Six New Composers and Lyricists Lined Up for the 'Musical Theater Olympics,' TUNE IN TIME, at the York Theatre on MAY 5

The York Theatre Company and its Artistic Director James Morgan and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will be presenting the 8th edition of the quirky and popular musical theater game show Tune in Time, on Tuesday May 5 at 7:30 pm with a new cast of contestants and celebrity judges. Joining the songwriting fray for this round are Alan Gordon (Kleban Award for The Usual), Kathryn Hathaway (Afterland), Bill Nelson (Harmony, Kansas), Rachel Peters (curator of Cornelia Street Cafe's Otherwise Unsung series), Brad Simmons (musical director of Broadway's Lysistrata Jones), and Benjamin Velez (Pain in the Aztec). Among the celebrity judges for the next show will be Broadway Producer Ken Davenport (Altar Boyz), casting director Michael Cassara (NYMF, A Time for Singing at the York) and performer Rachel Rhodes-Devey (Merrily We Roll Along at APAC).

The May 5 edition of Tune In Time is hosted by the hilarious Emily McNamara (photo above) with music direction by Nate Buccieri (singing the series' theme song in video), and Sheila Head as the annoyingly insistent timekeeper. The York Theatre Company is at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Additional show dates will be on May 5 and June 8. All performances will begin at 7:30 pm.

In this "Musical Theater Olympics," three teams of composers and lyricists who have never worked together are forced to collaborate--and to beat the clock! Their task? They must write a song from a new Broadway musical, the title of which is picked from a hatful of audience suggestions--in the style determined by a spin of the dreaded "Genre Wheel"--all within 20 minutes. Tune in Time is an evening of edge-of-your-seat suspense, brain-frying bravery, and Broadway trivia. Each edition of Tune in Time features a different roster of musical theater composers and lyricists as well as a panel of celebrity judges.

Award-winning composer and BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award winner Joe Iconis has been a past judge and explaines Tune In Time's appeal perfectly: "The notion of the show sounds fun," says Iconis, who knows all about putting on "fun" shows through his Joe Iconis & Family concerts at 54 Below and the Laurie Beechman Theatre. "I like the idea of pitting songwriters against each other in a fight to the death. I don't think that Tune In Time goes that far, but it's a step in the right direction. There is incredible songwriting talent here in New York and it's very inspiring to be part of a community that is as active and vocal as the songwriting community is in New York. It feels like a scene. I'm as inspired by the writers I love as I am by the ones I hate. That mixture of jealousy, admiration, and disgust motivates me hugely."

"A triumph! A rollicking celebration of words and music that skips briskly along the path that wends from the hilarious to the sublime." - Big Yellow Taxi

"Head down to Tune in Time. It is a joyous, hilarious romp that has the added benefit of being an exceptional night of creative genius." - Stage Buddy

General Admission tickets for Tune in Time are priced at $20 and can be purchased online atwww.yorktheatre.com, or by visiting the York Theatre Company Box Office (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), or by calling the Box Office at (212) 935-5820 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.).

For additional information, please visit the website at www.yorktheatre.org.

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