A one-night-only concert reading of ONWARD VICTORIA will be presented at Feinstein's/54 Below on Tuesday, July 19th at 7:00pm, featuring Lenny Wolpe, Bethe Austin, Branch Fields and more. The short-lived musical chronicles the first female candidate for President of the United States. A teaser trailer for the concert has been released. Check it out below!
On December 14th, 1980, the musical about Victoria Woodhull opened on Broadway.... and closed. Now, audiences at Feinstein's/54 Below will get another chance to discover Onward Victoria's! With a ravishing score by Tony Award nominee Keith Herrmann (Romance/Romance), and book and lyrics by Charlotte Anker and Irene Rosenberg, the musical starred Jill Eikenberry, Bethe Austin, Lenny Wolpe, Michael Maslow and more. Its cast of characters includes Cornelius Vanderbilt, Susan B. Anthony, Henry Ward Beecher, Charlie Delmonico and more. Herrmann's lush, sweeping score for the short-lived musical was preserved by Original Cast Records.
The July 19th, 7:00pm concert is produced and directed by Steven Carl McCasland, with musical direction by James Horan. McCasland has crafted an abridged libretto to A starry cast, including members of the original 1980 company, will take to the Feinstein's/54 Below stage to revive this forgotten musical.
Original Cast Members Beth Austin (Whoopee!, Raggedy Ann) and Lenny Wolpe (Bullets Over Broadway, Wicked, The Drowsy Chaperone) return to the roles they created after 36 years. They are joined by Emily Austin, Branch Fields (Rodgers + Hammerstein's South Pacific), Kimberly Faye Greenberg (Fabulous Fanny, Danny and Sylvia) and Jay Malsky (Elaine Stritch: Still Here). Also featured in the evening are Kristen Gehling (Little Wars), Sabina Petra, Kelly Reader, Paul Thomas Ryan (What Was Lost), Vanessa Spica and Daniel Walstad. Additional casting to be announced at a later date.
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