LILI MARLENE Returns To St. Lukes Theater 4/25

Write Act Repertory's Producing Artistic Director John Lant and Producer Tamra Pica are pleased to announce the extension of LILI MARLENE, a new musical about a family's escape from the rising tide of Nazism, with book, music and lyrics by Michael Antin and directed and choreographed by Mark Blowers.

The production returns Wednesday, April 25th at 2:30 pm and will continue Wednesdays at 2:30 pm through June 6th 2018 at the St. Luke's Theatre, located at 308 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tickets cost between $20 and $99 and can be purchased through Telecharge at https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway or by calling (212) 239-6200. $25.00 rush tickets available day of the show at the box office, cash only, limit 2 per person. Box office Opens at 12:30pm. For more information, please visit stlukestheatre.com or facebook.com/writeactrepertory.

The musical love story of Rosie Penn, a famous, Jewish cabaret singer, and Count Hans Wilhelm von Kleister Graff, LILI MARLENE is set in Berlin during the last year of the Weimar Republic and at the beginning of the Third Reich period. As the dark clouds of Nazism loom, the Count, as the head of the passport bureau of the German foreign ministry, helps the German cultural and scientific elite escape from the country, and he, his family and Rosie must decide where their futures lie.

Michael Antin (Composer, Bookwriter, Lyricist). Retiring after 45 years of practice as a tax lawyer, Michael has devoted himself to music and the theatre. His teaching experience, as a Visiting Professor of law, at Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California Berkeley, and in numerous countries of central Europe, brings a special perspective to his playwriting. Michael played five instruments and student conducted the All-Southern California High School Orchestra before even getting to high school. Upon entering UCLA he joined the choir conducted by Rodger Wagner and moved on to the Chorale. He was the only non-music major admitted to the music honorary fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Michael left music behind when he entered law school. When he retired in March 2008 from the practice of tax law, he resumed piano lessons and joined a choir. His piano teacher motivated him to write lyrics and to compose, resulting in a proliferation of songs. A cabaret singer heard some of his work and motivated Michael to write what became his first musical, Answer the Call. Additional experiences in getting to know people led to the further development and productions of the musicals Butterfly, Sophia, Renewal, and Pillars of New York.

John Lant (Producer / Artistic Director) is a 35-year veteran in the entertainment industry 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! licensed through Steele Rights and current projects Lili Marlene and Frankenstein at St. Luke's have been running since summer of 2017. Other Lead Producing credits; AEA off-Broadway's 2by Tennessee Williams, Pillars of NY; Pre-production in NY for Spring 2018 Musicals, It Came from Beyond, Wicked / Frozen, and Pearl-The Musical (with creative team members of Dreamgirls! Original Broadway Cast) with current Los Angeles projects-Finest Hour (Winston Churchill project), Wicked Wicked Mae West West, and Prez - The Lester Young Story.

The cast includes: Ryan Ball, Samantha Collette, Nicholas-Tyler Corbin, Alexandra Dominguez, Molly Gilman, Adam Kee, Amanda Kocher, Patrick MacLennan, Thomas Reasoner, Caleb Schaaf,
Megan Supina, Stephanie Viegas, and Bryan Watson.

Executive Producer John Lant and Producer Tamra Pica lead the company, with book, music and lyrics by Michael Antin, directed and choreographed by Mark Blowers, Music Direction by Lisa Lawrence. Jim Blanchette is the production's Dramaturg, with designs by Maarten Cornelis (Lighting), Jennifer Anderson (Costumes), Production Stage Managers Britanni O'Connell and Lauren Winnenberg and Production Associates Tim Hays, Daniella Vejar and Jamie Ades. Casting by Tamra Pica Casting.

Critical praise for the production includes:
"performers are all highly skilled actors and singers, especially Amy Londyn as cabaret performer Rosie Penn" - Broadway World

"The play is at its best musically and vocally... Amy Londyn makes a phenomenal Off-Broadway debut. She has a beautiful and engaging voice and is charasmatic and real in her portrayal of the young cabaret star" - Local Theatre NY

"the choreography by Mark Blowers is fun and sharp ... the cast is highly skilled and talented ... Lili Marlene puts a sweet twist on how love is possible even in the dreariest of times" - Off Off Online

"performers are all highly skilled actors and singers, especially Amy Londyn as cabaret performer Rosie Penn"- Broadway World

Under the artistic leadership of John Lant since 2003, acclaimed WRITE ACT REPERTORY has produced over 40 Mainstage and 75 original one-act plays in Los Angeles and 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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