PRESS CONTACT:

David Gersten & Associates
240 West 44th Street / Penthouse

New York, NY 10036-3906
212/575-0263
info@davidgersten.com

Now Blogging: For more press releases, please go to
gerstenassociates.wordpress.com

 

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DIAL 'N' FOR NEGRESS: A musical with its own attitude

For Immediate Release, Please ~ August 17, 2009 Press Contact: Jeremy Shaffer / 212-315-2120 / jeremy@publicityoffice.com     * * PHOTO PREVIEW / DOWNLOAD * *   From the creators of "It's Karate, Kid! The Musical"...    A different kind of HERO. A different type of MAN.     DIAL 'N' FOR NEGRESS A musical with its own attitude.   Book and Lyrics by TRAVIS KRAMER Music by TOM OSTER and KEVIN SMITH KIRKWOOD Original Concept by KEVIN SMITH KIRKWOOD and TRAVIS KRAMER Choreographed by JENNIFER L. MUDGE Produced and Directed by JAKE HIRZEL 16 PERFORMANCES ONLY AT THE CLURMAN THEATRE ON THEATRE ROW, 410 WEST 42ND STREET   THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 THROUGH SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2009; OPENING NIGHT IS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11   TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT TICKETCENTRAL.COM OR BY CALLING 212-279-4200 WWW.DIALNFORNEGRESS.COM   __________________________________ This fall, the sexy, soulful new musical comedy DIAL 'N' FOR NEGRESS will have its world premiere engagement for 16 performances only -- Thursday, September 10 through Saturday, September 26, 2009 -- at the Clurman Theatre on Theatre Row (410 W. 42nd St., NYC). Opening Night is Friday, September 11.     Created by the team responsible for the 2005 NYIT Award winning musical comedy It's Karate, Kid! The Musical (Best Musical and Best Choreography), DIAL 'N' FOR NEGRESS features book and lyrics by Travis Kramer, music by Tom Oster and Kevin Smith Kirkwood, and is based on an original concept by Kirkwood and Kramer. The production is choreographed by Jennifer L. Mudge, and produced and directed by Jake Hirzel.     It's 1974 in Soulsville, USA. An apathetic community lives from fix-to-fix, and pimps, thugs and crooked cops rule the streets. Fresh from jail, the Negress arrives home and has to choose: turn away from the corrosive street life of Soulsville or accept his destiny as the unlikely hero of the community?      Outrageous, hilarious, inspiring and driven with kinetic song and dance, DIAL 'N' FOR NEGRESS features an original 16-song funk "blaxploitation" score, including "Pimp Knowledge," "Break That Negress," "Dig It (Can You?)" and "Walk On (Ah'm a Negress Man)."    DIAL 'N' FOR NEGRESS stars Kevin Smith Kirkwood as the Negress, and features Pilin Anice as Black Mama and Emily McNamara as White Mama (two reformed hoes -- sassy, sexy and streetwise), Tamala Baldwin as Taffy, James Solomon Benn as Rev. Preacherman / Don Finnochio, Katie Boren as Candy, Jimmy Brooks Jr. as Doodlebug, Bree Daniels as Fancy, James LaRosa as Mario, Nehemiah Luckett as Bumpy Ritz, Eric Roediger as Dick McGuffin and Julius Thomas III as Antonio.        The production features scenic design by Nick Francone, costume design by Sidney Shannon, lighting design by Bill Sheehan, sound design by Carl Casella and props design by Justin Joseffy.         Tickets for DIAL 'N' FOR NEGRESS are $19.25 (includes a $1.25 facility fee) and are now available by calling TicketCentral.com at 212-279-4200, or by visiting the Theatre Row Box Office (410 W. 42nd St.). Box office hours are noon to 8 p.m. daily.     Visit www.DialNForNegress.com for updates and additional information.   #   #   #     PHOTO EDITORS: Click below each image to download a high-res JPG. All photos by Carol Rosegg.        Kevin Smith Kirkwood. Click HERE to download     Pilin Anice, Kevin Smith Kirkwood and Emily McNamara. Click HERE to download     Pilin Anice, Kevin Smith Kirkwood and Emily McNamara. Click HERE to download     Emily McNamara and Pilin Anice. Click HERE to download     Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Emily McNamara and Pilin Anice. Click HERE to download

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TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH At Theater For The New City Beginning September 3

Press Contact: Judd Hollander & Cynthia Leathers

Bunch of People Press & Publicity/212-242-1648/BNCHPEOP@AOL.COM 

 

When Does Marriage Become A Lie & When Do Lies Define Marriage?

Gene Ruffini Examines These Issues in his World Premiere Drama

 

TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH

 

At Theater For The New City Beginning September 3 

 

Marriage, thy name is compromise. But when a family’s core values are hypocrisy, lies, denial and enabling, it’s a fair bet that relationships will be strained to the breaking point, as aptly demonstrated in the world premiere of Gene Ruffini’s bittersweet drama TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH. Directed by Jessica Zweiman and produced by Theater for the New City, the play will begin performances at the company’s Cino Theater at the TNC complex, located at 155 First Avenue, beginning on September 3rd.

 

Paul, a successful author and screenwriter, and his wife Joan, an actress, are summering at their upstate home in Duchess County. Joan leans on Paul (and the bottle) because of a mystery ailment that has left her virtually bedridden; Paul cooks, cleans and keeps Joan happy. Their grown children gather for a weekend at the summer house to celebrate Joan’s birthday: stockbroker son Don and daughter-in-law Elysse; favored son Michael and his wife, Susan; and Paul and Joan’s midlife surprise daughter Carla, who’s bringing home her business partner (and new fiancée) Mavis.

 

Sick of hypocrisy and denial, Don perversely delights in trading backhanded barbs and biting remarks with his soon-to-be-ex-wife and anyone else caught in the shotgun spray of his bitterness and self-loathing. Casualties caught in the crossfire of shouted truths, whispered lies, and desperate denials include the loss of innocence and the shattering of the status quo. In the end, can those left standing escape the tentacles of the family, and more importantly, will they even try to?

 

The cast of TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH features Bruce Colbert, Thesa Loving, Andrew Langton, Jessica Pohly, Jake Green, Kelly Campbell, Bethany Braun and Kimberlee Walker.

 

Gene Ruffini’s plays have been produced in New York City and around the country.  They include: The Choice, about the causes of the Holocaust and which was published by the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League; Homeland, about the threat of censorship and totalitarianism in America which was acclaimed by the ACLU; Woden, about corporate corruption, and Prester John, about religious hypocrisy and media dishonesty. As an actor, Ruffini has appeared in television, film and theatre. He has had principal film roles in Analyze This, Ghost Dog, Find Me Guilty and Extreme Measures, among many others.  He has appeared in episodes of Law and Order, The Sopranos, and on The Conan O’Brien Show. He is also a published novelist, biographer, magazine writer and former journalist having worked at the New York Post, New York Daily News, Mutual Broadcasting System, Channel 5 and Channel 11 in New York. He currently teaches writing and literature at Berkley College in New Jersey. Gene received a grant from The Puffin Foundation for To Love and To Cherish, with the Foundation noting that the work fulfilled their objective of funding thought-provoking theater.

 

Born in Brooklyn NY, Jessica Zweiman made her directorial debut on the Los Angeles stage with Donald Margulies’ Collected Stories. (She previously assisted in several productions, including Dorothy Lyman’s one-woman show My Kitchen Wars.) Among the plays Jessica has directed are the Neil Simon Trilogy of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound and Biloxi Blues; as well as Dog Opera by Constance Congdon (AIDS Awareness Award), and Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive. Recent directorial work includes Edward Allen Baker’s Face Divided, Caryl Churchill’s Abortive, and Tony Kushner’s Angels in America for the Actors Studio, as well as The Mulatto’s Dilemma (Ovation nominee) at the Gardner Stages in Los Angeles. Jessica also directed the award winning short film Propaganda: The Breakfast Club and is currently in development on the TV pilot Stuck in the Middle. Currently, Jessica is the Shakespeare Lab Associate at The Public Theater in New York City.

 

Theater for the New City (TNC) is a Pulitzer Prize winning community cultural center that is known for its high artistic standards and widespread community service. One of New York’s most prolific theatrical organizations, TNC produces 30-40 premieres of new American plays per year, at least 10 of which are by emerging and young playwrights. TNC seeks to develop theater audiences and inspire future theater artists from the often-overlooked low-income minority communities of New York City by producing minority writers from around the world and by bringing the community into theater and theater into the community through its many free Festivals. TNC productions have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and over 40 OBIE Awards for excellence in every theatrical discipline. TNC is also the only Theatrical Organization to have won the Mayor's Stop The Violence award. Information: www.theaterforthenewcity.net.

 

Running through September 20, TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH will be performed at Theater for The New City, located at 155 First Avenue, (between 9th & 10th Streets).  Show times are Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm.  Tickets are $20.00. Sunday performances are “pay what you can”. Reservations: 212-352-3101 or toll free at 866-811-4111, or www.theaterforthenewcity.net.

 

Members of the Press are invited to all performances.

 

                                    *                                  *                                  *

 

INFORMATION FOR LISTING EDITORS

 

 

WHAT:

To Love and To Cherish

By Gene Ruffini

Directed by Jessica Zweiman

Assistant Director: Deema Saleem

Stage Manager: Tashika Futch

 

Featuring:       

Bruce Colbert, Thesa Loving, Andrew Langton, Jessica Pohly, Jake Green, Kelly Campbell, Bethany Braun, Kimberlee Walker.

 

SYNOPSIS:

All marriage is compromise, but sometimes even the most elastic of relationships can be strained to the breaking point. In Gene Ruffini’s world premiere drama, sixty-something professional couple Paul and Joan West find her birthday celebration marred by familial realizations and recriminations. Sick of the hypocrisy and denials among his “always-loving” relatives, and fueled by drink and his impending divorce, their eldest son Don lashes out at his parents, his soon-to-be-ex-wife, his “perfect” brother, and his lesbian sister and her girlfriend, desperately trying to get all present to confront his proclamations of infidelity, betrayal, enabling and self-loathing. A play where sins of the father and mother come crashing down upon the children, where pride goes before the fall, and where the question becomes “how much is too much” when it comes to sticking by those you profess to love?

WHERE:
Theater for the New City

Cino Theater

155 First Avenue (between 9th & 10th Streets)

 

WHEN

September 3rd – September 20th

Thursday-Saturday at 8pm

Sunday at 3pm

 

TICKETS:
$20.00

Sunday performances are “pay what you can”.

RESERVATIONS:

212-352-3101 or toll free at 866-811-4111,

or www.theaterforthenewcity.net.

 

SUBWAY INFO:
Take the L train to 1st Avenue or the F train to 2nd Avenue

 

The press is invited to all performances.

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Dark Open Casket Comedy Part of 1st IRISH 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/REQUEST FOR COVERAGE
Contact: Beck Lee/MEDIA BLITZ, INC. (718) 403-0939

“A SHORT WAKE” BY DUBLIN-BORN DEREK MURPHY IN U.S. PREMIERE DURING 1ST IRISH 2009

DARK OPEN CASKET COMEDY SET IN DOWNTOWN FUNERAL PARLOR PERFORMS FROM SEPTEMBER 10 TO 26

“A Short Wake,” a new dark comedy by Derek Murphy set in a New York funeral parlor where two brothers pay some very questionable respects at their father’s wake, receives its U.S. premiere during this year’s 1st Irish Festival in New York. The two-character play features Peter Bradbury and Brandon Williams, and is directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser. The New York-based production marks the play’s20second incarnation; originally it toured Ireland in the fall of 2007 after its world premiere at the Derry Playhouse. At the time, The Irish Times praised the Dublin-born and New York-based Murphy as “slick, witty and subversive.”

Produced by Tweiss Productions, “A Short Wake” comes to life on Thursday September 10, playing 12 performances through Saturday September 26 at Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal Street. Performances during the show’s 3-week engagement are Thursday, Friday & S aturday at 8pm and Saturday at 3pm . Tickets, which are $18, are available via Theatermania.com, by phone at 212/352-3101 or online at www.theatermania.com.

When two first-generation Irish-American brothers, who have become estranged since the suspicious death of their mother, are reacquainted many years later at the wake of their father, secrets meant for the grave are brought to light. Not that this open-casket affair is an open book. Far from it. It seems that the older brother, Teddy, (played by Peter Bradbury), a thief and a rogue, had been there for his father, caring for him in the last weeks of the old man’s life. But to avoid unpleasant questions he spent those weeks pretending to be his younger brother Jimmy (Brandon Williams does the honors), a successful attorney who lives by himself and is protective of his privacy. What appears at first blush as an act of pure deception may have actually resurrected the truth about many things.

Ludovica Villar-Hauser, who produced and directed the long-running hit drama “The Countess,” both Off-Broadway (634 performances) and on the West End, recently directed the U.S. premiere of British playwright Philip Ridley’s “Leaves of Glass” at the Peter J. Sharp Theatre. In 2004 she directed the Off-Broadway world premiere of the drama “Duet.” “A Short Wake’s” production stage manager is Nick Tochelli.

The five-week-long 1st Irish 2009, New York’s first and only all-Irish theatre festival, is presenting the work of 21 Irish playwrights from here and abroad, in 12 venues across New York City. The festival runs from September 1 through October 4. For festival information visitwww.1stIrish.org
“A Short Wake,” with 12 performances, runs from September 10 to 26 at Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal Street. Tickets are $18, and are available by phone at 212/352-3101 or online at www.theatermania.com

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FringeNYC announces sold out shows -- advance sales up 48%

For Immediate Release
Contact: Ron Lasko @ 212-505-1700 x. 11

Advance Ticket Sales Up 48%
First Sold Out Shows Announced
NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
** 13th Annual Festival runs August 14 - 30, 2009 **

New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), the largest multi-arts festival in North America, will present the 13th annual festival August 14 - 30, 2009. This year, the festival will offer performances by 201 of the world's best emerging theatre troupes and dance companies. Invited performers represent 7 countries (including Spain, Italy, China, Japan, and Australia) and 20 U.S. states (including Iowa, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Washington, Texas, Wisconsin, Nevada and Missouri). The festival presents works covering a wide range of disciplines including drama, comedy, dance, performance art, children's theater (FringeJr), outdoor theater (FringeAlFrecso), spoken word, puppetry, improv, and multimedia.

Advance sales are already up over 48% from last year. FringeNYC really IS New York's Best Staycation!, exclaims Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy, referring to the marketing theme of this years Festival. At only $15 per ticket, FringeNYC is one of Manhattans few remaining bargains. Several productions have already sold out individual performances including: Abraham Lincolns Big Gay Dance Party, Terranova, The 49 Project, And Sophie Comes Too, Zipperface!!?! The Hobo Musical, and A Contemporary American's Guide to a Successful Marriage. Other best-selling shows include: Victoria & Frederick For President, 666, I Can Haz Cheezburger: The MusicLOL, Vote!, The Event, and His Greatness.

FringeNYC is a production of The Present Company, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy. In 1997, New York City became the seventh U.S. city to host a fringe festival, joining Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston, Orlando and San Francisco. In its first twelve years, FringeNYC has presented over 2000 performing groups from the U.K., Canada, Poland, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Germany, the Czech Republic and every U.S. state, prompting Switzerlands national daily, The New Zurich Zeitung, to declare, "FringeNYC has become the premiere meeting ground for alternative artists." In November 2007, Michael Bloomberg presented FringeNYC with the prestigious Mayors Award for Arts and Culture. The festival has also been the launching pad for numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway transfers, long-running downtown hits, and regional theater productions including Urinetown, Matt & Ben, Never Swim Alone, Debbie Does Dallas, Dog Sees God, 21 Dog Years, Dixies Tupperware Party and the recent Off-Broadway hit Krapp 39.

FringeNYC shows run 4pm - midnight weekdays and noon - midnight on weekends. Tickets are $15 each available beginning July 24 at www.fringenyc.org, 212-279-4488 (inside NYC) or 1-888.FRINGENYC (outside NYC). Discount passes for multiple shows ($70 for a Fiver Pass, $120 for a Flex Pass good for 10 shows, and $500 for an all-you-can-see Lunatic Pass) are also available. For more information visit www.FringeNYC.org.

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CANCELLED: Rock Chicks Live!

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Aug. 16 Mae West Walking Tour--Walk in the footsteps of Texas Guinan and Mae West

• • Walk in the footsteps of Texas Guinan and Mae West next Sunday.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Join us for a lively afternoon focused on Mae West & Texas Guinan!
• • On 16 August 2009, come up and enjoy an a-MAE-zing experience — — a walking tour of historical sights in the Times Square area. This year the Annual Mae West Birthday Tour also commemorates speakeasy hostess Texas Guinan, the generous friend who backed all of Mae’s Broadway shows during the 1920s.
• • During April 1929, the Feds padlocked the CIub Intime at the Hotel Harding, where Texas Guinan was the principal attraction. On August 16th, attendees will visit this speakeasy, which is doing brisk business these days.
• • Walking Tour: "Gaudy Girls on The Gay White Way: Mae West & Texas Guinan in the Theatre District"
• • When: 4:00 PM on Sunday — — 16 August 2008 — — rain or shine
• • Meet: Shubert Alley, 44th Street, West of Broadway, New York, NY 10036
• • Price: $10 [this walking tour lasts about 90 minutes]
• • Subway: N or R [BMT] train to West 42nd Street; 1 [IRT] train to Times Square
• • Attire: why not wear a Mae West-inspired hat?
• • Info: T. 212-614-9683 — — or post your RSVP or tour question on the blog
• • Online: MaeWest.blogspot.com — — TexasGuinan.blogspot.com
• • Who: Playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo makes the tour educational and entertaining.
• • LindaAnn Loschiavo's history play "Courting Mae West" was onstage in July 2008 at the Fresh Fruit Festival. She is working on a biographical travel guide "Mae West's New York, 1899—1959" and will show some of her unusual theatre memorabilia and vintage photos during the tour and reveal secret addresses tied to Mae West that have not been disclosed before. These rare pictures show the area as it looked during the 1920s when Mae West and Texas Guinan had their name on several marquees.

• • Surprises: Prizes and other nice things are part of the fun

• • Members of the press may attend on August 16th as our guest. RSVP required.
_________________________________________________________
Source: http://texasguinan.blogspot.com/

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springerassociatespr
1501 Broadway, I Suite 506 I NYC I (212) 354-4660
Press Contact: Joe Trentacosta/joe@springerassociatespr.com

For Immediate Release:

Amas Musical Theatre names Director/Choreographer Maria Torres Artist-in-Residence, announces Emerging Artist Project

New York: Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director), announced the appointment of Maria Torres as Artist-in-Residence, naming the Latina director and choreographer to spearhead a new initiative in dance theatre, The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project. The Project will showcase the talents of a new generation of young, professional dancers as they perform Torres’s signature multiculturally-inspired choreography in newly developed Amas work.

“Maria has been in the Amas family for years, having choreographed 4 Guys Named Jose (2000) and directed and choreographed our hit Latin Heat (2003)”, says Trinkoff. “A major part of the Amas mission is to support the emergence of new talent, and while Maria’s career is in full bloom, it’s time for the world to see her impact on the next generation of performers. These young dancers are phenomenal”, she adds. “In the coming weeks and months we’ll be presenting them in exciting new performance pieces in work that will be developed at Amas.”

The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project will train aspiring performers as young as eight, but the professional performing cadre will focus on those from 14 to 30 years of age. “I’m thrilled to have Amas Musical Theatre as my home for this groundbreaking project”, says Torres. “We have such exciting plans for these young talents, and we’ll be announcing some of these projects very shortly”, she added.

Torres has starred on Broadway in the musical Swing! and as a choreographer is a veteran of stage and screen. Her work can be seen in the upcoming Tim Allen and Andie McDowell film The Six Wives of Henry LeFay and she has recently appeared as guest choreographer on the hit television show So You Think You Can Dance. She has trained Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams for the film Enchanted and Raven Simone in College Road Trip. Torres also choreographed Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony in El Cantante, a film in which she also appeared.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director) is New York City’s celebrated pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas (“you love” in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of inner-city young people. In recent years, Amas has emerged as a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, and has produced a string of award-winning productions, many of which are receiving additional productions either at regional theatres or commercially. Shows recently emerging from Amas include Wanda’s World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Stormy Weather, Imagining Lena Horne (starring Leslie Uggams), Lone Star Love, Magpie, From My Hometown, Latin Heat, Zanna, Don’t!, Langston Hughes’s Little Ham, and 4 Guys Named José… And Una Mujer Named Maria. Amas also administers several long-running education programs including The Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, and The Immigration Experience, Urban Mythography, and Lens on Live Theatre Artists-in-Schools Programs. Visit www.amasmusical.org.

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SHANA FARR TO STAR IN PURE IMAGINATION AT LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE JUNE 30, JULY 7 AND JULY 12, 2009

L.S. PUBLIC RELATIONS

244 West 54^th Street       New York, NY 10019

Tel: 212/586-2600      Fax: 212/586-2990

E-Mail: lester.schecter@verizon.net

 

For Immediate Release

SHANA FARR TO STAR IN PURE IMAGINATION…

AT LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE JUNE 30, JULY 7 AND JULY 12, 2009

Actress/singer/jewelry designer Shana Farr will make her long awaited cabaret debut at The Laurie Beechman Theatre at The West Bank Café in a thrilling new musical show, Pure Imagination… in which the beautiful and talented soprano will interpret imaginative songs by composers ranging from Harold Arlen to Carly Simon, Jule Styne to Francesca Blumenthal, Paul Williams to Rachmaninoff, and others.

Shana, with the guidance of director Lennie Watts and musical director Steven Ray Watkins, has created a theatrical performance of memorable songs, including beloved standards and cutting edge contemporary numbers, all of which hold special memories for her.

“You might say the show reflects my many colors, diverse musical tastes and my deep appreciation for the power of imagination,” Shana says. “This is an evening of songs that explore all the different pockets of make-believe and magical moments that have not only inspired me but hopefully have inspired others. I hope this show will touch everyone in the audience.”

Pure Imagination… will be presented for three performances only on Tuesdays, June 30 and July 7 at 7:00 PM and on Sunday, July 12, at 2:00 PM. There is a $20 cover and $15 minimum on food and drinks. MAC members receive a $10 discount. . The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located on the lower level of The West Bank Café at the northwest corner of 42^nd Street and Ninth Avenue in Times Square’s Theater Row. For reservations, call 212/695-6909.

Shana Farr is a young woman of multiple talents, and with her entrepreneurial flair, she has created a life plan to satisfy both of her major passions. Shana is a trained classical singer educated at Boston University who moved to the Big Apple to find her niche in Gilbert & Sullivan and Musical Theater.  However, she also is a jewelry designer of growing fame who learned her design craft at the esteemed house of Harry Winston.

 After collecting several rave reviews for her debut performance in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Yeoman of the Guard at City Center in 2007, and after realizing there was a growing interest in her jewelry designs, she decided to come up with a way to work in both worlds.  Shana Farr is now producing her own cabaret show Pure Imagination… with songs from all genres from classic to pop, and she has also designed and developed her own line of jewelry to be launched at the end of July.  Both outlets allow her to express herself and to tell her own story which is something she truly enjoys.

Shana’s musical talents have been rewarded with critical praise from a number of respected members of New York’s theatrical community:

In his New York Post review of The Yeoman of the Guard in 2007, Frank Scheck wrote, “Best of all was Shana Farr as the strolling singer Elsie. A last minute replacement for the leading role, this beautiful young performer delivered a polished and vocally radiant turn that garnered flowers and hugs from the visibly relieved director/conductor.”

Following Shana’s performance as Laurey in Oklahoma!, :Bruce Pomahac, Director of Music for the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, wrote, “Shana Farr is a most talented and lovely actress with a crystal clear voice that sits right on top of the notes and she has an attractive sensibility that allows her to deliver the lyrics with wit and warmth and intelligence. She made a perfect Laurey, and I have no doubt that Rodgers and Hammerstein themselves would have enjoyed working with this bright young star.”

 

Press Contact:           Les Schecter   (LS Public Relations)

                                    Tel: 212/586-2600   Cell:  917/854-3286

                                    E-Mail: Lester.Schecter@verizon.net

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In Celebration of Off-Off-Broadway:
Terry Schreiber and Peter Jensen

Martin Denton, moderator
Noontime talk at 92YTribeca

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of New York’s renowned acting studios with a discussion on actors and Off-Off-Broadway. Terry Schreiber, founder of Terry Schreiber Studios, and Peter Jensen, an actor and the associate artistic director at Terry Schreiber Studios, discuss teaching, directing and mentoring such notables as Edward Norton, Peter Sarsgaard, Annabella Sciorra and others.

Wed, Jun 24, 12noon
92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street

Terry Schreiber has been teaching and directing on and off-Broadway for almost 40 years. His directing credits include K2, The Trip Back Down, Devour the Snow, Desire Under the Elms with Kathy Bates and Feedlot with Jeff Daniels. He is the author of Producing on a Shoestring. Peter Jensen is Associate Artistic Director at T. Schreiber Studio and is the director of the current production of Fifth of July. Martin Denton is the founder and editor of nytheatre.com and indietheater.org.

Click here for event details and ticket information
http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.asp?category=92Tri+Noontime+Talks888&productid=T%2DMD5LC06

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Tony Awards 2009 Winners List

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		June 8, 2009
Tony Awards Press Contact: PMK/HBH - NY, (212) 582-1111 Shawn Purdy/Christina Stejskal   TONY RATINGS JUMP New York, NY (June 8, 2009) -- CBS's broadcast of the 63rd annual Tony Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, delivered its best ratings since 2006, posting double-digit percentage gains in viewers and key demographics over last year, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same-day ratings for Sunday, June 7. Compared to last year's ceremony (6/15/08), The Tony Awards were up 11% in households, 20% in adults 25-54, 18% in adults 18-49 and added 1.18 million viewers (from last year’s 6.27 million) an increase of 19% from last year’s broadcast. Additionally, TonyAwards.com, in partnership with IBM, has reported that traffic to the website was up by 57% unique visitors on Tony night. Over 1,000 people gathered in Times Square to view the live Tony Awards simulcast. The event, in partnership with the Times Square Alliance and the City of New York, was hosted by WCBS-TV anchor Katie McGee, and four-time Tony Nominee Tovah Feldshuh, and featured both a live broadcast of the pre-telecast Creative Art Awards as well as the CBS broadcast. About The Tony Awards The 2009 Tonys are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Nina Lannan is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is Executive Director. At the American Theatre Wing, Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman and Howard Sherman is Executive Director. For Tony Award Productions, Alan Wasser and Allan Williams of Alan Wasser Associates are the General Managers. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss/White Cherry Entertainment are Executive Producers of the 2009 Tony Awards. Mr. Weiss will also serve as Director of the 2009 Tony Awards. The official partners of the Tony Awards are Visa, the exclusive card accepted at the Tony Awards; and IBM, which develops, designs, and hosts the official Tony Awards web site, www.TonyAwards.com. The official supporters of the Tony Awards are Continental Airlines, the official airline of the Tony Awards; and Sprint, the official communications provider of the Tony Awards. The presenting sponsor of the Tony Awards Red Carpet is Audemars Piguet. Promotional and media partners for the 2009 Tony Awards include USA Today, Van Wagner Communications, Clear Channel Spectacolor, Macy’s, TheaterMania.com, and BWYNOW (299669) The Mobile Way to Broadway.

	Shirley Herz
Back to Top

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"Edith: Miss America the First"

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 23rd! There be a reading of a new play with music written and staged by Roseann Sheridan, in The Lambs' Fifth Floor Space - 7:30 PM

"Edith: Miss America the First"

Featuring:
Helen Klass, Kathy Kelleher, Joan Scafarello, Eleanor Carney, Fay Lytell, Gene Rodgers and Gene Reil, with Woody Regan at the piano; with guest performers Richard Marshall, Michael McCarthy and Andre DaSilva; With support 'crew' of Rian Keating and Terry Wells.

Limited space - First come, first seated - reservations strongly suggested.
To reserve leave a message for Roseann Sheridan at (212) 243-1218, or EMAIL Roseann at: sheridanra@aol.com

--
Floreant agni!
The Lambs
www.The-Lambs.org

The Lambs is registered trademark of The Lambs, Inc. - America's First Professional Theater Club, Established In 1874.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Candi Adams / Sam Neuman (212) 539-8642, press@publictheater.org

Twelfth Night

Begins Previews

Wednesday, June 10

Casting Complete for The First

Shakespeare in The Park Production

Virtual Ticket Line Registration Open Now

Free Tickets Distributed Day Of Show

At The Delacorte Theater

May 29, 2009 – The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will begin previews on Wednesday, June 10 for the Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

Charles Borland, Andrew Crowe, Steve Curtis, Christopher Layer, Robin LeMon, and Julie Sharbutt have joined the cast of the production; the complete cast includes the previously announced Michael Cumpsty, Clifton Duncan, Raúl Esparza, Herb Foster, Leslie Harrison, Anne Hathaway, Slate Holmgren, Kevin Kelly, David Kenner, Hamish Linklater, Dorien Makhloghi, Audra McDonald, David Pittu, Ray Rizzo, Jay O. Sanders, Stark Sands, Baylen Thomas, Zach Villa, Jon Patrick Walker, and Julie White.

TWELFTH NIGHT will run June 10-July 12 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park with an official press opening on Thursday, June 25 at 8 p.m.  Bank of America returns as lead sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park 2009.  For additional information about Shakespeare in the Park, visit The Public Theater website at www.publictheater.org

TWELFTH NIGHT, one of Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic comedies, is a time-honored story of cross-dressing and mistaken identity that follows the romantic adventures of Viola and her identical twin Sebastian, both shipwrecked in the enchanted dukedom of Illyria.  

This summer, The Public Theater will again offer a limited number of free tickets through a Virtual Line, available at www.publictheater.org. The process will be the same as last year where on the day of a show, users can log on to the virtual line anytime between midnight and 1 p.m. to register for tickets for that evening’s performance.   After 1 p.m. that same day, users can log on to see if they have received tickets through the Virtual Line, which they can then claim at the Delacorte Theater Box Office between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. that evening. A valid photo ID is required for all Virtual Line pick-ups at the box office. The Public Theater will also be implementing a Senior Virtual Line this year which functions the same way as the regular virtual line but registrants must be 65 or older to be eligible.

Summer Supporter tickets for TWELFTH NIGHT and THE BACCHAE are available for a tax-deductible contribution of $170.  These reserved seats are only available for a limited time to ensure that the highest number of free seats will be available to distribute to the general public on the day of the show.  Summer Supporter tickets help to underwrite production expenses.  Supporter tickets are available at The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street or online at www.publictheater.org.

TWELFTH NIGHT will feature original music by symphonic folk-rock band Hem,scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Jane Greenwood, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, fight direction by Rick Sordelet, and choreography by Mimi Lieber.

The second Shakespeare in the Park production will be Euripides’s THE BACCHAE, translated by Nicholas Rudall, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis, and featuring original music by Philip Glass. THE BACCHAE, running August 11-30, will be presented as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city.  Akalaitis’ visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire. 

For additional information about Shakespeare in the Park, visit The Public Theater website at www.publictheater.org

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THE PUBLIC THEATER (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 as the Shakespeare Workshop and is now one of the nation’s preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals, productions of Shakespeare, and other classics at its headquarters on Lafayette Street and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.  The Public’s mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day on stage and through its extensive outreach and education programs. Each year, over 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at six downtown stages, including Joe’s Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public has won 41 Tony Awards, 149 Obies, 40 Drama Desk Awards, 24 Lucille Lortel Awards and 4 Pulitzer Prizes.

Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy

Building on a long-standing tradition of investing in the communities it serves, Bank of America this year embarked on a new, ten-year goal to donate $2 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the health and vitality of their neighborhoods. Funded by Bank of America, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation gave more than $200 million in 2008, making the bank the most generous financial institution in the world and the second largest donor of all U.S. corporations in cash contributions. Bank of America approaches investing through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence" under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associate volunteers contributed more than 900,000 hours in 2008 to enhance the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.

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The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater’s year-round activities.

Bank of America is the proud lead sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park.

Time Warner is the Supporting Sponsor of The Public’s 2008-2009 season.

Ilori is the Official Sunglass Sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park.

Thanks to Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch, and Hundred Acre Wine for their support of the 2009 season of Shakespeare in the Park.

Major support for The Public Theater is provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, the Booth Ferris Foundation, the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Susan Stein Shiva Foundation, the George T. Delacorte Fund at the New York Community Trust—Fund for Performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and by Warren Spector and Margaret Whitton.

Additional generous support is provided by Debra and Leon Black, the Horace W.

Goldsmith Foundation, The New York Times, the Starr Foundation, and by Titan Worldwide.

Public support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.  Production support for the 2009 season of Shakespeare in the Park is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, an Independent Federal Agency.

Special thanks to Continental Airlines, the official airline of The Public Theater, and to our cultural partner, WNYC.

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$10 Tickets on Sale for the Summer Play Festival (SPF)

SPF runs from July 7th to August 2nd at The Public Theatre, New York City
New York, NY—June 1… The Summer Play Festival announced today that tickets are now on-sale for the annual theater festival. For the second year, SPF will be held at The Public Theater on Lafayette Street in New York City. The festival runs from Tuesday, July 7th – Sunday, August 2^nd 2009.

The 2009 Festival will feature seven new plays and one new musical. The productions include:
 
The Chimes by Kevin Christopher Snipes, directed by Adam Immerwahr
Departure Lounge by Dougal Irivine, directed by Christopher Gattelli
The Happy Sad by Ken Urban, directed by Trip Cullman
Reborning by Zayd Dohrn, directed by Kip Fagan
The Sacrifices by Alena Smith, directed by Sam Gold
Tender by Nicki Bloom, directed by Daniella Topol
We Declare You A Terrorist by Tim J. Lord, directed by Niegel Smith
Whore by Rick Viede, directed by Stephen Brackett
 
Tickets are available at The Public Theater box office, 425 Lafayette Street in Manhattan, on Sunday and Monday from 1PM-6PM and Tuesday through Saturday from 1PM-7:30PM (212-967-7555). Tickets also are available for purchase online at the Summer Play Festival website (www.spfnyc.com).

Founded by Arielle Tepper Madover (producer of such shows as Broadway’s Mary Stuart, Frost Nixon, Monty Python’s SPAMALOT, The Pillowman, A Raisin in the Sun, and Freak), the non-profit organization The Living Room for Artists, Inc provides emerging writers, directors, designers and producers an opportunity to work on their craft in a protected environment, guided by established professionals at no cost to them.

 
About the Plays:

The Chimes by Kevin Christopher Snipes; Nick returns to his New England boarding school still haunted by choices he made 40 years ago.  The past overwhelms the present as this thrilling drama flashes back to four young pranksters drawn together by their knack for Shakespeare and ripped apart by the onset of World War II.
 
Departure Lounge by Dougal Irvine; It’s the end of vacation as four guys wait for their flight home in this testosterone-driven new musical.  With time to kill they recount the hilarious antics of the week, and as secrets tumble out we learn more about the lads than they know about themselves.  
 
The Happy Sad by Ken Urban; Finding love is easy.  Defining love is not.  New York City provides the backdrop to a contemporary comedy of sex, love and dating in a city where there are too many options and not enough time.

Reborning by Zayd Dohrn; Art and life become disturbingly interchangeable when a sculptor of baby dolls meets a woman desperate to recreate the past.  This dark comedy takes an unsettling look at work, latex, and the power of creation.
 
The Sacrifices by Alena Smith; At first glance the family has everything.  But once they leave on a Caribbean cruise, the winds change, privilege becomes a prison, and their vacation will be anything but smooth sailing in this touching comedy drama.

Tender by Nicki Bloom; A random act of violence leaves a family shattered and searching for a way to be whole again. Amid the ramifications, mystery, memory and potential murder set the stage for this haunting and suspenseful drama.
 
We Declare You A Terrorist by Tim J. Lord; Eight hundred civilians are taken hostage during the performance of a hit Moscow musical. In the aftermath, the playwright is plagued by the story of his captor—a young woman willing to die for her cause—in an intense drama where one person’s patriotism is another’s act of terrorism.
 
Whore by Rick Viede; Sara just wants to be interesting, and an unexpected one-night stand propels her into a high stakes relationship with worldly Tim. As they are drawn into the fringes this thriller exposes a world of greed, lies and fear which threatens to break the rules that hold them together.

For more information visit spfnyc.com

Press contact:
Jennifer Taylor
Marketing Manager

Summer Play Festival
212-279-4040

www.spfnyc.com

Software Pronto/DeepArctic, Inc. is the Manager/Host of the new official Drama Desk website (www.dramadesk.org).

The Drama Desk presented scholarships to Billy Rayne and Emily Schuman, graduating seniors in the Theater Department of the FH LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. These scholarships, as well as donations to the school, are made possible by The Smart Family Foundation, TheaterMania.com, Ted Snowdon, Jamie deRoy & friends and Robert R. Blume.

The 2008/2009 Nominating Committee for the Drama Desk Awards is composed of: Barbara Siegel (TalkinBroadway.com and TheaterMania.com), Chairperson; Dan Bacalzo (TheaterMania.com); Christopher Byrne (Gay City News); Patrick Christiano (TheaterLife.com and Dan’s Papers);  Jason Clark (Entertainment Weekly and TheaterOnline.com); Gerard Raymond (Back Stage and The Advocate), and Richard Ridge (Broadwaybeat.com).        

The Board of Directors of the Drama Desk is composed of: William Wolf (wolfentertainmentguide.com), President; Leslie (Hoban) Blake (TheaterMania.com and offoffoff.com), Vice President; Charles Wright (A&E TV Networks), Treasurer and 2nd Vice President; Richard Ridge (Broadway Beat TV), Secretary; Robert Cashill, (New York Theater News and Live Design); Isa Goldberg, (Greater Philadelphia Newspaper and Middletown (NY) Times Herald Record); David Kaufman (Free Lance; ) Ellis Nassour (BroadwayStars.com and Playbill);  Sam Norkin Theater Artist and Past President); and Barbara Siegel (TalkinBroadway.com and TheaterMania.com).

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Press Contacts:     (L.S. Public Relations)    Les Schecter/Matthew P. Donoghue
                             Tel: 212/586-2600             email: lester.schecter@verizon.net

                             Ellis Nassour
                             Tel: 212/924-0472                   email:enassour@aol.com

2008/2009 DRAMA DESK AWARD WINNERS

Outstanding Play:                                  Ruined by Lynn Nottage

Outstanding Musical:                             Billy Elliot The Musical

Outstanding Revival of a Play:               The Norman Conquests  

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:                      Hair

Outstanding Music in a Play:                 Dominic Kanza  (Ruined)

Outstanding Actor in a Play:                              Geoffrey Rush  (Exit the King)

Outstanding Actress in a Play:                        Janet McTeer (Mary Stuart)

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:             Brian d’Arcy James (Shrek The Musical)

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:                      Allison Janney (9 to 5)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:   Pablo Schreiber (reasons to be pretty)  off Broadway

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:             Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:          Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:       Haydn Gwynne (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Director of a Play:              Matthew Warchus (The Norman Conquests)

Outstanding Director of a Musical:                    Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Choreography:                   Peter Darling (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Music:                               Elton John (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Lyrics:                               Stephen Sondheim (Road Show)

Outstanding Book of a Musical             Lee Hall (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Orchestrations:                  Martin Koch (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Set Design of a Play:                      David Korins (Why Torture Is Wrong and the People

                                                                                                          Who Love Them)

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical:     Tim Hatley (Shrek The Musical)

Outstanding Costume Design:                Tim Hatley (Shrek The Musical))

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play:    David Hersey (Equus)

Outstanding Sound Design:                   Paul Arditti (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Outstanding Solo Performance:             Lorenzo Pisoni (Humor Abuse)

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical:          Rick Fisher (Billy Elliot The Musical)

Unique Theatrical Experience:               Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words

In addition, the following non-competitive awards were presented:

·   Outstanding Ensemble Performances:              The cast of The Norman Conquests

                                                                                   The cast of The Cripple of Inishmaan

·   To Liza Minnelli, a beloved American musical theater icon, for her enduring career of sustained excellence, and her glorious performance in

Liza’s at the Palace.

·   To Forbidden Broadway at the end of its nearly three decade run and the creators, casts and designers who made it an unparalleled New York institution cherished for its satire and celebration of Broadway.

·   To Atlantic Theater Company and artistic director Neil Pepe for exceptional craftsmanship, dedication to excellence and productions that engage, inspire and enlighten.

·   To TADA! Youth Theater for providing an invaluable contribution to the future of the theater. The company makes outstanding training and experience accessible and affordable to young people and mounts productions remarkable for their quality and professionalism.

To find out more about the organization and this year’s awards show, visit http://www.dramadesk.com.

The Executive Board of the Drama Desk is composed of: William Wolf, President; Leslie (Hoban) Blake, Vice President; Charles Wright, Treasurer and 2^nd Vice President; Richard Ridge, Secretary; Robert Cashill; Isa Goldberg, David Kaufman; Ellis Nassour; Sam Norkin; and Barbara Siegel.

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Press Contact: Les Schecter/Matthew P. Donoghue (L.S. Public Relations)

Tel: 212/586-2600 E-mail: lester.schecter@verizon.net

DRAMA DESK NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2008/2009 SEASON

The following awards were voted by the nominating committee and will be presented by the Drama Desk at its awards ceremony:

Outstanding Ensemble Performances

         This year the nominators chose to bestow special ensemble awards for acting to the casts of two shows. Therefore, individual cast members for these shows were not eligible for acting awards in the competitive categories.

• The Cripple of Inishmaan
• The Norman Conquests

Special Awards:

            Each year, the Drama Desk votes special awards to recognize excellence and significant contributions to the theater. For 2008/2009, these awards are:

• To Liza Minnelli, a beloved American musical theater icon, for her enduring career of sustained excellence, and her glorious performance in Liza’s at the Palace.

• To Forbidden Broadway at the end of its nearly three-decade run and the creators, casts and designers who made it an unparalleled New York institution cherished for its satire and celebration of Broadway.

• To Atlantic Theater Company and artistic director Neil Pepe for exceptional craftsmanship, dedication to excellence and productions that engage, inspire and enlighten.

• To TADA! Youth Theater for providing an invaluable contribution to the future of the theater. The company makes outstanding training and experience accessible and affordable to young people and mounts productions remarkable for their quality and professionalism.

The following are the nominations for the competitive categories. Winners will be selected by the voting membership of the Drama Desk:

Outstanding Play:

Annie Baker, Body Awareness

Gina Gionfriddo, Becky Shaw

Neil LaBute, reasons to be pretty

Lynn Nottage, Ruined

Michael Weller, Fifty Words

Craig Wright, Lady

Outstanding Musical:

9 to 5

Billy Elliot The Musical

Fela!

Liza's at the Palace….

Shrek The Musical

The Story of My Life

Outstanding Revival of a Play:

Blithe Spirit

Exit the King

Mary Stuart

The Cripple of Inishmaan

The Norman Conquests

Waiting for Godot

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:

Enter Laughing The Musical

Hair

Pal Joey

West Side Story

Outstanding Actor in a Play:

Simon Russell Beale,The Winter's Tale

Reed Birney, Blasted

Raúl Esparza, Speed-The-Plow

Bill Irwin, Waiting for Godot

Daniel Radcliffe, Equus

Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King

Thomas Sadoski, reasons to be pretty

Outstanding Actress in a Play:

Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Ruined

Jane Fonda, 33 Variations

Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage

Elizabeth Marvel, Fifty Words

Jan Maxwell, Scenes From an Execution

Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:

James Barbour, A Tale of Two Cities

Daniel Breaker, Shrek The Musical

Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical

Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing The Musical

Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

Will Swenson, Hair

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:

Stephanie J. Block, 9 to 5

Stockard Channing, Pal Joey

Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical

Megan Hilty, 9 to 5

Allison  Janney, 9 to 5

Karen Murphy, My Vaudeville Man!

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:

Brian d'Arcy James, Port Authority

Jeremy Davidson, Back Back Back

Peter Friedman, Body Awareness

Ethan Hawke, The Winter's Tale

Pablo Schreiber, reasons to be pretty (Off-Broadway)

Jeremy Shamos, Animals Out of Paper

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:

Rebecca Hall, The Cherry Orchard

Zoe Kazan, The Seagull

Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit

Andrea Martin, Exit the King

Carey    Mulligan, The Seagull

Condola Rashad, Ruined

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:

Hunter Foster, Happiness

Demond Green, The Toxic Avenger

Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot The Musical

Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5

Bryce    Ryness, Hair

Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:

Farah    Alvin, The Marvelous Wonderettes

Christina Bianco, Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab

Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot The Musical

Karen    Olivo, West Side Story

Nancy   Opel, The Toxic Avenger

Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey

Outstanding Director of a Play:

Sarah    Benson, Blasted

Michael Blakemore, Blithe Spirit

Garry Hynes, The Cripple of Inishmaan

Terry Kinney, reasons to be pretty

Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests

Kate Whoriskey, Ruined

Outstanding Director of a Musical:

Walter Bobbie, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot The Musical

Joe Mantello, 9 to 5

Jason    Moore, Shrek The Musical

Diane    Paulus, Hair

Stuart   Ross, Enter Laughing The Musical

Outstanding Choreography:

Karole Armitage, Hair

Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5

Peter Darling, Billy Elliot The Musical

Bill T. Jones, Fela!

Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shonn Wiley, My Vaudeville Man!

Outstanding Music:

Neil Bartram,The Story of My Life

Zina Goldrich, Dear Edwina

Elton John, Billy Elliot The Musical

Dolly Parton, 9 to 5

Stephen Sondheim, Road Show

Jeanine Tesori, Shrek The Musical

Outstanding Lyrics:

Neil Bartram, The Story of My Life

Jason    Robert Brown, 13

Marcy   Heisler, Dear Edwina

David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical

Dolly Parton, 9 to 5

Stephen Sondheim, Road Show

Outstanding Book of a Musical:

Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, This Beautiful City

Joe DiPietro, The Toxic Avenger

Lee Hall, Billy Elliot The Musical

Brian Hill, The Story of My Life

David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical

Patricia Resnick, 9 to 5

Outstanding Orchestrations:

Larry Blank, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Bruce Coughlin, 9 to 5

Aaron Johnson and Antibalas, Fela!

Edward B. Kessel, A Tale of Two Cities

Martin   Koch, Billy Elliot The Musical

Danny Troob, Shrek The Musical

Outstanding Music in a Play:

Mark Bennett, The Cherry Orchard

Mark Bennett, The Winter's Tale

Dominic Kanza, Ruined

DJ Rekha, Rafta, Rafta…

Richard Woodbury, Desire Under the Elms

Gary Yershon, The Norman Conquests

Outstanding Set Design of a Play:

Dale Ferguson, Exit the King

Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests

David    Korins, Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them

Derek    McLane, 33 Variations

Neil Patel, Fifty Words

Walt Spangler, Desire Under the Elms

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical:

Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical

Anna Louizos, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Thomas Lynch, Happiness

Scott Pask, 9 to 5

Scott Pask, Hair

Basil Twist, Arias With a Twist

Outstanding Costume Design:

Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical

Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests

William Ivey Long, 9 to 5

Michael McDonald, Hair

Martin   Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit

Carrie    Robbins, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play:

Marcus Doshi, Hamlet (Theatre for a New Audience)

David Hersey, Equus

Ben Kato, Washing Machine

R. Lee Kennedy, Bury the Dead

Paul Pyant, The Winter's Tale

Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical:

Kevin Adams, Hair

Jules Fisher and Kenneth Posner, 9 to 5

Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot The Musical

Jason    Lyons, Clay

Sinéad McKenna, Improbable Frequency

Richard Pilbrow, A Tale of Two Cities

Outstanding Sound Design:

Acme Sound Partners, Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot The Musical

Gregory Clarke, Equus

John Gromada, Shipwrecked! An Entertainment The Amazing Adventures of

            Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself)

André J. Pluess, 33 Variations

John H. Shivers, 9 to 5

Outstanding Solo Performance:

Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk With Me

Frank Blocker, Southern Gothic Novel

Michael Laurence, Krapp, 39

Lorenzo Pisoni, Humor Abuse

Matt Sax, Clay

Campbell Scott, The Atheist

Unique Theatrical Experience:

Absinthe (2008 Edition)

Arias With a Twist

Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words

Désir

Soul of Shaolin

Surrender

NOTE:

Next to Normal was considered last season in its off-Broadway premiere. Alice Ripley was nominated as Outstanding Actress in a Musical and Tom Kitt for Outstanding Music. Under Drama Desk rules only new elements in a transfer can be considered. The producers, who requested that we consider the Broadway transfer only as an entirely new show, refused to invite nominators until it was too late for any new elements to be evaluated.

All elements in both productions of shows that transferred to Broadway in the same season were eligible.

[title of show] was considered in a previous season in its off-Broadway premiere.

Only one actor playing Billy in Billy Elliot was seen by all nominators, who were not invited to see the other two for consideration unless the Drama Desk Executive Board agreed to classify all three separate performances as one unit for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. The Board rejected that request, as well as a request that as an alternative no actor playing Billy be considered.

PRODUCTIONS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

9 to 5                                                15

Shrek The Musical                             12

Billy Elliot The Musical                        10

Hair                                                     8

Irving Berlin's White Christmas              6

Ruined                                                5

The Norman Conquests                        5

Blithe Spirit                                          4

Exit the King                                        4

Fela!                                                   4

reasons to be pretty                             4

The Story of My Life                             4

The Winter's Tale                                 4

33 Variations                                       3

A Tale of Two Cities                             3

Enter Laughing The Musical                  3

Equus                                                 3

Fifty Words                                          3

Mary Stuart                                          3

Pal Joey                                              3

The Toxic Avenger                               3

Arias With a Twist                                2

Blasted                                               2

Body Awareness                                  2

Clay                                                    2

Dear Edwina                                        2

Desire Under the Elms                          2

Happiness                                           2

My Vaudeville Man!                               2

Road Show                                          2

The Cherry Orchard                              2

The Cripple of Inishmaan                      2

The Seagull                                         2

Waiting for Godot                                 2

West Side Story                                   2

For Immediate Release
PRESS CONTACT: Phil Haas, Marketing Manager
(212) 935-5824 (x13) / phaas@yorktheatre.org

THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR NEO5 BENEFIT CONCERT

a BENEFIT Concert

celebrating emerging

musical theatre writers

followed by a Champagne & Dessert Reception with the Evening’s Celebrities

MONDAY, APRIL 27,2009
8 PM Benefit Concert Performance
9:30 PM Champagne & Dessert Reception

April 23, 2009, New York, NY – The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director), winner of a special 2006 Drama Desk Award for "Vital contributions to theatre by developing and producing new musicals" will present NEO5, a benefit concert celebrating emerging musical theatre writers, on Monday, April 27 at its home in Saint Peter’s Theatre.  Following the 8 PM performance featuring the voices of many of today’s top musical theatre talent, there will be a champagne and dessert reception to end the evening catered by Kitchenette.

“NEO” (an acronym for “New, Emerging, Outstanding”) celebrates songwriters primed to pen the next generation of musicals.  Since the first NEO concert five years ago, musical theatre fans and York supporters have eagerly anticipated each incarnation.  NEO5 features songs by many new writers, including Craig Baldwin & Kathy Lombardi, Charles Bloom, Jonathan Brielle, Michael L. Cooper & Hyeyoung Kim, Patrick Dwyer, Steven Fisher & Joan Ross Sorkin, Daniel Green, Shoshana Greenberg & Jeffrey Dennis Smith, Brett Macias & Caroline Murphy, David Mallamud & Michael L. Cooper, Kristin Maloney & Robert Maggio, Dan Martin & Michael Biello, Julia Meinwald & Rachel Jett, Jeffrey Thomson & Jordan Mann, Peter Yarin & Justin Warner, and Clay Zambo.

Currently scheduled to appear are: Joe Cassidy (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Matt Castle (Company), Mandy Gonzalez (In the Heights), Marcie Henderson (The People vs. Mona), Adam Kantor (Rent), Jodie Langel (Sessions), Lorinda Lisitza (ReWrite), Julie Reyburn (2009 MAC Award Nominee for Best Female Vocalist), Megan Sikora (Curtains), Jim Stanek (Lestat), Alysha Umphress (Make Me a Song), Barbara Walsh (Company), Lynne Wintersteller (Closer than Ever), Lauren Worsham (…Spelling Bee), Jennifer Zimmerman (Les Misérables), with Jodie Bentley, J'nelle Bobb-Semple, Clay Elder, Frank Galgano, Gwen Hollander, and Gayla Morgan.  Additional casting will be announced soon.