Ty Defoe, Lauren Gunderson, Daniel Merzlufft and More Set for New York Theatre Barn's February 2021 Virtual Programming

New York Theatre Barn will continue to host bi-monthly free live streams of its New Works Series on select Wednesday evenings at 7PM ET. Available on New York Theatre Barn's YouTube channel and Broadway on Demand, each installment of the live 1-hour series includes excerpts from two new musicals and a conversation with the writers and creative team.

February 3, 2021 @ 7PM ET

The Lesson

Music and Lyrics by Avi Amon (Jonathan Larson Grant recipient) and Nolan Doran (Head Over Heels)

Book by Ty Defoe (Jonathan Larson Grant recipient, Straight White Men)

Featuring performances by Milo Alosi (Aladdin, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Bradley Dean (The Phantom of the Opera, Bat Out Of Hell) and Heath Saunders (The Great Comet, Alice By Heart)

The Lesson is a fantastical reimagining of a chance encounter between a revolutionary Beethoven and a more-established Mozart, whose worlds - and hearts - collide in Vienna in 1787. The show is set in an alternate universe that melds the future and past into an entirely new, queer, fun, and political space. A hybrid of theatre, film, concert, and dance party, The Lesson is a meditation on the purpose of artistic expression, the influence of family on who we are, and the control of information and ideas by the government.

Nothing To See Here

Book and Music by Bryan Blaskie

Book and Lyrics by Laurie Hochman

Featuring performances by Jonathan Christopher (Hamilton) and Forest VanDyke (Choir Boy, Dog Man: The Musical)

In the summer of 1925, the struggling town of Dayton, Tennessee hosted a trial that claimed national headlines and divided the country - the Scopes Monkey Trial, the first major anti-Evolution court case. Nothing to See Here is the story of Frank Robinson, the man who built the trial as a publicity stunt for his town, and May Robinson, his wife who longs to save her family from falling apart in a seemingly Godless town. Of course, notorious reporter H.L. Mencken is there to spin their story - and to uncover what the truth behind the trial really is.

February 17, 2021 @ 7PM ET

House Rules

Music by Daniel Merzlufft (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical)

Lyrics by Kate Leonard (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical)

Based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Jodi Picoult (Between the Lines)

Featuring performances by Max Antonio Gonzalez, Michelle Beth Herman (Les Miserables) and Daniel Merzlufft

Jacob Hunt is a forensics-obsessed teenager living with autism in modern-day Vermont. With the help of his devoted mother and oft-overlooked younger brother, Jacob relies on strict routines to navigate daily life as smoothly as possible. The family is thrown into chaos, however, when Jacob's beloved social skills tutor is found dead and Jacob is suspect number one.

Little Miss Perfect

Music and Lyrics by Joriah Kwame (winner of the 2019 "Write Out Loud" Song Competition)

Book by Lauren Gunderson (I And You, Jeannette)

Featuring performances by Savannah Fisher and Joriah Kwame

Coming of age is even harder when you're also coming out. Noelle's world turns upside down when she develops feelings for Malaya, the foreign exchange student being hosted by her conservative family. As class president, she also must confront her privilege and compliance when her high school refuses to take steps in being more inclusive. Noelle struggles to decide whether she will be true to herself and an ally to her peers, or if she will settle with simply being Little Miss Perfect.

The New Works Series is produced and hosted by Jen Sandler and Joe Barros. Since March of 2020, the company has presented 35 virtual installments of its New Works Series (among other programming), showcased 74 new musicals, and lifted up the work of 122 writers and over 300 artists. For more information, visit New York Theatre Barn's website: www.nytheatrebarn.org.

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