Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival Announces 2019 PiTCH Season Line Up

The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival announces the lineup for the 2019 PiTCH Season presented by Generations Bank.

The 2019 season of the The PiTCH runs July 17 through August 16, and will give the creative teams of five emerging musicals an opportunity to develop and present their new work. Audiences watch a 50-60 minute presentation of the musical and are invited to participate in a moderated discussion with the creative teams immediately following the presentation. To date, The PiTCH has been a development platform for over 60 new musicals.

Producing Artistic Director, Brett Smock states, "We proudly launch The PiTCH 2019 with our 65th new musical to date! Generations Bank continues their incredible support by underwriting this vital and dynamic new works initiative. We are so proud to be an incubator for emerging writers and their new musicals. If you have not yet been to The PiTCH, come check it out this season and join the conversation!"

The series launches with "Far From Canterbury," a musical inspired by one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and set in a world where fairy tales are considered current events. A young knight must answer the question; "What is it that women desire most?" "Far From Canterbury" ran Off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse and won "Outstanding Overall Musical" at the New York International Fringe Festival. Book, Music and Lyrics by Danny K. Bernstein. July 17 - 19.

The second slot belongs to a musical about 'The Loneliest Whale in the World'. "Keaton and the Whale" tells the story of a whale that sings at a frequency no other whale can hear and is unable to communicate with anyone... until now. Book and Lyrics by Molly Reisman, Book and Music by Emily Chiu. July 24 - 26.

The third show is "That's All Folks," a new musical in technicolor about the creator of a famous cartoon character who struggles to overcome writer's block as he is haunted by a particular anthropomorphized, animated animal. Music by audience favorite Noel Carey ("Murder for Two," "Million Dollar Quartet") and book and lyrics shared between Carey and director Scott Weinstein ("Million Dollar Quartet" (2016), "Murder For Two" (2018) and "South Pacific" (2019). July 31 - August 2.

The fourth show in the series features the return of writers Matt Vinson and Matte O'Brien whose new adaptation of Anne of Green Gables: A New Folk Rock Musical played to sold-out crowds at The PiTCH in 2017 and last year to enthusiastic audiences when the show became the first PiTCH title to transfer to full production at the Playhouse. The writing team comes to The PiTCH this year with "Peter & I", based on the true story of Michael Llewelyn Davies, who partly inspired J.M. Barrie to create the character of Peter Pan. Focusing on Michael's time at Oxford and his illicit affair with a classmate, "Peter & I" asks questions about faith, loss, salvation, love, and immortality. Music by Matt Vinson, Book and Lyrics by Matte O'Brien. August 7 - 9.

The PiTCH season closes with "Medusa." A fresh look at the Greek myth, "Medusa" is the story of a woman trying to make her own fate. As she fights for justice against gods and mortals, rumors fly about this angry woman with snakes in her hair. The legend of a woman wronged, demonized and ostracized, "Medusa" is an ancient tragedy that is as timely and necessary as ever. Music by Rachel Dean, Book and Lyrics by Wes Braver. August 14 - 16.

All performances are held at The Cayuga Museum Carriage House Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays. "PiTCH Passes" are available for $50 and are good for one ticket to all five shows; single tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 315-255-1785 or by visiting FingerLakesMTF.com. For a full list of performance dates and more information about the season, visit FingerLakesMTF.com/the-pitch.

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