New Musical LIZARD BOY to Receive NYC Industry Presentations at Peter J. Sharp Theatre

The new musical Lizard Boy, which took Seattle by storm with its world premiere at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2015, will receive two private industry readings directed by Brandon Ivie (Jasper in Deadland) at The Peter J. Sharp Theatre (416 West 42nd Street) on November 15, 2016, at 12:00pm and 3:00pm.

Written by and starring Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy was the hit of the 2015 Seattle theatre season premiering to rave reviews, sold-out houses, an extended run, and four Gregory Awards including Best New Play. The show also played a recent critically acclaimed extended run at Diversionary Theatre in San Diego. Huertas will reprise his Gregory Award-winning leading performance, as will his original co-stars Kirsten Delohr Helland and William A. Williams, who also received Gregory Awards for their performances. Ivie repeats his duties as director. Allison Bressi, Brandon Ivie, and Creative Endeavor Office (Carolyn D. Miller & Matthew J. Schneider) produce.

Seattle Repertory Theatre commissioned the comic book-inspired story, which mixes quirky romantic comedy with a folk-rock score played by it's three-person cast. Lizard Boy marks Huertas's playwrighting and New York City debut. He is currently under a second commission with Seattle Repertory Theatre after the success of Lizard Boy.

"Trevor feels like a freak - which is not helped by the green lizard skin he grew after a bizarre childhood accident. One fateful night, he's caught between a cute stranger and a mysterious rock singer, leading to an epic confrontation of mythic proportions. Folk rock concert meets comic book lore in this thrillingly original musical, in which Trevor must decide if he'll become the hero of his own story."

Lizard Boy will receive two presentations on November 15 at 12:00pm and 3:00pm at Playwrights Horizons in the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, 416 W 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Aves. The reading is closed to the general public and seating is limited. Industry professionals interested in attending should inquire at lizardmusical@gmail.com.

Justin Huertas (Book/Music/Lyrics/Trevor) made his professional debut as a playwright with Lizard Boy at Seattle Repertory Theatre and won the Gregory Award for Best New Play and Leading Actor in a Musical. He is currently under a second musical commission at Seattle Rep. Recent acting credits: Sprawl (Washington Ensemble Theatre), In the Heights (Village Theatre, Gregory Award nom), Speech and Debate and Come From Away workshop/reading (Seattle Repertory Theatre), Avenue Q (Balagan Theatre), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Contemporary Classics), Secondhand Lions and Grease at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Justin played cello for the Broadway National Tour of Spring Awakening. BFA in Acting from Pacific Lutheran University.

Brandon Ivie (Director/Producer) recent credits include Ryan Scott Oliver and Hunter Foster's Jasper in Deadland Off-Broadway and at The 5th Avenue Theatre, the world premiere of Justin Huertas' new musical Lizard Boy at the Tony Award-winning Seattle Repertory Theatre (Gregory Award nom) and A Christmas Story at Paper Mill Playhouse. Broadway assisting: Catch Me if You Can, Next to Normal, First Date, A Christmas Story, and Gigi. Other directing credits include The Public Theater/Joe's Pub, Signature Theatre, New York University, HERE Arts Center, Prospect Theater Company, New York Musical Festival, Barrington Stage Company, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Signature Theatre, The Kennedy Center. Drama League Directing Fellow. LCT Directors Lab. He is the Associate Artistic Director and Head of New Musicals at Village Theatre near Seattle.

ALLISON BRESSI Selected credits include: The Strangest by Betty Shamieh, directed by May Adrales (4th Street Theatre), One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace (Off Broadway, Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company), Songbird by Michael Kimmel and Lauren Pritchard, featuring Kate Baldwin (Off Broadway, 59E59); The Vaults by Caroline V. McGraw (New Georges JAM on Toast Fesitval); Tough Titty (Executive Producer Andre Braugher); Molly Murphy and Neil deGrasse Tyson on our Last Day on Earth (NYMF, Ars Nova's ANT Fest, Incubator Arts Project); (not just) 3 New Plays (Executive Producer), Reckless (Indigo Theatre Project benefit reading with Tina Fey); Uncommon Women and Others Benefit Reading (Indigo Theatre Project). Allison is the Producing Director for Strangemen + Co., a producer on The Score, a musical podcast, and works for Signature Theatre.

CREATIVE ENDEAVOR OFFICE Creative Endeavor Office is a new theatrical Production Company that develops and markets original plays and musicals for the commercial theatre market. Co-owners and co-founders Matthew J. Schneider and Carolyn D. Miller have a combined thirty year professional history as theatremakers, including various roles on productions like Allegiance (B'way), Memphis (B'way and First Nat'l Tour), and a number of Off-Broadway shows. Their primary focus is on the development and production of original musicals.

Photo Credit: Alabastro Photography

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