Interactive New Musical BLANK! Opens Tonight at New World Stages
By: BWW News Desk Nov. 17, 2014
The cast is comprised of leading musical improvisers from around the country, including, Katie Dufrense (Happy Karaoke Fun Time!, Improvised Sondheim Project), Nicole C. Hastings (The Second City National Touring Company, Improvised Sondheim Project), Tessa Hersh (People's Improv Theatre), Andrew Knox (The Second City National Touring Company, with The Improvised Shakespeare Company), TJ Mannix (Second City, NYMF's Hurricane), Matthew Van Colton (Porchlight, Baby Wants Candy), Douglas Widick (F#%king Up Everything, North Coast -founder). The design team includes Tony Award winner Jeff Croiter (Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies) and Matt Kraus (Liza's at The Palace, Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony).
BLANK! THE MUSICAL is created by Michael Girts, T.J. Shanoff (director) and Mike Descoteaux (musical director) and executive produced by Matt Britten. The show will begin performances at NYC's New World Stages on November 1, celebrating its opening night on Monday, November 17 and will run through December 14, 2014. BLANK! THE MUSICAL has partnered with app designer by Livecube, improv partners Uprights Citizens Brigade and ImprovBoston and is being General Managed by Eva Price at Maximum Entertainment Productions
Experience the magic of Broadway like never before at BLANK! THE MUSICAL, an astonishing and hysterical next-generation theatrical sensation. Each night, a talented ensemble takes to the stage-with no script, no rehearsal, and no idea what will happen-to perform a brand-new smash hit musical... that you help to create!
At BLANK! THE MUSICAL, the power to build your dream Broadway show is in your hands. Bring your friends, get out your smartphone, and vote with the audience to fill in the blanks. Choose a title. Write lyrics. Compose the score. Then it's curtain time and away we go...watch in awe as actors, musicians, and a Tony Award-winning design team bring your musical to life on the spot, complete with show-stopping singing, dazzling dancing, and of course, laugh-out-loud comedy. Will you write the next Wicked, Les Miz, or Book of Mormon? The results are always hilarious. A night at the theater has never been so much fun!
Utilizing a specially designed mobile app, BLANK! THE MUSICAL is a unique entertainment event, which marks the debut of a new "stage and screen" technology. Developed in partnership with Livecube, this mobile technology will allow audience members to direct the action, simply by using their mobile phones. For the first time ever, audiences will be able to engage with the show and each other and play a crucial role in creating a brand-new fully realized musical every night.
Tickets are $29-$69 and can be purchased at Telecharge at 212.239.6200 or at www.telecharge.com. Running time is 90 minutes no intermission and is rated PG-13. Check Telecharge.com for holiday schedule.
For more information, visit www.blankthemusical.com, "like" BLANK! THE MUSICAL on Facebook at facebook.com/blankthemusical, follow the show on Twitter @blankthemusical and join the discussion using #fillintheblank, or see photos and videos on Instagram by following @blankthemusical.
Who's Who:
ABOUT MICHAEL GIRTS, CO-CREATOR/PRODUCER - Michael Girts has performed for The Second City in Rod Blagojevich Superstar, Rush Limbaugh! The Musical and Fair and Unbalanced. He has also performed for The Second City aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines. Michael produced and performed in One Night Only, a fully-improvised Off-Broadway musical. Other credits include the Chicago Improv Festival, Chicago Sketchfest, Laugh Out Loud Theater (Schaumburg, IL) and ImprovAcadia (Bar Harbor, ME). Michael is a proud member of acclaimed musical improv ensembles The Improvised Sondheim Project and Mansical. He earned his BFA in acting from Syracuse University and his MBA from the University of Notre Dame. Michael teaches improvisation and runs workshops for various universities and professional organizations.
ABOUT T.J. SHANOFF, CO-CREATOR/DIRECTOR - T.J. Shanoff has been with The Second City since 1997. Composer/lyricist credits include: Rod Blagojevich Superstar, Rush Limbaugh: The Musical, Jewsical, Barackstars, Sex & The Second City and original Second City revues in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Atlanta. Directing credits include: Chicago Live!, The Second City's 50th Anniversary on Tour, and many productions aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line. Musical Direction includes An Evening with Martin Short, Songs Of The Second City, The Chicago Emmy Awards, and The Roof Is On Fiddler (also co-writer/director). Other credits include hosting talk shows on Sporting News Radio, WGN-AM, and WCKG-FM; contributor to the Chicago Tribune; and emceeing Gilda's Club's Aannual "Night of 1000 Noogies" fundraiser since 2008.
ABOUT MIKE DESCOTEAUX, CO-CREATOR/MUSIC DIRECTOR - Mike Descoteaux is the Artistic Director of ImprovBoston and the founder of the celebrated Music Program at The Second City Training Center in Chicago. Among other notable arts leadership positions, Mike is founder and director of the critically acclaimed sketch satire, Best Church of God, named "Best Sketch Comedy in Chicago" several years running. In various capacities, Mike has collaborated with Tony, Emmy and Oscar-award winning artists and, with equal passion, students and emerging artists of all ages. A smattering of the artists Mike has had the privilege to work alongside include Stephen Colbert, Martin Short, Keegan Michael-Key, Richard Kind, Rachel Dratch, Brian Gallivan, Nicole Parker, TJ Jagadowki, Scott Adsit, Joe Bill, Dave Razowski, Vanessa Bayer, Mick Napier, Aidy Bryant, Jack McBrayer, Jason Robert Brown, Norbert Leo-Butz, Jackie Hoffman, Jill Bernard, Kevin McDonald and comedy giants like Baby Wants Candy, Improvised Shakespeare, The Annoyance, ComedySportz, iO, and the Magnet. Mike has directed ImprovBoston's National Touring Company, The Family Show, and numerous indie sketch and improv ensembles. Mike has been seen on NBC, CBS, A&E, and WGN. Mike, a Northwestern University grad, has received a Jeff Award, After Dark Award, Paynter Award and was named one of the top young songwriters in the country by the Johnny Mercer/AMTP association.
ABOUT LIVECUBE - Livecube amplifies audience engagement at events by applying game mechanics to every attendee interaction. It works really well to focus attention and help attendees join the event conversation to find the best ideas and drive increased networking, turning a mobile device into an engagement tool instead of a distraction. Livecube has caused events to become top trending topics on all of twitter, though also offers a private messaging version for clients who don't want things as public, like some of our Fortune 100 clientele. More at www.livecube.co.
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