THE BLACK COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO to be Presented at Theatre Row

THE BLACK COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO FEATURING DIVERSE BIPOC CAST OPENS AT THEATRE ROW FOR LIMITED RUN

THE BLACK COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, an original musical by Michele R. Hampton, directed by Cate Cammarata, with musical direction by Seth Weinstein, is scheduled for a limited run beginning late September at Off-Broadway's Theatre Row (410 West 42nd St. NY).

A faithful adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic, the story is an epic tale of revenge that centers around Edmond Dantes, a young black sailor who is imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Dumas' father, a Haitian immigrant to France, was Dumas' inspiration for the novel, as well as the inspiration for the musical's author.

"I wanted to make that connection for the audience," Hampton says, "so I wrote Dumas and his father into the script, and portrayed both as the men of color they were in life," adding that "Nineteenth century French law was blatantly discriminatory and racist attitudes prevailed." Like its source material, THE BLACK COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO's overarching theme is injustice - a theme "with which Dumas was all too familiar," notes Hampton, "and which makes this story as relevant today as when it was written."

Set in the mid-1800s, the cast reflects the cultural diversity of the French population at the time. The title role will be played by Dylan Bivings, (Off-Broadway: "Wicked City Blues", "Frankenstein"), with Cristina María Castro ("Howie D: Back in the Day" with Backstreet Boy, Howie D) as Mercédès, Daniel Hayward (Off-Broadway: "Love Actually? The Unauthorized Musical Parody") as Danglers, George Xavier (Assassins, East West Players) as Mondego, Emily Samuelson (Off-Broadway: "Cinderella", "Anne Frank: A Musical") as Valentine, Andrew J Beck (Off-Broadway: "Our Lady Of Queens") as Caderousse, Eileen Hanley (Off-Broadway: "Pinkalicious") as Mme. Caderousse, Dylan Goike (Off- Broadway: "Anne Frank: A Musical") as Maximilian, Justin T. Lowrey (Heathers The Musical, OhLook Performing Arts Center) as Albert, Jack Douglas (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Phoenix Stage Company) as De Villefort, Samantha Tullie (Off Broadway: Next To Normal) as Heloise and actor/model Joshua Iverson (TV: The Cosmics), making his theatrical debut in the role of Alexandre Dumas.

The production features orchestrations by Rodrigo I. Sierra and lush costumes by award-winning designer Debbi Hobson (Off-Broadway: "A Letter to Harvey Milk", "The Battles of Richmond Hill", "Liberty! A Monumental New Musical"). Sound design is by Kimberly O'Loughlin (Off-Broadway: "Unexpected Joy", "Where Do We Live"), scenic design by Alex Jourdan (The Drowsy Chaperone, Curtain Call Theater) and lighting by designer Greg Solomon (Broadway: Once On This Island, the Lightning Thief).

Cate Cammarata (Director) is an Off-Broadway producer, director and dramaturg specializing in the development of new plays and musicals. She is the founder of CreateTheater.com, an online theater community, and the producer of the Monday Night Reading Series. Off-Broadway: "The Assignment" and "My Father's Daughter". Regional: "My Life Is A Musical" (Bay Street Theater), "Bran Castle" (Porchlight Theater), and "Crude" (Cape Cod Theater Company). Cate leads musical theater writing workshops in NYC and serves as the Literary Manager for Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU). She has a MFA in Dramaturgy and a BFA in Directing, and teaches theater at Baruch College. In development: Atlantis, a hip hop musical by the recording artist Masta.Ace, among others. www.CreateTheater.com, www.CateCammarata.com

Seth Weinstein (Musical Director) is the composer of the Off-Broadway musical "How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes" and "The Magic Fishbone". As musical director, he has toured internationally with Fosse and Jacobs' The Phantom of the Opera and nationally with Almost Heaven: Songs of John Denver. He has been the musical director of "Black House" (Zagreb, Croatia), "Do I Hear a Waltz?" (Arvada Center), Smokey Joe's Cafe (Connecticut Repertory Theatre), and "Ben, Virginia & Me" (Acorn Theatre, NYC) among other shows.

Michele Hampton (Composer-Author) is a classically trained lyric soprano and has performed at NYC's Town Hall (a K. Gardella Production), Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, and in Argentina. In 2018, she co-created the internet musical, Happy Landings", produced and released by New Musicals, Inc. Her first full-length musical, "The Black Count of Monte Cristo", is an official selection of the 2021 Broadway Bound Theatre Festival.

Performance dates are September 29 at 5:00PM, September 30 at 8:00PM and October 1 at 5:00PM. Tickets are $25 at https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/black-count-of-monte-cristo/ . Press are invited to all performances. To reserve, please email: sheldon@kinormusic.com

Upcoming Performances: Richmond, VA, November 5 and 7. For tickets, go to http://www.capitoloperarichmond.com/

For additional information, please visit: www.theblackcountmusical.com

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