ARE YOU WORKING ON SOMETHING NEW? #4 Benefit for BC/EFA Plays Don't Tell Mama, 12/2 & 3

TNT Music has announced the fourth edition of 'Are You Working On Something New?', set for Sunday and Monday, December 2nd and 3rd at 7.00pm at Don't Tell Mama.

For those of you unfamiliar with AYWOSN?: In February 2011, Mark T Evans and William TN Hall under the umbrella of TNT Music debuted a new song series, designed to benefit important causes whilst showcasing the current work of new musical theatre writers. The first three editions have been huge successes and have comprised of material from musical theatre writers from all over NYC and beyond, from prestigious institutions such as the NYU Graduate MT Writing Program and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, performed by a small ensemble of professional actors.

We are delighted that Fred Tessler will be returning as our director after directing our very first edition. The last two editions have been directed by our other resident director, Adam Fitzgerald.

TNT Music presents Are You Working On Something New?
A Benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Sunday and Monday December 2nd and 3rd 7:00pm
Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street
(212) 757-0788 or reserve online at www.DontTellMamaNYC.com
$16 Cover CASH ONLY, 2 Drink Minimum
Reservations Strongly Recommended

Featuring songs by...

Andrew Abrams
Gary Apple
Kristin Bair
Mark T Evans
Mary Feinsinger
Patrick Gallagher
Pamela Weiler Grayson
William TN Hall
Kevin Hammonds
Michael Kooman
Eric Kubo
Paul Libman
Rachael Liberman
Stuart McMeans
Madeline Myers
Lawrence Rush
Tracy Sallows
Joan Ross Sorkin
Fred Thaler
William Waldrop
RoBert Williamson
Micah Young

Performed by...

Jennifer Blood
Sarah Corey
KEVIN MILNES
John Saunders
Bret Shuford
AMY Beth Williams

Series Coordinated by William TN Hall
Musical Direction by Mark T Evans
Directed by Fred Tessler

Jennifer Blood most recently played Eve in Prospect Theater Company's Nymph Errant. Other New York Credits include A Little Journey (Mint Theater Company), Falling For Eve (York), The Flood (Prospect) and Yeast Nation (Fringe). Regional favorites include Light in the Piazza (Maine State), Man of La Mancha (Sacramento Music Circus), Third (Philadelphia Theater Company) and The Sound of Music (Drury Lane), for which she was nominated for a Jeff award for Best Actress.

Sarah Corey Off Broadway: Summer Shorts: Love and Real Estate (Annie), Illyria (Maria), Souvenir Stories. NYMF: A Letter to Harvey Milk (Lover/Barbara Standby). FringeNYC: Dancing in the Garden (Maria). Selected Regional: Alabama Shakespeare Festival: In the Book Of (Anisah, world premiere); Public Theatre ME: Beau Jest (Sarah); Mountain Playhouse: Twelfth Night (Olivia); Prospect Theatre Company: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia); Worcester Foothills: Evita (Eva), Sisters of Swing (Patty), Titanic (Eleanor Widener); New Repertory Theatre: Lippa's Wild Party (Kate, Best Supporting Actress IRNE Award); Speakeasy Stage: Caroline or Change (Rose); Gloucester Stage: A Grand Night for Singing (Vicki); Lyric Stage: Meshuggah- Nuns! (Sister Amnesia); Totem Pole Playhouse: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Woman 1 and 2); Stoneham Theatre: Tommy (The Acid Queen), Cole Porter's You Never Know (Maria). Sarah is a graduate of Princeton University and of the Shakespeare & Company Conservatory for Classical Acting.

KEVIN MILNES is excited to be a part of Are You Working on Something New? Favorite regional roles include Big River (Huck Finn), Dames at Sea (Dick), and Into the Woods (Jack). TV: Law and Order, Gossip Girl. Off stage and screen, Kevin composes musicals with his writing partner, Kelly Milnes. They are currently working on Lost Boy. B.A. Wagner College. www.kevinmilnes.com

John Saunders is happy to be working on something new again. Some credits: TOURS: My Fair Lady, Oliver!, and Chitty Chitty Bang REGIONAL: Papermill Playhouse, North Shore Music Theatre, and over a decade as an actor and director with The MacHaydn Theatre. Special thanks to Will, Mark, and Fred for putting this series together. And to the writers for sharing and letting us tell their stories tonight.

Bret Shuford Broadway: Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Regional: Next to Normal, Anything Goes. Film: the Wolf of Wall Street, Uncle Melvin's Apartment. Webseries: Chaos Theory, Handsome Town, Submissions Only. Bretshuford.com @bretshuford

AMY Beth Williams Amy Beth teaches voice and acting at Wagner College and has performed her solo cabaret at the Metropolitan Room and Don't Tell Mama and won the 2011 Bistro Award for outstanding vocalist.She is honored to be part of Are You Working on Something New-for upcoming shows you can visit her website at www.amybwilliams.com.

William TN Hall COMPOSER/SERIES COORDINATOR
Most recently William composed, arranged and music directed for the critically acclaimed one man show: Methtacular! (kef theatricals) under the music supervision of John McDaniel. He has served as composer, musical director and arranger to numerous shows all over the United States. William worked on Bianca Leigh's BUSTED: the Musical (Theatre Askew). For BUSTED he served as composer for three of the numbers and as the musical director/arranger. Other writers working on BUSTED included Jeff Whitty (Bring it on!, Avenue Q) and OBIE Winner Taylor Mac. William is pianist to the legendary actress/comedienne Joan Rivers at her New York engagements. Resident composer for The American Bard Theatre Company. Proud member of the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop where he is developing two new musicals. Appears courtesy of TNT Music. More info: www.williamtnhall.com

MARK T EVANS MUSICAL DIRECTOR/COMPOSER/CO-PRODUCER
Mark T Evans is a composer and musical director from Long Island and Philadelphia. He has written music for I Am Jim Thompson (EAT/Notes on a Page) Buddy Holly at the Armory (Prospect Theater Co.), King of Ghosts (Missing Bolts Prod./Philly Fringe) and Summit Ave (Figment Festival/Governor's Island) with Zac Kline and Eric Kubo. Recent projects as a musical director include The Judy Holliday Story (NJ Rep), The Bully (Vital Theatre Co.), and The 10th Floor (NYMF/ ATA Chernuchin). Mark also works as a resident musical director at The Dalton School and The Nightingale-Bamford School. In 2008, Mark won the ASCAP Frederick Loewe Award for Emerging Musical Theatre Composer. In 2005, he was a Barrymore co-Nominee for his contributions to the original score of Grease and Desist (BRAT Productions). BA, University of Pennsylvania; MFA, NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Fred Tessler DIRECTOR
Fred Tessler is delighted to work on the fourth version of Are You Working on Something New? after directing the original production. A 15 year resident of NYC, Fred has worked with Primary Stages, Manhattan Class Company, The Roundabout Theatre Company, and the ENCORES! series. Additional credits include productions for Columbia University and Brooklyn College as well as cabarets at Don't Tell Mama, Rose's Turn and The Duplex. Music Director credits include the Off-Broadway production of Five Course Love, Don Juan Giovanni at The Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and 16 seasons with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre where he is Resident Music Director. Additional regional credits include three seasons with The Minneapolis Children's Theatre Company, many projects over a ten year period with Theatre de la Jeune Lune, and productions with The Berkshire Theatre Festival, Peninsula Players and the Stratford Festival of Canada. Fred Has taught in the Theatre Department of Wagner College for the last 9 years. He has been Director or Music Director for a dozen productions as well as 8 senior showcases. Fred is also on the staff of the Cap21 Conservatory.

Are You Working On Something New? had its first edition February 28th 2011 at Don't Tell Mama NYC. It started off as a showcase for songwriters in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writers Workshop. The first edition was such a success, packing the house and raising $1000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS that William TN Hall and music director Mark T Evans decided to make it into an ongoing series. Our second show, now open to all musical theatre songwriters was in December of last year for the holidays, again benefiting BC/EFA, playing to a sold out room at Don't Tell Mama NYC and raising $1000. The third edition played in August 2012, this time for two performances. So far in our casts we have had broadway actors from shows including: ANYTHING GOES A CHRISTMAS STORY FOOTLOOSE GHOST MAMMA MIA! NEWSIES SPAMALOT (Las Vegas) WEST SIDE STORY as well as many entertainment and performance award winners. (MAC, BISTRO, NYMF's Broadway Sensation etc...) This fourth edition sees our cast of 6 present material from 22 up and coming musical theatre writers. Are You Working...? is great because it's a win/win situation. The writers get showcased, the actors get to work on new material and vice versa and everything is for a wonderful charity.

We are especially proud of our ongoing relationship with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, not least after the charity announced they would be donating funds to the hurricane relief services in the wake of hurricane Sandy. We're a fledgling benefit series but the family and feedback we have created is already humbling and exciting. We hope to do many editions over the years and will endeavor to keep offering a great cross section of musical theatre writer's new work presented by some of the greatest musical theatre talent around. 

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