"ISABELLE..." adds performance SEPT 30th at 1 pm. NYMF

THE 2005 NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL and KALEIDOSCOPE PRODUCTIONS, LLC are pleased to announce the New York premiere of the new musical "ISABELLE AND THE PRETTY-UGLY SPELL," directed and choreographed by DAVID G. ARMSTRONG. The music and lyrics are by Steven Fisher and the book is by Joan Ross Sorkin and Steven Fisher. Featured as "Izzy" is Ruth Gottschall (Music Man, Forum, Goodbye Girl, Cabaret, Whorehouse). Performances continue at The Lion Theater at Theatre Row September 28th at 4:30 pm, September 29th at 8:00 pm, September 30th at 1:00 pm, October 1st at 1:00 pm and October 2nd at 1:00 pm & 4:30 pm. All tickets are $15.00. For reservations please call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.nymf.org to purchase tickets on-line. The Lion Theater is located at 410 West 42nd Street, (between 9th and 10th Avenues).

"ISABELLE AND THE PRETTY-UGLY SPELL" is a new musical fairy tale about Isabelle, a lovable, but scatterbrained fairy godmother who goofs while casting a spell to help the Princess find true love and now has only three days to make things right. Izzy's clock-ticking, cliff-hanging, nail-biting journey leads the audience through hilarious high jinx to heart-warming moments, and underscores the lesson that looks don't matter-it's what's on the inside that counts. Hummable songs, quirky characters, and an endearing story will delight "children of all ages" and make this musical ideal family entertainment.

The musical was commissioned by Summer Stage (Upper Darby, PA) in 2002 where it received a week-long production. A workshop directed by Stephen Schwartz with Alison Fraser in the role of "Izzy" took place at the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in 2003. The York Theatre Company included the musical in its Developmental Reading Series directed by Gerard Alessandrini and featuring Emily Loesser as "Izzy" in 2004. In 2005 "ISABELLE AND THE PRETTY-UGLY SPELL" won the National Children's Theatre Festival at The Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (Coral Gables, FL) and received a full thirty-performance production on their mainstage in May of 2005.

Steven Fisher (music, lyrics, co-book) also wrote Mandela (music, lyrics, book), which was a Richard Rodgers Award Finalist and was presented at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Crossroads Theatre (Genesis Festival of New Works), the John Houseman Theater (workshop), the Windybrow Theatre (Johannesburg, South Africa-workshop) and the Crossroads Theatre (oratorio version, 2004). He is a contributor to NEO (The York Theatre/CD 2004). Other works include Oh What A Lovely Way!...The life and theatre of Joan Littlewood (music, lyrics, book--in development); Mother B (music, lyrics, book--in development). Mr. Fisher is the founder and Associate Artistic Director of the Commonwealth Youthchoirs, which includes the Keystone State Boychoir and the Pennsylvania Girlchoir. He is also the founder and Co-Director of Umcolo! Kimberley, an international exchange program for music educators based in South Africa. He is an Alumnus of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.

Co-book writer Joan Ross Sorkin'S other projects include The Real McCoy (co-book) at the BlackJacks Festival, NYU/CAP21 (workshop) and Toll-Taker, Toll-Taker (book, co-lyrics) at La MaMa ETC. Her work in opera includes Strange Fruit (libretto) at NYCity Opera's VOX 2003: Showcasing American Composers, commissioned by Long Leaf Opera (Durham, NC), which has a production scheduled for 2007, and The Reef (libretto--in development). In the cabaret arena she has written lyrics for songs performed at Opia and Birdland (NYC). Her plays include The Survival Collection, Going Too Far, L-O-V-E (published by United Stages), The Confessional (& PBS pilot), Glimmer of Hope, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Therapy, New York-Style, 19 Angel St, Food For Thought, and Sweating It Out. Her screenplay Spectator Bird was a finalist at the 2001 Westchester Film Festival. Ms. Sorkin is founder, playwright and director of Kids on Stage (children's performance workshop, 1985-97). She is a member of The Dramatists Guild, BMI Musical Theatre Workshop and Emerging Artists Theatre Company (NYC).

Featured in the cast are BECKY BARTA, BILL CALEO, Ruth Gottschall, Meredith McCasland, KEVIN B. McGLYNN, and Jamie McGonnigal, DARRYL D. WINSLOW. Musical direction is by Steven Fisher . The design team includes sets by KEN GOLDSTEIN, costumes by CHERYL McCARRON, lighting by PAUL FRYDRYCHOWSKI, and sound by Aaron Blank. SHANA SOLOMON is the Assistant Director.

Dedicated to discovering new work and new artists, The New York Musical Theatre Festival celebrates the diversity, creativity, and future of musical theatre. NYMF is a flagship program of the National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and is America's largest annual musical theatre event. NYMF is produced in association with Virgin Megastores and proudly supported by amNewYork, Village Voice, WB11, Dodger Stages, Receptasign, King Displays, Rosco, Scharff Weissberg, TheaterMania.com, BroadwayWorld.com and Manhattan Living. For more information, visit www.nymf.org.

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