Photo Flash: First Look at New FRANKENSTEIN Musical at the Players Theatre

As autumn seeps into our summer daydreams and long days surrender to long shadows, the idea of a gothic horror story has much appeal. Be Bold! Productions new musical, Frankenstein, will begin previews Off-Broadway tonight at 7p, officially opening on October 8 and running through November 13 at the Players Theatre in Greenwich Village, NYC. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The production, with music by Michael Sgouros and book/lyrics by Brenda Bell, remains faithful to Mary Shelley's original novel written in 1818. The creative team of Courtney Hansen (costumes), Elizabeth Chaney and Michelle Lynch (sets) and Ali Hall (lighting) have honored this gothic romance/early science fiction novel with a Steampunk twist. Mary Shelley, whose mother was an advocate for woman's rights, would appreciate the fact that the majority of the creative team is female.

Bringing a monster to life is no easy task, but with the artistry of Max Darwin (illusion consultant) and Joshua Barry (makeup) Frankenstein offer us a glimpse of things we can only watch with a squinted eye. The story of this musical focuses on Victor Frankenstein (Eric Fletcher) who we meet in the final days of his life. Rescued by a novice explorer, Robert Walton (Zach Bullock), he is on the verge of total madness, seamlessly transcending reality and his distorted memories of an obsessive life that led him down the path to destruction. The choreography of Bekah Shade and the brooding yet electrifying score of Michael Sgouros take the audience along on this hypnotic voyage of the damned.

The show is orchestrated with a live chamber ensemble of percussion and cello, featuring some very unusual instrumentation that create appropriately horrifying sounds, elegantly played by percussionists: Sean Statser, Emily Sgouros, Michael Sgouros and Cello played by Eric Allen . The cast also includes Jonathan Rion Bethea (the Monster), Kyle Hughes (Elizabeth), Rebecca Pomeranz (Justine), Juan Drigo Ricafort (Henry) and Brittney Peters, Hal Miers and Elissa Bonito who portray a variety of roles from Victor's demented memories.

Frankenstein officially opens on October 8th and runs through November 13th at the Players Theatre located at 115 MacDougal Street (between Bleecker and West 3rd). Previews begin September 23rd. Tickets are $40-$60 and can be purchased by calling 1-866-811-4111 or at the box office which opens daily at 11a. Performances are on Friday & Saturday at 7p and Sundays at 2p with select midweek matinees. Visit www.MonsterOffBroadway.com.

Photo Credit: Teri Brennan

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