SHINE! THE HORATIO ALGER MUSICAL Begins 10/7

SHINE! The Horatio Alger Musical with a Book by Richard Seff; Music by Roger Dean Anderson and Lyrics by Lee Goldsmith is being presented by Other Side Productions (Peter Mercurio, Chuck Blasius - Co-Artistic Directors) as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at The Theater at St. Clements, 423 West 46th Street. The director is Peter Flynn and the choreographer is Devanand Janki. With a highly melodic, hummable and bouncy score with bright lyrics, "SHINE the Horatio Alger Musical", has tons of period atmosphere, nostalgic charm, comedy and entertainment. It is a hope and dreams musical with a touch of "Annie", a smidgen of "Oliver", a dash of "Tintypes" as well as a smattering of musical joys that will delight! A multi-talented cast of 18 makes this one of the largest of the festival productions. Performances will be: Thurs. 10/7 at 8pm; Sat. 10/9 at 5pm; Mon. 10/11, at 9pm; Fri. 10/15, at 1pm; Sat. 10/16, at 9pm and Sun. 10/17 at 3pm.

"SHINE! The Horatio Alger Musical" follows the tale of Ragged Dick (Horatio Alger's first best-selling hero) in lower Manhattan (1876) as he rises from penniless bootblack to budding Wall Street entrepreneur. Dick's adventures with a little bit of luck, some charm and a whole lot of hard work bring him face to face with scheming ex-convicts, vicious comic villains, kind benefactors, and a world of colorful street characters in this charming rags-to-riches romp for everyone. www.shinethemusical.com

Richard Seff (Book) has spent a lifetime in the theatre as actor, playwright, columnist, critic, agent, librettist, investor and now memoirist. He first acted professionally in 1946 and his last engagement was in 2009. He took a 22 year leave of absence from the stage to become an agent, after a long run on Broadway in support of Claude Rains and on tour with Edward G. Robinson in the prize winning "Darkness At Noon". During those 22 years he was an agent representing artists in the musical theatre on Broadway. He left the agency in 1974 to return to the stage. He is the author of Broadway's "Paris is Out!" and The Whole Ninth Floor (published in 2009). He currently writes the New York Theatre Buzz column for www.dctheatrescene.com.

Roger Dean Anderson (Composer) has been fortunate to collaborate with several legendary talents, including Michael Smuin, Joe Layton, Wally Harper, Tony Walton, Vivian Matalon and Hal Prince. In 1979 he was paired with lyricist Lee Goldsmith, more than 30 years his senior, to write a musical. Later, he composed music for the Carbonell Award-winning "Chaplin", followed by "Quality Street" which was developed by Musical Theater Works. Recent projects include "Ladykiller" with playwright Chuck Blasius and "Flying Tigers" with playwright William Luce. His latest musical, "Abe", premiered in 2009 and is recommended by the President's Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and published by Samuel French.

Lee Goldsmith (Lyricist) enjoyed an early career with National Comics scripting stories for The Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and The Flash. He adapted several projects for the stage, writing book and lyrics: "Come Back Little Sheba" music by Clint Ballard, "Golddiggers of 1633" (based on School for Wives) music by Larry Hurwit; and his ground-breaking Broadway musical "Sextet". Other projects include "Quality Street" (based on the J. M. Barrie play) "Ladykiller" (inspired by works of Cornell Woolrich). Recently, he did book and lyrics for "Abe", a large-scale musical based on the life of Lincoln before he was elected President.

Peter Flynn (Director) is Artistic Director of The Hangar Theatre (Ithaca). As a director, he staged the star-studded Broadway concerts of "On the Twentieth Century" (Douglas Sills, Marin Mazzie, & Joanne Worley); "Chess" (Josh Groban); and "Funny Girl" (Whoopi Goldberg, Bebe Neuwirth, & Peter Gallagher, among others). Off- Broadway includes "Henry & Mudge" and "Junie B. Jones" (two Lortel Award nominations including Best Musical), and the award-winning "Rhapsody in Seth". Other NYC credits include "Two Rooms"; "Broadway Musicals of 1953"; "Babes in Toyland", and the premiere of the opera "Romulus". Regional directing credits include "Gypsy" (Karen Mason - St. Louis MUNY); "Man of LaMancha" (Carbonell Award winner for Best Director & Best Musical); "The Crucible"; "The Piano Lesson"; "The Santaland Diaries" and "Kiss Me, Kate!".

Devanand Janki (Choreographer): directed & choreographed the hit "Zanna, Don't"! (Lortel, Callaway, & GLAAD Media Awards). Other NYC shows are: "Junie B. Jones" (Lortel nominations), "Cupid & Psyche", "Henry & Mudge" (Lortel nomination), and John Patrick Shanley's "Romantic Poetry" (MTC). Broadway concerts: director of "Hair" (all-star cast, featuring Jennifer Hudson), choreographer of "Funny Girl" (16 Fanny Brices, including Whoopi Goldberg, Bebe Neuwirth, & Jane Krakowski); associate for "Dreamgirls" and "Seth Rudetsky's Broadway 101". Lincoln Center: Amahl and the Night Visitors, Babes in Toyland, Anything Goes in Concert (assoc.). Some other credits are: "Barrio Grrrl!" (Helen Hayes nomination, Kennedy Center); the regional premiere of "Rent"; "Disney's Aladdin"; Andrew Lippa's "Asphalt Beach", "Man of La Mancha"; "The Full Monty"; numerous industrials and nine years as an Artistic Associate for Broadway Bares.

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