Billy Lewis Jr. of Fox's Glee Will Star in Off-Broadway Rock Odyssey THE PORTAL at Minetta Lane Theatre

The New York premiere of THE PORTAL will begin an Off-Broadway open-ended run on October 27, 2016 at the Minetta Lane Theatre. THE PORTAL is a rock odyssey conceived and directed by Luke Comer, with original music composed by Tierro Lee and Luke Comer, starring Billy Lewis Jr. (Mason McCarthy on the Fox series "Glee"), and choreographed by Jessica Chen. Opening night is set for Sunday, November 13.

Audiences can enter THE PORTAL as they follow Dante through majestic deserts and alpine mountains as he seeks the beautiful and mysterious Beatrice -- while also being pursued by his own inner-demons. Is his quest real? A dream? Or an allegory of our own desire for transformation?

Driven by epic rock, pulsing with tribal and electronic beats, THE PORTAL is part concert, part movie, and part performance. Inspired by Burning Man, Pink Floyd, EDM, and world mythology, THE PORTAL not only entertains but also immerses the audience in a journey of transcendence and empowerment. The Huffington Post says, "THE PORTAL is reshaping the art of performance theater."

THE PORTAL's soundtrack and upcoming album is composed by Tierro Lee (formerly of the band Kan'Nal) and Luke Comer. Upon the show's move to NYC, music producers Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields, Soko) and David Sisko (Passion Pit, Bryan Ferry) were brought on by Comer to enhance the original tracks from the show. THE PORTAL soundtrack will be released on November 11 with a NYC release party at The Bowery Electric on November 7. Several singles will be released throughout the run leading up to the official release of the album. Some songs are based on Tierro's original compositions that have been adapted to the show, and others are collaborations between the two. Additional lyrics were written by Daniel Katsuk (from the band Katsuk). Two songs licensed for the show include "Space Weaver," from Lisa Gerrard (of the band Dead Can Dance), a Golden Globe Award winner for the music score to the film Gladiator, and "Space Child," from the band Kan'Nal.

The performers include lead vocalist/frontman Billy Lewis Jr. (Fox's "Glee," The Who's Tommy, Spring Awakening, Hedwig & the Angry Inch), dancers Marija Juliette Abney (Broadway's After Midnight, Anna Nicole with New York City Opera), Jessica Aronoff (company member of J CHEN PROJECT & Eryc Taylor Dance) and Nicole Spencer (Dirty Dancing national tour, "Saturday Night Live"), on-screen actors Christopher Soren Kelly (Ink) and Zarah Mahler (Broadway's Soul Doctor, Emily Raydor on TNT's "Major Crimes"), and Joey Calveri (Broadway's Rock of Ages & Wonderland). Live music is performed by guitarist Paul Casanova and percussionist Gilly Gonzalez.

The creative team includes Sound Designer Peter Fitzgerald (Broadway's Sylvia & All The Way), Lighting Designer Traci Klainer Polimeni (The Most Deserving with Women's Project), Set Consultants David Goldstein and Peter Feuchtwanger, Costume Designer Liene Dobraja and Associate Director Paul Stancato (Jekyll and Hyde, The Lion King & The Wedding Singer national tours), Wojcik/Seay Casting (Casting).

The production team includes Grace Starr (Associate Producer, Marketing Director), Gregg Bellon (Production Stage Manager), Mogul Productions/Jill Bowman (General Management), Peter Feuchtwanger (Production Supervisor), Charles Newman (Music Consultant), Amanda Bohan Marketing (Advertising) and Krista Robbins (Company Manager).

The Minetta Lane Theatre is located at 18 Minetta Lane between MacDougal Street and 6th Avenue in New York City. Performances are Wednesdays - Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 5pm and 9pm. Tickets, from $49 to $69 with premium seating at $89, are now on sale for all shows through December 31. Visit www.TicketMaster.com or call 1-800-745-3000. For more information, visit www.ThePortalNYC.com.

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