MultiStages Presents TEMPLE OF SOULS at Theater for the New City, Now thru 9/28

MULTISTAGES has announced the new musical by award-winning Anita Velez-Mitchell, platinum-winning composers Dean Landon and Anika Paris, TEMPLE OF THE SOULS, with musical direction by Bruce Baumer and directed by Artistic Director Lorca Peress. TEMPLE OF THE SOULS will play a limited engagement at Theater for the New City - Johnson Theater (155 First Avenue, btw 9th/10th, NYC). Performances begin tonight, September 16 and continue through Sunday, September 28. Opening Night is Thursday, September 18 (8 p.m.).

In honor of National Latino Heritage Month, MultiStages presents TEMPLE OF THE SOULS, an epic new musical of secrets, lies and forbidden love... set deep in the magical rain forest of Puerto Rico. Two worlds collide when Amada, the beautiful daughter of a Conquistador, and Guario, a young Taíno, run away to the mountain top to escape the intolerant world below. In this mythical romance, our young lovers find themselves at the TEMPLE OF THE SOULS where nightmares and dreams come true.

View the story behind Temple of the Souls: http://bit.ly/TSstory. More videos and music are available http://bit.ly/TempleSoulsVideos.

The production stars Theresa Burns, Debra Cardona* (National Tours of Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof; Regional premiere In the Heights), Jessica Crilley, Alex Gilbert, Noellia Hernandez* (National Tour of The Buddy Holly Show), Albert Insinnia* (B'way: Joseph Papp's Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Me Nobody Knows, original cast of Grease; Film/TV: Roller Boogie, Corvette Summer, Last Chance, M*A*S*H), Kenneth Kyle Martinez (Off-B'way: RAGS; Side by Side by Sondheim!), Andres Quintero* (National Tour of Altar Boyz; Giant at Signature Theatre, VA ), Kris Roberts, Jorge Rosa, Miguel A. Sierra*, Seph Stanek* (Off-B'way: Naked Boys Singing!, Little House on the Ferry, Boys will be Boys, Naughty/Nice), Alexis Sweeney, Amalia Tollas, Patrick Valley. *performing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. AEA approved showcase.

The production features scenic design conceived by Lorca Peress, costume design by Marla Speer, and lighting design by Alex Moore. Alex Santullo is the sound designer, Jennifer Chin is the choreographer, Logan McCoy is the fight choreographer, Jessica V. Urtecho* is the production stage manager and Sean McCain* is the rehearsal stage manager. Casting by Michael Cassara, CSA and Kate Lumpkin, Michael Cassara Casting. Publicity and social media by Kampfire PR.

TEMPLE OF THE SOULS plays the following schedule through September 28:

Previews - September 16, 17 at 8PM

Performances - September 18, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 at 8PM

Benefit Night Party & Performance - Friday, September 19, 2014 at 7PM

Sunday Matinees - September 21, 28 at 2PM

Sunday Matinee TALK BACK: September 21, 2014 - Special Guest expert on Taíno Culture

Tickets are $15-18 ($50/$75 for the benefit) and are now available online at www.SmartTix.com or by calling 212-868-4444. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater ½ hour prior to performance. Running Time: 2 hours plus one intermission. Visit www.TempleoftheSouls.com.

TEMPLE OF THE SOULS is made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; N.W. Dible Foundation, and private donations and support.

BIOGRAPHIES

ANITA VELEZ-MITCHELL (Playwright) is a 98 year-old award-winning writer born in Vieques, Puerto Rico. While visiting a cave in Puerto Rico, Anita was mesmerized by the sounds of the dripping stalactites. She heard the cries of the Taíno people, sat on a rock and wrote "Totem Taíno," a poem which became the inspiration for Temple of the Souls. She began working with Taíno Kacike (Chief) Cibanakan in New York City to learn more about the Taíno culture and language. Among her countless awards are the Latin ACE Extraordinary Award from the Latin Critics Association, Lifetime Achievement Award from NY League of Puerto Rican Women, Poet of the Year from the Assoc. of Puerto Rican Writers and Poets and four Center of Ibero-American Poets and Writers Awards. Her poems, stories and translations appear in books and anthologies, including "Woven Voices: Three Generations of Puerto Rican Women" (2013 International Latino Book Award Finalist, Scapegoat Press), and "Primavida" (Puerto Rico's Julia de Burgos Poetry Prize). She is the subject of two documentary films, Light Years by Claire Panke (in production) and the award-winning Anita Dancing Through Life by daughter Jane Velez-Mitchell.

DEAN LANDON (music and orchestration) and ANIKA PARIS (music and co-lyrics) are an accomplished song-writing and producing team in Los Angeles with over fifteen years of collaborative work. This double-platinum and gold award-winning team have songs climbing the charts to Number 1 in Canada, France, and Sweden. Their songs are featured in major motion pictures with Miramax, Century Fox 21, Lionsgate, and Universal Pictures. They have written songs for artists on BMG, Arista Records, Universal, Warner Brothers, and Sony, and have songs and music on television's "American Idol," HBO's "Sex in the City," "Desperate Housewives," "Saturday Night Live," Lifetime, MTV, CNN, "Extra," "Ellen De Generes," "The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette," "TMZ," and many more. They have over fifty songs with Warner Chappell UK and Carlin Music. Paris has composed for numerous stage productions, is a published poet and writer, singer/pianist, and recording artist. Landon is a composer, producer, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist. Most recently, they composed the 2014 Winter Olympic Theme for Canada which peaked on top 40 charts.

ANIKA PARIS in addition to being a composer, is a published poet and lyricist. Her poetry is featured in "Woven Voices: Three Generations of Puerto Rican Women" (2013 International Latino Book Award Finalist, Scapegoat Press), and in numerous anthologies including "Chance of a Ghost: An Anthology of Ghost Poems" (Helicon Nine Editions). She is the author of "Making Your Mark in Music" (Hal Leonard publisher) and is writing a second book for Hal Leonard on the music industry.

LORCA PERESS (Director) Founder and Artistic Director of MultiStages, has developed and directed numerous new works for MultiStages and indepedently. Lorca met with Dr. Ricardo Alegria at his home in Old San Juan shortly before he passed away. Dr. Alegria was a renowned anthropologist, archaeologist, and pioneer of Taíno history. He founded the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and was instrumental in preserving Old San Juan. Lorca is an invited member of the Creative Network of the Federal Affairs Administration for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (NYC Regional Office), and a recent Co-President of the League of Professional Theatre Women. Awards include La MaMa INKY, MCAF from the LMCC and DCA, 2011 and 2013 Honorable Mention Collaboration Award from Women in Arts and Media Coalition, 2012 HOLA Outstanding Production, 2013 National Opera Association. She teaches in the NYU Tisch Strasberg Studio and Lee Strasberg Institute, is a graduate of Bennington College and a visual artist.

MULTISTAGES is a multicultural multidisciplinary theatre co. founded in 1997 to support and encourage artistic exchanges that infuse and inspire modern theatre. Through New Works Contests and Script Development Series, we provide platforms for hundreds of artists to collaborate in an experimental and supportive environment. MultiStages has produced over 35 collaborations with playwrights and poets, filmmakers, composers, choreographers, musicians, visual artists, and theatre artists. Awards: 4 HOLA Awards, Taíno Award, FLAG Award, 3 Manhattan Community Arts Fund Awards through the LMCC and the DCA, Dramatists Guild Fund, N.W. Dible Foundation, Jewish Communal Fund, Materials for the Arts support from the DCA.

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