The New York Musical Theatre Festival and La Vie Productions present the new musical THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE - a musical comedy about first loves, youthful obsession, and the search for miracles - with music, lyrics and book by Tom Megan and Jack Megan, directed by Gabriel Barre ("The Wild Party"), and featuring a cast that includes some of Broadway's biggest, little, stars including: Kyle Brenn ("West Side Story"), Alison Jaye Horowitz ("Mary Poppins," "Sunday in the Park with George"), Matthew Gumley ("Elf," "Beauty and the Beast"), Leah Greenhaus ("Shrek The Musical"), Rachel Resheff ("The People in the Picture," "Billy Elliot"), etc. THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE is presented as part of the 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival and will play at The Theatre at St. Clements (423 West 46th Street) in Manhattan beginning September 26 - with only 6 performances available.
Billy's the new kid at Our Lady Of Perpetual Motion and he has a lot to learn about parochial school. When he meets his drama teacher Sister Katherine, a beguiling novice who jogs and sings like
Julie Andrews, Billy falls hopelessly in love, resolving to become Pope and change the rules of the church so that they can one day marry. A charming musical comedy about first loves, youthful obsession, and the search for miracles.
Directed by Calloway Award winner
Gabriel Barre ("The Wild Party," "Pippin") the cast of THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE features
Eric Anderson ("South Pacific"),
Jillian Louis ("The Piper," "Soul Doctor"), and
Tina Stafford ("I Married Wyatt Earp," "Richard III"), along with some of today's biggest little stars of the stage:
Kyle Brenn ("West Side Story, "Go Diego Go"),
Leah Greenhaus ("Shrek The Musical," "Meet Me in St. Louis"),
Matthew Gumley ("The Addams Family," "Elf"),
Alison Jaye Horowitz ("Mary Poppins," "Sunday in the Park with George"),
Rachel Resheff ("The People in the Picture," "Billy Elliot"), and
Sarah Safer ("
Irving Berlin's White Christmas," "Whistle Down the Wind").
THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPEhas book, music and lyrics by brothers Tom Megan and Jack Megan, music direction and arrangements by
Jeffrey Lodin, set design by David Esler, costume design by
Isabel Rubio, and sound design by
Shannon Slaton.
Tom Megan is an award-winning composer, lyricist and librettist. His musical theatre work has been seen throughout the country, at venues including the
Eugene O'Neill Music Theater Conference, Playwrights Horizon, Boston Music
Theatre Projects, New Tuner's Theatre, and at Sacred Fools Theatre in West Hollywood, California. Some of his works include: "Surviving Ophelia," "A Town Call Civility," and "Sea Change" which was commissioned by the North Shore Music Theater. Tom holds an MFA from the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Program. He is the recipient of several ASCAP awards, the
Yip Harburg Award from The Musical Theatre Project in New York City.
Jack Megan is the Director of The Office for The Arts at Harvard University, having held that position since 2001. Previously, he served as director of development of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Executive Director of the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. In June 1999, Jack received Longy's Distinguished Service Award, and a scholarship fund was endowed in his name. He holds a MFA in arts administration from Columbia University. Jack has co-written and composed several musicals over the past twenty years, several of which have been published by The Freelance Press.
Gabriel Barre directed the off-Broadway production of "The Wild Party" by
Andrew Lippa at the
Manhattan Theatre Club which was nominated for numerous awards, including five Outer Critics Circle Awards and thirteen Drama Desk Awards, both including Best Direction of a Musical and for which he won the Calloway Award for Best Direction. He also directed the national tours of the recent revival of
Stephen Schwartz's "Pippin," which began with a three month run at the
Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut last summer, as well as Rodger's and Hammerstein's, "Cinderella," starring
Eartha Kitt, which toured the country for three years. Other New York off-Broadway credits include: "Almost, Maine" at the
Daryl Roth Theatre, "Summer of ‘42" at the Variety Arts Theatre, "Honky Tonk Highway" at
Don't Tell Mama (winner of a MAC Award and Bistro Award for Best Review), "Stars in Your Eyes" at the
Cherry Lane Theatre and "john & jen" at the Lamb's Theatre.
Jeffrey Lodin's recent Music Direction credits include the world premieres of "Glimmerglass," and "Love, Inc." Jeff is currently Music Director and Arranger of "LIBERTY A Monumental Musical." He has conducted for
Chita Rivera and Greg Burge, and played piano for
Andy Gibb and Mongo Santamaria, amongst others. Jeff's scores include: "Young Abe Lincoln" (Theatreworks USA), "Disney's Doug Live!," "Top of the Heap" (Gallery Players), "About Face" (NAMT 08), "100 Years into the Heart" (Village Theater 07 Festival of New Musicals), "Rebels 1775" (Starlight Theatre), etc. Jeff is a proud member of the Dramatist's Guild.
La Vie Productions is dedicated to developing, producing and managing new works, fostering new talent and attracting new audiences. Current projects include: the NYMF 2011 shows "
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice" and "Time Between Us"; "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" (Edinburgh International Festival); "LIBERTY A Monumental Musical" (opening in NYC this year); "Academy (a new musical)"; "How We Got Away With It" (independent film); "Taking Step Three 13" (rock-musical adaptation of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment"). Recent credits: "The Sphinx Winx"; "The Love Project Journey" (award winning film); "Vinilo" (NYC Latin rock band); Above Hell's Kitchen; GM & PM for NYMF 2008 & 2009; "Irena's Vow" (Assoc. Producer, Broadway); "Love, Inc.;" "Einstein's Dreams;" "Capture Now;" "In The Heights;" "High Fidelity;" "Shockheaded Peter;" "De La Guarda." Upcoming: a new Korean musical in development with OD Musical Company; "In The Summer of '68" (an original musical), "Capture Now" (film based on the play) and "100 Years Into The Heart" (a new musical). www.LaVieProductions.com
Now in its eighth year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the largest annual musical theatre event in America and is widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next generation of musicals and ensuring their creators the continued vitality of one of America's greatest art forms. Hailed as the "Sundance of Musical Theatre," NYMF discovers, nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and producers at all stages of development, and inspires a diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new work.
NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2011 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com. Major supporters include The
ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The Broadway League, The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Ariel Phinney, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating, and tickets to individual events are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org. Single tickets for Festival events will go on sale September 1.
Performances of THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE will run Monday, September 26 at 8:00pm; Thursday, September 29 at 9:00pm; Saturday, October 1 at 5:00pm; Saturday, October 1 at 9:00pm; Tuesday, October 4 at 5:00pm; and Friday, October 7 at 9:00pm at The Theater at St. Clements (423 West 46th Street) in Manhattan.
For additional information on THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE, please visit www.thekidwhowouldbepope.com or www.nymf.org.
