York Theatre Company's STORYVILLE Opens Tonight

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Andrew Levine, Executive Director) presents the New York premiere of Storyville, a New Orleans musical, with book by Ed Bullins, music and lyrics by Mildred Kayden, direction by Bill Castellino,choreography by Mercedes Ellington and music direction by William Foster McDaniel. Opening Night is Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

The cast features two-time Tony Award nominee Ernestine Jackson, with D.C. Anderson, Cory Bretsch, Karen Burthwright, Kyle RoBert Carter, Dameka Hayes, Michael Leonard James, Leajato Robinson, Clifton Samuels, Christopher Spaulding, Carl Wallnau, Debra Walton, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and Zakiya Young.

New Orleans, 1917: Something happened that changed the American Songbook forever. The time, Mardi Gras; the place, Storyville-two blocks from the French Quarter. Saloons, gambling joints and brothels set the scene for a new kind of music. Some say it was the beginning of jazz. People fell in love, a world disappeared, and the music moved upriver.

In his program notes for the New York premiere of this new muscial, James Morgan, York Theatre Company Artistic Director, has this to share, "Storyville is not, as we have stated, a musical about the birth of jazz. It's a musical that happens to take place at the time of the creation of that truly American artform." He adds, "The musical is a romance, an adventure and a fable in which almost everything that happens is based on fact." He goes on to say, "It is a fascinating era to learn about-- which we all have been doing as we worked to bring the show to you. The demolition of the district of Storyville and how it came to happen is actually true and is credited by most historians as the impetus which sent jazz upriver and around the world - the pianists in the various sporting houses of Storyville no longer had jobs and they took the music they were creating there with them when they had to leave. We are more than delighted to share this story with you."

The Storyville creative team includes James Morgan (set), Nicole Wee (costumes), Michael Gottlieb (lights) and Janie Bullard (sound). The Production Stage Manager is Elis Arroyo.

The performance schedule for Storyville is: Monday - Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are priced at $67.50 and are available by calling (212) 935-5820, or in person at the box office at the York Theatre at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), Monday through Friday (12:00 -6:00 p.m.).

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 neglected 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 exclusively 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 The York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, and commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir, Jolson & Company, and its acclaimed revivals of Closer Than Ever (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical Revival), Sweeney Todd and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.

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