World Premiere of THE SABBATH GIRL Will Open Penguin Rep's 2024 Season

Penguin Rep Theatre will present the world premiere of The Sabbath Girl, a new musical with book by Cary Gitter, lyrics by Neil Berg and Mr. Gitter, and music by Mr. Berg, beginning Friday, May 3, in Stony Point, New York.

 

The Sabbath Girl kicks off the nonprofit professional theatre's 46th season and will be presented through May 26.

 

In The Sabbath Girl, Angie Mastrantoni has a lot going for her: her own art gallery, a new apartment, but not much time for romance … until a neighbor unexpectedly knocks on her door. Mr. Brancato, who conceived the show, describes it as “a sparkling new musical about big-city life and the possibility of finding love when you're least looking for it – maybe even right down the hall.”

 

Cary Gitter (book writer, co-lyricist) is the playwright-in-residence at Penguin Rep Theatre, where his plays Gene & Gilda and The Virtuous Life of Joseph Andrews were previously presented. He is a three-time O'Neill semifinalist, a two-time Jewish Plays Project finalist, and an alumnus of the Obie Award-winning EST/Youngblood playwrights' group. His play How My Grandparents Fell in Love was a New York Times Critic's Pick as part of the Ensemble Studio Theatre's 36th Marathon of One-Act Plays and aired on the acclaimed podcast Playing on Air.

 

Neil Berg (composer, co-lyricist) wrote the music and lyrics for the award-winning musical The 12 (Goodspeed Opera House), with book/co-lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan, directed by Tony Award-winning director John Doyle; Grumpy Old Men: The Musical; The Prince and the Pauper (Off Broadway); Tim and Scrooge (Broadway World Award - “Best New Musical”); and the upcoming My Cousin Vinny: The Musical.

 

The cast, under Mr. Brancato's direction, includes Marilyn Caserta as Angie (Broadway: Six. Theatre World Award winner); Diana Di Marzio as Sophia (Broadway: The Visit, Sweeney Todd); Rory Max Kaplan as Blake (Broadway: Jersey Boys, A Bronx Tale); Lauren Singerman as Rachel (NY: Caroline, or Change, Hedwig and the Angry Inch); and Max Wolkowitz as Seth (Penguin: My Name Is Asher Lev. Regional: Cabaret, Indecent).

 

Director Brancato's credits include Michael McKeever's Daniel's Husband, which transferred from Penguin to Primary Stages at the Cherry Lane Theatre and then onto its commercial production at The Westside Theatre/Upstairs, as well as the same playwright's After, which moved from Penguin to 59E59 Theaters; Erasmus Fenn's Drop Dead Perfect at Theatre at St. Clements (NY Times Critic's Pick); The Devil's Music: The Life & Blues of Bessie Smith (Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Off B'way Alliance, and Audelco Award nominee); Freed (Audelco Award nominee); Tryst (Outer Critics nomination for Best Play) at the Promenade and at Irish Rep; and Cobb (Drama Desk winner).

 

The Sabbath Girl is designed by Christopher and Justin Swader (set), Gregory Gale (costumes), Jamie Roderick (lights), Kwamina Biney (sound), and Buffy Cardoza (props). Michael Palmer is production stage manager.

 

Gale was nominated for Tony Awards for Cyrano de Bergerac and Rock of Ages and received two Lucille Lortel Awards for Fairycakes and The Voysey Inheritance.

 

Wendy Bobbit Cavett (Broadway: Come From Away, Hamilton, Mamma Mia!) is musical supervisor and arranger; Matthew Lowy (Broadway: The Music Man, Beetlejuice) is musical director; Alex Wise is orchestrator; and Ryan Kasprzak (Broadway: Bandstand; Penguin: Syncopation, Gene & Gilda) is movement consultant.

 

Performances are scheduled at Penguin's home facility, a repurposed 1880s barn in historic Stony Point (Rockland County), New York. “The converted barn, circa 1880, has never been more inviting” (The New York Times). Says Mr. Horn, “It's theatre so close you can feel it, with comfortable upholstered seats and no seat more than 30 feet from the stage.” The theatre is air-conditioned and handicap accessible, features assistive hearing devices, and has plenty of free parking.

 

Performances will take place: Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. (May 9, May 16, May 23), Friday matinees at 2:00 p.m. (May 3, May 10), Friday evenings at 7:00 p.m. (May 3, May 17, May 24), Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (May 4, May 11, May 18, May 25), and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. (May 5, May 12, May 19, May 26).

 

There will be a reception following the opening on Sunday, May 5; a tasting catered by Lynch's on the Green Restaurant of Thiells before the early show on Saturday, May 11; and a discussion following the performance on Friday, May 17.

 

Tickets to The Sabbath Girl are priced at $54. Early ordering discount tickets to the musical are $46 if purchased by May 5. Season tickets are also on sale.

 

To order tickets or for further information, visit Penguin Rep's website at WWW.PENGUINREP.ORG or call 845-786-2873.  

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