New Musicals CHERRY BOMB and EASTBOUND Launch Fall Season of New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series

The tenth season of New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series continues on Monday, September 18, 2017 at The Cell with pre-premieres of two new musicals: Cherry Bomb and Eastbound. The complete fall lineup includes three installments of six new musicals:

Monday, September 18, 2017

Cherry Bomb

Book, Music and Lyrics by Marcus Scott

When all of the academic and extracurricular programs are eliminated from their high school arts and humanities curriculum, theatre geek and chess prodigy Franklin McQueen stages a revolt against the Department of Education and the topsy-turvy education system, inspiring and recruiting the student body in his passionate and fearless mission. Cherry Bomb explores many social issues including class consciousness, the decline of arts and humanities education, ethics in modern child psychiatry, juvenile prescription medication, teenage rebellion, and sexual exploration during adolescence.

Eastbound

Book and Lyrics by Khiyon Hursey

Book and Music by Cheeyang Ng

Directed by Joe Barros

Music Direction by Michael Moise

Eastbound follows the story of Asian twin brothers separated at birth who both travel across the world, one in search of a bone marrow donor for his cancer, the other in search of a new identity. Through their intertwined journeys, the show explores how culture and society shape the way we deal with loss, tradition and our own mortality. The writers of Eastbound are the recipient of a NAMT Writers ResidenCy Grant.

Monday, November 6, 2017

The Goree All-Girl String Band

Book and Lyrics by Michael Bradley

Music by Artie Sievers

Directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe

The year is 1938 and The Goree All-Girl String Band is the biggest new radio sensation in Texas. They also happen to be convicted criminals. The six band members teach themselves music from behind bars and earn a slot on a prison-based radio program. Through sisterhood, determination, and a little bit of luck, these women work and play together to fiddle their way to freedom. Inspired by a true story, The Goree All-Girl String Band is a tale of redemption that features an ensemble of actor-musicians performing a brand new country score.

Coyote

Book by Michael Aman

Music and Lyrics by Tim McCorry

Directed by Joe Barros

Pedro and Bernadice are young lovers, determined to be re-united, who turn to a mysterious figure known only as Coyote to help them make a perilous crossing from Mexico into the United States. They have no idea that they have engaged the services of a magical, god-like creature who can change form, leap into their dreams and is bound by neither time nor space. He is a trickster. He is also their only hope in the struggle of love against fear. Coyote is a modern American story about love and immigration.

Monday, December 4, 2017

Question 1

Book, Music and Lyrics by Chris Reza

Directed by Joe Barros

When a closeted politician becomes the center of Maine's heated 2009 same-sex marriage debate, he must choose between being honest with himself and the world, or risk losing his entire career and family. Inspired by true events, Question 1 is a musical dramedy about human equality and the power within each of us to contribute either strife or kindness to humanity.

Oswald

Book by Tony LePage and Josh Sassanella

Music and Lyrics by Josh Sassanella

The only person who knows who killed JFK was murdered before he could tell the truth about what really happened. What if you could follow the man who assassinated the president in cold blood and find out why he did it? What if you could follow the innocent man who was set up and blamed for his death and find out how he didn't? Oswald is both sides of the story at once.

Each installment includes presentations at 7PM and 9PM at The Cell, located at 338 West 23rd Street in New York City. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, and can be purchased on New York Theatre Barn's website: www.nytheatrebarn.org.

New York Theatre Barn is a Manhattan-based non-profit theatre company, founded in 2007, dedicated to incubating and producing new musicals that tell untold stories. Our stories are inspired by the lives of real people and actual events that challenge our preconceived ideas, and promote inclusion and positive social change. In today's divisive political and social climate, we believe that now more than ever, these types of stories need to be seen and heard by more people. Theatre Barn's core program is the New Works Series which presents bi-monthly "pre-premieres" of new musicals in the early stages of development. With each installment, two new musicals are showcased before a live audience and a worldwide virtual audience. Since the series' inception, we have presented more than 400 writers in 100 pre-premieres, and have amassed a catalogue of nearly 2,000 videos with a million views. For more information: www.nytheatrebarn.org.