Erica Aubrey, Brittney Lee Hamilton & More to Lead Amas Musical Theatre's COOKIN'! Readings Tonight

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff/Artistic Producer) will present three free staged readings of "Cookin'!", a new musical by Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin, with musical director Gillian Berkowitz, directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett. The readings will take place tonight, September 25 @ 6pm and Thursday, September 26 at 1:00pm and 5pm, at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street. Tickets are free and reservations are available via email at boxoffice@amasmusical.org or by calling 212-563-2565.

"Cookin'!" tells the story of four housewives in Winnetka, Illinois, in the mid-nineteen fifties, who decide to enter a Betty Crocker cooking contest as an antidote to suburban ennui. The musical comedy explores the combustible limits of gender stereotypes during the dawn of rock-and-roll, but before The Kinsey Report.

""Cookin'!" takes place in a time when women's roles were narrowly defined and women adapted themselves accordingly", says Amas Artistic Producer Donna Trinkoff. "The fit was better for some than for others and the kitchen was the place where women could communicate and commiserate. But it's the late 50's and the sexual revolution is right around the corner and these women have a lot of ground to cover!".

Debra Barsha (co-writer) is the composer of "Radiant Baby", a musical about Keith Haring, that was produced in 2003 at The Public Theatre, directed by George C. Wolfe. The show was nominated for Outstanding Musical Off Broadway and also she also won a Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award. Additional composer credits include Sophie, about Sophie Tucker, Her career includes television soundtracks, children's musicals, one-woman shows, and national tours with postmod British pop-stars (Thomas Dolby). Debra currently plays keyboards, sings and is the Associate Conductor of Broadway's Tony award winning musical "Jersey Boys".

Hollye Levin (co-writer) has written lyrics for gold-selling records "By Heart" and "Here in My Heart". For the stage, she wrote the book, music and lyrics for "Funny Business", which received a full workshop at The Kennedy Center in partnership with Dodger Productions, and performed in the New Works Festival at The Mark Taper Forum and played for 16 weeks at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles. She also wrote the book, music and lyrics for "Polo Lounge, A True Story" produced at The Beverly Hills Playhouse.

Lynne-Taylor Corbett (director) received Tony Nominations for best director and best choreographer of Broadway's "Swing!". She has Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations for both "Wanda's World" (Amas) and "My Vaudeville Man". Her adaptation of "The Lion King" is in its seventh year at Disney's park in Hong Kong and her production of "Cougar the Musical" is currently playing Off Broadway. She has also choreographed works for American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and her works have been featured on "Live From Lincoln Center" and National Public Television. Feature films include "Footloose", "My Blue Heaven" and "Bewitched".

The cast includes Erica Aubrey (Off-Broadway: "Far From Heaven", "Encores! All Star Concert"), Brittney Lee Hamilton (TV: "Boardwalk Empire", Off-Broadway: "Peg O' My Heat", " Angels: The Musical"), Ariana Shore (Broadway: "The Performers", Television: "Gossip Girl", "Rescue Me") and Shelley Thomas (Broadway: "Brooklyn", National Tour "Rent", Off Broadway: "Zanna, Don't!", "Triassic Parq,)

The presentations are part of the ongoing Amas Musical Theatre Lab, a development series for writers, lyricists and composers to mount public readings of their new musicals. The Amas Musical Theatre Lab is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and by the Actors' Equity Association Foundation, the BMI Foundation, the Barbara Bell Cummings Foundation, the Dramatists Guild, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, the Frederick S. Loewe Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, and through the generous support of many individuals.

Photo by Corey Hayes