican Pop Opera!
Performed in Spanish with English supertitles.
Presented by the TJMTC Mexican Youth Theatre Company, www.tjmtc.org
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 8, 8pm; Oct. 9, 1pm; Oct. 11, 8pm; Oct. 12, 1pm
Cross That River
Music, Lyrics and Story by Allan Harris; Book by Andrew Carl Wilk
The unsettled West of the 1860's provides a new life and new dreams for Blue, a run-away slave, who escapes to Texas to become one of America's first Black Cowboys. This compelling tale of freedom blends old-fashioned storytelling with an infectious score that ranges from country and bluegrass to soul, blues and rock gospel in a sometimes tragic, sometimes humorous chronicle of hardship and enduring perseverance.
With Soara-Joye Ross (Les Misérables, Dessa Rose), Charles Wallace (Miss Saigon, Smokey Joe's Café, Jekyll & Hyde)
Directed by Andrew Carl Wilk (Multi-Emmy award winner, National Geographic Channel)
Choreographed by Donna McKechnie (Tony award, A Chorus Line)
TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 12, 8pm; Oct. 13, 1pm; Oct. 14, 4:30pm; Oct. 16, 8pm; Oct. 17, 1pm; Oct. 18, 4:30pm
The Cure
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mark Weiser
In this rock and roll fable, two friends set out for a night of revelry and stumble across the world's last surviving vampires. Offered the chance to live forever, one man is seduced while the other barely escapes with his life, setting in motion an even greater fight for survival. At the crossroads of humanity and immortality, lies...The Cure.
With Manu Narayan (Bombay Dreams, "The Love Guru"), Michael Buchanan (Cry-Baby, Mame at the Kennedy Center), Gregg Goodbrod (Thoroughly Modern Millie)
American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
Sept. 29, 8pm; Oct. 2, 10:30pm; Oct. 3, 1pm; Oct. 6, 8pm; Oct. 10, 9pm; Oct. 11, 1pm
Fantasy Football: The Musical?
Book, Music and Lyrics by David Ingber
September 1991, New York City. An unemployed stats geek and a small-time bookie realize that their passion for sports is keeping them from maintaining a job or a girlfriend. Combining forces, they set out to create the ultimate sports fan experience-and, in the process, pull their lives together-in this "bromantic comedy" of a musical.
With Nick Spangler (Winner of "The Amazing Race", The Fantasticks! GIANT ), Patrick Benedict (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Forever Plaid), Rob Hinderliter (Pinkalicious The Musical, College: The Musical), Emily McNamara (starred and co-wrote The Awesome 80's Prom, My First Time), Ben Steinfeld (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Nick Sullivan (Footloose), Sam Tedaldi (Naked Angels' The Black Crook) and Christine Pedi (Forbidden Broadway, Talk Radio)
TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 1, 8pm; Oct. 2, 1pm; Oct. 3, 5pm; Oct. 4, 4:30pm; Oct. 4, 8pm; Oct. 8, 8pm
Fat Camp
Book by Randy Blair and Timothy Michael Drucker; Music by Matthew roi Berger; Lyrics by Randy Blair
Nothing is going to make rock-and-roll rebel Robert Grisetti stay at fat camp this summer. That is, except for one ex-Navy Seal father, two suspiciously cheery camp counselors, and a 12-foot barbed wire fence. Visit Camp Overton, a weight loss retreat for hefty teenagers, as secrets, sex, S'mores, and self-image collide in this new musical comedy exploring the trials and tribulations of being "the fat kid."
With Carly Jibson (Cry -Baby, Hairspray), Clarke Thorell (Catch Me If You Can, Hairspray), Sarah Saltzberg (...Spelling Bee), Kristine Zbornik (A Catered Affair, Road Show) and Randy Blair (Adding Machine)
Directed by Alex Timbers (Drama Desk nom - Gutenberg! The Musical; OBIE Award - A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant; Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson)
Acorn Theatre (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Sept. 30, 8pm; Oct. 2, 9pm; Oct. 3, 1pm; Oct. 4, 1pm; Oct. 7, 9pm; Oct. 8, 5pm
F#@KING UP EVERYTHING
Book by Sam Forman and David Eric Davis; Music and Lyrics by David Eric Davis
Can Christian Mohammed Schwartzelberg stay true to himself and still get the girl? Or will he lose her to the guy in leather pants? Set against the backdrop of Brooklyn's indie music scene with a gallery of hipsters, stoners, artists, cougars, songwriters and puppeteers, F#@KING UP EVERYTHING is a rock musical comedy with heart. And ironic t-shirts.
With Neil Haskell ("So You Think You Can Dance," 9 to 5, Altar Boyz), Noah Weisberg (South Pacific, Legally Blonde), Jenna Coker-Jones (Little Shop of Horrors, Evil Dead, Fame on 42nd Street), Liz Larsen (Hairspray, Tony Award & Drama Desk Award nominee for Most Happy Fella, Damn Yankees), and Kate Rockwell (Legally Blonde, NBC's "Grease: You're The One That I Want.")
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 6, 8pm; Oct. 7, 1pm; Oct. 11, 4:30pm; Oct. 11, 8pm; Oct. 13, 4:30pm; Oct. 16, 8pm
Gay Bride of Frankenstein
Book by Dane E. Leeman and Billy Butler; Music and Lyrics by Billy Butler
A graphic novel comes alive on stage when Edna, Chloe, Harry and Thad stumble in to a night of rock music that can raise the dead! Will the girl get the girl? Never has there been a Halloween love story like this with mystery, magic and a cartoon caper that will scare you silly.
With Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening), Jonathan B. Wright (Spring Awakening), and Darryl Winslow (Avenue Q, Evil Dead)
TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Sept. 28, 8pm; Sept. 30, 8pm; Oct. 3, 8pm; Oct. 4, 1pm; Oct. 8, 1pm; Oct. 11, 4:30pm
The Happy Embalmer
Book, Music and Lyrics by Mark Noonan and Nick Oddy
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, count to three... Now picture a no-holds-barred steel cage match between Mel Brooks, Bruce Lee, Monty Python & Axl Rose.Wait...What? Edward Nando is a lonely embalmer. Emily is his lost love (unfortunately, she's dead). But Ed has a special purpose... Enter a pistol-shootin' Texan madman, a groovy Russian scientist, and one bad-ass Dalai Lama. Oh, yes - all hell is about to break loose.
With Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys, Candide), Megan Sikora (Curtains),
Tituss Burgess (Guys and Dolls, The Little Mermaid), and John Jeffrey Martin (Hairspray)
Directed and Choreographed by Kelly Devine (Tony nom, Rock of Ages)
Acorn Theatre (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 6, 8pm; Oct. 7, 5pm; Oct. 8, 9pm; Oct. 9, 1pm; Oct. 10, 5pm; Oct. 10, 9pm
Hurricane
Book by Michael Holland and Eric Bernat; Music and Lyrics by Michael Holland
Napatree, Rhode Island, 1938: As the tourist season comes to a close, a young meteorologist's unconventional prediction of impending disaster goes unheeded by his superiors, resulting in one of New England's greatest natural catastrophes. With a vibrant score by award-winning songwriter Michael Holland which incorporates elements of Depression-era pop, folk opera, and contemporary song, this epic musical portrait captures an all-but-forgotten moment in American history, one that ultimately emerges as a testament to hope, endurance, rebirth, and survival.
With Joe Mahwould (Pirate Queen, Jekyll & Hyde) and Rita Gardner (The Wedding Singer, The Fantasticks)
Directed by Michael Bush
Set and Light Design by Christopher Akerlind (Tony award - The Light in the Piazza; OBIE for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design)
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Sept. 28, 8pm; Oct. 1, 9pm; Oct. 3, 5pm; Oct. 3, 9pm; Oct. 6, 5pm; Oct. 10, 9pm
Added Performance October 9th at 5 PM
Judas and Me
Book and Lyrics by Chad Beguelin; Music by Matthew Sklar
It's tough keeping up with the Joneses when your neighbor's kid is the Messiah. Consumed by jealousy, Rheba Iscariot pushes her son Judas to be better than Jesus... and we all know how well that turns out. A new musical comedy by the Tony-nominated writing team of Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar, Judas and Me is a hilarious look at life with the ultimate biblical stage mom.
With Barbara Walsh (Tony nom - Falsettos; Company), Nick Blaemire (Cry Baby), Ann Harada (Avenue Q, 9 to 5), Doug Kreeger (Rooms), Leslie Kritzer (Drama Desk nom - A Catered Affair; Outer Critics Circle nom - Rooms), Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde), Dennis Stowe (Shrek, The Wedding Singer), and Jennifer Laura Thompson (Tony nom - Urinetown, Wicked)
Directed by Jeremy Dobrish
American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
Sept. 28, 8pm; Sept. 30, 8pm; Oct. 2, 7pm; Oct. 4, 5pm; Oct. 4, 9pm; Oct. 9, 7pm
The Last Smoker in America
Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell; Music by Peter Melnick
In a world where smoking has recently been outlawed, Pam is having an impossible time trying to quit. Her husband Ernie dreams of being a rock star and relentlessly practices his electric guitar in the basement. Their teenage son Jimmy listens to so much rap music he's convinced he's black. Their nosy, anti-smoking zealot neighbor Phyllis lurks around trying to catch transgressors mid-puff. Will Pam kick the habit or fight for the right to light up as The Last Smoker in America?
With Natalie Venetia Belcon (Avenue Q), Felicia Finley (Catch Me If You Can, Happy Days), and Marcus Neville (The Full Monty)
Directed by Sheryl Kaller (Next Fall, Adrift in Macao)
Costume Design by Michael Macdonald (Tony nom - Hair)
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 12, 8pm; Oct. 13, 1pm; Oct. 14, 8pm; Oct. 16, 4:30pm; Oct. 17, 8pm; Oct. 18, 1pm
Lighter
Book, Music and Lyrics by Monica Bauer
What would YOU sacrifice to get a killer body? Two diet-crossed lovers, Connie and Stevie, break up when Connie is humiliated searching for a wedding dress. Leaving her chubby would-be-hubby, she becomes a national singing weight-loss sensation on satanic Doctor Dan's show, American Weight Loss Idol. With the help of his nutty friends, can Stevie save Connie before she becomes the ultimate Skinny Bitch? A love story with a plus-size heart.
With Cicely Daniels (The Little Mermaid, Rent, All Shook Up) Willy Falk (Tony nominee for Chris in the original cast of Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, A Chorus Line), Marguerite Willbanks (Beauty and Beast)
TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 5, 8pm; Oct. 7, 4:30pm; Oct. 11, 1pm; Oct. 14, 8pm; Oct. 16, 4:30pm; Oct. 17, 8pm
Lorenzo
Book by Judd Woldin and Richard Engquist; Music by Judd Woldin; Lyrics by Richard Engquist
Lorenzo DaPonte, libertine and librettist, was driven out of Venice by furious husbands, fled Vienna to escape a furious emperor, and snuck out of London to avoid furious creditors. His spirited rise to fame and subsequent freefall from grace is the stuff of operatic legend. An epic tale befitting Mozart's most famous collaborator and the true love that saved him in the end.
With Peter Reardon (Urinetown, Passion),Trish Rapier (The Boy from Oz)
Acorn Theatre (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 5, 8pm; Oct. 7, 1pm; Oct. 9, 5pm; Oct. 9, 9pm; Oct. 10, 1pm; Oct. 11, 1pm
Marrying Meg
Book, Music and Lyrics by Mark Robertson
Based on the play The Lass wi the Muckle Mou by Alexander Reid
It's 1603 and renowned minstrel Thomas the Rhymer has set out to write his masterpiece-a heroic ballad of mortal derring-do. But when he is cursed by the Queen of Elfland with a tongue (and a quill) that cannot lie, and confronted with a world that refuses to play by storybook rules, Thomas's heroic masterpiece seems determined to remain unwritten in this rollicking Scottish musical comedy.
With Stephen Berger (The Pajama Game, Into The Woods), Stephen Bienskie (Chess, Cats), Stephanie Youell Binetti (Curtains), Harris Doran (Love Jerry), Kathy Fitzgerald (9 to 5, The Producers), Lisa Howard (9 to 5, South Pacific, ... Spelling Bee), Michael McCormick (Curtains, The Pajama Game, Gypsy, Kiss Me Kate, 1776, Kiss of a Spider Woman), Jim Newman (Curtains, Minelli on Minelli, Sunset Boulevard, The Who's Tommy), Tory Ross (9 to 5, Cry Baby), and William Ryall (Guys and Dolls, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chess, How to Succeed In Business Without Trying)
Musical Staging by Christopher Gattelli (Drama Desk nom - Altar Boyz; Tony nom - South Pacific)
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Sept. 29, 8pm; Oct. 1, 5pm; Oct. 2, 9pm; Oct. 3, 1pm; Oct. 4, 4pm; Oct. 6, 9pm
Max Understood
Book by Nancy Carlin; Music by Michael Rasbury; Lyrics by Nancy Carlin and Michael Rasbury
After Max escapes the apartment that he shares with his loving but overwhelmed parents, his world will never be the same again. This innovative "sound-scaped" musical is the transformative odyssey of a 7-year old autistic boy, exploring how the need to communicate can bridge an unintelligible chasm. Paving the way is a leaf-blowing philosopher, a string theorist, Pegasus, a mermaid, and all the presidents of the United States.
With Everett Quinton (Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company), Michael Winther (Songs from an Unmade Bed, 1776, Mamma Mia!), and Marlon Sherman (Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast)
Directed by David Schweizer
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Sept. 28, 8pm; Oct. 1, 1pm; Oct. 3, 4:30pm; Oct. 3, 8pm; Oct. 4, 1pm; Oct. 7, 8pm
Mo Faya
Book and Music by Eric Wainaina
Additional music by Joshua Mwai, Morris Otis Omollo and Helen Akoth Mtawali
DJ Lwanda's voice rings out daily on local radio, leading and inspiring the Nairobi community of Kwa Maji. But Anna Mali, an avaricious real estate diva, craves the land beneath their slum. She seduces the fiery young DJ away with a job at a top nationwide station, and organizes a violent campaign to terrorize the people of Kwa Maji. When the government and media turn a blind eye to the decapitated bodies in the streets, DJ Lwanda must return home to expose the truth. But at what cost?
Performed in English with Swahili
TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Sept. 29, 8pm; Sept. 30, 4:30pm; Oct. 2, 8pm; Oct. 3, 1pm; Oct. 7, 8pm; Oct. 11, 8pm
My Illustrious Wasteland
Book, Music and Lyrics by Tod Kimbro
Based on a concept by Jason Bowles
Movie stars are sainted, anti-depressants are mandatory, and a tiny computer resides in every good citizen's brain. Equal parts sci-fi epic, social satire, and high-energy rock show, My Illustrious Wasteland is an exhilarating ride through a wildly imagined future America. Watch as virtual lovers Mogs and Sunny encounter ghoulish tabloid reporters, pushy pop-up windows, terrorist hippies, drug-pushing clergy, and a ruthless Hollywood bad-boy President who presides over his perpetually distracted public.
American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
Oct. 1, 8pm; Oct. 3, 5pm; Oct. 3, 9pm; Oct. 4, 1pm; Oct. 7, 8pm; Oct. 10, 5pm
My Scary Girl
Book and Lyrics by Kyoung-Ae Kang; Music by Will Aronson
Dae-woo's been saving his first kiss for someone like Mi-Na but is she as perfect as she seems? Things get weird for a naïve professor when he realizes his new girlfriend may be a seductive serial killer. Based on the hit Korean film and featuring the cast of the award-winning Seoul production, this darkly unpredictable romantic comedy knows that love and trust should go hand in hand... even when there's a severed limb hiding in the kimchi fridge.
Performed in Korean with English supertitles
Featuring the cast of the Korean Musical Award -winning Seoul production
My Scary Girl is an official selection of the NYMF-DIMF International Production Exchange. For more information about DIMF, please visit www.dimf.or.kr/english
Acorn Theatre (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 1, 8pm; Oct. 2, 1pm; Oct. 3, 5pm; Oct. 3, 9pm; Oct. 4, 5pm; Oct. 4, 9pm
Open the Dark Door
Book, Music and Lyrics by David LeFort Nugent
When the local executioner's son, Skip, falls in love with the rebellious Luna, he and the other upstanding residents of Mortland, USA are shattered by a crisis of faith. Dangerous family secrets and festive beheadings are the norm in this haunting and darkly comic indie-rock musical examining a town crippled by fear and troubled by its past.
With Paul Kandel (Tommy), Laura Jordan (Cry Baby), and Mary Ellen Ashley (Annie Get Your Gun original Broadway cast)
American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
Oct. 8, 8pm; Oct. 10, 1pm; Oct. 12, 5pm; Oct. 12, 9pm; Oct. 15, 8pm; Oct. 17, 9pm
Plagued
Book and Lyrics by Vynnie Meli; Music by Casey L. Filiaci
Cinderella's daughter Dusty just wants to study science and cure the Plague with the help of Scoop, a flirtatious chronicler, but her grandmother the Queen wants to marry her off to a rich old prince instead. Odds are against Dusty and Scoop, while Cinderella and Prince Charming fight the odds to stay in love. Will a fairy godmother come out of retirement to show them the way out of the Dark Ages?
With Brenda Braxton (Tony nom - Smokey Joe's Café; Chicago), Natalie Bradshaw (Jersey Boys) and Lorraine Serabian (Tony nom - Zorba)
TBG Theater (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 9, 8pm; Oct. 10, 1pm; Oct. 13, 4:30pm; Oct. 14, 1pm; Oct. 15, 8pm; Oct. 18, 1pm
Added Performance October 10th at 4:30 PM
Rainbow Around the Sun
Music and lyrics by Matthew Alvin Brown; Book and additional lyrics by Tom Stuart
Local rock hero Zachary Blasto struggles with personal demons as he relives both painful and joyous memories during a radio retrospective of his career. Based on the album and film of the same name, prog-rock concert meets musical theatre in this fast-paced dissection of broken hearts, life through a liquor bottle, and rebirth through loss.
With Matthew Alvin (film Rainbow Around the Sun), Jamie Buxton (film Rainbow Around the Sun), Janine DiVita (Grease), and Jefferson Slinkard (Mamma Mia)
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 5, 8pm; Oct. 7, 4:30pm; Oct. 10, 8pm; Oct. 11, 1pm; Oct. 13, 8pm; Oct. 17, 4:30pm
Seeing Stars
Book by Shelley McPherson; Music by Don Breithaupt; Lyrics by Jeff Breithaupt
Eddie "Bare Knuckles" McSorley and "Gentleman" Joe Sullivan are two rival boxers in love with Jean, a feisty reporter, in this tough and tender original musical set in Hell's Kitchen in the '30s. A black-and-blue romance with a bruising climax and a colorful cast of pugs, thugs, and dames, Seeing Stars explores the world of "boys being boys" and the women who love them.
With Kevin Earley (A Tale of Two Cities, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Miserables),
Michael Halling (A Tale of Two Cities, In My Life, Pajama Game, The Boy From Oz and The Scarlet Pimpernel)
Choreographed by Liza Gennaro (Once Upon a Mattress, The Most Happy Fella)
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 7, 8pm; Oct. 10, 5pm; Oct. 11, 4pm; Oct. 13, 9pm; Oct. 16, 9pm; Oct. 17, 1pm
Street Lights
Book by Joe Drymala and Akin Salawu; Music and Lyrics by Joe Drymala
Monique is going to be the next Alicia Keys. Her brother is on track to be bigger than Thurgood Marshall. But none of this matters when their world is filled with violence, apathy, and broken promises. Can they keep faith when there's no reason for hope? From writer/composer Joe Drymala and director Ryan J. Davis, the creators of the Broadway-bound 2006 NYMF hit White Noise, comes Street Lights, mixing pop, R&B and hip-hop to crank up the volume on the voice of a new generation saying yes, we can.
With Carla Duren (110 in the Shade, Hairspray), Michael Balderrama (In The Heights, Movin' Out), Gayle Turner (The Wiz), Jim Stanek (Story of My Life, Lestat, Little Women)
American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 13, 8pm; Oct. 14, 8pm; Oct. 16, 7pm; Oct. 17, 1pm; Oct. 17, 5pm; Oct. 18, 1pm
The Toymaker
Book, Music and Lyrics by Bryan Putnam
When Sarah's marriage falls apart after two failed pregnancies, stories of a childless toy maker of the past propel her on a desperate search that spans the globe and time itself. In this tale of enduring passion and hope, Sarah's quest to find a missing toy and solve the mysteries of a village destroyed by war lead her to a destiny of fulfillment she once thought impossible.
With Rosena M. Hill (The Color Purple, Spamalot, Ragtime), Rob Richardson (A Tale of Two Cities), Greg Stone (The Pirate Queen, Oklahoma!, Les Miserables) Dale Soules (Grey Gardens) and Joan Barber (Man of La Mancha)
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 5, 8pm; Oct. 6, 1pm; Oct. 12, 9pm; Oct. 13, 1pm; Oct. 17, 9pm; Oct. 18, 4pm
Under Fire
Book and Lyrics by Barry Harman; Music by Grant Sturiale
Set in the late 1970s during the bloody revolution in El Mirador, a Central American country lies
under the heel of the ruthless dictator Tacho. Russell Price, a young American photojournalist, is swept up in the maelstrom and embarks on a search for the mysterious rebel leader Rafael-whom no one has ever photographed. As Price makes his way into the heart of darkness, he encounters people working on both sides of the struggle, all with different and shadowy agendas...
With Jack Noseworthy (Sweet Smell of Success, Jerome Robbins' Broadway), John Herrera (Drood), James DePaiva ("One Life to Live")
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Sept. 30, 8pm; Oct. 1, 1pm; Oct. 4, 8pm; Oct. 9, 9pm; Oct. 10, 1pm; Oct. 12, 5pm
Whatever Man
Book, Music and Lyrics by Benjamin Strouse
Charlie Weiss, an un-lovable loser, is stuck in his miserable life. But everything changes after Anna, his strong-willed girlfriend, forces him into a self-help group where Charlie encounters disturbed superheroes desperate to stick him with their troubles. When their petty squabbles escalate, will Charlie choose to save the world, his relationship or himself? Whatever Man.
With Paolo Montalban (The King and I, "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella"), Colin Hanlon (Rent), Russell Arden Koplin (Les Miserables, James Joyce's The Dead), David Andrew Anderson (The Wild Party, Man of La Mancha), Andy Gale (Side Show, Rags), and Austin Ku (The Pirates of Penzance, Anything Goes).
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Sept. 29, 8pm; Sept. 30, 1pm; Oct. 2, 7:30pm; Oct. 3, 1pm; Oct. 4, 8pm; Oct. 8, 1pm
DANCE SERIES
Andy Warhol Was Right
Concept by Melinda Atwood, Sammy Buck, Dan Acquisto, Daryl Gray, and Shea Sullivan
Book by Sammy Buck; Music by Dan Acquisto
Directed by Giovanna Sardelli; Choregraphed by Daryl Gray, Darren Lee, and Shea Sullivan
Fame. Some want it. Some get it. And some reject it. Andy Warhol predicted it: everybody will be famous for fifteen minutes. Andy welcomes you into his world of pop art, dance, music, film and fleeting celebrity, as three different stories come together at a party that travels from The Factory scene of the 60's to today's world of reality TV and YouTube.
A Born at NYMF Commission
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (248 West 60th Street, between Amsterdam & 11th Avenues)
Sept. 30, 8pm; Oct. 1, 1pm; Oct. 2, 3pm; Oct. 3, 1pm; Oct. 3, 8pm
Encore
Concept by Daniel Gwirtzman; Music by Various Artists
Directed and Choreographed by Daniel Gwirtzman
A troupe of Broadway dancers prepares to go on the road under the pressure of a fastidious and demanding choreographer. During their final rehearsal, the cast goes through the paces of one show-stopping number after another - set to classic jazz recordings - working through the uncertainty, headaches and hilarity of the intense process of making art, and raising the age-old question: will the show come together?
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (248 West 60th Street, between Amsterdam & 11th Avenues)
Oct. 1, 8pm; Oct. 2, 8pm; Oct. 3, 4:30pm
Special Events, Concerts & Readings
Count To Ten
Book by Michael Blevins; Lyrics by Michael Blevins and Beth Clary;
Music by Michael Blevins, Scott Knipe, Bruce Sacks and David Wollenberger
A tap-dancing writer's Broadway ambitions are thwarted because his new musical lacks a real love story. Forced to develop the show at a performing arts camp full of spoiled, rich, and (in some cases) neglected stars of tomorrow, he finds he can no longer dance around his issues and learns to open up his heart. A cross-generational, all-dancing, upbeat musical everyone can "tap" into!
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 15, 8pm; Oct. 16, 1pm; Oct. 17, 5pm
Added performance: October 16, 5 PM
Deep Cover
Book, Music and Lyrics by Michael Wolk
There's love, laughter, rock ‘n' roll and murder on Bleecker Street! Rex Ryan is a has-been rocker with a struggling bar and a volatile romance with Broadway and cabaret veteran Melody Reinhart. One night, a young, talented singer walks in, igniting long dead hopes and passions. But with her comes a hustler who sees Rex as his ticket to the big time. For the scheme to succeed, though, Rex must die...
With Andy Kelso (Mamma Mia)
Musical direction by Larry Pressgrove ([title of show]
Sweet Caroline's (322 W. 45th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct 12, 8:30pm; Oct 15, 8:30pm; Oct 16, 8:30pm; Oct 17, 2pm; Oct 17 6pm
The Greenwood Tree
Music and concept by Will Reynolds; Text by Shakespeare
Sparks fly when a brilliant young poet falls victim to Puck's notorious flower and enters a love triangle with his songwriting best friend and a beautiful woman named Sylvia. With the passion and poetry of Shakespeare's sonnets and a soaring, acoustic score, bask under The Greenwood Tree and savor a modern love story laced with classical seduction.
With Nikki Rene Daniels (Aida, Les Miserables), Martin Moran (OBIE award - The Tricky Part; Spamalot), Theresa McCarthy (Titanic, Floyd Collins)
A NYMF Concert Presentation
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Sept. 30, 8pm; Oct. 2, 4:30pm
Letters To Daddy, Jr.
Book by Jill Jaysen; Music and Lyrics by Mark Shepard; Conceived and Developed by 4e Productions
Mr. Turner, an English teacher at Lincoln Elementary, has given his students an assignment to write letters about something unfair in their lives. When his 10-year-old daughter, Caroline gets into a fight with Billy the bully, she receives the ultimate "unfair" treatment - she's grounded! Sent to her father's study as punishment, she discovers the folder of letters. As they come to life in this whimsical musical, everyone grows and learns to get along, transforming an awful day into an awesome one!
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (248 West 60th Street, between Amsterdam & 11th Avenues)
Oct. 4, 1pm; Oct. 4, 4pm
Liberty
Book and Lyrics by Dana Leslie Goldstein; Music by Jonathan Goldstein
A beautiful, French immigrant arrives in New York Harbor. There's something different about her, something larger than life. It's the age of optimism, but there's a recession going on, and immigration is a hot-button issue. Can the arrival of Liberty really solve anything? There are powerful political forces working against her, and a precious few who see her potential. Can Liberty's friends keep her from being deported? Maybe even put her on a pedestal? See for yourself. You'll never look at Liberty the same way again.
A NYMF Concert Presentation
Acorn Theatre Acorn Theatre (410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Sept. 29, 8pm
Live! Nude! Girl!
Book and Lyrics by Donna Kaz; Music by Wayne Barker
What if a 1950's Midwestern housewife got so sick of making meatloaf every Tuesday night that she snapped and ran away to Las Vegas? What if her mother could drink like Dean and her daughter could entertain like Sammy? And what if this housewife went from the silent and submissive bottom to the tough, impulsive and calculated top of the heap? Live! Nude! Girl! tells the story of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to break out of a rut into something original and cool.
With Mary Testa (Mary Testa (Tony noms for 42nd Street and On the Town; Xanadu), Bradley Dean (Spamalot)
A NYMF Developmental Series Reading Presentation
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 15, 1pm; Oct. 15, 4:30pm
Moisty the Snowman Saves Christmas
Book and Lyrics by Bradford Scobie, Music by Bradford Scobie and Christian Dyas
This kiddy show for adults is the naughty little fairy tale of how one filthy and flamboyant New York snowman saves Christmas. Join Moisty and all his friends - a homeboy elf, a lesbian rag-doll, and the Baby Jesus - as they struggle to save Christmas from the witchy and glamorous Mayor Bloomburger-Meisterburger.
With Murray Hill
Directed by Scott Faris (Bette Midler's "The Showgirl Must Go On")
45th Street Theater (354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Oct. 8, 8pm; Oct. 9, 11pm; Oct. 10, 11pm
Nightingale and the Satin Woman
Book by William Kotzwinkle and Elizabeth Gundy; Music and Lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Based on the book Herr Nightingale and the Satin Woman
Pursued by Scotland Yard, the WWI hero-turned-smuggler Nightingale and his alluring companion, The Satin Woman, hunt for an elusive Golden Caterpillar which brings its possessor untold wealth. But they are not the only ones seeking it - so are the master criminals Gospodinoff and Chang! From London to Cairo, Istanbul to India, China to Buenos Aires, intrigue, double-crosses, romance, and anthropomorphic creatures abound. This sensual and surreal tale features a score by the legendary Leiber and Stoller.
A NYMF Developmental Series Reading Presentation
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 2, 1pm; Oct. 2, 5pm
One Night Stand
By Quinn Beswick, Adam Cochran, Kobi Libii, Samantha Martin, Josh Margolin,
Jonah Platt, Mollie Taxe, and Andrew Resnick
A completely improvised hour-long musical! Using an audience-suggested title, everything is made up on the spot without ANY writing or planning, including the music, the lyrics, the singing melodies, the characters, the choreography, the plot, the dialogue and anything else you can think of. Fun for all ages!
American Theatre of Actors - Chernuchin Theatre (314 West 54th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues)
Oct. 9, 10:30pm; Oct. 11, 9pm
Punk Princess
Book and Lyrics by Yasmine Lever; Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald
When rebellious blue blood Clare can't get accepted into the early ‘80s London post-punk music scene, she escapes to Manhattan with American hustler Andy. Together, they reinvent her past as a "Watford slumdog" and launch Clare into musical stardom. But as things spiral out of control, she risks losing everything when Andy finally threatens to expose the Punk Princess's true roots.
With Our Lady J
Directed by Jackson Gay (The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow)
A NYMF Developmental Series Reading Presentation
Theatre St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues)
Oct. 14, 4pm; Oct. 14, 8pm
Rated RSO: The Music and Lyrics of Ryan Scott Oliver
Multi-award winning composer and lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver brings sexy schoolteachers, provocative rent-boys, obsessive homicidal teenagers, and fairy dust to rock out at NYMF! Directed by Travis Greisler, this concert features a ridiculous cast of talent from Broadway to L.A., singing their faces off to Ryan's eclectic work. Ryan is the recipient of the 2008 Richard Rodgers Award and the 2009 Jonathan Larson Grant, a 2009 MAC nominee and the composer of Mrs. Sharp (recently featured at Playwrights Horizons, starring Jane Krakowski). Rated RSO sold out when it played Joe's Pub in May so don't miss it this time around!
With Nick Blaemire (Cry Baby), Lindsay Mendez (The Marve
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