Robert Cuccioli, Harley Jay & More Set for Amas Musical Theatre's DISTANT THUNDER Readings

Amas Musical Theatre and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present staged readings of Distant Thunder, a Native American Musical, with book by Lynne Taylor-Corbettand Shaun Taylor-Corbett, lyrics by Chris Wiseman and Shaun Taylor-Corbett, additional music by Robert Lindsey-Nassif, and music direction and arrangements by Michael Moricz. Directed by Ms. Taylor-Corbett, the readings will be held on Monday, April 4th at 5pm and Tuesday, April 5th at 2pm at Pearl Studios - Room 1204 (500 Eighth Avenue - between 35th & 36th Streets). The readings are free, although reservations are required. Please visit www.amasmusical.orgor email boxoffice@amasmusical.org.

In Distant Thunder, as a half-Native-half-white child, Darrell Waters was torn away from the Blackfeet Rez to be raised in Chicago. Now as a young attorney, he returns to his tribe seeking reconciliation with his estranged father and unwittingly sets off a firestorm.

The cast of Distant Thunder will include: Erika Amato, Spencer Battiest, Robert Cuccioli, Ryan Duncan, Joseph FireCrow, Guillian Gioiello, Shayna Jackson, Harley Jay, Christine LaDuca, April Ortiz, Marisa Quinn, Courtney Reed, Martin Sola, David Spadora, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, and Frank Zagottis.

"We are excited to see the changes that have been made to the piece since our initial presentations last year," says Ms. Trinkoff. "Part of the joy in doing what we do, is that opportunity to see the continued growth in each successive presentation with the goal of a fully realized production."

These presentations are part of the ongoing Amas Musical Theatre Lab, a development series for writers, lyricists and composers to mount public readings of their new musicals. This Lab presentation is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Coalition of Theatres of Color Initiative of the New York City Council (via the Department of Cultural Affairs), the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and by the Actors' Equity Association Foundation, the BMI Foundation, the Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, the Friars Foundation, the Yip Harburg Foundation, the Frederick Loewe Foundation, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, and the generous contributions of many individuals.