THE STORY OF MY LIFE to Have Orange County Premiere

Chance Theater has announced that the Orange County premiere of Neil Bertram and Brian Hill's musical, The Story of My Life will be the first show in their 23rd Anniversary Season. The musical is directed by Matthew McCray (The Other Place), with music direction by Robyn Manion (Ragtime). The show will have scheduled virtual performances from April 30 - June 6, 2021.

This Drama Desk Award-nominated musical is a soaring tribute to the power of friendship and the people who change our lives forever. The Story of My Life is a profoundly funny and deeply moving musical about lifelong best friends, Thomas and Alvin. As time tests the bonds of friendship, best-selling author Thomas calls on the only resource he has - his stories of Alvin - to better understand the best friend that got away.

Although it only had a short run on Broadway in 2009, revival productions across the country have revealed time and again the enduring heart of this story:

Following developmental readings at Manhattan Theatre Club, The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, and Canadian Stage Company, The Story of My Life received its world premiere in Toronto at the Canadian Stage Company in 2006. It premiered on Broadway at the Booth Theatre in 2009 with direction by Richard Maltby, Jr. and starring Will Chase as Thomas Weaver and Malcolm Gets as Alvin Kelby. The Story of My Life went on to receive four Drama Desk Award nominations -- Outstanding Music (Neil Bartram), Outstanding Lyrics (Neil Bartram), Outstanding Book (Brian Hill), and Outstanding Musical. Since then, the intimate and heartfelt musical has played all over the United States and the rest of the world, including South Korea, Denmark, Belgium, and Austria.

Director Matthew McCray says the show is "a memory play about two wonderfully strange kids. The music has echoes of influence from Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George where music operates in a highly narrative manner and beautifully chronicles the highs, the lows, and key moments of lives well-lived and the value of a life-changing friendship."

As for producing the show virtually, McCray said, "It's like a whole new art form in 2021. We'll be creating this musical through online Zoom rehearsals. Then, we'll come together to create tracks of the actors' voices that will work as performance tracks. These will be used for when we eventually land at the Chance Theater in a green screen environment where we will film the show. Once that's done, we'll go into a post-production process where we will edit the show into a film. The best part is that The Story of My Life is well-suited for this new artform, whether we're exploring the playful childish imagination of a kid who's exploring the power of the butterfly effect or we're looking at the palpable final moments of two friends in conflict as they struggle with their own changing identities."

In addition to McCray and music director Robyn Manion, the production team for The Story of My Life includes lighting designer Masako Tobaru, costume designer Erika C. Miller, sound designer/music editor Ryan Brodkin, video editor James Tran, and stage manager Nicole Schlitt. The production will star Dillon Klena (Parade) as Thomas and Wyn Moreno (Ragtime) as Alvin.

DETAILS:

WHEN: April 30 - June 6, 2021, Fri/Sat 7:00 p.m. PDT; Sun 2:00 p.m. PDT

TICKETS: $25-$49

MORE INFO: www.ChanceTheater.com or call (888) 455-4212

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