Cady Huffman to Star in WOOD at NYMF

Producers Emily Miller and New York Theatre Barn have announced that Tony Award-Winner Cady Huffman (The Producers, The Will Rogers Follies) will star in WOOD, which is an official selection of the upcoming 2008 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Joining Huffman in the cast of the new musical will are; Stanley Bahorek (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Joe Cassidy (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1776), Maurice Murphy (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Ryan Ratliff (Altar Boyz), Roland Rusinek (Jerry Springer the Opera, The Phantom of the Opera), Jason Michael Snow (Saved!), Patrick Ryan Sullivan (42nd Street, Titanic), Ben Thompson (Disney's High School Musical 1st National Tour), and Kate Wetherhead (Legally Blonde: The Musical, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee).

WOOD is a sexy musical romp that will have you tapping your toes all the way to the public restroom stall! When a young man (Jason Michael Snow) sneaks away to the seedy wood on the outskirts of his normal town, his community is forced to face the secrets, desires and dreams long relegated to the shadowy confines at the fringe of their society. The result is a night complete with spandex clad color guard enthusiasts, shirtless Christians, quarreling divas, undercover mothers and a trio of Fairies who sing, dance and put En Vogue to shame from the stalls of a public men's room.

Cady Huffman will play the role of Judy, the mother of Jason Michael Snow's character, Herman.

Directed by Thomas Caruso (Off-Broadway's Mimi Le Duck, Bingo), WOOD features music by Julianne Wick Davis, with book and lyrics by Dan Collins and choreography by Andrew Parkhurst. Costume design is by David Rigler (Ringling Brothers and Barnum& Bailey), scenic design is by Josh Zangen (Desir at Spiegeltent), and lighting design is by Ed McCarthy (Coram Boy).

Song titles from the musical include "Normal, Anywhere," "Oh Lord, I Pray," "Wood," "The Bathroom Stall," "Afterglow," and "Demolition Day."

WOOD is being performed at the Barrow Group Theatre (312 West 36th Street) and will play the following performance schedule: September 15, September 17 & September 19 at 8pm, September 20, September 25 & September 28 at 1pm.

Festival memberships are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.nymf.org or by calling 212-352-3101; single tickets go on sale on September 1.

New York Theatre Barn (Executive Artistic Director David Rigler, Producing Artistic Director Joe Barros) is a not-for-profit theater company dedicated to developing new work, promoting the advancement of the individual artist, developing and strengthening relationships in the theater community, and educating future generations of theatre professionals. Visit www.nytheatrebarn.org, for more information.

Hailed as "the Sundance of Musical Theatre," The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) exists to revitalize one of America's greatest art forms by discovering, supporting and promoting new musical theater artists, producers, and projects, and by introducing a diverse audience to the vibrancy of contemporary musical theater. Since its inception in 2004, the three-week annual festival has premiered more than 130 new musicals - many of which have gone on to award-winning productions in New York, in regional theaters and on tour in 38 states, and nine countries worldwide.  NYMF 2004 hit Altar Boyz has played well over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and is now in its fourth year at New World Stages; fellow NYMF alum [title of show] recently began performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway

Widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery, NYMF is the flagship program of The National Music Theater Network, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization, and is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com and TheaterMania.com, and is supported by amNewYork, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, BroadwayBox.com, BroadwayInsider.com, King Displays, Panasonic Astrovision, and TheMENEvent. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

For more information, visit www.nymf.org

BIOS

Cady Huffman received the 2001 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her role as Ulla in The Producers. Broadway: The Will Rogers Follies (Tony nomination), La Cage aux Folles, Bob Fosse's Big Deal, Steel Pier and Dame Edna: The Royal Tour. Theatre includes Big Rosemary (title role, written and directed by Blake Edwards), Italian-American Reconciliation and Gemini (Rome, Italy), As You Like It and Cymbeline (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), L'il Abner (Encores!). Film: Hero, Throw the Hoolihan, Space Marines, Sunday on the Rocks (produced by Cady and Amy Richards; directed by Joe Morton; starring Julie White, Cady, Amiee Turner and Suzzanne Douglas). Television includes "Mad About You," "The George Carlin Show," "Pig Sty."

Julianne Wick Davis (Music) is a recent graduate from NYU's Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. She composed the score for the film short Afrika which debuted at Lincoln Center in 2007. Her music and lyrics have been featured in Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Don't Know But Should, with William Finn at Barrington Stage. The musical WOOD, with bookwriter/lyricist Dan Collins, has received both a reading and a workshop production at NYU, and a workshop reading with the New York Theatre Barn at Manhattan Theatre Club. Selections from WOOD were chosen to be featured in the York's NEO4 Concert, NYTB's Untitled 2, and the 14X4 New Works Concert. Julianne wrote lyrics for Disorder (with Gihieh Lee and Katie Baldwin) directed by Jack Cummings III and produced by William Finn at Barrington Stage. Most recently she was the featured composer/lyricist for the Society of Singers' Spotlight Series at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Dan Collins (Book and Lyrics) Dan Collins received his B.F.A in playwriting at The Theater School of DePaul University and his M.F.A in Musical Theater Writing at Tisch School of the Arts: NYU. He is also currently writing book for the concert-musical Our Country with composer/lyricist Tony Asaro. His musical Slaying Faith with composer Jack Short was presented as part of "Leap Fest: A Festival of New Work." Dan's lyrics have been featured at Birdland, The D-Lounge, Don't Tell Mamma, The Duplex and the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Eternal thanks to Monty and Seymour for their unwavering love and support.

Thomas Caruso (Director) Directing credits include: Don't Talk To The Actors by Tom Dudzick, starring Denny Dillon, Richard Kline and Lewis J. Stadlen (Studio Arena Theatre, Buffalo), Diagnosis by Ioana Moldovan, (The Play Company, 59 East 59th), the musical Mimi Le Duck by Brian Feinstein and Diana Hansen-Young, starring Eartha Kitt (Off-Broadway, New World Stages), The Butcherhouse Chronicles by Michael Hidalgo (SPF), The Middle East - In Pieces (Cherry Lane Theatre), the musical Bingo (Off-Broadway - St. Lukes Theatre), the premiere of Jack Heifner's Earth to Bucky (Bay Street Theatre) and the premiere of Terrence McNally and Israel Horovitz's Off Season - a duet (Gloucester Stage). He directed the National Tour of Master Class by Terrence McNally, starring Charlotte Cornwell of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Thomas received the Kenneth Frankel Memorial Directing Fellowship from Manhattan Theatre Club. He is the Resident Director of the Las Vegas company of Mamma Mia! On Broadway, Thomas was the Associate Director for both Bombay Dreams and the musical revival of Follies by Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman. Upcoming 2008: 10% of Molly Snyder by Richard Strand (Penguin Rep), and Zombie by Bill Connington (FringeNYC). For more information: www.ThomasCaruso.com

Andrew Parkhurst (Choreographer) NYC Choreography: The Wild Party (Columbia Stages). Regional choreography: Working (Princeton); Much Ado About Nothing and Love's Labour's Lost (Illinois Shakes); Married Alive! (New Theatre). Asst. Dir., All Shook Up (New Theatre). Dance Captain of Mamma Mia! national tour (original cast) and assistant to Rob Ashford on Curtains on Broadway (SSDC Observership). Dance Soloist, Roman Polanski's Tanz der Vampire (Vienna); Alvin Ailey's Memoria.

Ed McCarthy (Lighting Designer) Broadway: Adaptation of Coram Boy, which received a 2007 Tony nomination for Best Lighting of a Play; the BC/EFA Benefit production of Once on This Island. Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular (2005). Over 30 Off and Off-off Bway shows, including War and 15 other plays at Rattlestick Theater, Johnny Guitar at the Century Center, more. Regional: Actor's Theatre of Louisville, designing 11 shows over 2 seasons. Opera: The Tender Land, Viva la Mamma. Many concerts at Carnegie Hall, others include Florence Henderson, Judy Collins, Ben Vereen, Marvin Hamlisch. Associate LD for five companies of Mamma Mia! in the US and Canada , Wonderful Town, White Christmas, The Phantom of the Opera, Dance of the Vampires, Chicago, more. Television: Lighting Director for many shows, including the Grammy Awards, Latin Grammys, Tony Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, VH1 Hip Hop Honors, VH1 Rock Honors, Victoria's Secret Christmas Special, the Today Show, Live From Lincoln Center.

DAVID RIGLER (Costume Designer) design credits include: Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey - Gold Show, Contemporary Stage Company (Wilmington, DE), Fireside Theatre (Fort Atkinson, WI), Barrington Stage Company, New London Playhouse (New London, NH), Playwrights Horizons, Stella Adler, Collaborative Arts Project 21, Abingdon Theatre Company, Forestburgh Playhouse (Forestburgh, NY), Arundel Playhouse (Arundle, ME), Inside Broadway, Baruch College, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Philadelphia Mummers' Parade. Assistant Design Credits: Chicago (B'way, Las Vegas, Nat'l Tour), Aida (First Nat'l Tour), Mimi Le Duck (New World Stages), Public Theatre/Shakespeare in the Park, Guthrie Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Westport Playhouse, Theatre Works (Palo Alto), Nickelodeon/Live Nation, New York City Opera, Signature Theatre, Juilliard, Norwegian National Ballet, History Channel, MTV. Member of United Scenic Artists. Graduate of New York University. Executive Artistic Director, New York Theatre Barn. www.DavidRiglerDesigns.com

JOSH ZANGEN (Set Designer) Recent design credits include: John Lithgow's Sunny side of the Street at the New Victory Theatre, Affluenza and Lunch Hour with Heiress Productions (Lion theatre at Theatre Row) both directed by Maura Farver, Home Front (LaMAMA), The Baraka Project (HERE arts center), Having it Almost (New World Stages) as part of NYMF, The Lunch (Jose Quintero Theatre), Becca and Heidi (Chashama). As a benefit for the American Cancer Society, Cancer Tales with director Josh Vasquez. With Civic Entertainment Group he has designed a variety of Industrial shows and events for companies such as Hallmark, Nascar, The History Channel and HBO. Josh is the associate designer for Nickelodeons "Dora the Explorer" and "Go Diego Go" live national tours which have traveled the globe. On Broadway: he was the associate on the Tony award winning The 39 Steps (Roundabout and Cort Theatre), A Catered Affair (Walter Kerr Theatre), and the recent revival of Les Miserables (Broadhurst Theatre). He was assistant on Company (Barrymore Theatre), Sly Fox (Barrymore Theatre) and Drowning Crow (MTC). Upcoming work: In August he looks forward to mounting a new burlesque cabaret show Desir in the acclaimed Spiegeltent for Mollison Entertainment. Later this fall he has the pleasure of working with director John Doyle on Stephen Sondheim's Bounce at The Public Theatre, and with Heiress Productions a new play Three Movements written by Martin Zimmerman (Theatre Row).