GrooveLily/Sheinkin Musical Striking 12 to Head Off-Bway
By: BWW News Desk Sep. 04, 2006
Striking 12, a musical based on a classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, with a book by members of GrooveLily and Tony Award-winner Rachel Sheinkin, will receive an Off-Broadway run later in the year.Although a venue has not yet been announced, Striking 12 will begin performances in November for a holiday run. Nancy Nagel Gibbs will produce the show, which was previously seen at New York's Ars Nova in December of last year.Striking 12 features music by GrooveLily's Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda, as well as a book by Milburn, Vigoda and Tony-winning Spelling Bee writer Rachel Sheinkin. GrooveLily--a group that blends "lush musical textures and soaring vocals," according to press notes--will also be featured in Striking 12. In addition to Milburn (keyboard/vocals) and Vigoda (electric violin, vocals), GrooveLily consists of Gene Lewin (drums/vocals).Striking 12 tells "the story of a Grumpy Guy who decides to avoid the hectic, loveless
world on New Year's Eve. Sitting alone
in his apartment, he dips into Hans Christian Andersen's The Little
Match Girl, until he's visited by an incandescent salesgirl with the
promise to chase away his winter doldrums. Combining honest,
old-fashioned uplift with a healthy dose of 21st-century skepticism,
this festive tale is a clever mix of musical comedy and pop-rock that
will ignite the holiday spirit and illuminate the coming season with an
electrifying, rockin' performance that cannot be matched."
Ted Sperling, who won a Tony for co-orchestrating The Light in the Piazza and who directed See What I Wanna See, will direct. Striking 12 will feature sets by David Korins, lighting by Michael Gilliam, and sound by Rob Killenberger.Striking 12's score can be heard on a cast recording that was released by PS Classics. It has previously played regional engagements in Palo Alto, San Diego and Philadelphia.Visit www.groovelily.com or www.striking12.com for more information.
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