THE SIMPSONS Contributing Writer Gary Apple Will Debut New Irreverent Holiday Musical at NYMF

Gary Apple, who has served as a contributing writer on hit comedy series such as "The Simpsons," will debut his new irreverent holiday musical Christmas In Hell during this summer's New York Musical Festival. The staged readings will take place at Playwrights Horizons Rehearsal Studio (416 West 42nd Street, between 9th & 10th Avenues) on Tuesday, July 18 at 1:30pm and Friday July 21 at 3:30pm & 7:30pm. Complimentary tickets for the reading are available only with a NYMF Pass Plus or Premium. To purchase a pass, please visit www.nymf.org/tickets.

It's Christmas Eve, and sweet little six-year-old Davin is in the same hospital as famed serial killer Charles Manson. After being taKen Down to Hell by mistake, Davin is returned to earth, fiendishly changed. An irreverent holiday musical, Christmas In Hell follows Davin's father on a quest to get his son back to normal, meeting fervent priests, mystical crones and a band of misfit Devil worshipers along the way. Eventually, he descends to Hell itself and makes a wager with Lucifer he can't possibly win.

Readings of Christmas in Hell will feature Christopher Sutton, JoNathan Stewart, Carlos Lopez (Spongebob Squarepants The Musical), Zak Risinger, Regina Gibson, Danielle Strauss (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Eljah Raykhman, Michelle Foor, Steven Mooney, Michele Foor and Richard Vida. The ensemble of actors will be directed by Richard Crawford (Cirque du Soleil) and feature music direction by Logan Medland (National Tours of Cats and Crazy for You).

BIOGRAPHIES

Richard Crawford (Director) studied with Jacques Lecoq, and also at Rose Bruford College, London. He is a founding member of the internationally-acclaimed New York physical theater ensemble The Flying Machine and performed on Broadway in War Horse. He also played the lead in the Off-Broadway hit show Slava's Snowshow from 2004-2006 and has directed clown work for Cirque du Soleil. He is an award-winning director whose projects have included a Commedia dell'Arte version of Petrushka at Carnegie Hall, The Bourgeois Gentlemen at the UMN/Guthrie and Comedy of Errors at TheatreWorks, Colorado Springs. He also performed in the 2002 OBIE Winning [Sic] at Soho Rep., NYC, and as the lead in La Jolla Playhouse's groundbreaking production The Adding Machine in 2007. Richard has been teaching for the past twelve years in London, Paris, Santiago, Montreal and New York. In the U.S., he has taught Neutral Mask, Commedia dell'Arte and Lecoq Technique at NYU/Tisch, Yale School of Drama, Sarah Lawrence College, Bard College, The Actor's Center, Marymount Manhattan, Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute, Michael Howard Studios, The Stella Adler Studio, and the University of Minnesota. He is currently on the faculty at SUNY Purchase. www.richardcrawfordweb.com

MICHELE FOOR (Ms, Huvey) is a happily married actor/singer/writer and proud member of the BMI Advanced Workshop. She is currently working on Pushing Daisy an original musical, and recently mounted a successful production of Serving Time, her restaurant-themed revue at the Royal Family Theater. Member of Actors Equity Association.

Regina Gibson (Galiana). Recent NYC credits: Leah in Leah, The Forsaken (Metropolitan Playhouse), The Golden Bride (National Yiddish Opera Folksbiene), Science Fair (ArsNova ANT), Welfare Lady (Nylon Fusion), Antigone (Columbia). Regional: Lathem Prince (DC Capital Festival), As You Like It (Connecticut Shakespeare), Charlotte's Web (Theatreworks/USA). Readings with Lark, EST, and ArsNova. Film: Spiders (Cannes Festival). She stars as Amelia in her comedy series, Honestly, Amelia at www.honestlyamelia.com. BFA NYU TISCH.www.reginagibson.com.

Carlos Lopez (Father McDuffy) has appeared in many Broadway shows, including Grease (Sonny), Wonderful Town (Speedy), Annie Get Your Gun (Tommy), A Chorus Line (Paul), Man of La Mancha, and Grand Hotel. National Tours include Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, and Harlem Suite. He has made numerous appearances on TV, including "The Sopranos" and "The Guiding Light." Most recently he portrayed Mr. Crab in the Broadway bound production of Spongebob Squarepants The Musical.

Logan Medland (Musical Direction) is a music director, composer and writer. As a Music Director and Conductor he has toured nationally and internationally with many shows including: Cats (North and South American tour), Crazy for You (National tour), Chicago (National tour), Jersey Boys (U.S. national tour and Toronto production) and A Christmas Story (Music Supervisor). He is the composer and writer of Fingers and Toes, a 30's era musical that was part of NYMF in 2010, and has had three regional productions since then. He is the musical director and arranger for The Bardy Bunch: the NY Fringe and Off-Broadway hit, that most recently finished a critically-acclaimed run at The Mercury Theatre in Chicago. He currently performs nightly at the Longacre Theater on Broadway in the orchestra A Bronx Tale. Previously to that he was a member of the orchestra for Dr. Zhivago on Broadway.

ELIJAH RAYKHMAN (Davin, the son). Elijah is thrilled to be performing in his first staged reading. He has been a featured singer at the Carnegie Hall and Manhattan City Center. He is currently involved in the production of three short films and multiple educational series made for TV and Web. Elijah is grateful to his vocal coach, Sofya Palma, and his family for supporting him in pursing his dreams!

Zak Risinger (Carl The Bogeyman) has appeared coast to coast in over a dozen states and loved working on Reefer Madness (Ralph); Fiddler on the Roof (Motel); Little Shop of Horrors (Orin); Julius Caesar; HONK! (Ugly); Man of La Mancha; Italian American Reconciliation; Red, White, and Tuna; and Metamorphoses. BFA University of Oklahoma.

JoNathan Stewart (Lucifer) NYMF 2017: Errol and Fidel (Errol Flynn). Off Broadway: A Loss of Roses, Perfect Crime, A Little Night Music, Road to Hollywood, Valentino the Musical. Regional: On Golden Pond, Colony Theater Burbank, 42nd Street, and By Jeeves at Goodspeed Musicals; Richard II, Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night at Utah Shakespearean Festival; Dallas Shakespeare Festival; Dallas Theater Center; Bucks County Playhouse; American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T). TV: "Law & Order S.V.U.," "White Collar," "As the World Turns." MFA, American Conservatory Theater.

DANIELLE STRAUSS (Ensemble) is thrilled to be spending Christmas in Hell! Madison Square Garden: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. National Tour: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Sid the Science Kid. Off Broadway: Unbroken Circle, The Awesome 80's Prom, Chautauqua. Regional: Happy Days the Musical (Joanie), Seussical (Gertrude), High School Musical 2 (Kelsi). Film: How to Get Girls, Public Affairs. www.daniellestrauss.com

Christopher Sutton (Richard, the father). New York credits include: Mark Antony in The Harlem Shakespeare Festival's Antony and Cleopatra, Henry VI Parts 1-3 (Richard Plantagenet), Ancient History (Jack); I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change; Valueville, Lissabon, The IT Girl, Lola-Lola, #Hero, Four Messages, and Flight of the Lawnchair Man (Outstanding Actor Award). Christopher played Prince Herbert in Monty Python's Spamalot (Outstanding Actor Award) for over 1,200 performances under the direction of Mike Nichols, is a recipient of the Barrymore Award (Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story) and the Louis Sudler National Prize in the Arts. Regional credits include: Memphis (Huey), Elf (Buddy), Blood Brothers (Mickey), Carousel (Billy), Of Mice and Men (George), Desire Under The Elms (Eben), The Seagull (Treplyev), Twelfth Night (Feste), As You Like It (Orlando). www.ChristopherSutton.net.

Richard Vida (Detective Vanderhoff). Broadway: Les Miserables (directed by J Caird, Trevor Nunn). National Tours: Les Miserables, The Drowsy Chaperone, 42nd Street, Hello Hollywood, Singin' In The Rain

Dennis Wit (Principal Bolton) After getting his BA from Hofstra University and his MA from York University in Toronto, Dennis Wit began his professional acting career in New York in 1978 in a production of Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water. More recently he can be seen in the newly released independent movie Miles. He playEd Herman in the New Haarlem Arts Theatre's production of Sweet Charity. He has also played Nathan in Guys and Dolls and Francis Flute in a Midsummer Night's Dream. He played Timothy Hogarth in the long running Off Broadway hit, Room Service. He has had parts on Saturday Night Live and recently finished shooting on Steven Spielberg's new film about the Pentagon Papers. You may have seen him last month at Theater for the New City's Lower Eastside Festival singing a few Irving Berlin songs. He is very happy and proud to be a part of this production.

ABOUT NEW YORK MUSICAL FESTIVAL

The New York Musical Festival nurtures the creation, production, and public presentation of stylistically, thematically, and culturally diverse new musicals to ensure the future vitality of musical theater.

Now in its fourteenth year, the Festival is the premier musical theater event in the world. The preeminent site for launching new musicals and discovering new talent, the Festival provides an affordable platform for artists to mount professional productions that reach their peers, industry leaders, and musical theater fans. More than 90 Festival shows have gone on to productions on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters in all 50 states, and in more than 24 countries worldwide. Festival alumni have received a wide array of awards including the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, NYMF received a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its work "creating and nurturing new musical theater, ensuring the future of this essential art form."

NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. 2017 NYMF is sponsored by The City of New York Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, PRG, TheaterMania, Clear Channel Outdoor and the Village Voice, and is supported, in part, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The NYMF PASS is a great way to experience The New York Musical Festival. With a NYMF PASS, you can get into the theater before individual ticket holders. Passes also offer the exclusive ability to book tickets before they go on sale to the public. Individual tickets on sale now.

The 2017 New York Musical Festival will take place July 10 - August 6. For more information, please visit: www.nymf.org.

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