Jonathan D. Lovitz, Will Reynolds et al. Read Jim Bredeson's EVEN FOR ONE NIGHT Tonight, 5/14

Jim Bredeson announces an invited presentation of excerpts from his new musical EVEN FOR ONE NIGHT. The concert style reading will take place tonight, May 14th at 7:00 PM at Studio 353 (353 West 48th Street). Seating is extremely limited and requests can be made to attend by emailing evenforonenight@gmail.com. More information is available at www.evenforonenight.com.

Today's May 14th presentation of Even for One Night will feature Jonathan D. Lovitz (Altar Boys, Bravo TV’s Setup Squad), OOBR and Bistro Award winner Rob Maitner, Will Reynolds (The OldGlobe’s Room With a View), Stephen Strafford (Spamalot Las Vegas) and MAC and Bistro Award winner Jonathan Whitton. The reading will be directed by Adam Fitzgerald (kef theatrical productions) with Music Direction by Ian Wehrle.

Even for One Night is a theatrical event based largely on the actual words of the late singer/songwriter and AIDS activist Michael Callen. The musical engages five actors, all of whom play Michael Callen. Together, through many of Michael’s own words and music, they let Michael tell his own story and the history of the People With AIDS self empowerment movement. The show is a minimalist fantasia and has been developed with the permission of Richard Dworkin, Michael’s surviving partner.

Michael Callen was a composer, singer, writer and one of the earliest AIDS activists, playing a major role in shaping America's response to the epidemic. From the time of his diagnosis in 1982, he was involved many major responses to the crisis, including the self-empowerment of people with AIDS; the invention of safer sex; the community-based research movement; development of prophylaxis for major opportunistic infections; and the establishment of buyer's clubs providing low-cost access to both experimental and approved AIDS treatments. Among his many songs, Callen co-wrote "Love Don't Need a Reason" with Peter Allen and Marsha Malamet, which he sang at numerous gay and AIDS-related events. Callen was a founding member of the a capella group The Flirtations. Michael believed that he could change the world and he did.

Jim Bredeson (creator) spent the last nine years in the world of classical music, most recently as General Manager for Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Prior to that post, he was General Manager of the Virginia Symphony where he directed the organization’s concert operations and created innovative projects including theatrical hybrid concerts. Jim was founder and Executive Director of All Things Bright & Beautiful, a non-profit theatre company in Newport News, VA. His directing credits include the Virginia premieres of the musicals No Way to Treat A Lady and The Spitfire Grill. Jim holds a BFA in Theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University. Recently, he produced Mark Sam Rosenthal’s I Light Up My Life: The Mark Sam Celebrity Autobiography as part of the FringeNYC. Jim continues to work in creative marketing for the non-profit arts.

Adam Fitzgerald (director) is the Artistic Director of kef theatrical productions, where he recently directed Killing Women and Lyric is Waiting. Adam was the 2008-09 Directing Resident at Playwrights Horizons assisting Wilson Milam, Bartlett Sher and Kate Whoriskey on plays by Nicky Silver (Three Changes with Maura Tierney), Craig Lucas (Prayer for my Enemy with Victoria Clark and Jonathan Groff) and Christina Anderson (Inked Baby with LaChanze) and served as the 2007-08 Artistic Associate Playhouse West (where his production of Defiance garnered Critics Circle nominations for Director and Production). Adam recently directed Michael I Walker’s Letter From Algeria (with Ground Up Productions), Marc Castle’s Friends and Relations (at the Abingdon Theatre Complex) and the 92YTribeca concert of Carner and Gregor’s song cycle, Island Song.

Ian Wehrle (music director) is an active composer and arranger and a founding member of the Ultrasonic rock orchestra. He has recently finished work for the NBC Olympics and various music direction and sound design for theater. He is credited at the Food Network, MTV, and NBC Sports and is continually in development of new musicals and television music. He can be reached at ianwehrle@gmail.com.

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