Friday, June 12, 2009

Academy for New Musical Theatre to present 15-minute musicals

The Academy for New Musical Theatre will present its annual 15-minute musicals at the Colony Theatre from June 22 through 25. These evenings are an annual highlight of the Academy's yearlong season of developing new musicals and feature many new voices in musical theatre. Every seat in the house usually sells out.

This year two teams of writers and actors are involved in developing seven new musicals.
The Red Team will present four 15 minute musicals with performances on Monday, June 22 and Wednesday, June 24. The Blue Team will present three 15 minute musicals with performances on Tuesday, June 23 and Thursday, June 25.

'This year's theme is The Promise and the Price: seven 15-minute musicals about heroes and traitors,' explains Elise Dewsberry, ANMT's Associate Artistic Director. 'Writers have chosen wildly different approaches to this theme: Superman on trial, a jilted 50-year-old bride, an emotional high school reunion, the conflicted young wife of an Iraqi veteran, a to-the-death feud between superhero families, a sit-in against Bank of America, and zombies in love!'

The Red Team's four new musicals on June 22 and 24 will be:

Hired Hands (book by Larry Gene Fortin, music and lyrics by Peter Alexander);

Zombie Love (book by Narda Fargotstein, music and lyrics by Clifford J. Tasner);

The Ring (book and lyrics by Eric Dodson, music by Alan Ross Fleishman);

and The Battle Between Good and Evil (book by Michael Greenspun, music by Jerry T. Fernandez, lyrics by Mitchell Glaser).

The Red Team musicals will be performed by Carolyn Freeman Champ, Megan Crockett, Tara Hunnewell, Sylvin Janson, and Kevin Noonchester, and directed by Elise Dewsberry.

The Blue Team's three new musicals on June 23 and 25 will be:

Standing Up (book by Paul Elliott, music by Joseph Blodgett, lyrics by Larry Todd Johnson);

The Veteran's Wife (book by Adrian Bewley, music and lyrics by Scotty Arnold);

and The People v. Superman (book by Frank Mula, music by Edward Auslender, lyrics by Glenn Johnson and Frank Mula).

The Blue Team musicals will be performed by Kellan Christopher, Kelly Lester, Paul Marchegiani, Dana Shaw, and Heather Stewart, and directed by Scott Guy.

Musical director for all seven new 15 Minute Musicals will be Jake Anthony. Stage Manager for all four evenings is Rita Cofield.

Tickets are $25 per evening, or only $40 for any combination of a Red Team performance [Monday or Wednesday] and Blue Team performance [Tuesday or Thursday]. For more information, and to make reservations, visit www.anmt.org and click on THE PROMISE AND THE PRICE.

Academy for New Musical Theatre, 5628 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA, 91601
818-506-8500 academy@anmt.org

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