Amas Musical Theatre Slates 'Dare to Be Different' Series of New Musicals

Amas Musical Theatre, in celebration of its 49th season, will present Dare To Be Different, a series of three new musicals and three one-night only special events from November 30 - December 15 at A.R.T./New York Theatres (502 West 53rd Street - 10th Avenue & 53rd Street).

"For 49 years, Amas has been a pioneer in multi-ethnic casting and has been devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals through the celebration of diversity and minority perspectives, and the emergence of new artistic talent," says Amas Artistic Producer Donna Trinkoff. "We wanted to present a series featuring new musicals and special one night events that explore the stories of people who dared to be different: the slave who stole a gunship from under the noses of the Confederate army; Hollywood's sepia goddess- the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar; the Mexican immigrant who fought to unionize building janitors. And to give our audiences the chance to get in at the ground floor in the development process of our talent artists in an intimate and up-close and personal setting."

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The Amas Dare To Be Different Series of New Musicals and Special Events is as follows:

TRUTH AND DARE: THREE NEW MUSICALS IN DEVELOPMENT

CHARLESTON HARBOR
A True Civil War Adventure with Historical Music, by Scott Winfield Sublett, directed by Christopher Scott.
The story of Robert Smalls, the slave who stole a Confederate gunship and inspired Abraham Lincoln to open enlistment for Black soldiers in the Civil War.
Thurs, November 30 @ 3pm & 7pm/Fri, December 1 @ 8pm
Charleston Harbor is sponsored by Sharleen Cooper Cohen

Dorothy Dandridge - HOLLYWOOD'S SEPIA GODDESS
Book, lyrics and music by Robert Mitchell. Often referred to as "The Black Marilyn Monroe", Dorothy Dandridge, the first of her race to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, boldly cleared a path for generations to come. Starring N'Kenge (originated Mary Wells, MOTOWN: The Musical).
Thurs, December 7 @ 3pm & 7pm/Fri, December @ 8pm
Dorothy Dandridge - Hollywood's Sepia Goddess is sponsored by Richard Bell

BREAD AND ROSES
Book and lyrics by Jill Abramowitz, music by Brad Alexander, directed by Melissa Crespo.
Based on the film inspired by true events, BREAD AND ROSES is the story of a young undocumented Mexican woman who crosses the U.S. border and risks it all in her fight for a living wage, equality and justice.
Thurs, December 14 @ 3pm & 7pm/Fri, December @ 3pm
Bread and Roses is sponsored by James White

CABARET TAKES THE DARE

THE DOTTIE MARASCHINO SHOW
Directed by Randy Skinner, music director David Caldwell
Michael LaMasa and his alter ego Dottie journey through the Great American Songbook with a little help from her friends in this jazz comedy variety show.. Only one performance!
Saturday, December 2 @ 7:30pm

A SPECIAL "BLAST FROM THE PLAST" BENEFIT CONCERT - ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY!
WANDA'S WORLD (2008 Amas World Premiere)
2008 Lucille Lortel Award Nomination for Outstanding Musical
Book by Eric Weinberger, music & lyrics by Beth Falcone, directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett
Meet Wanda, the coolest tween ever. She's beautiful. She's confident. And she's the star of her own TV Talk Show! That's the fantasy. In reality, Wanda has a blotchy issue of her own to overcome. And tomorrow is the first day at a new school ... IT'S GOING TO BE AN AWESOME YEAR!
Monday, December 4 @ 7:30pm
Wanda's World is sponsored by Steve Sagman and Terry Schnuck

THE Rosetta LeNoire MUSICAL THEATRE ACADEMY ALUMNI SHOWCASE
A musical reunion featuring Academy members from a few of the 42 years our flagship youth program has been in operation. Music direction by Evan Alparone.
One performance only!
Saturday, December 9 @ 7:30pm

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All the events are priced between $20-$40. Become an "Amas49er" member to receive a 50% discount. For tickets, call (212) 352-3101 or visit the brand new Amas web site at www.amasmusical.org.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) now in its 49h year of continuous operation is New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas ("you love" in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals through the celebration of diversity and minority perspectives, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of underserved young people in the New York area. In recent years, Amas has emerged as a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, the most recent being Broadway and the Bard, starring Len Cariou and Red Eye of Love, which was awarded the Joseph A. Callaway Award for Outstanding Choreography. Its production of The Other Josh Cohen received six 2013 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical, a 2013 Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Musical, and a 2013 Off-Broadway Alliance nomination for Best New Musical. Other shows that Amas has developed include Play it by Heart, A Taste of Chocolate, Triassic Parq, The Countess of Storyville, Distant Thunder, Marry Harry, Me and Miss Monroe, Aesop & Company, Signs of Life, Wanda's World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Lone Star Love, From My Hometown, Zanna, Don't!, 4 Guys Named Jose and Stormy Weather: Reimagining Lena Horne. Amas education programs include the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Lens on Live Theatre and in-school theatre arts residencies designed in partnership with elementary, middle, and high schools.

The A.R.T./New York Theatres are a project of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York), which provide state-of-the-art, accessible venues at subsidized rental rates, plus free access to top-line technical equipment, so that the city's small and emerging theatre companies can continue to experiment, grow, and produce new works. Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York is the leading service and advocacy organization for New York City's 375+ nonprofit theatres, with a mission to assist member theatres in managing their companies effectively so that they may realize their rich artistic visions and serve their diverse audiences well. We accomplish this through a comprehensive roster of real estate, financial, educational, and community-building programs, as well as research, advocacy, and field-wide initiatives that seek to improve the long-term health and sustainability of the industry. Over the years, A.R.T./New York has received numerous honors, including an Obie Award, an Innovative Theatre Award, a New York City Mayor's Award for Arts & Culture, and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. For more information, visit www.art-newyork.org.

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