NY Music Theater Festival Holds A Benefit 8/24 To Raise Funds For Production Of PLAGUED- A LOVE STORY

By: Aug. 17, 2009
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The prestigious New York Musical Theatre Festival has selected its first musical by a Georgia playwright. PLAGUED - A LOVE STORY by Marietta's Vynnie Meli, is one of 12 musicals (out of 300 submissions) selected for the famous festival, now in its sixth year and known as "the Sundance of Musical Theater." Many NYMF shows have gone on to become critical and commercial hits, including ALTAR BOYZ, [Title of Show], GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL, and NEXT TO NORMAL.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival production will be staged by Broadway professionals. That comes at a cost -- a required cost of $25,000, to be exact, those funds must be raised in slightly over a month by Vynnie Meli, herself. She admits to feeling almost overwhelmed by the frenzy of revisions, production, and fundraising, all while working as a rental property manager and helping her two children move to colleges in different states.

About Vynnie Meli
Vynnie Meli is already a familiar name in Atlanta theater. Essential Theater selected her play JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS for its Georgia Playwright Award, producing that play in its 2009 season. Dunwoody's Jewish Theatre of the South produced Meli's comedy CHOPPED LIVER IN PARADISE in 2006, and her play KEATS IN CURLERS ran Off-Broadway in 2003 at The Looking Glass Theatre, earning a rave review in The New York Times.

About PLAGUED - LOVE STORY
PLAGUED - A LOVE STORY is about Cinderella, now celebrating her twentieth wedding anniversary to a paunchy Prince Charming with a shoe fetish. She faces all the issues of a middle-aged woman, including a daughter, Dusty, who wants to cure the plague rather than obey Cinderella's mother-in-law's demand that she be married off to a rich old man. Will the Fairy Godmother come out of her Florida retirement to help Dusty? Can Prince Charming put aside his "thing" for glass slippers to save his marriage? Can a new musical from Atlanta take New York by storm?

Though this tale's happy ending remains up in the air, those interested in helping this Georgia peach of a show take a bite out of the Big Apple can attend special benefit for PLAGUED at the beautiful Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville.

This special benefit event and reception called the Broadway or Bust Cabaret will be held Monday, August 24 at 7:30pm. Ann Carol Pence and a host of all-star talent will perform brand new songs from the musical, and some old favorites. Admission is with a tax deductible donation of $40 or more. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the NYMF production of Vynnie Meli's PLAGUED. As NYMF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, please make checks payable to NYMF with Plagued in memo to be certain to receive a tax deduction.

The event will also feature a raffle for Broadway tickets to IN THE HEIGHTS and back stage tours to WEST SIDE STORY in NYC. Even if you cannot attend, you can call the Aurora box office 678-226-6222 or email boxoffice@auroratheatre.com to make a tax-deductible donation.

Broadway or Bust Cabaret
A benefit for Plagued - A Love Story
Book and lyrics - Vynnie MeliMusic - Casey Filiaci
Monday, August 24 at 7:30pm
Admission is $40

Aurora Theatre 128 Pike St. Lawrenceville, GA 30045
phone: 678-226-6222
email: boxoffice@auroratheatre.com



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