'A Woman Of Will' Starring Amanda McBroom Begins Previews September 15 At Daryl Roth Theatre

By: Sep. 11, 2005
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Ashley Road Productions is proud to announce the New York premiere of A WOMAN OF WILL, a new musical starring Golden Globe Award-winning writer and performer Amanda McBroom ("The Rose").  A WOMAN OF WILL has lyrics by Amanda McBroom and music by Joel Silberman and a book by Ms. McBroom and Mr. Silberman.  A WOMAN OF WILL has choreography by two-time Tony Award winner Thommie Walsh and is directed by Mr. Silberman. Preview performances begin on Thursday, September 15 at Off-Broadway's Daryl Roth Theatre (101 East 15th Street, at Union Square), with an official Opening Night of Sunday, October 2 (7 p.m. curtain).

Originally titled Lady Macbeth Sings the Blues, A WOMAN OF WILL had its world premiere production at The Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, CA in June 2004.

A WOMAN OF WILL is the musical adventure of a writer in crisis - both personal and professional.  Hired to finish the lyrics of a Broadway-bound musical version of The Merchant of Venice, Kate faces the demands of an unrelenting deadline in addition to important decisions about her marriage and future.  In desperation, she reaches out to Shakespeare's leading ladies for guidance.  What follows is a celebration of life in a crackling display of wit and wisdom, bursting forth from 17 original songs.

A WOMAN OF WILL features characters performed in voice-overs by George Ball, Patrick Cassidy, Jim Dale, André De Shields, Alix Korey and Jay Rogers.

Scenic, projection and lighting design is by Trefoni Michael Rizzi; costume design by Tobin Ost and sound design by Lewis Mead. Orchestrations are by two-time Tony nominee Larry Hochman.

A WOMAN WILL will play Tuesday-Friday evenings at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets for A WOMAN OF WILL are $65 and are available via Telecharge.com (212-239-6200) beginning Tuesday, August 9, or in-person at the Daryl Roth Theatre Box Office (101 East 15th Street) beginning Tuesday, September 6. The Box Office opens at     2 p.m. Tuesday - Friday, noon on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, please visit http://www.awomanofwill.com.

BIOGRAPHIES
Amanda McBroom (Kate / Lyrics /Co-Book Writer) first came to national attention when Bette Midler's version of her song "The Rose" hit number one all over the world in 1979. Amanda's performance of this song on "The Golden Globes," "The Grammy Awards" and "The Tonight Show," along with her many live appearances, launched her career as a singer and songwriter. Her recordings include "Growing Up in Hollywood Town" (in collaboration with pianist Lincoln Mayorga) and "West of Oz" for the Sheffield Labs label; "Dreaming," "Midnight Matinee," "A Waiting Heart" and "Portraits" for her own Gecko Records label; and "Amanda McBroom Live From Rainbow and Stars" for DRG Records. Her compositions have also been recorded by such artists as Leanne Rimes, Barry Manilow, Judy Collins, Barbara Cook, Anne Murray, Harry Belafonte, Betty Buckley and The Manhattan Transfer. In addition to a Golden Globe Award, she has been the recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriter of the Year. Amanda's theatre credits include starring in the New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and European productions of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris; on Broadway in Seesaw; and leading roles including Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Desiree in A Little Night Music and the title role in Mame. In addition, she has appeared at such prestigious venues as The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, A.C.T. in San Francisco, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and the Pasadena Playhouse. In New York she has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Russian Tea Room and Rainbow & Stars. She has also appeared as the headliner for The Melbourne Arts Festival and at the Kennedy Center with Marvin Hamlisch and The National Symphony. Her other TV appearances include everything from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" to her most recent appearance at the Kennedy Center in the NBC special "From the Heart." Her original musical Heartbeats which had its world premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego has had successful productions at Theatre Three in Dallas, the Cleveland Playhouse, the Goodspeed Opera House, the Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, the Pasadena Playhouse and the Sacramento Music Circus. The cast album of Heartbearts has been recorded on the Varese Sarabande label. Ms. McBroom also is the lyricist for the new musical Dangerous Beauty, which was presented at Vassar College's Powerhouse Theatre this past summer.

Joel Silberman (Composer / Co-Book Writer / Director) is enjoying a multi-faceted, international career as a composer, director and entertainer.  He composed original music for Joseph Hardy's production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie at the Charlotte Repertory Theatre.  For the Charlotte Repertory Theatre/George Street Theatre world premiere production of Let Me Sing, he served as co-creator and musical director/supervising orchestrator. Having enjoyed an eighteen-year collaboration with Amanda McBroom, he directed the world premiere of A Woman of Will, originally titled Lady Macbeth Sings the Blues, at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, California. Additional directing credits include: La Bohème, Donizetti's Lucretia Borgia and Rossini's Il Barbiere de Seville, all at the Academy of Vocal Arts (Philadelphia); Menotti's The Old Maid and The Thief and Mozart's The Impressario (International Vocal Arts Institute, Tel Aviv); Palm Springs Film Festival opening night awards gala (honoring Milos Foreman and M. Night Shamalyan); the New Dramatists' Tribute to Angela Lansbury; and MTC's Annual Spring Gala.  Mr. Silberman produced/directed and/or conducted TDF's 25th Anniversary all-star tribute to Harold Prince; Broadway Applauds Lincoln Center (Lincoln Center, American Public Radio); Ignite the Light for UNICEF (Royal Albert Hall); Hair for the Next Generation, the 20th anniversary celebration of the legendary musical (General Assembly Hall of the UN); and A Classic Evening for AIDS Research, produced for AMFAR, starring Isaac Stern, Marvin Hamlisch, Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Marilyn Horne and Leonard Bernstein.  Joel recently returned from the O'Neill Theatre Center's Cabaret and Performance Conference, where he served as Associate Artistic Director.   He is set to return to the Rubicon in the 2006-2007 season, to direct the world premiere of Jack Nadel's play My Enemy, My Friend. Joel produced/arranged two award-winning recordings with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet for DECCA Records: Conversations with Bill Evans and Reflections on Duke (Ellington).  As an entertainer, Joel sold out the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall with his American Songbook Recital, and he has appeared in numerous other venues, including Gian Carlo Menotti's Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Italy.  He is the recipient of two MAC Awards for "Outstanding Singer-Instrumentalist" (1993, 1996). His solo show Keep The Music Playing had its world premiere at The Four Winds Festival in Bermagui, Australia. This past June, Joel made his London solo debut in the Cadogan Hall in the Chelsea Festival and will return there in March 2006.

Thommie Walsh (Choreographer) .  Mr. Walsh's journey began at age five when he was enrolled in the Irma Baker School of Dance.  By 1975, he created the role of Bobby in the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line.  He later co-wrote a book about the musical published by William Morrow entitled On the Line, chronicling its early beginnings.  His success on Broadway continued as choreographer for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas followed by The 1940's Radio Hour, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, Nine, Lunch Hour and My Favorite Year.  He received Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his choreography for A Day in Hollywood/ A Night in the Ukraine and My One and Only, for which he also received a Tony Award nomination for best direction.  He went on to direct Lucky Stiff Off-Broadway, Always (West End debut), A Broadway Baby at Goodspeed Opera House and he has directed and staged musical numbers for Chita Rivera, Sandy Duncan, Mitzi Gaynor, Donna McKechnie, Whoopi Goldberg, Lorna Luft, Priscilla Lopez, Joel Grey and Barbara Cook.  Most recently Mr. Walsh directed and choreographed the national tour of Whorehouse starring Ann-Margret and Gary Sandy. 

ASHLEY ROAD PRODUCTIONS, LLC - GENERAL PARTNERS
JACK NADEL (Producer) is a retired international entrepreneur who founded, acquired and successfully operated more than a dozen companies. Jack is also the author of five books on sales and marketing as well as a wide-ranging romantic novel. This novel, My Enemy My Friend, has been converted into a stageplay and had a reading at the Rubicon Theatre in May 2005, where a full production is planned for the '06-'07 season. He is an "out of the box" marketing guru and brings these skills to play in his latest role as a producer and co-founder of Ashley Road Productions.

DAVID A. BRAUN (Producer) has practiced law in the Entertainment Industry for over fifty years. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School. David specialized in the field of music and served as President of Polygram Records. Among his active clients were Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond and George Harrison. He combines legal experience with hands on management. David served on the Board of Visitors at Columbia Law School. He also served as President of the New York Chapter of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences.

JULIE NADEL (Producer) was Co-Founder and President of Parties Plus, a Los Angeles catering and event producing company. Among Julie's clients were Columbia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox and HBO. She also produced events for the National Football League and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. In 1987 Julie was named Woman of the Year by the professional organization Who's Who in Professional and Executive Women.

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