theAtrainplays To Perform At New World Tonight, 6/25

 theAtrainplays are a celebration of New York, created by six teams while traveling the entire route of the A train, from 207th Street & Broadway to Far Rockaway and back.  On Tuesday evening, June 24th,  four librettists will hop on the A train at 207th Street and begin writing the books for four 15-minute musicals, all set on the A train. Before each of the teams begins their journey, they pick a number between 3 and 5 to set the number of characters, then they choose headshots from a blind draw to determine who is in each piece.  When the librettists reach the Far Rockaway stop, they randomly select, through another blind draw, their collaborative lyricists, composers, directors and choreographers, who have been awaiting their arrival at a nearby McDonald's with two playwrights joining them and just beginning their journey.  Two directors will meet the creators of the now finished plays at 207th Street and they all proceed to Columbus Circle where they meet the pre-selected pool of actors, decipher their scribbles, copy the scripts and begin rehearsals.  They have until show time THE NEXT DAY, Wednesday night, June 25th at 8:00PM to develop these works into six exciting new musical experiences to be shared with the audience at New World Stages on the set of the hit musical Altar Boyz.

theAtrainplays, vol. XXIII is being produced by Lawrence Feeney, New World Stages and the Off-Broadway Theatre Alliance with the OBTA being the beneficiary; theAtrainplays began in 2002 at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Scheduled to appear will include Ashlie Atkinson (The Ritz), Lisa Barnes ("Rescue Me"), Declan Bennett (Rent), Deborah S. Craig (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Natalie Douglas (7-time MAC Award winner), Lawrence Feeney (My Super Ex-Girlfriend, "The Black Donnelly's"), Brian Geraghty, Blythe Gruda, Cady Huffman (Tony Award winner, The Producers), Jose Llana, Michael Shawn Lewis (Phantom of the OperaI), Jaygee Macapugay, Orville Mendoza (Romeo and Juliet), Donovan Patton ("Blue's Clues"), John Eric Parker, Christine Pedi (Talk Radio), Michael Pemberton (The Farnsworth Invention), Darcie Siciliano (Red Dog Howls), Rene Ruiz (Toxic Audio) and Melanie Vaughan (Ring of Fire), among others to be announced.)

The creative team includes writers Craig Pospisil, Barbara Hammond, Stephen O'Rourke, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Erica Silberman and Jacquelyn Reingold; lyricist-composers Gaby Alter, Brian J. Nash, Mike Pettry, and Jeremy Schonfeld; director/choreographers Barry McNabb, Edie Cowan, Tony Parise, David Brind Joe Ricci, Tricia Brouk, and director David Hilder.  

Tickets for this ONE NIGHT ONLY event benefiting the Off-Broadway community are $50 for the performance, $100 for premium seats with a post-show party with the cast and creative team. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.telecharge.com , by calling 212-239-6200, or in person at New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. 

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