Mayer-Helmed ON A CLEAR DAY Heads to the Vineyard in Jan. 2011

Following a developmental workshop at the Vineyard in the fall of 2009 and a series of concert readings this summer by New York Stage and Film Company and the Powerhouse Program at Vassar, the musical ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER - with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Burton Lane, a new book by Peter Parnell based on the original book by Alan Jay Lerner, and reconceived and directed by Michael Mayer - will receive a full production at the Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street) with performances beginning January 2011, it has been announced by Vineyard Theatre Artistic Director Douglas Aibel.

This production is a re-imagined version of Lerner and Lane's 1965 musical. ON A CLEAR DAY's dazzling score - lushly melodic, romantic and erudite - includes such noted songs as "Come Back to Me", "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" "She Wasn't You" "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here" "Melinda" and of course "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever".

Casting and additional creative team for ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER are TBA.

Lyricist/Librettist Alan Jay Lerner (along with his frequent collaborator Frederick Loewe) created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film, including such classic works as BRIGADOON, PAINT YOUR WAGON, MY FAIR LADY, CAMELOT and GIGI. Other credits included the film AN AMERICAN IN PARIS and the musical COCO. He won three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards, among other awards, including the Kennedy Center Honors.

Composer Burton Lane is best known for his score for the musical FINIAN'S RAINBOW, and other theatre credits include HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS, LAFFING ROOM ONLY and CARMELINA, which he collaborated on with Mr. Lerner. Mr. Lane was a distinguished presence in Hollywood, writing songs for more than 45 films, collaborating with such lyricists as Yip Harburg, Frank Loesser, and Mr. Lerner, with whom he wrote songs for the film ROYAL WEDDING.

Peter Parnell's plays have been produced by Lincoln Center Theatre Company, The Public Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, the Atlantic Theatre, the Taper, and Seattle Rep, among others. His play QED, starring Alan Alda, was presented on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. His stage adaptation of John Irving's The Cider House Rules won the American Theatre Critics Association Award. He serves as Vice-President of the Dramatists Guild.

Michael Mayer (Re-conception and Direction) won a Tony award for his direction of SPRING AWAKENING, and this season directed such acclaimed productions as AMERICAN IDIOT and EVERYDAY RAPTURE on Broadway. He directed the Tony award winning revival of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, the Tony award winning play SIDE MAN, THE LION IN WINTER, AN ALMOST HOLY PICTURE, UNCLE VANYA, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN and AFTER THE FALL. At the Vineyard Theatre, Mr. Mayer directed ANTIGONE IN NEW YORK by Janusz Glowacki, TRUE HISTORY AND REAL ADVENTURES by Sybille Pearson and AMERICA DREAMING by Chiori Miyagawa and Tan Dun.

Vineyard Theatre is the recipient of the Tony award for the musical AVENUE Q and continues as a producer of the musical's current production at New World Stages in New York. The Vineyard's production of [title of show] also moved to Broadway. One of the nation's leading non-profit theatre companies dedicated to new plays and musicals and bold programming, The Vineyard has produced two Pulitzer Prize winners - Edward Albee's THREE TALL WOMEN and Paula Vogel's HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE.

Recent acclaimed productions include Tarell Alvin McCraney's WIG OUT!, A BOY AND HIS SOUL written and performed by Colman Domingo, the world premiere of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, book by David Thompson and direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, which will make its bow on Broadway in October, and earlier this year the world premiere of Adam Rapp's THE METAL CHILDREN, and (with Playwrights Horizons) THE BURNT PART BOYS, by Mariana Elder, Nathan Tysen and Chris Miller.

Douglas Aibel is the Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre; Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell is Executive Director.

For information about The Vineyard, visit www.vineyardtheatre.org or call 212 353 3366.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski