Queens Theatre in the Park Presents Staged Readings of ROSA PARKS 11/5-7

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents staged readings of the musical ROSA PARKS on November 5-7, 2009 at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are FREE. Reservations are required at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.

Rosa Parks is about one of the Civil Rights Movement's most respected heroines, brought to life through rich and beautiful songs. The musical depicts how an ordinary woman became renowned for an extraordinary, history-changing act of bravery. Rosa Parks is the winner of a Richard Rodgers Award for staged readings, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Music by Scott Ethier. Book & Lyrics by Jeff Hughes. Directed by Daniella Topol, Musical Direction by Lisa DeSpain.

The cast includes Shannon Antalan (Caroline, Or Change), Chauncey Allen Bellamy, Jason C. Brown, Ben Harney (Tony-Award winner as the original Curtis in Dreamgirls, returning to the New York stage after two decades), Michael Genét ("Talk To Me," Lestat), William Jackson Harper (Ruined), Herndon Lackey (Lovemusik), Libya V. Pugh, and C. Kelly Wright.

Readings at Queens Theatre in the Park: Thursday, November 5 at 7:30pm; Saturday, November 7 at 3pm and 8pm

Playwrights Horizons will also present staged readings from November 12-14, 2009 at 4pm. For reservations, call 212-564-1235 x3121 or email mtresident@playwrightshorizons.org.

Tickets are available:
* Online at www.queenstheatre.org.
* By phone at 718-760-0064, Tue-Sat, 12-6pm.
* In person at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.
By Subway:Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point stop. Exit and turn left after passing through turnstile, walk downstairs on the parking lot side and follow the theatre shuttle signs. Take free trolley to the Theatre. Trolley runs for one hour before and after all performances.
By Car:Take the Grand Central Parkway to exit 9E (from Manhattan) or 9P (from Long Island) and follow the signs for the Theatre. Free parking in adjacent lot.

About Queens Theatre in the Park
Queens Theatre in the Park is committed to presenting performing arts that provide audiences with the highest quality work. QTP also produces new plays, with a concentration on up-and-coming directors and playwrights. QTP has broadened the experience of its core audience to include works by under-recognized artists from around the world and works that tap into the diverse communities of Queens.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the New York State Pavilion designed for the 1964 World's Fair by Philip Johnson. The Pavilion was converted to a theatre in 1972 and was operated by various organizations until 1985. QTP was officially established in 1989 with the full support of the community and the Queens Borough President. After a $4 million renovation that brought full ADA compliance, the Theatre officially opened to the public in 1993 in a facility that allows it to stage productions equal to those of any Off-Broadway house in Manhattan in its 464-seat main stage theatre and its 99-seat Studio Theatre. What was then a small cabaret-style theater with an operating budget of under $500,000 has transformed itself into a major performing arts center with exhibition galleries with a projected operating budget of $3.9 million for FY2009.

QTP became an independent nonprofit in 1997. It is a member of the Cultural Institutions Group receiving support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The Theatre presents and produces 300 performances annually. QTP serves 100,000 people annually who reflect the rich demographics of its community population. Currently 75% of the Theatre's constituency is from Queens. In addition to its own season, QTP frequently provides its space for use by community arts organizations and local promoters.

QTP has recently completed a $ 23 million physical transformation of the Theatre. This major capital investment has added a 75-seat cabaret performance space with a full service cafe and kitchen facility; created a dramatic new 3,000 square foot lobby/reception area; provided new visitor amenities and improved the facility's accessibility. These improvements have transformed Queens Theatre in the Park into a destination for the residents of the borough and beyond.

Queens Theatre in the Park events are made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Rosa Parks is the winner of a Richard Rogers Award for Staged Readings, administered by the Academy of Arts and Letters.

Funding at Queens Theatre in the Park is provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts. New Programming initiatives are made possible with the support from the Booth Ferris Foundation and the Richmond County Savings Foundation.

Special thanks to Time Warner Inc. for its leadership support of the American Voice: New Play and Musical Theater Development at Playwright Horizons. Generous support for Playwright Horizons musical theatre readings is also provided in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, the John Golden Fund, the Dorothy Strelsin Foundation and the Rodgers and Hammerstein Foundation.

Funding is also provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

For more information, visit www.queenstheatre.org.