Del Ray Players Presents World Premiere of Neal Learner's LIFE at Capital Fringe Festival

The Del Ray Players is proud to present the world premiere of Alexandria-Va. writer and musician Neal Learner's sung-through musical, "LIFE: A Comic Opera in Three Short Acts," at the Capital Fringe Festival next month in Washington, D.C.

The work will be staged five times from July 9 to 23 (see link below) at Eastman Studio Theatre, Gallaudet University. "LIFE: A Comic Opera" also will be featured as part of the Capital Fringe Preview, June 22 (7:30pm) at Logan Fringe Arts Space, 1358 Florida Ave., NE, Washington, D.C., 20002.

What is this LIFE? The 60-minute sung-through musical centers on a family of four, from the birth of twin children to the death of the parents. Divided into three acts - Beginning, Middle and End - the story is in turn funny and absurd and thoughtful and sad as it explores our common humanity through life's major milestones. Performed entirely in song, the rich, harmony-filled score defies musical categorization, blending classical, Broadway, pop, folk and rock styles.

"Music has the ability to immediately capture the essence of an emotion state of being," says Learner, a long-time resident of Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood. "I wanted to set to music the highs and lows that families everywhere experience throughout the arc of life."

The 2017 Fringe performance of LIFE is being produced by the Del Ray Players, a new, nonprofit performing arts organization dedicated to presenting local theater, music and spoken word performances. Excerpts of the show were featured in a staged reading in spring 2016 as part of The Monumental Theatre Co.'s New Work Series. The performance won praise from a reviewer at the influential DC Metro Theater Arts:

"...The incredible potential of this new musical is that it is profoundly relatable...Thank you to Monumental Theatre Company for producing the reading of this impressive new material, and thank you to the creator of the musical, Neal Learner, for highlighting the beauty in the simplicity of this thing called life..."

LIFE is being directed by Clare Shaffer, a professional DC-based director who works across genres and specializes in new play/musical development. An active freelance director, Shaffer is Associate Producer and Casting Director for Nu Sass Productions and Pallas Theatre Collective. Music director is Brandon Scott Heishman and choreographer is Bryan Stopak. The four-member cast is comprised of Will Hawkins, Dallas Milholland, Stefany Pesta and Joshua Simon.

About the Artist: Alexandria-based Neal Learner is a journalist and communications professional with a life-long love for music. Growing up in Michigan, Neal studied violin at the University of Michigan and sang bass in UM Men's Glee Club and famed male a cappella group The Friars. In 2010 he released a CD of music for and about children titled "Would You Like to Be a Mermaid?" This year he founded The Del Ray Players, a performing arts organization to feature local theater, music and spoken word performances in Del Ray establishments. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/DelRayPlayers/ or www.learnermusic.com.

For times and tickets, visit  www.capitalfringe.org/events/1114-life-a-comic-opera-in-three-short-acts.