Broadway favorite Mary Testa, currently appearing in the new Off-Broadway musical I'LL BE DAMNED at The Vineyard's Dimson Theatre, will be Valerie Smaldone's special guest on her new WOR Radio program "Valerie's New York" this Friday, July 9th at 11:20 a.m. The interview can be heard live at wor710.com. I'LL BE DAMNED, by Rob Broadhurst and Brent Black, is directed by April Nickell, with choreography by Luis Salgado and musical direction by Jason Sherbundy.
Mary Testa has appeared on Broadway in 42nd Street (Tony nomination), ...Forum, Xanadu, The Rink, Guys and Dolls, On the Town (Tony nomination), Barnum, Marie Christine, Marilyn, and Chicago.
I'LL BE DAMNED is the story of a friendless, comic book-loving homeschooler named Louis who receives a seemingly irresistible offer from Satan. Louis' mother is a little late in coming to terms with her son growing up, God seems lost in his vision of a perfect world, and Louis is discovering himself as he attempts to find just one true friend. This fresh new musical comedy asks the universal question: Is there a way to make people like you without having to sell your soul to the devil?
Mary Testa and
Kenita Miller head the cast of I'LL BE DAMNED. Also featured in the company are
Kurt Robbins,
Jacob Hoffman,
Gregory Treco, Emily Borromeo, Nick Gelona, Alison Luff, Anthony Martinez, Tiffany Topol, Daryl Ray Carliles,
Stephanie Martinez, and
Valerie Salgado.
The book for I'LL BE DAMNED is by
Rob Broadhurst and
Brent Black, with music by Mr. Broadhurst and lyrics by Mr. Black. They are recent graduates of NYU, where they created the musical at the Tisch Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.
Director
April Nickell helmed
Jaradoa Theater's acclaimed productions of Serenade by
Rachel Sheinkin and Nils Olaf Dolven, The Small of Her Back and
Anika Larsen's Shafrika, The White Girl. Choreographer
Luis Salgado is in the cast of Broadway's In the Heights, where he also serves as assistant to the choreographer. Luis also assisted the choreographers on the films Enchanted and Step Up 2 the Streets, and he choreographed the Off-Broadway productions of Shafrika, The White Girl and Serenade (HOLA Award).
Scenic design for I'LL BE DAMNED is by
Sean Tribble, with costume design by
Andrea Varga, lighting design by
Herrick Goldman, and sound design by Kyle Irwin.
JARADOA (Just A Roomful of Artists Doing Outreach And) THEATER is proudly kicking off its fourth season with I'LL BE DAMNED. Jaradoa is a member-based group of theater artists - actors, directors, writers, and designers - who have come together to promote mercy, beauty and truth through performance and service. Play On!, Jaradoa's innovative acting and playwriting program that uses theater to improve literacy skills, has been run in public schools, community centers, an alternative-to-incarceration program for teenage felons, and a shelter for runaway and homeless teens.
The playing schedule for the limited engagement of I'LL BE DAMNED through July 18th is Tuesday at 7pm, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2 & 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm at the Dimson Theatre at The Vineyard (between Union
Square East & Irving Place). Tickets are $18 and are available through www.SmartTix.com (212) 868-4444. For more information, visit
www.JaradoaTheater.org.
Photo Credit: Linda Lenzi
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
