Tammy Faye Tuner Has Reading w/ Opel, Cuccioli & Sesma 2/27

A new musical, BIG TENT, based on the life of Tammy Faye Bakker, currently being developed by Ryan J. Davis, Jeffery Self, Ben Cohn, & Sean McDaniel, will have a private reading on Tuesday, February 27th.

The reading will feature a star-studded cast with Nancy Opel (Tony Nominee – URINETOWN) as Tammy, Thom Sesma (THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'), Robert Cuccioli (Tony Nominee – JEKYLL & HYDE) and Robert DuSold (LES MISERABLES). Micah Shepard and Michael Daly round out the ensemble.

The musical will chronicle Tammy's extraordinary and turbulent rise to fame. Whether helping to create and maintain a large TV network, speaking out on behalf of AIDS awareness, or coping with the sex and fundraising scandals that brought down her husband Jim Bakker, Tammy took it all with a certain style and dignity.

The team plans to debut the musical publicly in a staged reading in May.

For more information on the show and to hear demo versions of several songs, visit it's myspace at: www.myspace.com/tammymusical. E-mail bigtentmusical@gmail.com for more information on the reading, which is closed to the public.

Creative Team Biographies:

Ben Cohn and Sean McDaniel have been writing together for six years. They attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program. Their musical Owl Creek has been seen in NYC workshops, and was produced at Ithaca College. Currently in development: White Noise, Project Bluebook, and the untitled Tammy Faye Bakker Musical. Ben is currently the Assistant Conductor and Pianist for Wicked. Other Broadway credits include Spelling Bee, Woman in White, In My Life, and Wonderful Town. He is the Musical Supervisor and Arranger for White Noise. Ben attended Ithaca College. Sean is currently the drummer for Monty Python's Spamalot. Other Broadway credits include Wicked, Lion King, Avenue Q, Aida, Les Miserables, Millie, Fiddler, Nine, Assassins, Wonderful Town, Producers, and Rent. He also plays for Audra McDonald. Sean attended The University of North Texas.

Jeffery Self had assisted such Tony Award winning directors as Joe Mantello and Melvin Bernhardt before he could legally vote. Most recently, he wrote books and lyrics for Definition of a Housewife, with Joshua Morgan, which received workshop productions at Columbia University and Montclair Music Theater this past summer. His work has been produced by such regional companies as the Horizon Theater in Atlanta, Georgia and Artists Collective in Los Angeles, CA. For a very brief time he attended the drama school at North Carolina School of the Arts.

Ryan J. Davis recently conceived & directed the critically acclaimed hit musical, 'White Noise' at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Hailed as "Much-talked-about" and "Provocative!" by The New York Times, it was one of the few shows not only to extend their run, but sell it out entirely. 'White Noise' was featured on the national network televisions shows 'Good Morning America' and 'ABC Primetime Live.' In New York, he also directed 'Grace Falls' (FringeNYC 2006), 'Genius Famous' (FringeNYC 2005), as well as numerous other productions. Regionally, he directed a "spectacular production" (City Paper) of 'Hedwig & The Angry Inch' in Rochester, NY. As an Assistant Director Off-Broadway, he contributed to 'Jacques Brel Is Alive...' (dir. Gordon Greenberg), 'If You Give A Mouse A Cookie…' (dir. Kevin Del Aguila), 'The Secret Garden' (dir. Stafford Arima) and 'Slut' (dir. Gordon Greenberg).

Ryan was a national staffer on Howard Dean's Presidential Campaign and this election cycle he was a consultant on Mark Green's Attorney General Campaign. In 2004 he directed progressive commercials for BlogPac.org, which were honored by The American Association of Political Consultants.