War Dog Musical 'SGT. STUBBY' to Melt Hearts at St. Luke's Starting This Fall

Patriots, dog lovers and history buffs, Attention! SGT. STUBBY: THE GREAT AMERICAN WAR DOG MUSICAL, a new musical inspired by the most decorated war dog of World War I, with book & lyrics by Jack Dyville and music & lyrics by Lawrence Wankel will make its New York premiere on Saturday, November 12, 2016 at St. Luke's Theatre, 46th Street in Manhattan. The production, directed by Mr. Dyville, is slated for an open run and will officially open on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

Sergeant Stubby has been called the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be nominated for rank and then promoted to sergeant through combat, a claim having no official documentary evidence, but recognized in connection with an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution. He was the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment (United States), assigned to the 26th (Yankee) Division. Stubby served for 18 months and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front. He saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks, found and comforted the wounded, and once caught a German soldier by the seat of his pants, holding him there until American soldiers found him. Back home, his exploits were front-page stories in major newspapers.

After returning home, Stubby became a celebrity - leading and marching in many parades across the country. He met Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren G. Harding. In 1921 General John J. Pershing presented a gold medal from the Humane Education Society to Stubby, which was the subject of a famous photograph. Starting in 1921, he attended Georgetown University Law Center with Conroy, and became the Georgetown Hoyas' team mascot. He would be given the football at halftime and would nudge the ball around the field to the amusement of the fans. Stubby went on to perform in vaudeville shows! He earned $62.50 for three days of theatrical appearances, more than twice the weekly salary of the average American. For nearly a decade after the war until his death in 1926, Stubby was the most famous animal in the United States.

Upon his death in 1926, Stubby received an obituary in the New York Times. The obituary was half a page, which was much longer than the obituaries of many notable people of the time period.

The cast of SGT. STUBBY: THE GREAT AMERICAN WAR DOG MUSICAL features Matt Weinstein (Young Max In The 2015 Big League Productions How The Grinch Stole Christmas National Tour) Meghan Miller (The First Teen Queen Miss America, Bernstein Bears Live & John Tartaglia's Imagi-Ocean), Daniel Joseph Baker (Season 6 Semi-Finalist on America's Got Talent on NBC where Howie Mendell declared him a "Bonafide Superstar"), Bryan Ernesto Menjivar (In The Pink Pump Fits, Roy Arias Theatre), Patrick Steven Bovo (Love The Coopers, Fox Searchlight), Zach Green (Season 3 Participant In Simon Cowell's X Factor), Richard Lisenby (named New Broadway Sensation at 2015 NYMF), Kate Zulauf (Disney Cruise Lines Golden Mickeys, Villain's Tonight and Disney's Believe) and Taylor Grace Sumner (Noteworthy Life Of Howard Barnes, Goodspeed & Founding Member Of Wildthings Children's Theatre In Santa Ana, California).

Darin Chumbley is choreographer, David Gillam Fuller is associate producer and Ray Naccari is musical director.

Jack Dyville is the Co-Founder/Artistic Dir. of F.A.C.T. He has had 4 scripts published with IE CLARK, Produced @ NY Fringe ('04 & '09), Strawberry Festival, Wonderland NYC Fest, The Duplex, Playwright's Horizons Invitational Forum. Performer/Choreographer - Broadway, Off-Broadway, Nat'l Tours, Summer Stock, Dinner Theatre. Taught Theatre/Dance 25 years. Dyville has been co-producer-director of a summer theatre, Youth Education On Stage in Williston North Dakota for the past 25 years. He taught dance for 20 years and is a certified Adjudicator with Dance Challenge.

While the cartoon character Snoopy became an Off-Broadway & Broadway Star, he only dreamed of fighting the Red Baron. STUBBY, a Real Life Soldier actually fought the Kaiser in the trenches of France! Stubby will also be memorialized on the silver screen too. Scheduled for release in spring of 2018, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero is an upcoming animated feature-length film. The film features the voices of Gérard Depardieu and Helena Bonham Carter and is directed by former Disney and DreamWorks animator Daniel St. Pierre, with music by Academy Award nominee Patrick Doyle.

SGT. STUBBY will charm, entertain and enlighten you. It's a musical filled with heart, humor and history.

Performances begin on Saturday, November 12th at 8PM. The production will have its official opening on Saturday, December 3rd at 8PM and runs Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 2PM. Tickets are $39 to $99 and can be purchased online at www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Sgt-Stubby-The-Great-American-War-Dog-Musical/Overview, by calling 212-239-6200 or in person at the St. Luke's Box Office prior to each performance.