Ryan Scott Oliver News

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) today announced the complete schedule for the 2009 Festival, which will begin September 28th and continue through October 18th. A full breakdown of this year's performances and venues follows.

Fresh from the January 2009 inaugural working-visit to South Africa, the new not-for-profit Broadway in South Africa announces its Second Annual Benefit Concert. This star-studded evening will feature a guest performance by South African hit recording artist and producer Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse. Like the first, this concert will also feature world-premiere songs created by Broadway and New York composers, like Jeff Bowen, performed by Broadway stars like Shoshana Bean and Eden Espinosa. Through the support of honorary chairs and board members, like award-winning singer-songwriter-actress Deborah Cox, this benefit concert will raise awareness of and celebrate the work Broadway in South Africa does to provide artistic and educational opportunities for underprivileged youth. The concert will take place on Monday, October 5, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. at Peter Norton Symphony Space, located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. VIP guests will enjoy pre- and post-concert events.

Cait Doyle's Hot Mess in Manhattan (2009 MAC Award for Best Female Debut) returns to the Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) on August 14th & 28th at 9:30pm.

Over the years New Voices has quietly and steadily been selling out the smaller theatre houses around Seattle. On Monday, August 3 at 8:00 p.m., in partnership with ACT's Central Heating Lab, New Voices 7 will take a huge leap forward by moving into the largest theatre space to date.

Broadway's Sutton Foster and Jennifer Laura Thompson are among the guest stars appearing in 'Something Just Broke,' the latest episode of Jake Wilson's web series 'The Battery's Down.'

On Friday, July 31st, composer/lyricist Rob Shapiro will present Easily Distracted: Songs of Rob Shapiro at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Playwrights Horizons will present private readings of MRS. SHARP, a new musical with Book by Kirsten Guenther and Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Ryan Scott Oliver. Directed by three-time Tony Award nominee and Playwrights Horizons alumnus Michael Greif (Grey Gardens, Next to Normal, Rent), the invitation-only readings will take place on Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31 at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street).

Cait Doyle's Hot Mess in Manhattan (2009 MAC Award for Best Female Debut) returns to the Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) on August 14th & 28th at 9:30pm.

Katie Thompson (left), Morgan Karr and Mac Award Winner Cait Doyle led the cast of This Preview is RATED RSO-a set of songs by Ryan Scott Oliver-which will perform at the Public Theatre, produced by the Summer Play Festival. The evening featured songs from Mrs. Sharp, Darling, plus new material. The concert play took place Friday, July 24 at 9:30pm.

Cabrillo Music Theatre concludes its 2008-2009 season with the most memorable musical of all, CATS! Directed and choreographed by original Broadway cast member, Ovation Award-winner Dana Solimando, Cabrillo's CATS marks the first time that the seven-time Tony Award winner has been produced exclusively for the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) today announced a principal cast change for the private readings of MRS. SHARP, a new musical (Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award for Staged Readings, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters) with Book by Kirsten Guenther and Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Ryan Scott Oliver. Directed by three-time Tony Award nominee and Playwrights Horizons alumnus Michael Greif (Grey Gardens, Next to Normal, Rent), the four invitation-only readings will take place over two days on Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31 at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street).

On Friday, July 31st, composer/lyricist Rob Shapiro will present Easily Distracted: Songs of Rob Shapiro at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

In addition to the previously announced 27 full productions, The New York Musical Theatre Festival (Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Executive Director & Producer) today announced two dance productions, nine special events and concerts, and three developmental readings that will all take place during this year?s three-week festival.

Ripped apart when they were teenagers, ten years later, Elle & Jeremy are thrust into each other's lives again and forced to discover if maybe they're meant to be together after all. THE CONSEQUENCES is a bittersweet rock and roll love story about the road not taken, dreams not followed, and whether you can start over again.

Cabrillo Music Theatre concludes its 2008-2009 season with the most memorable musical of all, CATS! Directed and choreographed by original Broadway cast member, Ovation Award-winner Dana Solimando, Cabrillo's CATS marks the first time that the seven-time Tony Award winner has been produced exclusively for the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Playwrights Horizons will present private readings of MRS. SHARP, a new musical with Book by Kirsten Guenther and Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Ryan Scott Oliver. Directed by three-time Tony Award nominee and Playwrights Horizons alumnus Michael Greif (Grey Gardens, Next to Normal, Rent), the invitation-only readings will take place on Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31 at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street).

Over the years New Voices has quietly and steadily been selling out the smaller theatre houses around Seattle. On Monday, August 3 at 8:00 p.m., in partnership with ACT's Central Heating Lab, New Voices 7 will take a huge leap forward by moving into the largest theatre space to date.

The American Theatre Wing announced today that applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Jonathan Larson Grants. The grants, given annually to honor emerging composers, lyricists and book writers, help to continue Tony Award-winning composer Jonathan Larson's dream of infusing musical theatre with a contemporary, joyful, urban vitality.

Ripped apart when they were teenagers, ten years later, Elle & Jeremy are thrust into each other's lives again and forced to discover if maybe they're meant to be together after all. THE CONSEQUENCES is a bittersweet rock and roll love story about the road not taken, dreams not followed, and whether you can start over again.

Recent graduate of the musical theater program at the University of the Arts, Joey Contreras will receive a workshop of his musical This Thing Called Love this July at Philadelphia Music Theater Works. Contreras, a bright-eyed twenty two year old who hails from Northern California, recently had a concert version of This Thing Called Love presented at UArts in May featuring the talents of Natalie Weiss (Wicked), Philip Drennen (Altar Boyz) and various UArts musical theater students and recent alumni.