Photo Flash: Neo Spotlight Series 'Sailing Against the Current'

The award-winning York Theatre Company continued its NEO Spotlight Concert series with Sailing Against the Current: Songs by Robert Bartley and Daniel Whitman.  The cast included Jenn Colella (Beebo Brinker Chronicles), Tony Yazbeck (Gypsy), Judith Moore (Sunday in the Park with George), Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid) and Kirsten Wyatt (Grease). Robert Bartley directed, with Chris Tilley serving as music director.  This one night only performance happened Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 7:30 PM at the Theatre at Saint Peter's, 619 Lexington Avenue (on 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).   

York's Artistic Director, James Morgan, said, "The concept for this new series came out of York's NEO Benefit Concerts—which celebrate New, Emerging and Outstanding musical theatre writers.  We've presented three of these concerts since 2003, with our fourth coming up on May 19th—and we wanted to find a way to expand on that idea, providing a forum for songwriters to present works in progress, songs they have in their trunks or songs from shows that haven't gotten the attention they deserve."  The NEO Spotlight Series offers writers the chance to showcase a variety of songs from different shows, as well as stand-alone songs that were not written with a particular musical in mind. 
 
The NEO Spotlight Concert Series is in keeping with The York Theatre Company's mission of being a birthplace for new musicals, providing support for creators of new musical theatre, and showcasing new musical theatre talent.  The York is the only theater in New York City – and one of very few in the world – dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals, and preserving notable shows from the past.  For more than three decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike.  Under the guidance of Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused exclusively on new musicals in its mainstage series--most of them world, American, or New York premieres--by some of the field's most esteemed creators, and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 25 cast recordings from York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, and commercial transfers of such York productions as The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!, Souvenir, Jolson & Company, and acclaimed revivals of Sweeney Todd, and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.  Its productions of Souvenir and The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!  were first developed in the York Theatre Company's extensive Developmental Reading Series, where the current Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Avenue Q also made its first appearance.
 
For more information visit www.yorktheatre.org 

Beth Curry (Legally Blonde), Kirsten Wyatt (Grease), Jenn Colella (Beebo Brinker Chronicles) and Judith Moore (Sunday in the Park With George) prepare backstage

Tony Yazbeck (Gypsy) and Titus Burgess (The Little Mermaid)

Songwriter Daniel Whitman, music director Chris Tilley and songwriter Robert Bartley

Jenn Colella and songwriter Robert Bartley

Tony Yazbeck

Robert Bartley, Titus Burgess and Daniel Whitman

Beth Curry and Daniel Whitman

Joseph Hutcheson, Jenn Colella and Jen Foote

Mark Janas, Robert Bartley, Peter Napolitano

Jenn Colella and Beth Curry

Kirsten Wyatt  and York's Associate Artistic Director Brian Blythe

Daniel Whitman and his proud parents, with Robert Bartley

Robert Bartley, York's Associate Artistic Director Brian Blythe and Daniel Whitman

Photos by John Kenrick and Brian Guffey.