Julia & I are participating in a concert this coming Monday, August 9. We’ll be performing a new song of ours – yes, that’s right, I’ll be singing. In front of people. For the first time in a good 4 years.
The show is a fundraiser for the NYMF production of Nighttime Traffic by my old friend Alex Wyse… The information is below:
In Their Own Voice is an intimate concert featuring musical theater composers singing their own songs. Come join us for this rare and unusual chance to hear new and developing work straight from the source!
All proceeds benefit Nighttime Traffic, a new musical by Alex Wyse premiering in the New York Musical Theatre Festival this fall. There will also be raffle and auction items including tickets to Broadway shows, signed theater… memorabilia, and gift certificates.
Composers scheduled to perform include Scott Alan, Joey Contreras, Adam Gwon, Gordon Leary & Julia Meinwald, John Mercurio, Rob Shapiro, Jason Michael Snow, Alex Wyse… and more to be announced soon!
$15 cover, $15 food and drink min
RSVP: 212-695-6909 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting212-695-6909end_of_the_skype_highlighting
The staged reading of Cheer Wars was a rousing success. What an amazing opportunity!
Karlan and I were able to do some major work on the piece (between the readings on July 22 and the readings on July 29 nearly half of the show was rewritten!)
Major thanks to Michael Parva and Leah Michalos at the Directors Company; our amazing creative team – Dan Knechtges, Patrick Vaccariello and Jamie Lish; Jess Glover, Rachel Wolff, Chad Lewis, David Bullard, Sarah Riffle and Michael Cassara; and our INCREDIBLE cast – Mary Testa, Nancy Opel, Annie Golden, Dana Steingold, Ashley Arcement, Mykal Kilgore, Amy Linden, Kimiko Glenn, Lilli Cooper, Tracy Weiler and Mark Leydorf.
Thanks to all who came to support us and the show. Let’s hope we see some cheer again soon!
We’ve got a ridiculous cast lined up for the Richard Rodgers Award reading of Cheer Wars….
Mary Testa (Xanadu, 42nd Street), Nancy Opel (Urinetown, Toxic Avenger) and Annie Golden (Assassins, The Full Monty) will lead the way, with the full cast to be announced shortly!
Tony-nominee Dan Knechtges (Xanadu, Sondheim on Sondheim) directs, with music direction by Patrick Vaccariello (West Side Story, Gypsy, A Chorus Line).
Performances will take place at 1:00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday, July 22nd and Thursday, July 29th at the Peter Norton Space (555 West 42nd Street.)
Make your reservations now: tickets@directorscompany.org or call 212-246-5877.
(…if you live at 42nd Street & 11th Avenue, that is.)
Dan Knechtges to Direct Staged Reading of Cheer Wars
Tony-nominated director-choreographer Dan Knechtges will direct a staged reading of Cheer Wars, an epic cheerleading musical with book and lyrics by Gordon Leary and music by Karlan Judd.
The Directors Company will present the readings July 22 at 1 and 4 PM and July 29 at 1 and 4 PM at the Peter Norton Space.
Cheer Wars, press notes state, is described as such: “As the former captain and current coach of the New London Lady Leopard Varsity Cheer Squad, Doretha Bolingbroke will do anything to keep the cheer bloodline intact. Her daughter Halle is poised to become captain, but when Doretha’s old rival Nuella Percy returns from exile with her own cheerleading-machine daughter Charmain, the women must wage an epic battle for control of the squad and cheerdom itself.” The play is Inspired by Henry IV, Part 1 and the true story of Wanda Holloway.
Knechtges was Tony-nominated for his choreography for Xanadu. Other credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, …Spelling Bee, 110 in the Shade and Vanities.
The Peter Norton Space is located at 555 West 42nd Street. For reservations email tickets@directorscompany.org.
ONE MAN SHOW performs this weekend! Check out the information below:
From The Producers of Fräulein Maria, Show Down and The WHIZ
One-Man Show is an original musical starring John Heginbotham
Thursday June 3 at 7:30pm
Friday June 4 at 7:30pm
Saturday June 5 at 9:30pm
One-Man Show is John Heginbotham’s first solo evening.
It’s also his last.
Dying Nightly at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater
Featuring Aaron Mattocks, Daniel Pettrow and Elizabeth DeMent
Original music by Julia Meinwald
Lyrics by Gordon Leary
Costumes by Maile Okamura
“… [ Heginbotham ] had people shifting uncomfortably in their seats as well as laughing nervously. After that his dry, neurotic humor won out…” – Leigh Witchel, danceviewtimes
Dancemopolitan at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street NYC
Tickets can be purchased by calling 212-967-7555, on-line at www.joespub.com, and in person at The Public Theater Box Office from 1pm to 6pm and at Joe’s Pub from 6pm to 10pm.
Purchase of tickets does not guarantee a table reservation.
For table reservations call: 212-539-8778. Seating, as well as standing-room, is available only on a first-come, first-served basis for all shows without a dinner reservation.
Here’s a little preview of the show (from a performance at DTW in September):
Karlan and I had an amazing time seeing the amazing Dana Steingold sing “C-H-A-R-M-A-I-N” on Monday, May 10 at the NEO6 concert at the York Theatre Company! We were there with our fellow GMTWPers Tina Lear, Katya Stanislavskaya and Jason Young & Bomi Lee, and my fellow Dramatists Guild Fellow Chris Dimond & Michael Kooman.
There are some familiar faces in this crowd, including Karen Ziemba, Beth Fowler, John Tartaglia, Jose Llana, Krysta Rodriguez, and Carey Anderson along with Richard Maltby & Lynne Wintersteller (our hosts for the evening.)
A big t-h-a-n-k-s to Megan Mekjian, Theresa Burns, Gillian Munsayac & Abby Bernbaum for reprising their roles as original cheer warriors!
Here are some pictures from the Daegu International Musical Festival’s production of Across the River (the Korean title is Moon River.) The show ran at the Bongsan Cultural Center from July 2-5, 2009.
The York Theatre Company’s 6th NEO (New, Emerging and Outstanding) benefit concert will feature “C-H-A-R-M-A-I-N” from Gordon & Karlan’s Cheer Wars. More news to come soon (including our amazing performer…).
The concert will also feature songs by fellow Dramatists Guild Fellows Michael Kooman & Chris Dimond and fellow GMTWPers Tina Lear, Katya Stanislavskaya and Jason Young & Bomi Lee!
In Their Own Voice is an intimate concert featuring musical theater composers singing their own songs. Come join us for this rare and unusual chance to hear new and developing work straight from the source!
