Jed Resnick, Marcus Stevens & More Set for Jeff Bienstock's DORKS, DRUNKS, AND DINOSAURS at Laurie Beechman, 10/21

Marcus Stevens and Natalie Charle Ellis, recently of Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking, are just two of the Broadway and Off-Broadway luminaries who will appear in Dorks, Drunks, and Dinosaurs: The Songs of Jeff Bienstock on October 21st at the Laurie Beechman Theater. Stevens will also be taking on directorial duties as he and his former co-star take part in an evening of music and lyrics by the multifaceted and award-winning Bienstock.

The show's colorful title illustrates the composer's gift for creating and musicalizing offbeat characters. These include a geeky IT technician pining away for romance at his workstation, a lovably sleazy guitarist who
considers monogamy a fate worse than death, a long-dead-but-still-crooning skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and more. Bienstock's songs run the gamut from soul-searching poignancy to sidesplitting hilarity, with plenty of surprises along the way.

Other performers in this One-Night-Only event include: Jed Resnick (Avenue Q), Jennifer Sanchez (Ghost, the upcoming Little Miss Sunshine), Grace McLean (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812), David Foley Jr. (NEWSical), Brian Charles Rooney (Threepenny Opera, 2006 Broadway Revival), Whit Baldwin (Merrily We Roll Along, 2012 Encores!), Jennifer Blood (Unlock'd). Also included are Aaron Phillips, Ian Lowe, and Stacey Scotte. Rachel A. Kaufman is the Music Director, and Caleb Hawley will be featured on guitar.

Jeff Bienstock is an NYU Steinhardt graduate and BMI Lehman Engel Workshop alumnus. His first musical, The Morning After / The Night Before, premiered at the Lucille Lortel Theater in 2010 as part of the Fringe Festival and won a Best- of-Fest award for Achievement in Music and Lyrics. The following year, he received a Sloan Foundation Grant to co-write The Bone Wars for the Ensemble Theater. In 2012, Bienstock was invited to participate in the prestigious Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project, where he was mentored by Tony nominees Andrew Lippa and Craig Carnelia.

In addition to songs from these past projects, Bienstock will also be unveiling numbers from an upcoming show, Legendale. It is currently being co-written with composer Andrea Daly and promises to be the world's first video game-themed musical.

Dorks, Drunks, and Dinosaurs: The Music of Jeff Bienstock will be performed on Monday, October 21st, 9:30 PM, at the Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 W. 42nd Street. Cover charge is $10, and there is a $15 food/beverage minimum for all audience members. To purchase tickets, go to www.westbankcafe.com.

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