ATOMIC Begins at New Line Theatre Today

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," now in its 25th anniversary season of adult, alternative musical theatre, presents the regional premiere of the new rock musical ATOMIC by Danny Ginges and Philip Foxman, beginning today, June 2, and continues through 25, 2016, in the company's new home, the Marcelle Theater, the new blackbox theatre space in Grand Center, St. Louis' arts district.

Based on the true story of the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb, with book and lyrics by Danny Ginges, and music and lyrics by Philip Foxman, this powerful, provocative rock musical blasts open the doors of this top secret, government-funded program of top scientists tasked with creating the world's first Atomic Bomb. The New Line cast includes Zachary Allen Farmer as Leo Szilard, Ann Hier as Trude Weiss, Jeffrey M. Wright as Robert Oppenheimer, Reynaldo Arceno as Enrico Fermi, Ryan Foizey as Arthur Compton, Sean Michael as Edward Teller, Victoria Valentine as Mae, and Larissa White as Leona Woods. The show will be directed by Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy, with music direction by Jeffrey Richard Carter, scenic and lighting design by Rob Lippert, costume design by Sarah Porter, and sound design by Benjamin Rosemann. It's 1939 and the Free World is fighting for its life. Heading the charge is the Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, a brilliant scientist torn between the woman he loves and his need to beat Germany to the bomb. As the war draws to a climax, ethics, scientific progress, and personal relationships are tested as Leo discovers exactly what he's capable of. This show rips the scab off one of the most difficult questions in our national history. The creation of the bomb was one of the most consequential events in world history, one of the greatest collaboration of human minds ever, and the most lethal weapon ever devised by humankind. It ended World War II when dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of people. Should we have used it? Should we have built it? New Line will continue its behind-the-scenes TALK-BACK SERIES onstage at the Marcelle, on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:00 p.m., with the designers and staff of ATOMIC. All the talk-backs are posted to YouTube. For each show, the New Liners also blog about our creative process, taking you behind the scenes of every New Line production, from first rehearsal to closing night. More details about the show are on the New Line website, at http://www.newlinetheatre.com/atomicpage.html Atomic contains adult language and content. TICKETS ATOMIC runs June 2-25, 2016, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, all at 8:00 p.m., at the new Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, just three blocks east of Grand, in Grand Center. (See the New Line website for directions.) June 2 is a preview. Tickets for mainstage shows are $25 for adults and $20 for students/seniors on Fridays and Saturdays; and $20 for adults and $15 for students/seniors on Thursdays. Tickets are available through MetroTix, 314-534-1111 or MetroTix.com. For other information, visit New Line Theatre's full-service website at www.newlinetheatre.com . All programs are subject to change. "25 FOR 25": At the one Thursday preview performance for each show in this 25th season, New Line will set aside 25 tickets, and the first 25 people in line at the box office at 7:00 pm will each get a ticket for 25 cents (one ticket per person). Thursday, June 2 is the ATOMIC preview. HIGH SCHOOL DISCOUNT: Any student with a valid school ID can get a $10 ticket at any performance, with the code word for that show, which will be posted only on New Line's Facebook page. New Line also offers COLLEGE FREE SEATS, ten seats put aside for every performance, free to anyone with a valid college student ID, one ticket per ID. The Free Seats will be available at the theatre box office, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:55 p.m. on performance nights only. EDUCATORS AND MILITARY DISCOUNT: New Line offers all currently employed educators and all active duty military personnel half price tickets on any Thursday night, with work ID or other proof of employment. Not valid in connection with other discounts or offers, available only at the door, and subject to availability. ABOUT NEW LINE THEATRE New Line Theatre is a professional company dedicated to involving the people of the St. Louis region in the exploration and creation of daring, provocative, socially and politically relevant works of musical theatre. New Line was created back in 1991 at the vanguard of a new wave of nonprofit musical theatre just starting to take hold across the country. New Line has given birth to several world premiere musicals over the years and has brought back to life several shows that were not well served by their original New York productions. Altogether, New Line has produced 76 musicals since 1991, and the company has been given its own entry in the Cambridge Guide to American Theatre and the annual Theater World. New Line receives funding from the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.