Amas Musical Theatre Lab To Present Industry Readings of SETTLE DOWN

Amas Musical Theatre and The Amas Lab will present private industry readings of "Settle Down," a new musical with book & lyrics by Gabe Caruso and music by Sangwoo 'Simon' Lee. Directed by Christopher Scott, with music direction by Andrew Shield, the readings will be on Monday, April 11, 2022 at 4pm and Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 2pm & 6pm at Ripley-Grier Studios (520 Eighth Avenue). For reservations, visit www.amasmusical.org.

Mark, 17 years old and a product of the darker side of the American foster care system. As he ages out of the system, he moves in with his best friend Lily, and her father, John. As Mark adjusts to real family life, Settle Down is a hip hop musical that explores the concept of family and coming to terms with the hidden secrets that separate and bind them.

Settle Down was the 2021 recipient of the Eric H. Weinberger Librettist Award. Sponsored by Ben Gadon, Marvin Kahan, and Steve Sagman.

The cast will include Alyssa Gomez (Motown The Musical, In the Heights), Lauren Hooper (Steeling Freedom, Intimate Apparel), Danish Farooqui (Treasure Island, Ghandi), and Curtis Wiley (Diner:The Musical, The Lion King, Jersey Boys). Production Stage Manager is Benjamin Vigil.

"We are very excited to be presenting the show that won the Eric H. Weinberger Emerging Librettist Award," says Donna Trinkoff, Amas Artistic Producer. "It's a very personal show with a wonderful hip-hop score by a new musical theatre writing team."

These presentations are part of the ongoing Amas Musical Theatre Lab, a development series for writers, lyricists and composers to mount public readings of their new musicals. These presentations are part of the ongoing Amas Musical Theatre Lab, a development series for writers, lyricists and composers to mount public readings of their new musicals. "Settle Down" was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and by Actor's Equity Association Foundation, BMI Foundation, Butler Tibbets LLC, Nancy Friday Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Dubose and Dorothy Heyward Foundation, Lambs Foundation, Lenox Hill Hospital, Lucille Lortel Foundation, and through the support of many individuals.

Bios

Gabe Caruso (Book & Lyrics) is an actor, playwright, and rap battle champion from Dundee, Oregon. His play Dundee won "Best New Play" and he received "Best Playwright" from the Chicago Reader in 2017. He earned an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU in 2020. He now resides in Harlem with his wife Colleen.

Sangwoo 'Simon' Woo (Music) is a NYC-based singer/songwriter and music director. He has written music for the musicals Settle Down, Anderson, Just Sex, and Ugly Duckling. He has a BS in songwriting from Berklee College of Music and earned M.F.A in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch School of Arts.

Christopher Scott (Director) Artistic Associate, Amas Musical Theatre. Artistic Director, Masterworks Theater Company. Off-Broadway: The Glass Menagerie (Audelco Nom.), EDWIN: The Story of Edwin Booth, A Class Act, Nancy Friday's My Secret Garden, GOLF:The Muscial (Drama Desk Nom.), For Lovers Only, Tails, The Big Bang, and GREED: A Musical For Our Times. Baruch PAC/Great Works: Endgame, Miss Julie, Antigone, Hedda Gabler, Medea and Zoo Story. NYC: The Morons (Best Director Nom. - First Irish Festival);Years of Sky (59e59); Best Night Ever (fringeNYC); I Am, I Will, I Do and Lorenzo (NYMF); In Pursuit of Peace and Picked Up (BBTF). Member of The Actors Studio's Playwright Directors Workshop. Many shows for Theatreworks/USA. Faculty Baruch/CUNY, CAP21-NYU/Tisch. Graduate Boston Conservatory.

Andrew Shield (Music Director) is a music director, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Virginia, he studied jazz guitar at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He enjoys working in all disciplines of music spanning big band swing, rock/pop, orchestral works, to hip-hop."

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) and The Amas Lab will present private industry readings of "Settle Down," a new musical with book & lyrics by Gabe Caruso and music by Sangwoo 'Simon' Lee. Directed by Christopher Scott, with music direction by Andrew Shield, the readings will be on Monday, April 11, 2022 at 4pm and Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 2pm & 6pm at Ripley-Grier Studios (520 Eighth Avenue). For reservations, visit www.amasmusical.org.

Mark, 17 years old and a product of the darker side of the American foster care system. As he ages out of the system, he moves in with his best friend Lily, and her father, John. As Mark adjusts to real family life, Settle Down is a hip hop musical that explores the concept of family and coming to terms with the hidden secrets that separate and bind them.

Settle Down was the 2021 recipient of the Eric H. Weinberger Librettist Award. Sponsored by Ben Gadon, Marvin Kahan, and Steve Sagman.

The cast will include Alyssa Gomez (Motown The Musical, In the Heights), Lauren Hooper (Steeling Freedom, Intimate Apparel), Danish Farooqui (Treasure Island, Ghandi), and Curtis Wiley (Diner:The Musical, The Lion King, Jersey Boys). Production Stage Manager is Benjamin Vigil.

"We are very excited to be presenting the show that won the Eric H. Weinberger Emerging Librettist Award," says Donna Trinkoff, Amas Artistic Producer. "It's a very personal show with a wonderful hip-hop score by a new musical theatre writing team."

These presentations are part of the ongoing Amas Musical Theatre Lab, a development series for writers, lyricists and composers to mount public readings of their new musicals. These presentations are part of the ongoing Amas Musical Theatre Lab, a development series for writers, lyricists and composers to mount public readings of their new musicals. "Settle Down" was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and by Actor's Equity Association Foundation, BMI Foundation, Butler Tibbets LLC, Nancy Friday Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Dubose and Dorothy Heyward Foundation, Lambs Foundation, Lenox Hill Hospital, Lucille Lortel Foundation, and through the support of many individuals.

Bios

Gabe Caruso (Book & Lyrics) is an actor, playwright, and rap battle champion from Dundee, Oregon. His play Dundee won "Best New Play" and he received "Best Playwright" from the Chicago Reader in 2017. He earned an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU in 2020. He now resides in Harlem with his wife Colleen.

Sangwoo 'Simon' Woo (Music) is a NYC-based singer/songwriter and music director. He has written music for the musicals Settle Down, Anderson, Just Sex, and Ugly Duckling. He has a BS in songwriting from Berklee College of Music and earned M.F.A in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch School of Arts.

Christopher Scott (Director) Artistic Associate, Amas Musical Theatre. Artistic Director, Masterworks Theater Company. Off-Broadway: The Glass Menagerie (Audelco Nom.), EDWIN: The Story of Edwin Booth, A Class Act, Nancy Friday's My Secret Garden, GOLF:The Muscial (Drama Desk Nom.), For Lovers Only, Tails, The Big Bang, and GREED: A Musical For Our Times. Baruch PAC/Great Works: Endgame, Miss Julie, Antigone, Hedda Gabler, Medea and Zoo Story. NYC: The Morons (Best Director Nom. - First Irish Festival);Years of Sky (59e59); Best Night Ever (fringeNYC); I Am, I Will, I Do and Lorenzo (NYMF); In Pursuit of Peace and Picked Up (BBTF). Member of The Actors Studio's Playwright Directors Workshop. Many shows for Theatreworks/USA. Faculty Baruch/CUNY, CAP21-NYU/Tisch. Graduate Boston Conservatory.

Andrew Shield (Music Director) is a music director, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Virginia, he studied jazz guitar at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He enjoys working in all disciplines of music spanning big band swing, rock/pop, orchestral works, to hip-hop."

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