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Four New Shows Dance Into 2008 New York Musical Theatre Festival
By Adam Hetrick
24 Jul 2008
Four original dance musicals, The Hourglass and The Poisoned Pen, Sophia's Fall, Ward 9 and Wild About Harry have been added to the 2008 New York Musical Theatre Festival line-up.
Wild About Harry, a commission from the "Born at NYMF" program, will incorporate the work of five choreographers, including Kelly Devine (Jersey Boys), Linda Goodrich (Everything's Ducky), Josh Rhodes (The Drowsy Chaperone), Shea Sullivan (NYMF's Bernice Bobs Her Mullet ) and Fosse protégé Jeff Shade (Sweet Charity, Chicago).
The "Born at NYMF" program incorporates the skills of artists who come from various backgrounds to explore and expand the scope of musical theatre. Both Shade and Williams lent their talents to the 2007 NYMF commissioned dance musical Platforms.
Mark Yonally (Chicago Tap Theatre), Jason Summers (Growing Up 70's) and Matt Williams (Open Heart) will work as sole choreographers on the first three dance musicals.
NYMF will also present its second annual Freshly Tossed, an evening of innovative musical comedy, curated by Wendy Seyb (Walmartopia, School Daze, But I'm A Cheerleader) and Mark Lonergan (This Way That Way, Velocity) on Sept. 22.
Details on the NYMF additions follow:
The Hourglass and The Poisoned Pen
Co-written by Andrew Pepoy
Choreographed by Mark Yonally
"Young Elizabeth is granted the power to control time. Together, she and Daphne, her best friend (and total comic book geek) fight The Conductor and The Poisoned Pen, two nefarious and dangerous super-villains. In this original production by Chicago Tap Theatre, the action and comedy are only overshadowed by the tap dancing!"
Sophia's Fall
Music by Benjamin Birney, book by Rob Seitelman
Choreographed by Jason Summers
"Sophia's Fall is an intense dance/rock retelling of the creation story… with a twist. Sophia, the feminine divine, drives the action and drama of the story toward an edge-of-your-seat conclusion. A four-piece rock band and fluid modern dance choreography round out the show’s dark, tuneful score."
Ward 9
Book by Gregory Victor and Matt Williams
Directed and choreographed by Matt Williams
"A tragicomical story told entirely through dance, Ward 9 is set in a mythic asylum hosting famed patients Vincent Van Gogh, Howard Hughes, Vivien Leigh, Bobby Fischer, Sylvia Plath, Ludwig Van Beethoven and Vaslav Nijinsky. When they clash with the Head Nurse as she attempts to “cure” them of their creative madness, strait jackets, padded rooms, and electric shock treatment are the orders of the day. Strap yourself in and get committed, because it’s medication time on Ward 9!"
Wild About Harry
Book by Susan DiLallo
Directed by Elizabeth Lucas
Choreographed by Kelly Devine, Linda Goodrich, Josh Rhodes, Shea Sullivan and Jeff Shade
"A completely fresh look at Leona Helmsley, one of NYC's most colorful characters, along with the man who loved her, the many others who did not, and her dog… who inherited 12 million bucks."
The fifth annual New York Musical Theatre Festival runs Sept. 15-Oct. 5. NYMF membership tickets are currently available. Single tickets begin sale Sept. 1.
For more information visit www.nymf.org.
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