Full Cast Announced for York's DON'T BOTHER ME, I CAN'T COPE as Part of Musicals in Mufti 2016

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and the preservation of musical gems from the past, celebrates musical revues with the announcement of complete casting for the season opener of the Winter 2016 Musicals in Mufti Series: Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, a musical entertainment with by Micki Grant, conceived by Vinnette Carroll.

Directed by Leslie Dockery, and with musical direction by William Foster McDaniel, the eight-member cast will feature Jelani Alladin (Ragtime), Darilyn Castillo (It Ain't Nothin But the Blues), Doug Eskew (The Color Purple), Tina Fabrique (Ragtime), Marva Hicks (Motown, The Musical),Devin L. Roberts (The Lion King), Ruan Ruffin ("The Good Wife") and Debra Walton (Storyville).

The limited engagement of Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope will play 10 performances only February 27 - March 6, 2016 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (619 Lexington Avenue, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Opening Night performance on Sunday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. will be followed by a "Can't Cope with the Oscars Party."

Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, a musical entertainment with book, music, and lyrics by Micki Grant and conceived by Vinnette Carroll, will be directed by Leslie Dockery. With five 1972 Tony Award nominations (including Best Musical) and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical the same year, the show also won Micki Grant a Grammy Award for best score-the first female to be so honored. Ms. Grant was also one of the stars of the show, which came to Broadway after successful runs in Washington DC, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The show ran for over two years on Broadway. A dynamic mixture of gospel, jazz, funk, soul, calypso, and soft rock, the show illuminates the African-American experience with vibrant song and dance. Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope was described as "a cultural pulse-taking of the challenges facing the black community in America" and is the first Broadway musical written entirely by a woman and the first Broadway production to be directed by a female African-American. T. E. Kalem, writing in TIME Magazine, said, "all heaven breaks loose on stage. This is the kind of show at which you want to blow kisses." The New York Times declared, "A hand-clapping, sky reaching, body-swaying musical."

The performance schedule for Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope is Saturday, February 27 at 2:30 p.m.* & 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, February 28 at 2:30 p.m.* and 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, March 3 and Friday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, March 5 at 2:30 p.m.* & 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 6 at 2:30 p.m. (*audience discussions follow these matinee performances).

The Opening Night performance on Sunday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. will be followed by a "Can't Cope with the Oscars Party."

The York Theatre Company's acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series of musical theatre gems, performed in a simply-staged, book-in-hand concert format, celebrates its twenty-first historic year with the 102nd and 103rd presentations of shows from the past. Mufti means "in street clothes, without the trappings associated with a full production."

Concluding the 2-show Winter 2016 Musicals in Mufti series is Starting Here, Starting Now, music by David Shire, lyrics and direction byRichard Maltby, Jr. From first kiss to painful breakup, romantic relationships come full circle in this thrilling and touching intimate revue by the team that brought you Big, Baby, and York's recent, award-winning runaway hit, Closer Than Ever. This bold, extroverted revue takes a journey through the maze of modern relationships with its heart firmly on its sleeve. As with all of Maltby and Shire's work, each song is an impeccably crafted story--original, engaging, bursting with character, and showcasing the versatility and charisma of its performer using songs from their various early musicals (produced or otherwise). From tender ballads to hysterical husband-hunting laments, from wry comments on trendy marriages to ecstatic shouting-from-the-rooftop celebration, Starting Here, Starting Now has an appealing freshness as relevant today as it was when it premiered in 1976. Performances begin Saturday, March 12, 2016 for a limited engagement through March 20, 2016.

"The York Theatre Company has celebrated many milestones over the past 46 years and we are excited to add these two very special Mufti presentations to our legacy," stated James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director at The York. "Whether you are a returning member or a first timer, we hope you will enjoy these exciting shows with us."

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