Mary Testa To Play Restaurateur Elaine Kaufman In Reading Of New Musical EVERYONE COMES TO ELAINE'S

New York Theatre Barn will present a reading of Everyone Comes to Elaine's, a new musical about iconic restaurateur Elaine Kaufman with Mary Testa (Oklahoma, The Gardens of Anuncia) in the title role. Directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun (Newsies, Bonnie and Clyde, Big River), the reading will take place on March 4th, 2022, in New York City.

With book by writer-actor Asa Somers (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal) and music/lyrics by Robert Morris, Steven Morris, and Joe Shane (Once Around the Sun, White Noise), Everyone Comes to Elaine's tells the untold story of Elaine Kaufman, fabled doyenne of NYC nightlife. A brassy, larger-than-life legend, Elaine ruled with an iron fist while also inspiring fierce loyalty among her regulars, who included literary giants, boozy locals, and nearly every A-list celebrity of the day, from Truman Capote and Jackie Kennedy to Andy Warhol and Woody Allen. This new musical is an insider's look at Elaine's famous saloon, while chronicling her struggles as an independent, pioneering female business owner coping with challenges personal and professional.

The cast also includes Jill Abramovitz (Beetlejuice), Jillian Butler (Les Miserables, Wicked), Stephen Carlile (The Lion King), Stephen DeRosa (The Nance, Hairspray), Alex Joseph Grayson (Girl from the North Country), Cooper Grodin (The Phantom of the Opera), Mel Johnson, Jr. (Eubie!, Kiss Me Kate, Jekyll and Hyde), Mauricio Martínez (On Your Feet!), T. Oliver Reid (Hadestown, Once on this Island), Talia Simone Robinson (Dear Evan Hansen), and Paul Whitty (Come From Away, Once).

The reading has music supervision by Rebekah Bruce Parker (The Lehman Trilogy, Mean Girls), music direction by Gillian Berkowitz (The Lehman Trilogy), casting by Eisenberg/Beans Casting (Daryl Eisenberg, CSA; Ally Beans, CSA), and the stage manager is Héctor Flores, Jr. The musical is based on A.E. Hotchner's book of the same name, under the creative supervision of Timothy Hotchner (both regulars at Elaine's) and inspired by the late Tony Award-winning playwright Thomas Meehan (Annie, Hairspray, The Producers).

Seating is limited and priority will be given to industry members first. If you are interested in attending the reading, please contact Artistic Director Joe Barros at: joe@nytheatrebarn.org. Guests will need to provide proof of a complete COVID-19 vaccination (for those eligible in accordance with CDC guidelines), along with a government-issued photo ID. New York Theatre Barn staff and artists are subject to mandatory vaccination in addition to testing protocols.

Under the direction of Joe Barros (Artistic Director), Kate Trammell (Managing Director), and Jen Sandler (Associate Artistic Director), New York Theatre Barn has served as a home for original culture shifting musicals during incubation since 2007. The anti-racist, non-profit believes that there is no formula for musical theatre, except authenticity. For more information, visit New York Theatre Barn's website: www.nytheatrebarn.org.

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