Desi Oakley, Jelani Remy & More to Star in 121 PROJECT LIVE IN CONCERT

Lucille Lortel Theatre will present 121 Project Live in Concert, a one-night-only event showcasing excerpts from five new musicals in development. The concert, which takes place on Monday, February 3 at 7pm, will feature some of Broadway’s leading and rising talents performing new works, all of which have been supported by the 121 Project, a tailored program dedicated to helping writers take their musicals to the next step. Tickets, which start at $35, are currently on sale.

Performers include Iris Beaumier, Shayna Blass, Drama Desk nominee Jerry Dixon (If/Then, Once On This Island), Drama Desk and Lortel nominee Andrew Durand (Dead Outlaw, Shucked), Shadia Fairuz, Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Robi Hager (Doctor Zhivago), Rodney Hicks (Come From Away, The Scottsboro Boys), Daniel Haengil Larsen, Desi Oakley (Chicago, Wicked), Marina Pires (How to Dance in Ohio), Jelani Remy (Back to the Future), Naomi Serrano, Angel Sigala (New York, New York), Kimber Elayne Sprawl (Othello, Girl From the North Country), and Tony and Grammy nominee NaTasha Yvette Williams (Some Like It Hot).

This ensemble of 16 stellar performers will debut new songs from five musicals currently in various stages of development, many of which have never been performed live in front of an audience. Those musicals include:

Barnstormer

Book & Lyrics by Cheryl L. Davis; Music by Douglas J. Cohen
Performances by Iris Beaumier, Jerry Dixon, Jelani Remy, and NaTasha Yvette Williams
Before Amelia Earhart, there was Bessie Coleman — the first Black aviatrix who took her race from the cotton fields to the clouds. Barnstormer chronicles her journey from rural Waxahachie Texas to the freedom she found in the sky.

The Break

Book & Lyrics by Christopher Dimond; Music by Michael Kooman 
Performances by Shayna Blass and Ben Fankhauser
At its heart, The Break is a two-person musical about sex, love, and relationships. It’s about what sleeping with strangers can teach us about ourselves. It’s about the ways we grow together, and the ways we grow apart.

Coal

Book, Music, & Lyrics by Nicholas Connors
Performances by Andrew Durand and Desi Oakley
Coal takes place during the 1920-21 Coal Mine Wars as the United Mine Workers push to unionize the remaining non-union coal fields in southern West Virginia. The story follows workers of the fictional Heron Creek coal mine as they are swept into what will become the largest armed insurrection in US History after the Civil War.

Hart Island

Book & Lyrics by Michelle Elliott; Music & Lyrics by Danny Haengil Larsen
Performances by Shadia Fairuz, Rodney Hicks, Danny Larsen, Marina Pires, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, and Angel Sigala
Hart Island is a small island in the East River that has served as NYC’s public burial grounds for 150+ years. It is the final resting place for 1 million unclaimed and indigent New Yorkers, as well as thousands of still born infants. Set in 1985, Hart Island follows the lives of two people who have each lost a child and are unable to move beyond their grief.

Little Duende

Book & Lyrics by Georgina Escobar; Music & Lyrics by Robi Hager
Performances by Shadia Fairuz, Robi Hager, Naomi Serrano, and Angel Sigala
In the land of Elflán, life and beauty flourish. We meet Adelita, an adventurous and curious young elf eager to find what lies beyond the horizon. Using fairy tales and mythological themes, Little Duende comments on real-world matters as it explores the border crisis, dual citizenship, and the consequences of a dark family secret.

121 Project Live in Concert will feature live music from a 6-piece band that includes music director Matthew Smedal on piano, Sita Chay on violin, Marc Malsegna on guitar, Josh Priest on drums & percussion, Corey Schutzer on bass, and Agustin Uriburu on cello.

“121 Project is a tailored development program designed to meet the individual needs of a specific moment,” says Michael Heitzman, Artistic Director of New Musical Development and Director of the 121 Project. “We are filled with joy that such a talented group of performers have come together for this one-night only concert. Their contributions are essential in helping these five musicals advance to their next stage of development and hope that the support of the Lucille Lortel Theatre can be transformational.”

To post a comment, you must register and login.