Designers Set For PLAY IT COOL Off-Broadway

"PLAY IT COOL" a new musical will be presented Off Broadway at Theatre Row - Acorn Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street. Previews begin Thursday, September 2nd.

The hot jazz influenced musical is conceived by Larry Dean Harris (co-founder of LA-based theatre company Playwrights 6), with a book by Martin Casella (The Irish Curse; Scituate; George Bush Goes to Hell, Paper Moon) and Larry Dean Harris, lyrics by Mark Winkler (platinum award winning singer/lyricist who has had over 200 of his songs recorded by Dianne Reeves, Liza Minnelli, Lea Salonga and Claire Martin, Co-writer of Naked Boys Singing!; creator/co-writer of Too Old For The Chorus), music by Phillip Swann (whose songs have been heard in television, film and have been recorded by numerous recording artists including: Clay Aiken, LeeAnn Womack, Blake Shelton, Lee Greenwood), with additional music by Jim Andron, Michael Cruz, Marilyn Harris, Emilio Palame, Larry Steelman. Play It Cool is directed by Sharon Rosen (LA premieres of Always Patsy Cline starring Sally Struthers and Judevine which earned three Drama-Logue Awards) with choreography by Marc Kimelman (Degrassi-the Next Generation plusStratford's Companyand Assassins). The musical is produced by Mary's Hideaway, LLC. The cast and opening will be announced next week. http://playitcoolmusical.com/ 2:10 (including intermission)

Sexy... sultry...repressive - Hollywood 1953, an underground nightclub where everyone's got a secret. At Mary's Hideaway, it was a place for sizzling jazz and for the ambitious people who are finding the courage to be who they are. It is the noir time of the ‘50's, and the laws governing gay and lesbian clubs, produced every glance that had a double meaning and the words that were innuendo. Here everything had to be done to the strict code. These are some of the people who had the guts to break the rules. You just need to ... Play It Cool!)

Thomas A. Walsh (Scenic Design) Broadway credits include: "Children of A Lesser God" and "Zoot Suit." He was associated with Tony Walton on "I'm Not Rappaport," "The Real Thing," and "My One and Only". He is the originating production designer on ABC-TV's hit series, Desperate Housewives, for which he designed the pilot and 84 episodes.

Therese A. Bruck (Costume Design) is the Costume Director for New York University, overseeing some 14 yearly productions. She was resident costume manager for Blue Man Group (NYC, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, Orland, Berlin, Tokyo, Toronto). A few other credits are "The Sum of Us", "Demonology", "Water Children", "Baby Anger" and "Arts and Leisure" at Playwrights Horizons.

Deb Sullivan (Lighting Design) has designed at The Public Theater; Off Broadway: Women's Theatre Project, SPF (Summer Play Festival), NYMF Festival, NY Fringe Festival as well at major theatres in Atlanta, Louisville, Cleveland, Seattle, Houston and Pittsburg to name a few.
Peter Fitzgerald (Sound Design) is President of Sound Associates, Inc. and founding partner in GPR Records. Some of his shows are "Priscella Queen of the Desert", "Ghetto Klown", "Movin' Out", "Gypsy", "Will Rogers Follies", "42nd Street", "La Cage Aux Folles", and New York Philharmonic's "Company".

Carl Casella (Sound Design) for more then twenty five years has worked as a designer and producer for some of New York's busiest recording studios and Fortune 500 companies as well as numerous shows on Broadway and Off-Broadway.

Regular performances of the limited engagement are: Tuesday @ 7pm, Wednesday @ 2pm & 8pm, Thursday & Friday @ 8pm, Saturday @ 2pm & 8pm, Sunday @ 3pm & 7pm. No Performances:Wednesday 9/14 @ 2pm; Saturday 9/24; Sunday, 9/25; and Sunday 10/9 @ 7pm. Tickets are $65.00 (includes a $1.25 facility fee). They can be bought at the Theatre Row Box Office or through TeleCharge bycalling 212/239-6200 or online at TeleCharge.com.