Anessa Marie to Present A FIRST GLIMPSE OF LIGHT at 54 Below This Month

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present Anessa Marie in "A First Glimpse of Light" on October 30, 2022 at 9:30pm. Composer, music director, and orchestrator Anessa Marie presents an evening of music from "A First Glimpse of Light," a semi-autobiographical new musical telling the story of a 32-year-old trans actress as she prepares for gender confirmation surgery in New York City. A cast of varying identities, the majority being transgender and gender nonconforming voices, will perform a jazz-influenced score featuring sweeping piano, a 5-piece band, and lush harmonies. This evening, under the direction of Dev Bondarin and music direction of James Rushin, promises to be a celebration of relationships with others and with ourselves.

Anessa Marie will step out from behind the piano to perform selections from the show. She is joined by Jennifer Fouché (Chicago, POTUS), Bianca Leigh (The Nance), Kathel Griffin, Zachary A. Myers (A Strange Loop), Hennessy Winkler (Oklahoma!), Richard Baskin, Jr. (Freestyle Love Supreme), Andrea Prestinario, and Ariana Valdes. The band will feature James Rushin on piano, Will Shishmanian on guitar, Elisa Winter on cello, Danielle Giulini on violin, and Noah Hadland on drums.

Anessa Marie in "A First Glimpse of Light"plays 54 Below (254 West 54thStreet) on October 30, 2022. There is a $35-$75 cover charge and $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

MORE ABOUT Anessa Marie

Anessa Marie is a composer/lyricist, music director, pianist, and orchestrator based in NYC. Her song cycle, "Finding Beautiful" (co-written with Danny Bristoll), debuted at NYMF in 2019. She is currently writing "Reign," a rock musical based on Christopher Marlowe's Edward II, with Will Shishmanian. Other musicals currently in development include "A First Glimpse of Light" and "N-Un!@$%able," both of which she is also writing the book.

Anessa also has a passion for education and ensuring the arts live on. She's served as a guest artist with NYU, Pace University, Fordham University, CAP21, LIU-Post, Broadway for Arts Education, The International College of Musical Theatre, The Growing Studio, Musical Theatre Factory, and others. She has served as a mentor/music director for The American Theatre Wing's Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge and her arrangements and orchestrations can be heard on their 2021 and 2022 albums.

Broadway: Chicago(K2/Accordion Sub), Disney's Aladdin(K1 Sub); Regional/Off-Broadway: A Beautiful Noise(Music Asst., Emerson Colonial), The Griswold's Broadway Vacation(AMD/Reh. Pianist), Joy(AMD/Rehearsal Pianist), Wonderboy(Orch., 5th Ave), The Golden Record(Arr./Orch.), Into the Woods(MD, OOTB), The Gunfighter Meets His Match(Goodspeed Musicals, MD/Arr.), Far From Canterbury(Barnstormers, World Premiere, MD), Rule of Three(Prospect Theater Company, MD), Miss Step(5th Ave - Reading, MD), Hammer (NYU Tisch, MD), Queering the Canon(Joe's Pub, MD), Interstate(NAMT, MD), The Office Musical Parody(Jerry Orbach, MD), Finding Beautiful(NYMF, Signature Center, MD/Orch./Arr./Composer/Lyricst). To learn more, visit www.anessamarie.com. @anessamarieam

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Belowwas founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. The club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists. It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent.

A recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS®Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

54 Below is one of the most in-demand performance venues in the city, presenting over 700 shows each year. Unique in its mission, it has become an indispensable member of the Broadway ecosystem, providing a place for seasoned and emerging artists to hone their craft, try out new work, grow their fanbases, and gather as a community. The management team includes Proprietors and nine-time Tony Award winning Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, and Tom Viertel, Creative and Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper, and restaurant General Manager Mandisa Boxill.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Late night programming will resume in the coming months. Tickets and information at54below.com.

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