Imani Russell, Kuhoo Verma, Wren Rivera & More Will Lead Inaugural Prism Festival Of New Queer Musicals

The Makers' Ensemble and Judson Arts have announced an exciting lineup of Broadway performers, popstars, and a smattering of celebrities for the inaugural PRISM Festival of New Queer Musicals, an exhilarating new festival coming to Judson Memorial Church this Pride Month from June 22nd to the 29th. Performers include Imani Russell (How to Dance in Ohio), Kuhoo Verma (Octet, "Plan B" on Hulu), Wren Rivera (Jagged Little Pill, TEETH), Amanda Clement (Hamilton, TEETH), Ben Roseberry (The Lion King, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder), Kelen Coleman ("The Office", "Big Little Lies"), Jonny Beauchamp ("Katy Keene", "Penny Dreadful"), Imari Hardon (Avenue Q), and more. Full casting below:

The Church of the First Order of Cloud City's Inaugural Unity Jamboree!

Book by Ben Holbrook (he/they)

Music & Lyrics by Nate Weida (he/they)

Directed by Andrew Scoville

Stage Managed by Mayah Lourdes Burke (she/her)

Cast includes: Kelen Coleman (she/her) as Deacon Hennessey, Imari Hardon (she/her) as Magnolia, Giovanni Naarendorp (he/him) as Steakhouse, Thea Brooks (she/they) as Brian, Laura Galindo (she/her) as Vanessa, Robbie Rescigno as Daily Aid Robot, Paul Rescigno as Rosco the Gardening Bot, RJ Christian (he/they) (Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern) as Dr. Von Tasty, Ryan James Monroe (he/him) as Reverend Dollars, & David Hernandez III (he/she/they) as Mondo.

The citizens of Cloud City, a floating city and the peak of human ingenuity, have gathered to worship the cloud, just like every other Sunday, or so they think. Complications and hilarity ensue when the congregation of the first order of Cloud City is joined by dissatisfied citizens, dissenting robots, and a bunch of mutant ding dongs from the "Underworld". Join our congregation as the Church of the First Order of Cloud City celebrates its inaugural unification service.

A Trip to the Moon

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Adam J. Rineer (they/xe/he)

Directed by Jason Aguirre (he/him)

Dramaturgy by Jesse Cameron Alick

Music Direction by Sheela Ramesh

Projection Design by Zack Lobel (he/him)

Stage Managed by Grace Alberti (all pronouns)

Casting by The Telsey Office: Charlie Hano, CSA

Cast includes: Danielle Troiano (they/she) as Selene, Jonny Beauchamp as Professor Impey "Barb" Barbicane, Mark Mauriello as Captain Nicholl, Bilaal Avaz (American Idol Season 18) as Michel Ardan, and Cydney Kutcipal (they/them) (Jagged Little Pill) as Pandia. Bebe Browning (she/her), Jacey Ziev (they/she/ziv), Stevie Allen (they/she), Talib Thompson (they/them), Zofia Weretka (she/her), and Taylor Joseph Rivera (he/him) round out the ensemble.

In a celestial rock opera of queer curiosity, A TRIP TO THE MOON blasts off into the stratosphere with a flamboyant Victorian stargazer's cosmic quest. With a soundtrack that's a wild mashup of prog, punk, electronica, and 19th-century operetta, this odyssey dares to ask the universe: do we belong amongst the stars? As our intrepid astronomer rockets into the unknown, we're propelled into a whimsical orbit where desires collide, connections are made, and the Moon herself may just have a saucy opinion on our interstellar antics.

Lottie & the Deep Blue Sea

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Beth Golison (she/her)

Directed by Cam Pileggi (they/them)

Music Directed and Orchestrations by Kyle Brenn (he/him)

Dramaturgy by Noah Latty (they/them)

Stage Managed by Leandra Torres Santiago (she/her)

Cast Includes: Kuhoo Verma as Lottie, Lila Blue (all pronouns) (Weightless) as Sam Red, Shaemus Swets (he/him) as Henry, Imani Russell (they/them) as Two Toes, Issac Lopez (he/they) as Shifty Fish Tooth, Zein Karam (he/him) as Barnacle Bill, Joyah Dominique (they/she) (House of Telescopes) as Shark Bait, Mukta Phatak (she/her) (Other World) as Constance, Samantha Medina Chachra (she/her) as Margaret, and Andrew Goehring as Navy Captain.

Lottie and the Deep Blue Sea is a new folk-rock musical about finding your Queer chosen family in a hostile world. Drinking, dancing, treasure-hunting, and historically accurate gay pirate marriages converge in this piece brimming with love, life, and fear of the oncoming storm.

An Incomplete List of All the Things I'm Going to Miss When the World is No Longer:

Book, Music, Lyrics, and Direction by Dante Green (they/she/he)

Choreography by Liana Zhen-Ai (she/her)

Dramaturgy by Jordan Laffrenier (he/they)

Projection Design by Zack Lobel (he/him)

Stage Managed by Diamond Gloria Marrow (she/her)

Cast Includes: Wren Rivera (they/them) as Micah, McKenna Michael Bisaha (they/them) as Pruitt, Che'Li (they/them) as Karina, Aviva Jaye (she/they) as Trust, Jeorge Bennett Watson (he/him) (...what the end will be, House of Telescopes) as Orlin, Cornelius Davis (he/him) (Aladdin) as John, Jetta Juriansz (she/her) ("Studio C") as Melody, Ben Roseberry (he/him) as Peter, and Amanda Clement (she/her), Alexis Cofield (she/her) (White Girl in Danger) and Maya Lagerstam (she/her) (The Gospel According to Heather) as Ellie.

An Incomplete List of All the Things I'm Going to Miss When the World is No Longer: is a cutting-edge, Queer pop musical fantasia that takes a bold and thought-provoking look at death, life after death, and experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs. This electrifying and emotional journey is set against the sci-fi, futuristic backdrop of a global announcement of the exact time Earth will cease to exist. It follows a community of friends and lovers as they gather together for one last ferocious party before the end of the world. We invite you to the last party on Earth to celebrate and mourn the delights and deceptions of the human experience. We've all been through our own special kind of nightmare, so we figured why not go out with a bang? Come as you are and take what you need, leave what you can, and go before you realize, 'cause when it's over, it's over.

The inaugural PRISM Festival of New Queer Musicals is an innovative platform dedicated to celebrating and nurturing emerging Queer theater talent. Nestled within the historic walls of Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village, this unique theatrical event, produced by The Makers' Ensemble and Judson Arts, is poised to ignite the stage with fresh perspectives and electrifying premiere performances. Dedicated to amplifying the voices of emerging Queer theater artists, the festival invites you to witness the birth of four audacious new musicals. Four creative teams will embark on a paid developmental process culminating in a captivating week of concert-style semi-staged performances. At its essence, the PRISM Festival celebrates the transformative power of Queer artists and the musical theater form. Much like a prism dispersing light into a spectrum of hues, Queer artists imbue the stage with a kaleidoscope of perspectives, creating a mosaic of stories that reflect the richness and depth of human experience. Join us this Pride month from June 22nd to the 29th as we initiate a thrilling odyssey of creativity and self-discovery, where Queer voices shine brightly, illuminating the path towards a more inclusive and vibrant artistic landscape. Casting for each musical will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Makers' Ensemble is a Brooklyn-based resident ensemble of multi-hyphenates. We create and cultivate Live Arts. We celebrate and value the differences in our cultural, educational, social, and identity backgrounds. We provide programming and support for emerging artists to realize their creative dreams in collaboration with the resident ensemble. It's important to us that the rooms we create are diverse, the work that we make excites us, and the collaboration we build is balanced. We use communal live arts to inspire the next generation of artists and audiences, ignite new passions, foster new relationships, and reimagine the future of Ensemble Practice.

Judson Arts continues the long tradition of arts ministry at Judson Memorial Church, a spiritual force in Greenwich Village for over 120 years, devoted to creative freedom, social justice, and progressive faith. From the acclaimed Judson Poets' Theater and Judson Dance Theater to today's Judson Arts programming, Judson embraces the necessity of art in our lives and nurtures an uncensored environment for innovative expression, considering all artists potential modern-day prophets who show us where we've been, who we are, and what we can become.

The Makers' Ensemble Founding Artistic Director: Dante Green

The Makers' Ensemble Managing Director: Julie Cai

Judson Arts Artistic Director: Micah Bucey

Judson Arts Production Manager: Gregg Bellón

Festival Stage Managers: Grace Alberti, Mayah Lourdes Burke, Diamond Gloria Marrow, Leandra Torres Santiago

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