Workshop Announced for HIS STORY, THE MUSICAL

This week, Bruce Lazarus will present a by-invitation-only workshop of His Story, The Musical, an original musical with book music and lyrics by Anna Miriam Brown and directed by three-time Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun (Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde). The four presentations, Thursday April 7 at 11:30AM and 3:30PM, and Friday April 8 at 11:30AM and 3:30PM, will take place at New 42 Studios, 229 West 42nd Street, (between 7th and 8th Aves).

The workshop presentation precedes a national touring production to launch in the fall. The original His Story, The Musical concept album is available to stream wherever digital music is sold.

In a poor small town in the Holy Land, a hopeful teen girl pleads with God to send the Messiah and establish a kingdom of hope and justice. Jump ahead 30 years, a common man-from-a-sketchy-family, Jesus, arrives in the big city, upending the traditional kingly expectation of the Messiah. He performs miracles and speaks great wisdom, but attracts followers from the dregs of society and hangs out in the wrong part of town. Mocked by the establishment, he is adored by the people. Bringing an iconic story into the third millennium, with contemporary vernacular and perspective, His Story, The Musical engages the essential struggles of humanity.

The cast of His Story, The Musical features Joshua Bess, Sam Brackley, Blake Du Bois, Travis Flynt, Emilee Hassandzadeh, Gigi Hausman, Jataria Heyward, Madeline Hudelson, Lauren Johnson, Casey Lamont, Jared Mazeika, Bryan Munar, Kaitlin Niewoehner, Alexa Renee, Jonathan Reyes, Cameron Sirian, Sean Stack and Charles P. Way.

His Story, The Musical features choreography by Eamon Foley, music supervision and arrangements by Rick Hip-Flores, scenic and costume design consultation by Tobin Ost, sound design by Daniel Lundberg, and casting by Wojcik Casting. Visceral Entertainment is the General Manager, Sydney Prince is the Stage Manager, and Cynthia Caridad is the Assistant Stage Manager.

"This musical grabbed me from the downbeat. It touched, moved, and inspired me and brought me to tears," says producer Bruce Lazarus. "Here is a portrayal of an accessible Jesus, a man, a brother, a friend. I believe our diverse society will embrace this familiar story told in a most unfamiliar way, making Jesus relatable to a new generation."

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

ANNA MIRIAM BROWN (Book, Music, Lyrics). Now 21, Anna started writing His Story, The Musical at the age of 16 while on a mission to Africa. A dyslexic, unable to read or write before 9 years old, homeschooled, Anna focused instead on the arts before writing her first songs at 15. As a social-media-savvy Gen Z, she sees a chance to reach her generation with the timeless story of light and hope. Anna is an author and illustrator of over a dozen educational books, some bestsellers, for children, especially kids with Dyslexia and teens with their passions and career goals. Anna currently lives in Dallas and travels often doing research for writing projects, which include several new musicals.

Jeff Calhoun (Director). Broadway: Disney's Newsies (Tony Award Nomination for Best Director), Bonnie & Clyde, Jekyll & Hyde, Grey Gardens, Deaf West's Big River (Tony Award Nomination for Best Revival of a Musical), Brooklyn, Annie Get Your Gun, Grease (Tony Award Nomination for Best Choreography),Tommy Tune Tonite, and The Will Rogers Follies. Tour and Internationally: Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 (US National Tour, London, Australia) and Disney's High School Musical 1 & 2. Mr. Calhoun is an associate artist at The Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Covenant House International, a not-for-profit helping homeless youth in thirty cities across six countries. He recently directed A Night of Covenant House Stars (2020 and 2021) on Amazon Prime. Twitter and Instagram: @thejeffcalhoun

Eamon Foley (Choreographer). is the Artistic Director of Grind Arts Company. Choreography credits include Next to Normal (Writer's Theater), Annie (The Hollywood Bowl), Merrily We Roll Along (Wallis-Annenberg Theater), Alien/Nation (Williamstown Theater Festival), and, upcoming, Guys and Dolls (Imperial Theater - Tokyo). As director-choreographer: Nine, Sweeney Todd, Cyrano, Hero, and The Last Five Years. As a performer, Broadway credits include Gypsy, Assassins, The Grinch, 13! The Musical, and Everyday Rapture. Eamon received his BA from Princeton University.

Rick Hip-Flores (Music Supervisor & Arranger) was the musical director of Natasha, Pierre... on Broadway, and music supervisor of In Transit, Broadway's first a cappella musical. He was Associate Musical Director of Ain't Too Proud, and has conducted seven other Broadway shows including Fun Home, Come From Away, Bronx Tale, Groundhog Day, Beautiful, Rocky, and the Radio City Rockettes. Rick's arrangements and orchestrations have been performed by the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and on television. Most recently, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Musical Theater Award for his work on Daddy Issues.

Tobin Ost (Set and Costume Design Consultant). Broadway: Newsies (Tony nomination-Best Set Design of a Musical), Disaster!, Jekyll & Hyde, Bonnie & Clyde, The Philanthropist and Brooklyn The Musical. Off-Broadway: Tappin' Thru Life, Nightingale, Grace, The Overwhelming, Zanna-Don't!, Almost Heaven and Fighting Words. Tobin has worked extensively with national regional theaters including La Jolla Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, Ford's Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, Two River Theater Company, The Old Globe, Kansas City Rep, Yale Rep, Hartford Stage, and AllianceTheatre.

DANIEL LUNDBERG (Sound Design). Designs include New York Stage and Film, A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut, and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live. Associate sound design and sound engineer credits include Paradise Square, Freestyle Love Supreme, Once Upon a One More Time, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill, An American in Paris, Shakespeare in the Park, Cirque du Soleil, and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. BFA Carnegie Mellon.

Bruce Lazarus (Producer). Broadway: Say Goodnight Gracie (Tony Award nomination - Best Play). Off-Broadway: Only Kidding, Shakespeare's R&J). Bruce is the former Executive Director of Samuel French, the largest licensor of Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and musicals to the secondary market. He also has the distinction of serving as the original lead legal counsel for the most successful Broadway musical in history, Disney's The Lion King, and the most successful Off-Broadway show in history, Blueman Group. www.linkedin.com/in/BruceLazarus.

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