Max Chernin, Sam Heldt & More Set for Ars Nova's Reading of PIED!, 7/24

Ars Nova presents, as part of the Out Loud series, a FREE reading of the new musical PIED! by Uncharted residents Gordon Leary and Julia Meinwald, directed by Portia Krieger with musical direction by Andrew Resnick. The cast includes Max Chernin, Sam Heldt, Greg Hildreth, Victoria Huston-Elem, Julia Mattison, Brad Standley and Dana Steingold.

PIED! charts the rise and fall of beauty queen-turned-pop star-turned-spokeswoman-turned-cultural crusader Anita Bryant and the man who sealed her fate with a single banana cream pie.

Out Loud is Ars Nova's ongoing public reading series showcasing new work from Ars Nova's Play Group and Uncharted residents, offering writers the chance to see their work in front of an audience in the early stages of development. Each new play or musical reading is the culmination of a week-long workshop in which Ars Nova provides artistic support and essential resources for key creators to collaborate with leading actors and directors.

Uncharted residencies provide music/theater makers with peer support and artistic feedback as they work on first drafts of new musicals in monthly meetings. First year residencies culminate in public concerts offering the writers the chance to debut their new material in front of a live audience. During the second year of their residencies, the writers participate in weeklong workshops of their musicals with top-notch directors and performers, culminating in full Out Loud readings.

Gordon Leary (Book and Lyrics) is a Brooklyn-based bookwriter and lyricist. His musicals include Pregnancy Pact (2012 Weston Playhouse premiere, 2011 NAMT Festival, 2011 Yale Institute for Music Theatre), Cheer Wars (2009 Richard Rodgers Award), Across the River (2013 Seoul Musical Festival), Disappeared (2009 Lincoln Center Directors Lab), and One-Man Show (2010 DanceNOW [NYC]). Gordon was a 2009-2010 Dramatists Guild Fellow and is a current Ars Nova Uncharted resident. BA: Vassar College. MFA.: NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. www.omfgordon.com

Julia Meinwald (Music) is a composer for musical theater, film, and the occasional computer game. Favorite projects include the musical Pregnancy Pact (2012 Weston Playhouse premiere, 2011 NAMT Festival, 2011 Yale Institute for Music Theatre), and the movie musical Galaxy Comics (2012 NYTV Festival). In addition to being an inaugural Ars Nova's Uncharted resident, Julia was a Dramatists Guild fellow, a proud participant in the New Dramatists Composer Librettist Development Program, and a resident artist with American Lyric Theater. She received her BA in music from Yale University and her MFA from NYU Tisch's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. www.juliameinwald.com.

PIED! will be read on Thursday, July 24 at 3:00pm in the Ars Nova Loft. The OUT LOUD Series is FREE and open to the public. Reservations are required. Ars Nova is located at 511 West 54th Street. For more information and to reserve tickets, please visit www.arsnovanyc.com.