IT CAME FROM BEYOND at Write Act Rep Extended Through Holidays

Producers John Lant and Cornell Christianson with ICFB Productions are pleased to announce the East Coast Off-Broadway premiere of IT CAME FROM BEYOND, a 1950's sci-fi, musical comedy with book by writer / producer Cornell Christianson, music and lyrics by Stephen M. Schwartz and Norman E. Thalheimer and directed by Jim Blanchette.

Production Opened April 2018 at St. Luke's Theatre. Continuing Performances run Tuesdays at 7:00p.m. at St. Luke's Theatre located at 308 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tickets cost between $29 and $99 and can be purchased through Telecharge at www.telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200. For more information, please visit www.itcamefrombeyond.com. If you would like to request a group of 20+, please contact johnlant@writeactrep.org

IT CAME FROM BEYOND tells the story of Harold, a nerdy high school geek whose only chance to save Becky the popular, beautiful girl that he's in love with is to find the secret hidden information in a new comic book, "It Came From Beyond." In the comic book's parallel storyline, an astronomer seeks the answers to the similarly mysterious clues in order to stop aliens from outer space "blanking" the population of Planet Earth for their evil twisted purposes.

All original songs, this throwback is fun for the whole family for those capturing the nostalgia of their youth to those being introduced to a cherished genre for the first time - great for all ages.

Comic books, aliens, 1950's dancing, and its music couldn't be more relevant with parody songs like "American Way," "They're Here," "Find a Hero," and "Are You One of Them?" playfully set against the backdrop of paranoid Eisenhower Cold War propaganda.

Currently featured in the cast are Adam Munoz, Amy Weintraub, Sean R. Jones, Natalie Michaels, Bryan S. Walton, Alexandra Dominquez, Brittani O'Connell, Zina Ellis, Jacob Stein, J. Jerome Rogers, and Anthony Logan Cole.

The choreography by Mark Blowers, additional choreography by Alexandra Dominguez and Clint Hromsco, music direction is by Austen Nuckols, lighting designis by Maarten Cornelis, and costume design by Jennifer Anderson. Casting is by Tamra Pica Casting.

Cornell Christianson (Writer/ Producer)

Cornell was a writer-producer at Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox where he produced the award-winning television series The Paper Chase starring John Houseman. His specialty is that he writes musicals with a unique structure of two parallel and interconnecting stories that go back and forth between two worlds. He has written a 1940s film noir musical, a 1950s sci-fi musical, a 1950s Marilyn Monroe musical and is writing a 1960s sword and sandal musical. His 1950s musical It Came From Beyond earned him two Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Writing of a Musical. He has written its screenplay and two sequels which are being planned for a TV mini-series. His 1940s musical Wicked City Blues played in Salt Lake City and was named one of the Ten Best Plays of the Year in Utah. Critics called it "a snappy, sassy and thoroughly enjoyable send-up of the "film noir" mystery genre" and a production is being planned for Off Broadway. He has written a murder-mystery musical, Marilyn Exposed, which reveals the truth about Marilyn Monroe's death and is expected to open next year. He is a graduate of William & Mary College and UCLA, a deacon of his church and an Eagle Scout.

Norman E. Thalheimer (Composer/Lyricist)

Norman is a Broadway composer-lyricist who co-wrote Marilyn: An American Fable, which opened at the Minskoff Theater in Times Square. He is also the book writer and composer-lyricist for Wicked City Blues, a 1940's radio detective musical, which premiered at the Allred Theater in Utah and which received rave reviews. He has composed music for movies including, The Prophesy, Jericho Mile, The Return of Captain Invincible, and will be composing the score for the upcoming feature film, Beyond the Veil. As a pianist he has accompanied amongst others, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison, and has played in jazz venues in London, New York, Tampa and Los Angeles.

Stephen M. Schwartz (Composer/Lyricist)

Stephen is an award-winning composer-lyricist and worldwide performer. Best known throughout the world as part of the renowned children's musical group, Parachute Express, Stephen has 14 award-winning albums generating millions of fans across the globe. Prior to his success as a children's' artist, Stephen was a solo recording artist on RCA Records. As a songwriter Stephen's compositions have been recorded and performed by such diverse artists as Barry Manilow and country music star, Trace Adkins. For the last eight years he has been performing and touring throughout China bringing the joy of his music to families in well over 100 cities so far. Stephen and his music have been featured on The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, as well as films Grumpy Old Men, Revenge Of the Nerds, and was the main writer of the songs included in the popular PBS series, Jay Jay The Jet Plane. Stephen's home is in Los Angeles with his wife, Althea, and he is "beyond" thrilled to be a part of this wonderful production.

John Lant (Producer / Artistic Director)

John is a 35-year veteran in the entertainment industry, has produced 7 Off-Broadway plays, and has been involved in over 600 television, film, music tours, and theatrical productions. An award-winning producer, director, writer, lighting / set designer, he has mounted productions at Cal Arts, Ricardo Montalban, Powerhouse, Glendale Center, Hollywood Playhouse, Long Beach Playhouse, the Jewel Box Theatres and Write Act Repertory garnering DramaLogue, Diamond, ADA, NAACP Awards, LA Weekly and Backstage Picks of the Week, Garland and Valley Theatre (LA) nominations. As an Executive Producer of New Frequency - Theatre of the Mind, he produced 150 all-new original Radio Dramas for XM Radio's Sonic Theatre - Ranked as the #1 Radio show. With Jonathan Sanger at Chanticleer Films, he worked on two shorts that won an Emmy and an Oscar, also mentored under Howard Storm and directed Children's TV Pilots Symphology, Carrot Talk, and Anonymous Confessions. Recently as Producing Artistic Director of Write Act Repertory/Director of Development for Twisted Media NYC his Off-Broadway production of FABULOUS! The Queen of Musicals! Other Off-Broadway Lead Producing credits; 2by Tennessee Williams (AEA), Pillars of NY; OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTIONS CURRENTLY RUNNING: Lili Marlene, Frankenstein, It Came from Beyond, Wicked Frozen, and in pre-Production Pearl-The Musical (with creative team members of Dreamgirls! Original Broadway Cast); LOS ANGELES PRODUCTIONS CURRENTLY RUNNING: - Finest Hour (Winston Churchill project), Wicked Wicked Mae West West, and Prez - The Lester Young Story.

Under the artistic leadership of John Lant since 2003, acclaimed WRITE ACT REPERTORY has produced over 40 Mainstage and 80 original one-act plays in Los Angeles and Off-Broadway in New York City. Write Act Repertory is dedicated to the development of original plays, lesser known works by established writers, adaptations of classical-themed materials and musicals. Write Act Repertory also produces rarely seen works and unfinished musicals by composers who passed before their work was completed. www.writeactrep.org

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