Andy Karl, Merritt David Janes & Jaxon James to Lead ARNOLD! DA SCHWARZENEGGER MUSICAL PARODY Reading

A new musical, Arnold! Da Schwarzenegger Musical Parody, written by Jon and Al Kaplan (Silence! The Musical), directed by Nate Patten, and musical directed by Andy Einhorn is holding an invited reading in New York on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023, featuring Andy Karl as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Merritt David Janes as Middle Arnold, and Jaxon James as Young Arnold.

Other cast members include Natalie Ballenger, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Aaron Kaburick, James Moye, and Jennifer Sànchez, who will all play a variety of roles including Maria Shriver, Aurelia and Gustav Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and James Cameron. The reading is being general managed by Dawn Kusinski, and Christopher Jahnke serves as a creative consultant.

Based on the larger-than-life story of the Governator himself, this is the tale of an immigrant rising from nothing to become one of the most beloved public figures in the world. From his childhood in Austria and his rise to fame in the body-building world, to his improbable box-office domination as an action star, to marrying a Kennedy and becoming the Governor of California, Arnold! Da Schwarzenegger Musical Parody follows the highs and lows of this unique global icon's fantastic life.

The reading will take place at 2pm on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023.

About the Artists

Jon and Al Kaplan

(Writers/Composers) created Silence! The Musical, a stage version of The Silence of the Lambs that has played in London, New York City and Los Angeles, as well as the YouTube channel Legolambs, which features musicalizations of various Arnold Schwarzenegger movies such as Conan the Barbarian, Predator, and Commando. The brothers' original song "Clown Cafe" was recently featured in Damian Leone's breakout hit Terrifier 2 (2022). Jon and Al also scored the Syfy Channel original films Piranhaconda and Dinocroc Vs. Supergator, while co-writing and scoring the films Zombeavers (2014) and The Drone (2019), plus Shudder's Critters: A New Binge (2019). Their stage show Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice & Fire toured the U.S. in 2018.

Nate Patten

(Director) is a New York based writer, director, music director, and all-around Broadway presence. As a Broadway music director and conductor, he has conducted or played keyboard on 8 Broadway shows including most recently Company with Patti LuPone, The Prom, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Catch Me If You Can. He has also conducted at the Kennedy Center and Madison Square Garden as well as on many national tours. Nate is the writer and host of a popular comedy podcast called "Patten Disregard" featuring interviews with Broadway celebrities. As a writer or music director, he has worked with Kristin Chenoweth, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Jackie Hoffman, and many others.

Andy Einhorn

(Musical Director) most recently served as the music supervisor and musical director for the Broadway productions of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler (Grammy nom, OBCR) and Carousel starring Renée Fleming (Grammy nom, OBCR). Einhorn's previous Broadway music directing and conducting credits include Holiday Inn, Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Brief Encounter, and Sondheim on Sondheim. Other Broadway work includes Evita and The Light in the Piazza. Since 2011, Einhorn has served as music director and pianist for six-time Tony Award winner, Audra McDonald, performing with her at such prestigious orchestras and venues including The London Palladium, The New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, Carnegie Hall, and Sydney Symphony. They have recorded two albums together: "Sing Happy: Live with the New York Philharmonic" and "Go Back Home." He served as the music director for HBO's Peabody Award winning documentary "Six by Sondheim" and music supervisor for Great Performances Peabody Award winning special "Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy" on PBS. In 2019, Einhorn conducted Bette Midler and Marc Shaiman at the 2019 Academy Awards. He also music supervised and appeared on camera for the Emmy award winning performance of "Eat Sh*t Bob" for HBO's LAST WEEK TONIGHT starring John Oliver. Upcoming film and TV projects include: Apple Plus' EXTRAPOLATIONS and CABRINI (producer Jonathan Sanger). Recently, he has conducted concerts with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra. He is a guest faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival. Andy Einhorn is an honors graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas.