MEDICINE THE MUSICAL, a new musical written by Michael Ehrenreich and directed by Joey Murray, will be making its world premiere in a limited engagement run on Saturday, November 3rd thru Sunday, November 18th at HERE Arts Center (145 Sixth Ave), in the Mainstage Theater. The production features original music with lyrics and composition by Dr. Ehrenreich with musical direction by Nick Wilders. www.medicinethemusical.com
Centered around a group of first year medical students, the cast of MEDICINE THE MUSICAL features Ethan Kirschbaum (Kinky Boots National Tour), Dan Rosenbaum (Rent NETworks Tour), Isaac Ryckeghem (NETworks Sound of Music National Tour), Chasdan Ross Mike, Marina Laurendi, Sarah Stewart Chapin, Emily Esposito (Fame National Tour), Ethan Crystal, Matthew Fairlee, and Alaina Vi Maderal.
The band features John Barry on Guitar, Billy Smolen on Bass, Derek Swink on Drums, and Nick Wilders on Keyboard and as conductor.
MEDICINE THE MUSICAL follows a group of first year medical students as they tenaciously fight their way through a grueling first year, grappling with their lives, loves, and the rigors of an education in medicine. "The show is not about medicine," explained Michael Ehrenreich, the show's writer and composer. "It's about this group of young people going through this crucible. It's about struggle, drive and the will to succeed...and it rocks!"
Michael Ehrenreich (Writer, Lyricist, Composer). Michael is a practicing dermatologist living in South Orange, New Jersey. In addition to Medicine the Musical, he is also the writer, lyricist, and composer for The War, a new musical in development. He is also inventor of the Zigo Leader Carrier Bike and designer of the board games StartUp and Election.
Joey Murray (Director) is a New York City based theatre, concert, and music video director whose work has been seen at performing art centers, regional theaters and arenas all over the United States and China. He was the Interim Artistic Director and is the current Casting Director for Jenny Wiley Theatre, eastern Kentucky's longest operating professional theatre, where he has directed numerous productions, including: Disney's Tarzan, Oliver!, 9 to 5, The Robber Bridegroom and Footloose. He most recently directed Hair at Pentangle Arts and The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Fordham University. Selected Regional: Godspell at ArtisTree's Grange Theatre, Cabaret at Pentangle Arts, the regional tour and Queens Theatre production of Polkadots: The Musical, and Holidays at the Hard Rock! featuring renowned Broadway and recording artist Linda Eder at the Hard Rock Arena in Ft. Lauderdale. Murray served as Associate Director for the Broadway-bound production of CAN-CAN at Paper Mill Playhouse, and is the resident director for The Broadway Dolls, an award-winning concert experience featuring a cast of the most in-demand women on Broadway. NYC: New York Musical Festival (NYMF), New York Int'l Fringe Festival, New York Theatre Barn; Theatre at St. Clements; 54 Below; Joe's Pub; The Triad; Birdland; Zipper Theatre. Music video debut for Element Music, an NYC-based entertainment company featuring some of the music industry's leading musicians. He recently directed '68 at NYMF. Murray is a graduate of Catholic University, and studied playwriting and directing at NYU and The Barrow Group. SDC Associate.
Nick Wilders (Music Director) is a music director, arranger, vocalist,and producer with performance credits spanning the U.S. and abroad. He is ecstatic to be back in NYC after spending the past three years on the road with the Jersey Boys 2nd National Tour and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Recent: Power Over POTUS, Misfits (Laurie Beeckman Theatre); Footloose (Theatre Workshop of Nantucket); The Fantasticks (Lake Tahoe/Idaho Shakespeare Festivals); Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol (Northern Stage), Burn The Floor, Rock of Ages (Norwegian Cruise Lines), along with shows at 54 Below, The Green Room 42, and Rockwood Music Hall. Additional credits include work with BCEFA's Broadway Backwards, the 2017 National High School Theatre Jimmy Awards, and collaboration with incredible artists like Alison Luff, Annaleigh Ashford, Cassie Okenka, David Alan Thornton, and Carla Stickler. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace University and is a proud member of AFM Local 802.
Josh Assor (Choreographer) is a New York based award winning choreographer and performer. Some of his recent work includes Mary Poppins at the Arrow Rock Lyceum, New York Fashion Week, Audi Ottawa as well as a commercial for Modos Furniture. Josh was the associate choreographer for the Saturday Night FeverNational Tour as well as Kiss me Kate at the Summer Theater of New Canaan. As a performer, some of his favorite credits include Disney's 1st National Tour of Newsies (asst. Dance Captain), Neleus inMary Poppins on Broadwayand the 1st National Tour, Baby John in West Side Story(Stratford Festival), Wizard Of Oz National Tour (Troika), and dancing on NBC's Saturday Night Live with Jimmy Fallon. Josh has been featured in Dance Canada Quarterly, Industry Dance Magazine and Dance Plug Los Angeles. He has taught at Edge Performing Arts Center and is currently on faculty at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City where he has been a guest choreographer for many of their events.
Matthew DeMaria (Orchestrations and Additional Arrangements) is Long Island based musician. He can be currently seen around the world as the music director for the Rent 20th Anniversary tour. Before that he worked as a production assistant for the Tony nominated Come From Away. Other past music direction credits include regional productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, American Idiot, West Side Story, Spring Awakening, Sweeney Todd and many, many more.
Andy Peterson (Arrangements) is a New York based composer, musical director, arranger and orchestrator originally hailing from the Land Down Under. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Composition) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He is currently the Associate Musical Director for David Yazbeks Broadway-Bound musical "Tootsie". Composer credits: Razorhurst (Luna Stage), Stalker: The Musical (New York, Chicago, [upcoming] Sydney), Outlaw (in workshops). Selected Musical Director/Arranger/Orchestrator credits: His Off-Broadway credits include Red Roses, Green Gold (Minetta Lane Theatre), Atomic (Theatre Row). His New York and other regional credits include More Than All The World (Theatre for the New City), Night Tide(NYMF), Shaken, Not Stirred(The Django), Thrill Me (Luna Stage), Grindr: The Opera(CMTF), Baby Fat (La Mama). Internationally his credits include Sinbad: The Musical (arranger/orchestrator for the Malaysian Tour), Kiss Me, Kate (conductor for the Chinese Tour), Bare (Sydney), Pippin (Sydney). FILM: Happy Yummy Chicken [starring Taryn Manning from Orange Is The New Black].
MEDICINE THE MUSICALfeatures scenic design by Colleen Shea, lighting design by Jamie Roderick, projection design by Lisa Renkel and associate projection designer Brian Pacelli, sound design by Ashton Michael Corey, and costume design by Susanne Houstle. Chloe Lafleur is the Associate Choreographer. Kelsey Vivian is the Production Stage Manager, Justin Hsu is the Production Manager / Assistant Stage Manager, and Joshua Barilla is the Props Master.
MEDICINE THE MUSICAL had a staged reading at Daryl Roth Theater in 2017. This production at HERE Arts Center will be the first fully staged production.
Performances of MEDICINE THE MUSICAL are on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays @ 8:30pm, with matinees @ 4:00pm on Sundays & on November 10th and November 17th. There are 14 performances in total. The running time is 90 minutes. There is no intermission.
Tickets are $45 and available online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/993113 or by calling OvationTix at 1-866-811-4111. Tickets available at the HERE Arts Center Box Office at 145 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10013-1548 (enter on Dominick St. one block south of Spring St.), after 5pm only on performance days and two hours prior to curtain for matinees.
This production is a part of SubletSeries@HERE: a curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.
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