2nd Annual 8Minute Musicals to Play TBG Theatre 3/14

Following a successful launch at the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF) in 2010, Artists WithOut Limits (AWOL) Theatre Project, Inc. announces the second annual presentation of 8Minute Musicals, a program that challenges emerging musical theatre writers and composers to create 8 original 8-minute musicals in just two weeks. An impressive collection of theatrical talents are strategically placed into teams and given a common theme as inspiration for their work. The freshly-inked pieces are fully staged, briefly rehearsed, then presented to the public on Monday, March 14 at the TBG Theatre.

These original, yet-to-be-written musicals will be created and brought to life by an invited group of participants including 8 writers, 8 composers, 2 directors, 2 musical directors, and 10 performers.

The cast includes Alex Brightman (Wicked, Glory Days), William Thomas Evans (Tale of Two Cities, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Camelot), Sue Mathys (German premieres: Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd), Patrick Mellen (Lestat), and Erin Leigh Peck (Grease!, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Dance of the Vampires). Completing the cast are Gina Naomi Baez, Tiffan Borelli, Barrett Hall, Jason Reiff, and Alana Simone.
The 8 Composers for the event are Britt Bonney, Matt Cusack, J. Sebastian Fabal, Bonnie Gleicher, Bradford Proctor, Andy Roninson, Katya Stanislavskaya, and Riley Thomas. The 8 Writers are Erin Austin, Ben Bartolone, Kelsey Celek, Stacy Davidowitz, Chris Fitz, Roger Nasser, Robin Rothstein, and Craig Weiner.

Eli Gonda and Benjamin Shaw will each direct four of the musicals. Douglas Maxwell and Annie Pasqua will serve as music directors. Jeffrey Virchow is the event's lighting designer, and the casting director for 8Minute Musicals is Cindi Rush for Cindi Rush Casting.

The mission of 8Minute Musicals is to nurture the development of emerging musical theatre artists and to create a supportive atmosphere for experimenting with the art form. The 8Minute Musicals producers are Jane Abramson, Kristen Gongora, Colleen McCormack, Brendan Padgett, Laura Penney Shamir, and Amy & David Southerland.

For tickets, visit www.8MinuteMusicals.org or SmartTix.com or call 212-868-4444. All tickets are $18.

For industry tickets, please contact tickets@8MinuteMusicals.org. Please note: 8Minute Musicals

does not encourage reviews; however, we welcome feature articles or interviews.

8Minute Musicals was inspired by the Jonathan Larson Award-winning Raw Impressions Music Theatre.

Artists WithOut Limits (AWOL) Theatre Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, co-produced the New York premiere production of The Mistress Cycle by Jenny Giering and Beth Blatt and the New York premiere production of The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World by Joy Gregory, Gunnar Madsen, and John Langs, both of which appeared at the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF). The Shaggs will appear Off-Broadway this season at Playwrights' Horizons. AWOL's mission is providing support and creative opportunities to music theatre writers as they create and develop new work. 8Minute Musicals, AWOL's newest program, is an annual event showcasing the next generation of musical theatre writers. Visit AWOLProject.org for more info.

GENERAL INFORMATION
8MINUTE MUSICALS: www.8MinuteMusicals.org
VENUE

TBG Theatre

312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor

New York, NY 10018
TICKETS: Tickets are $18 and are available through SmartTix.com or 8minutemusicals.org

PERFORMANCES: Sunday, March 13th at 7pm and 9pm & Monday, March 14th at 7pm and 9pm