ANGRY BIRDS and More Set for West Village Musical Theatre Festival's Shorts Program, Now thru 6/17

The West Village Musical Theatre Festival, which runs tonight, June 13 to June 17, features all-new one-act musicals by a selection of New York's top emerging professional talent. This year's Festival, held at the New York Live Arts Center, will feature over twenty new works from some of musical theatre's most exciting writers, composers, and lyricists.

Series A features six one-act musicals and is particularly noteworthy. Each work stands on its own, presenting a full, engaging plot and quality music in less than fifteen minutes. The shorts, which run from political satire to pop culture comedy to historical drama, are written and performed by some of the New York's top-notch talent.

The program for Series A ("Shorts") includes:

The Councilwoman: A Small Town Political Musical
Book by Jim Fagan
Lyrics by Jim Fagan and Jarret Izzo
Music by Jarret Izzo
Directed and Choreographed by Melissa Rosenberger
Assistant Directed by Ruben del Valle, Jr.

A newly elected councilwoman enters office with high expectations, but existing town power brokers soon turn against her. This show was originally written in 24 hours for the Poor Mouth Theatre Company's 24 Hour Theatre production in 2011.

Featuring: Sergio Castillo, Jason Green, Blayne Levin, Sarah Anne Miles, Sage Seals, Kelsey Watt

Gary Goldfarb: Master Escapist
Book and Lyrics by Omri Schein
Music by James Olmstead
Directed by John Znidarsic

Gary is a big boy: a big boy with big dreams. Can he overcome the taunting and bullying? Will he, along with the ghost of Hermann the Great, conquer one of Houdini's biggest feats: The Chinese Water Torture Cell? Grab a rice cake and see.

Featuring: Brandon Cordeiro, Sheira Feuerstein, Ryan Finley, Jared Loftin, Alexandra Petrullo

The Bed
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Riley Thomas
Directed by Tiffany Nicole Greene

This R-Rated musical uses humorous vignettes to explore the different ways we relate to sex.

Featuring: Sheira Feuerstein, Justin Garascia, Sally Ann Hall, Jonathan Larkin, Viet Vo

Choices
Book and Lyrics by Derek P. Hassler
Music by Landon Braverman

Set during the Vietnam Draft era of the early 1970s, CHOICES explores the loss of innocence between two friends. A heartfelt and honest story about the challenges friends must face while being driven by an exciting new rock score.

Featuring: Kevin Hoffman, Evan White

Face To Facebook
Book by Samantha Rose Moorin
Lyrics by Gabrielle "Gaby" Gold
Music by David Ingber and Bobby Battista
Directed by Rachel Dart

What does one do before attending a social event full of former classmates, ex-boyfriends, and potential good times? Check Facebook, of course! With a society so heavily reliant on social media, FACE TO FACEBOOK highlights how this affects our daily lives and relationships by featuring characters who can only communicate via IM, text, and phone calls.

Featuring: Claire Duncan, Samantha Rose Moorin, Josh Adam Ramos

Angry Birds
Book and Lyrics by Carl Kissin
Music by Robert Baumgartner, Jr.
Directed by Gillian Riley

Three birds, deprived of their eggs by a Green Pig, tackle that most primal of psychological issues: "Fight or flight?" In their case, the answer may be both.

Featuring: Claire Duncan, Kristin Piacentile, Basil Rodericks, Chloe Sabin

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New York Live Arts is located at 219 W 19th St. Tickets are $18. To purchase, visit: www.wvmtf.com. The show plays five performances according to the following schedule: Wednesday, June 13 at 6:00pm; Thursday, June 14 at 8:00pm; Friday, June 15 at 4:00pm; Saturday, June 16 at 2:00pm; and Sunday, June 17 at 12:00pm. Runtime is 90 minutes with no intermission. 

For more information, visit www.wvmtf.com.

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