Eco-Musical ENDANGERED! Headed Off-Broadway This July

This summer, FineHeart Productions, and The Eco Musical LLC will present ENDANGERED! The Musical, by Keni Fine and Tony Small, directed and choreographed by Michael Chase Gosselin, beginning performances on July 10 and opening Sunday, July 23 at The Davenport Theatre (354 West 45 Street). Tickets are $25, $49.75, $69.75 (premium) and can be purchased by visiting Telecharge.com.

Inspiring and fun, ENDANGERED! is a multi-cultural, international, multi-species musical about a social media savvy Kid reporter and a group of famous endangered animals from around the globe, who must survive an unexpected superstorm! Stranded at the zoo when the superstorm hits the city, the Kid and the endangered animals must quickly learn to understand and respect each other, while working together to save themselves. ENDANGERED! has melodies that are renewable, and harmonies that are sustainable, making this groundbreaking eco-musical uplifting and enjoyable for creatures of all ages!

ENDANGERED! is Off-Broadway's first Eco-Musical, originally commissioned by the Friends of the National Zoo and created in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and their TAP Arts Camp under the direction of Tony Small. In 2013, ENDANGERED! had a staged reading at the National Zoo, then premiered live-streamed on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, directed by Tony Small and Keni Fine, presented by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and FineHeart Productions.

The cast includes Theo Errig as the Kid, Levi Lovewell, Dana Scurlock (NY: Zuccotti Park Musical) as Bam-Boo the Giant Panda, Nate Rocke (Regional: Annual th25Putnum County Spelling Bee) as Einstein the Whooping Crane, Connor Delves (Regional: Me and the Girls) as Crankee the Crocodile, Nicolette Shin (Regional: Seussical) as G-Low the Golden Lion Tamarin, J'royce Jata (National Tour: Fame, Memphis) as Snoop the Spotted Skunk, Ani Djirdjirian (National Tour: Theaterworks The Lightning Thief) as Sita the Cheetah, and Maggie Ronck ( National Tour: Clifford The Big Red Dog Live!) as Janie Goodall, the famous TV Reporter.

The creative team includes Lena Gabrielle (Music Director, Arrangements and Additional Music), Doug Katsaros (Orchestrations), Ann Beyersdorfer (Set Design), Catherine Clark (Lighting Designer), Collin Ranney (Costume Designer), Patrick A. Lachance (Sound Designer), NJ Agwuna (Associate Director), Gabby Cogan (Associate Choreographer), and Evan Bernardin (General Manager).

For more about the show, go to www.EndangeredTheMusical.com.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

KENI FINE (Book and Lyrics) is a Lyricist, Librettist, Composer based in NYC and a member of the Dramatists Guild. Keni's previous musicals include TRUTH, IMAGINARY LOVERS, UNFriendly Fire, HE THINKS IT'S HIS SHOW, and "SWAMI PAJAMANANDA & the LIGHT-HEARTED PATH", an ongoing, immersive, multi-mediated performance project. As a Producer, Keni recently co-produced the Light of Peace & Hope Concert to benefit Amaliah.org and Project Safe Zone, helping wounded people of Syria receive medical care inside Isreal. On the New York stage, Keni helped bring to life LOMBARDI on Broadway, starring Dan Luria and Judith Light; and Ken Davneport's revival of GODSPELL. He is graduate of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Writing Workshop and NYU/Tisch's Experimental Theater Wing. He studied acting with Stella Adler; directing and theater composition with Anne Bogart; musical theater with Elizabeth Swados; musical book writing with Marsha Norman; and sketch comedy writing with Upright Citizen's Brigade. He has performed stand-up comedy at numerous NYC venues including Caroline's On Broadway, Gotham Comedy Club, and Stand-Up NY, and was a founding singer-songwriter with the Long Island based folk rock band, Jericho Turnpike. Keni is a graduate of the NYU School of Law. ENDANGERED is dedicated with Love and Respect to all the Kids and animals of the world.

TONY SMALL (Music) From being selected as one of the White House Millennium Committee's top Artists to serving as Composer and Librettist for the Smithsonian's first-ever commissioned Opera for the Sultanate of Oman, Tony Small has won national composer, playwright and lyricist awards in Jazz, Classical, Musical Theatre and Gospel genres, including a Stellar, the Grammy's of Gospel music. He has created nationally recognized interdisciplinary arts and STEM programs in four major cities including Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington DC and Baltimore. The TAP -Teen Arts Program- he founded in 2007 was selected as one of the top 2016 Presidential Arts & Humanities Youth Programs. Tony currently serves as Founding Director for SPEARS (Strategic Partnerships in Education, Arts, Research & STEM) and the 1st Regional Artistic Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. He is a partner at Artistré Entertainment & Publishing.

Michael Chase Gosselin (Director/Choreographer) is a Director and Producer based in NYC. He recently directed Kit Goldstein Grant's The Nose: A New Family Musical at the famous Master Theater in Brighton Beach, and the world premiere of Tim Sulka & Debra Barsha's The Most Miserable Christmas Tree. He produced Midnight At The Never Get and Ludo's Broken Bride at NYMF in 2016, and Pope! An Epic Musical in 2015. In 2013, he directed a reading of Moby Dick: A Whale Of A Tale for Cameron Mackintosh. He was the Producing Artistic Director of Act Three Theatricals in Vermont 2006-2012. As a Director/Choreographer, additional recent credits include Disney's Tarzan (VT Premiere), The Wedding Singer and South Pacific (NCT), Rock Nativity (Regional Premiere), a Vermont tour of The Complete History Of America (ABRIDGED), You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and A Christmas Carol for the Helen Hayes Youth Theatre, and Legally Blonde for Clark University. He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. www.michaelchasegosselin.com

LENA GABRIELLE (Music Director and Arrangements) Lena Gabrielle is a NYC based Music Director, Arranger, Orchestrator, and Composer/Lyricist, specializing in new works development. As Music Director: 30 Million (Theatre Row), A Taste of Things To Come (Bucks County Playhouse), New York Animals (Assistant MD, New Ohio Theatre), Next to Normal (Pittsburgh), Jesus Christ Superstar (Pittsburgh). As Composer/Lyricist: Tink! (NYMF 2016), Sleeping Beauty: A New Musical (Pittsburgh). Orchestrations/Arrangements: The Most Miserable Christmas Tree (World Premiere, NYC), A Taste of Things to Come (BCP/ York Theatre Company). Much love to MCG, Keni, and Planet Earth. @lenagabrielle

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