44 – THE (un)OFFICIAL, (un)SANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL To Have Invited New York Premiere Showcase

44 – The (un)Official, (un)Sanctioned Obama Musical, which played three sold-out, critically acclaimed engagements in Los Angeles, will have its New York premiere with four invitation-only showcase performances on Monday, June 24 at 7 PM; Tuesday, June 25 at 7 PM;  and Wednesday, June 26 at 2 PM and 7:30 PM at Racket NYC (431 West 16th Street).

Writer and director Eli Bauman said, “Soon Presidents 45 and 46 will share the stage for what promises to be a rational, civil, and refreshingly youthful debate. But before those sprightly Adonises do their thing, help us reminisce about the 44th presidency through music, comedy, and anxiety-fueled pizza and booze.”

Barack Obama's election changed history. And as we can clearly see, it also ended racism forever! But 44 – The (un)Official, (un)Sanctioned Obama Musical, is the story of Obama you won't read about in history books... because history books are now banned in most states. But also, because 44 is the story of Obama as Joe Biden kinda sorta remembers it... 

44 is written and directed by Eli Bauman, features music direction by Anthony “Brew” Brewster, choreography by Miss James Alsop, lighting design by Jared A. Sayeg, sound design by Joseph Kattampallil, casting direction by Michael Donovan and Richie Ferris for Michael Donovan Casting. Bridget Rooney will serve as Production Stage Manager.

44 will feature members of the acclaimed Los Angeles cast: T. J. Wilkins as ‘Barack Obama,' Shanice as ‘Michelle Obama,' and Chad Doreck as ‘Joe Biden.' They will be joined by Kevin Bailey as ‘John Boehner, Larry Cedar as ‘Mitch McConnell,' Marqell Edward Clayton as ‘Brother Abe Lincoln,' Kelley Dorney as ‘Hillary Clinton,' Summer Nicole Greer as ‘Voice of the People,' Jane Papageorge as ‘Sarah Palin,' Dino Shorté as ‘Herman Cain,' Jeff Sumner as ‘Lindsey Graham,' and Michael Uribes as ‘Ted Cruz.' Celeste Butler is the understudy for the roles of ‘Voice of the People' and ‘Michelle Obama,' Ally Dixon understudies ‘Hillary Clinton' and ‘Sarah Palin,' and Scott Kruse understudies ‘Joe Biden,' ‘Mitch McConnell,' ‘Lindsey Graham,' and ‘Ted Cruz.'

44 will feature legendary L.A. band, House of Vibe as “The Andrew Jackson Five” with Anthony “Brew” Brewster (keyboards), Phillip “Fish” Fisher (drums), Corey Cofield (bass), Conrad Bauer (guitar), and Greg Raymond (keyboards).

BIOGRAPHIES

Eli Bauman (Writer, Director, Lead Producer) was born and raised in Los Angeles to his mother Mary, a therapist for special needs children, and father, Jon, also known as “Bowzer” from the retro 50's nostalgia TV show/most random band to play Woodstock, “Sha Na Na.” After enduring this not remotely strange childhood, Bauman graduated from Columbia University with a degree in English and Creative Writing. Upon graduation, Eli toured the country with his father, singing in casinos ranging from the 10,000 seat “Mohegan Sun Arena” to the utterly depressing “Boomtown Casino” in Biloxi, Mississippi. After moving back to LA in 2007 to pursue a career in Hollywood, Eli gave up the glamorous world of television production for the even more glamorous world of political campaigning, moving to Las Vegas' largest and hottest county to organize for radical fringe candidate, Barack Obama, whom we've never heard from since. After the campaign, Bauman coordinated Veterans Affairs for Obama's 2009 Inaugural Committee and interned for ABC's Special Investigative Unit, where he was shoved by disgraced bamboozler, Bernie Madoff. Later, Bauman transitioned back to scripted television, writing episodes of FX's “Lights Out” and NBC's “Prime Suspect,” before moving onto variety television, including the Emmy nominated “ACLU: Stand For Rights with Tom Hanks” and the Writer's Guild Award nominated “Maya and Marty” with Maya Rudolph and Martin Short. Most recently, Bauman has entered the highly lucrative world of musical theater and contributed material to the fraudulently “won” Biden 2020 campaign. He resides in Los Angeles with his far more talented wife, Joanna Calo, their spectacular daughter, Ivy (5), and their sweet yet destructive son, Charlie (3).

Monica Saunders-Weinberg (Lead Producer) has an extensive professional and creative portfolio – from business and real estate to philanthropy and the performing arts. Saunders-Weinberg has over 26 years of experience working on the board of The Terrace Tower Group where she is the Co-Owner and joint Deputy Chair. The Terrace Tower Group is a privately owned, leading property development company with various investments in Australia and the United States. A passionate philanthropist, Saunders-Weinberg collaborates with numerous charities globally. She is a founding partner of The Growth Project - an initiative that brings emerging charities and business leaders together for maximum positive social impact. She also heads her family's charitable arm - The Saunders Foundation, cultivating its mission for the last 25 years and spearheading its day-to-day operations. Monica chaired the Sydney Children's Hospital Gold Dinner Committee from 2019 – 2021, presiding over the largest charity event in Australia, and breaking several Australian fund-raising records. Saunders-Weinberg continues to work closely with a wide range of charities, and is hugely passionate about philanthropy and the arts. Saunders-Weinberg recently teamed up with Award winning producer Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories to executive produce the feature film, Addition and to develop a film adaptation of Fiona McIntosh's bestselling book, The Pearl Thief. Monica resides in Sydney with her husband, Richard, where they are devoted parents to their three children.

Anthony “Brew” Brewster (Music Director) was born in Santa Monica, California. He developed an enriched soulful style by singing and playing the piano and trumpet in church. As a lead member in two of Los Angeles' most seminal acts, Fishbone and The Untouchables, Brewster showcased his wide range for developing, arranging and producing skills for some of today's top artists.

Miss James Alsop (Choreographer) most recently contributed choreography to the Renaissance World Tour and you can see her movement direction on Kim Kardashian and Emma Roberts on the most current season of “American Horror Story: Delicate.” The Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody marks her feature film choreographic debut. She choreographed the acclaimed Peacock musical TV series “Girls5eva,” executive produced by Tina Fey as well as the #1 Netflix series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” Her choreography has also been featured on “Pose,” “Soundtrack,” “Gossip Girl” and the upcoming season of “Emily in Paris.” Her work can also be seen in the Kerry Washington sitcom “Unprisoned.” She began her career as co-choreographer of Beyoncé's videos, tour, and promotional materials for “Who Run the World (Girls),” “Dance For You” and “Love on Top.” She also assisted in choreographing “Booty” by Jennifer Lopez and worked with Paul Thomas Anderson for the HAIM music video “Just A Little of Your Love.” After choreographing the entire season of “Maya & Marty,” she was asked by Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond to choreograph season three of “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and has since worked for shows on NBC, Showtime, Netflix, and others. When not working with top stars, she teaches around the country and world, educating young artists and dancers to be who they are in their art form and love it.

Kevin Bailey (Producer) is a Los Angeles based producer and performer with his company MB Artists, founded in 1992, with partner and husband, James J. Mellon. Since 2013 he has served as Executive Producer for the play Ann, written by and starring Holland Taylor, which he spearheaded from the play's inception at the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood, California. Ann made its Broadway premiere at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater and garnered a Best Actress Tony nomination for Taylor. It was presented by PBS “Great Performances” in the summer of 2020, and is currently available on Broadway HD. MB Artists produced and represented Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard and their four highly successful plays in the Greater Tuna cycle and continues to represent and produce the works of Jaston Williams. The world premiere of Williams' solo play I Saw The Lights about the Lubbock, Texas UFO sightings of 1951, was recently filmed in Austin, Texas, as was his holiday show, Blood and Holly – Christmas West of the Pecos. Kevin served as Executive Producer for the play God Looked Away, which starred Al Pacino and Judith Light. In addition to 44, projects in development include the new musical Belles Are Swingin' and the solo play White Lies, starring Annie Potts. MB Artists has created, produced, and general-managed over 50 theatrical productions, five films, and dozens of industrials. As a performer, Bailey starred on Broadway and in Los Angeles in the original companies of The Lion King, and in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun with Bernadette Peters. He has performed in regional theaters from coast to coast and toured the country extensively performing with multiple productions of The Phantom of The Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Fantasticks, and The Foreigner, to name just a few. Bailey resides in Los Angeles with his husband of 33 years, James Mellon, their son William, and their lovable dogs Mia and Cooper.

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