York Theatre Company Sets Songwriter Lineup for Next TUNE IN TIME, 6/8

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Andrew Levine, Executive Director), and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will present the June installment of the game show for musical theatre lovers called Tune in Time, hosted by Emily McNamara, with Musical Director Nate Buccieri and annoyingly insistent timekeeper Sheila Head on Monday, June 8, 2015 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peters (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

In this "Musical Theater Olympics," three teams of composers and lyricists who have never worked together are forced to collaborate - and to beat the clock. Their task? They must write a song for a new Broadway musical, the title of which is picked from a hatful of audience suggestions - and in a style determined by a spin of the dreaded Genre Wheel - all within 20 minutes! Tune in Time is an evening of edge-of-your-seat suspense, brain-frying bravery, and musical theatre magnificence. Each edition of Tune in Time features a different roster of musical theater composers and lyricists as well as a panel of celebrity judges.

Songwriters confirmed for June 8th include lyricists Derek Hassler (Choices), Laura Kleinbaum (Playing with Matches; BMI Jean Banks Award for The Bus Ride), and Jordan Mann (Trails; Jonathan Larson Award winner), and composers Landon Braverman (Queen of the West), Daniel Green (The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen), and Rona Siddiqui (2014 ASCAP Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award for One Good Day). The panel of illustrious celebrity judges will be literary manager Anika Chapin (Two River Theatre), President of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization Ted Chapin, and Tony-nominated composer/lyricist Steven Lutvak (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder).

General Admission tickets for Tune in Time are priced at $20 and can be purchased online at www.yorktheatre.com, or by visiting the York Theatre Company Box Office (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), or by calling the Box Office at (212) 935-5820 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.).

Winners from the May installment were Bill Nelson and Brad Simmons for their original song "Kiss Her" from the (fictional) musical The Slighted Hickey, à la Jason Robert Brown.

Previous winners have included Lisa DeSpain and Sarah Ziegler for their selection from the (fictional) new multi-culturally themed musical, The Chatty Apple; David Gomez and Zach Redler for their original song, "Too Soon," from the fictional Jason Robert Brown musical, The Gassy Breakthrough; Kellen Blair and Dave Christensen for the title song from from the fictional 50s/60s throwback musical The High-Octane Chola; David Sisco and Kate Anderson for their stunning duet from the mock operetta, The Moist Aardvark; Dan McKenzie and Ben Wexler for the love duet from the faux Disney musical, The Sticky Snake; Erik Jareth Ransom (two-time champ) and Clay Zambo for their song from the imagined historical epic The Hairy Ebola; and Avi Amon and Robbie Torres for the Disney-style musical The Lovely Piano.

For additional information, please visit the website at www.yorktheatre.org.

The York Theatre Company is the only theater in New York City-and one of very few in the world-dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. For over four decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused on new musicals in its Mainstage Series-most of them world, American, or New York premieres-by some of the field's most esteemed creators, and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 35 cast recordings from York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, including its acclaimed revival of Closer Than Ever (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival); commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir (Tony Award Nomination for actress Judy Kaye), and Jolson & Company, and revivals of Pacific Overtures and Sweeney Todd (four Tony Nominations including Best Revival) have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.

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