|
NYMF Lunchtime Concert at Worldwide Plaza
Treats New Yorkers to a Sampler of Upcoming Festival
of 30 New Musicals
New Musical Himself and Nora, The Story of James Joyce &
Nora Barnacle Shines at New York Musical Theatre Festival
Preview
New Yorkers got a sneak preview of the upcoming New York
Musical Theatre Festival at the Worldwide Plaza Summer
Concert Series on Thursday, June 28. Judging by audience
response, ticket sales will be brisk once again for many of
the NYMF offerings.
Broadway’s Matt Bogart (currently starring in Jersey Boys) &
Jessica Burrows along with their fellow cast mates in
Jonathan Brielle’s new musical Himself and Nora treated an
enthusiastic lunchtime crowd in the spacious plaza to a few
songs from the score of this musical tale of one of the
greatest romances of the 20th Century -Himself...the
brilliant and hard drinking Irish novelist James Joyce,
Nora...the passionate chambermaid Nora Barnacle who became
his lover, his partner, and his muse for 29 years. Bogart
led his fellow players J.B. Wing, David Arthur, Brian Sills
and the exquisite Burrows in a rousing paean to Ireland,
“River Liffey” that had the audience clapping along. Ms.
Burrows, possessed with an extraordinary voice that soared
across the backdrop of midtown traffic, melted the crowd
with the poignant “Stand Fast”.
The musical is directed by NYMF veteran and award winning
director Michael Bush. Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan
Brielle, Musical Director is James Sampliner; choreographer,
Kelli Barkley; Associate Musical Director, Nathan Dame; Set
Designer, Michael V. Moore; Lighting Designer, Cat Tate
Starmer; Costume Designer, Sara Jean Tosetti; Sound
Designer, Brad Berridge; Production Manager is Jameson
Croasdale. The show opens on the first day of the New York
Musical Theatre Festival July 9 at Theatre at St. Clements.
Also livening up the show was the delightful cast of The Two
Month Rule A hilariously original, all-ska musical written
and performed by a crazy-talented
still-in-or-just-graduated-from high school cast! When high
school senior Jack’s heart is broken yet again, he and his
pals invent “The Two Month Rule”: none of them will date any
girl for longer than eight weeks, the point at which all
girlfriends go nuts…But following the rule is tougher than
dreaming it up, when prom night falls on the day of the Two
Month dump ‘em deadline. Sort of a Lysistrata in reverse.
The musical has book and Lyrics by Griffin Hennelly and
Nolan Hennelly, music by Chris Scott Geller and is directed
by Elizabeth Tuxill. The show begins performances July 13 at
The Pershing Square Signature Center.
An additional highlight of the afternoon was powerhouse
vocalist Trent Armand Kendall performing songs from Picture
Incomplete, a tale of on middle-aged New Yorker’s funny,
unusual, soulful birthday. Kendall, who has been justly
praised by Time out New York stars in the one-man musical
with music & lyrics by Michael Polese, book & additional
lyrics by Trent Armand Kendall directed by Greg Ganakas with
musical direction by Adam Klipple. The show begins
performances on July 10 at the 45th Street Theatre.
The New York Musical Theatre Festival runs July 9 through
July 29. Tickets for all shows are $25 and can be purchased
by calling
(212) 352-3101 or by visiting www.nymf.org
. For more information about additional shows:
www.nymf.org .
The New York Musical Theatre Festival, Now in its ninth
year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the
largest annual musical theatre event in America and is
widely regarded as the essential source for new material and
talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next
generation of musicals and their creators to ensure the
continued vitality of one of America's greatest art forms.
Hailed as the "Sundance of Musical Theatre," NYMF discovers,
nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and
producers at all stages of development, and inspires a
diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new
work.
NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater
Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization.
NYMF 2012 is presented in association with
www.BroadwayWorld.com
, Production Resource Group, and
www.TheaterMania.com
, and is supported by American Eagle Outfitters, Back Stage,
www.BroadwayBox.com
,
www.BroadwayInsider.com , Clear Channel Spectacolor,
Disney Store Times Square, Fox 5/ WNYW-TV, King Displays,
NASDAQ OMX, New World Stages, Next Magazine, PMD Promotions,
The Port Authority of NY & NJ,
www.Queerty.com ,
Thomson Reuters,
www.TheMenEvent.com , Times Square Squared, and Yelp.
Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI
Foundation, Inc., The BWF Foundation, Con Edison, The Nathan
Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of
Jamie Mayer Phinney, The New Musical Development Foundation,
The Jerome Robbins Foundation, The Rodgers & Hammerstein
Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League.
NYMF is supported, in part, by funds from the New York City
Theater Subdistrict Council, LDC, by an award from the
National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from
the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in
partnership with the City Council and from the New York
State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions
with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early
seating, and tickets to individual events, are currently
available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or
www.nymf.org .
|