Jay Michaels to Helm New Musical Version of THE ADDING MACHINE

Jay Michaels, a director/producer and public relations specialist, will direct the new musical version of THE ADDING MACHINE, book and lyrics by Fran Handman and music by Sheldon Gartner, to be produced by John Chatterton, founder and executive producer of the Midtown International Theatre Festivals.

The Adding Machine, the play, written by Elmer Rice, began its life in 1923 as "... a landmark of American Expressionism..." and recounts the story of Mr. Zero, a downtrodden accountant who - after serving the nameless company for more than 25 years - is replaced by a machine. Unable to control himself at this news, he kills his supervisor. We are then taken on a journey through Mr. Zero's life, demise ... and afterlife. The play - and the musical - becomes a kaleidoscope of what Mr. Zero was ... and could have been. While the play is over 90 years old, its concept obviously never became dated - if anything it only grew more topical. While there have been other musical versions, and even a striking version done with puppets in Chicago, the team of Handman and Gartner, have captured the essence of the plight of Mr. Zero and in some many ways, all of us.

Jay Michaels, who began his career at the height of the off-off Broadway movement, today runs a successful theatrical company as well as an arts training ground, and theatrical events marketing firm. He began his directing career on musicals, helming the off-Broadway premieres of Sandcastles - a musical based on the life of the Beach Boys; and Jayson (based on the cartoon character) as well as scores (pardon the pun) of classic musicals - crowned by an off-Broadway run of Guys & Dolls in 1999. His name also became synonymous with classical theatre, thanks to a wildly popular series of Shakespeare plays he produced, using original text but set in new locales: The Merchant of Venice in Nazi Germany; Macbeth in Peronist Argentina (HBO filmed portions of his production, which featured actual pagan drummers hired to lift the famed curse for the run of the show), a presentation of the rare first written version ofHamlet featuring David Canary; Romeo & Juliet in Jerusalem, a "Sopranos" Julius Caesar, Marlowe's Faustus as a tribute to Orson Welles; Kyd's Spanish Tragedy as a classic horror Film - and on the topic - a film version of Hamlet's Nunnery set in a BDSM dungeon (presented internationally).

Joining him will be Mason Griffin, current musical director of Naked Boys Singing, off-Broadway. Mason's credentials behind the piano include RENT, Les Miserables, The Addams Family, Spelling Bee, A Funny Thing...Forum, Little Shop of Horrors, I Love a Piano, and Dreamgirls, as well as serving as a musical fixture at LaGuardia High School, Amas Musical Theatre, The New York Film Academy, NYU, The United Nations International School, and The M Center for the Arts.

THE ADDING MACHINE, the workshop presentation, will be part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival's Fall Event in November. Dates TBA. For more information contact, jay.michaels.theatricals@gmail.com.

FRAN HANDMAN- lyricist/bookwriter/playwright

Adding Machine - the Musical: Jerry Kaufman Award; Moondance International Film Festival Musical Theatre award; staged reading by Theatre Resources Unlimited for New Musical Theatre Voices Series. Pucelandia (Book/Lyrics): Jerry Kaufman Development Award; produced in NY in 2008 and 2009; a winner in the Jackie White Memorial National Children's Playwriting Contest (2010); and Honorable Mention in TRU Musical Theater Voices Series. Ms. Handman has been produced in NY and beyond by such companies as Turtle Shell, Samuel French, 13th St. Repertory, Turnip Marathon, United Artists, Wings Theatre, Triangle Theatre, and the Midtown International Theatre Festival. She is an alumnus of BMI Musical Theatre workshop, Dramatist Guild, Writers Guild of Canada, TRU, Workshop Theatre and The American Renaissance Theatre Company.

SHELDON GARTNER - Composer

Credentials include The Adding Machine -the Musical, Pucelandia, A Magical Goose called Sam, and Troll Loll La, a family musical; the long-running musical, KEROUAC; the ten-minute musical, An Upper West Side Story from What Won't We Do For Love at the Nat Horne Theatre; The Death And Life Of Dr. Cutter at the Snapple Theater; plus pop, country and R&B songs and instrumental music published by Weimar Music and DSM, among others. He recorded a jazz CD called "DAS Standard," as well as original music for the Bronx Ballet Theatre and several theatrical dramas, including Under the Knife, Luella Miller, Harry Consumed. He is an alumnus of the BMI Workshop.