Megan Lewis, Alex Hoeffler and More Star in DERMA Premiere at 2013 Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Now thru 6/8

The Piccolo Spoleto Festival and Banner New York have announced the premiere of Derma, a stirring new American musical to run at the Woolfe Street Playhouse in Charleston, SC from tonight, June 3rd through June 8th, 2013. www.dermathemusical.com.

Derma tells the story of one woman's life as she battles a mysterious illness that threatens to separate her from her family. When Joan, a beautiful, vivacious young woman, is diagnosed with scleroderma, her life becomes a constant struggle with both her disease and her personal demons. The musical takes place between 1959 and 1985, and its original score reflects the musical styles of those decades. Derma explores the boundaries of life, love, and what it means to be forever trapped in your own skin.

The musical features music and lyrics by Drew Brody, and a Book by Jared Coseglia & Cory Grant, who will also direct. Julian Barnett will choreograph the production.

Says Coseglia: "Derma tells a story of a woman fighting to live the fullest life possible, despite what seem like insurmountable obstacles. It's about leaving your mark on this earth no matter how small. It's a delicate, intimate musical sure to inspire us all to love fully and live freely."

Derma's cast is led by Megan Lewis, who will play Joan. Ms. Lewis recently appeared on Broadway in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Grey Gardens and off-Broadway in BARE, Forbidden Broadway, and The 60's Project. Alex Hoeffler, fresh off his Broadway debut in Lincoln Center Theater's War Horse, will play the roles of Richard and Danny, and Jenny Rose Baker (Broadway's Annie Get Your Gun w/ Bernadette Peters & Reba McEntire, Annie National Tour) will portray Maggie and others.

Derma will be directed by Jared Coseglia & Cory Grant, who co-authored the book of the musical. Coseglia also directed a production ofThe Lightning Field, which won best play at Fringe NYC 2005, and received the GLAAD Award for best Off-Off Broadway Play. He was also the assistant director on Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks starring Polly Bergen and Mark Hammill on Broadway. Cory Grant is an actor and writer who has collaborated with Coseglia and Drew Brody for the past eleven years. He has numerous acting credits, including the role of Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on Broadway and in Chicago. His other New York acting credits include Mick in Broken Hands, for which he won Best Actor at the 2006 Fringe NYC Festival. Coseglia & Grant most recently collaborated on the world premiere of Cutman: a boxing musical, produced by Goodspeed Musicals in 2011.

Julian Barnett will be Derma's choreographer. Mr. Barnett has performed and choreographed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and is a founding member of Larry Keigwin's New York Dance Company. His first work, FLOAT, originally premiered at the La Mama Theater in New York and was acquired by the repertory company Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and performed internationally. Since then, Mr. Barnett has created and performed several experimental works, including MONUMENT (Dansateliers, NL), SUPER NATURAL (Dance New Amsterdam, NY) and SOUND MEMORY (Danspace Proect, NY).

Drew Brody, who wrote Derma's music and lyrics, recently collaborated with Coseglia and Grant on Cutman: a boxing musical. A New York City-based songwriter, Mr. Brody wrote and produced his own solo studio album in 2007, and recently wrote the music and lyrics for two musicals, The Mudge Boy, and Wilshire, which each had readings in 2012.

Jared Coseglia will be making his return to the Piccolo Spoleto festival thirteen years after performing there in a Burning Coal production of Tom Stoppard's Travesties, directed by Rebecca Holderness in 2000. Coseglia recently moved to Charleston after falling in love with the city 13 years ago. He is proud and excited to call the city his new home. Coseglia's return to Piccolo Spoleto is a long awaited and exciting theatrical reunion.

Derma will run tonight, June 3 through June 8, 2013 at the Woolfe Street Playhouse (34 Woolfe St., Charleston, SC 29403). Curtain times are 8:00 PM June 3-5, 5:00 PM June 6-7, and 3:00 PM on June 8. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling (866) 811-4111 or visiting www.piccolospoleto.com.

For more about the show, go to www.dermathemusical.com.

Pictured: Megan Lewis

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