Steve Blanchard, Nancy Opel and More Set for Amas' BLEEDING LOVE Reading Tonight

Amas Musical Theatre will present three free staged readings of "Bleeding Love, a post-apocalyptic new musical comedy", book by Jason Schafer, music by Arthur Lafrentz Bacon, lyrics by Harris Doran, directed by Michael Bush. The readings will take place tonight, October 15th at 3:00pm and 7:00pm, and Wednesday, October 16th at 1pm at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y, 314 East 14th Street. Tickets are free and reservations are available via email at boxoffice@amasmusical.org or by calling 212-563-2565.

The cast includes Steve Blanchard (Broadway-Beauty and the Beast, National Tour-Camelot, Frankenstein), Nancy Opel (Urinetown--Tony nomination), Memphis, Anything Goes, The Toxic Avenger), Bryce Ryness (First Date, Around the World in 80 Days), Etai BenShlomo (Wicked--Broadway) and Dana Steingold (Godspell).

In "Bleeding Love", it's always night, it's always cold and nothing ever grows. A cloistered teen cellist must find a live rose in order to thaw the frozen heart of the rebel punk next door. An eclectic score ranging from Broadway to classical to rock beats within this wickedly demented, post-apocalyptic musical comedy.

"The creators of "Bleeding Love" dare to explore a territory in theatre as time-honored as it is rare", says Amas Artistic Producer Donna Trinkoff. "They have thought the unthinkable and have managed to make life, love, and survival all the more poignant because of it. And all the more funny."

Bios:

ARTHUR LaFRENTZ BACON (music) is a top-20 pop composer and multiple Clio award-winner. He co-wrote "Stay Forever" for Joey Lawrence (Top-20 hit), "Falling Away" for Marion Raven (#1 European Billboards), was songwriter, arranger and keyboardist for Freddy and the Dials (Virgin Records), Kelli Price and SHANE. Arthur formed the band The Erratics (Touchwood/Zero Hour Records) and was a member of "Groovy Little Band" on The Caroline Rhea Show. Arthur has written music for over 100 national television and radio commercial spots and won two Clio Awards (Best Original music for Pepsi), formed Chris & Arthur Music, where he created music for Revlon, Lenscrafters, and Bank of America, among many others. Arthur composed the musicals Bleeding Love (NAMT '12, Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals), Salvage and Billy Sleepyhead (Center Stage, NYC) and is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop.

Harris Doran (Lyrics) wrote lyrics for Bleeding Love (NAMT, Mercer Colony at Goodspeed, NMTC Finalist), Salvage (NMTC finalist),dTension, Oliver Button, he wrote the play Beautiful, the screenplays An Unofficial Of Mice and Men Remake, Cog and the Machine and recently made his writer/director debut with his short film The Story of Milo & Annie starring Academy Award Nominee Cathy Moriarty. He's written for recording artists Marion Raven (top 10 European Single), A Band Called Freddy, and Shane. He was in the BMI Workshop and is a member of ASCAP. As an actor Harris' credits include: It Must Be Him, Reading Under The Influence, Hair, Love Jerry (NYMF Best Actor Award), many regional productions. Film & TV: "Person of Interest," "The Black Donnellys," "Malcolm In The Middle," and he stars in the features My Best Day (Sundance), Junction and Coach of the Year. Training: Juilliard. www.harrisdoran.com

JASON SCHAFER (Book) wrote the acclaimed indie hit Trick, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by Fine Line Features. In addition to being a staff writer/co-producer on Showtime's GLAAD Media Award winning Queer as Folk, he has written for Warner Bros., Paramount, ABC and Fox Television. Works for the stage include Notes on the Land of Earthquake & Fire (Paula Vogel Playwrighting Award, FringeNYC Playwrighting Award) and I Google Myself (GLAAD Media Award nomination). Jason holds an MFA from NYU's Department of Dramatic Writing.

James Sampliner (Music Director) started as the music director of the prestigious Williamstown Theater Festival's late night cabaret series, leading to conducting productions of Tonight at 8:30, Where's Charley? and The Threepenny Opera. Broadway credits include: Never Gonna Dance, BKLYN: The Musical, The Wedding Singer and Legally Blonde (conductor and arranger). Mr. Sampliner supervised the West End production of Legally Blonde in London and the U.S. national tour of Legally Blonde. You can hear his work on these cast albums and At The Corner of Broadway and Soul, with Billy Porter. Off-Broadway: Radiant Baby, The Mistress Cycle and Ghetto Superstar. As an arranger/ co-writer, he has co-written two new African-American revues: Being Alive (the music of Stephen Sondheim) and The Soul of Rodgers (the music of Richard Rodgers).

Michael Bush (Director) most recently directed the Off-Broadway productions of Psycho Therapy, Cactus Flower, and Based On A Totally True Story. He is the co-author and director of Leslie Uggam's Uptown Downtown (Pasadena Playhouse, Capital Repertory Theatre) winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for best solo performance. He won the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival Award for Excellence in Direction for the world premiere musical Hurricane. He is the former director of artistic production and associate artistic director for the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City. While here, he helped artistically guide more than 150 new plays and musicals, including the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning Proof and Doubt, the Tony Award winning Love! Valour! Compassion!

The 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. The Amas Musical Theatre Lab is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, 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 Cummings Foundation, the Dramatists Guild, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, the Frederick S. Loewe Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, and through the generous support of many individuals.

"Bleeding Love", free staged readings of "a post-apocalyptic new musical comedy", book by Jason Schafer, music by Arthur Lafrentz Bacon, lyrics by Harris Doran, directed by Michael Bush, presented by Amas Musical Theatre as part of the Amas Musical Theatre Lab Series, on Tuesday, October 15th at 3pm and 7pm and Wednesday, October 16th at 1:00pm, at The Theatre at the 14thStreet Y, 344 East 14th Street. Tickets: FREE. For reservations, email boxoffice@amasmusical.org, or call 212-563-2565.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) -- New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas ("you love" in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals through the celebration of diversity and minority perspectives, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of underserved young people in the New York area. In recent years, Amas has emerged as a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, including THE OTHER Josh Cohen (Six 2013 Drama Desk Nominations including Outstanding Musical, 2013 Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Musical, 2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Nomination for Best New Musical); TRIASSIC PARQ; MARRY HARRY; ME AND Miss Monroe; AESOP & COMPANY; SIGNS OF LIFE; WANDA'S WORLD; SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL; Lone Star Love; FROM MY HOMETOWN; ZANNA, DON'T!; 4 GUYS NAMED JOSE; and STORMY WEATHER: IMAGINING Lena Horne. Amas education programs include the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Lens on Live Theatre and in-school theatre arts residencies designed in partnership with elementary, middle, and high schools. Visit www.amasmusical.org.

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