Special Showcase of INTERFAITH: THE MUSICAL Set for Thursday, May 9

An award-winning filmmaker from Mumbai, India, who has worked in 32 countries, Shaison P. Ouseph is here to document a musical birthed in LA, a show that celebrates our diversity as a path to promote peaceful co-existence. With divisiveness, religious violence, and acts of hate speech at an all-time high, here and in many parts of the world, there has never been a greater need for works of creative inspiration that can bring people of different faiths and backgrounds together in harmony - and that's exactly what INTERFAITH: The Musicalis all about.

For the past week the filmmaker has been following Ruth Broyde Sharone, the creator of the musical, and her talented collaborators - musicians, vocalists and dancers-- as they rehearse in preparation for their performance on Thursday, May 9 at the Pico Union Project. Shaison was attracted to this project several years ago when he first learned about it on line. Already intrigued by the possibility of using the arts as both inspiration and solution to the current state of unrest around the globe, he was drawn to the positive spirit reflected in the musical with titles likeWe Have More in Common Than We Knew, and Let's Make Room at the Table. These songs and nine others have been released as a CD- collectively titled INTERFAITH: The Musical- and the songs were also a hit when Ruth performed them at universities, interfaith conferences and even for small groups gathered in private homes. Over the past several years the Indian filmmaker observed those audiences grow larger and increasingly enthusiastic.

Ruth Broyde Sharone performed one of the songs for a multi-faith audience of 3,500 participants from 80 countries attending the Parliament of the World's Religionsin Toronto. "The response was electric," Ruth reminisced. "People sang along with the chorus and they came up to me afterwards asking when they will be able to see the show on Broadway!" In recent months, that question has been echoed by people from a wide range of countries including India, Germany, Switzerland, England and Canada- as well as many here in the US- all asking when the musical can be seen by larger audiences.

Shaison, who has just met a community of Quakers for the first time and who attended a Global New Thought service at the Agape International Church on Sunday, believes the musical will be just as popular in India as in the U.S. "We are a country with many diverse communities--like the U.S.--but we also have suffered from religious violence, in our case brought on by a long-standing feud between the Hindu and Muslim populations.

The Pico Union Project (PUP), the venue chosen for this very special performance on May 9 has an inspiring story of its own. Founded six years ago in the oldest remaining synagogue in Los Angeles and dedicated to the Jewish principle to "love your neighbor as yourself," The Pico Union Project (PUP) is a multi-faith cultural arts center that serves as a home base for various community projects serving those in need, as well as a vibrant center for song, story, art, food and prayer. The PUP's founder and musical director, the talented singer-songwriter Craig Taubman will be joining Ruth Broyde Sharone on stage to help bring these inspiring songs to life.

The musicians and vocalists who will be featured at this performance - six singers and one rap artist - reflect the diversity and spirit of inclusion that INTERFAITHcelebrates. These performers include former Broadway singer Mike Stein, Shir Zehavy, a lead vocalist for the Israel Defense Forces Orchestra, and Chinese-American rap artist Jason Chu. Composer/arranger KcDaugirdas is the Music Director for the event.

Ruth Broyde Sharone is excited about connecting with audiences on May 9th and is confident that the music shared will have ripple effects in terms of its impact."One thing I have learned for sure," she says, "is that music breaks down barriers-between people, cultures- and even countries."

Tickets are $27 ($20 for seniors/students) and can be purchased through Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.com/e/60094676796/) and at the door on May 9th, 2019

RUTH BROYDE SHARONEis a multi-faceted filmmaker, journalist and creator of INTERFAITH: TheMusical, and she has been honored internationally for her interfaith activism and leadership. Ruth pioneered ground-breaking interfaith pilgrimages to the Middle East in the 90s and served as Co-Chair of the Southern California Parliament of the World's Religions (SCCPWR) for 10 years. Her documentary, "God and Allah Need to Talk", and her interfaith memoir, "Minefields & Miracles," have both received multiple awards. She is also a regular contributor to the online magazine, The Interfaith Observer, and a co-author of the 2018 Amazon best-seller, "21stCentury Voices: Women Who Influence, Inspire, and Make a Difference." She remains excited about bringing INTERFAITH: The Musical to the Broadway stage! To learn more about Ruth BroydeSharone and INTERFAITH: The Musical, visit interfaiththemusical.com

SHAISON P. OUSEPH, born in Kerala, India, is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, cameraman, and photographer. He has received awards from the United Nations, the US Embassy, the International Labor Organization and from multiple film festivals for his work on social issues such as women's empowerment, exploitation of children, rights of domestic workers, etc. Brampton International University in Canada recently awarded him an honorary doctorate for his "contribution to the Media and Arts."

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