Prohibition-Era Musical Comedy FIFTH AVENUE to Have Industry Reading

Following a string of sold-out performances at Don't Tell Mama and a celebrated presentation at The York Theatre, the new musical comedy Fifth Avenue will have an exclusive, industry-only Salon Reading on January 26 in Manhattan.

Fifth Avenue is cafted by the songwriting and book-writing duo Seidman & Crawford. This private showcase will feature select highlights from the score, offering industry leaders an intimate look at a production that blends 1920s jazz sensibilities with a timeless exploration of the American Dream.

Set in the grit of NYC's Hell's Kitchen during the height of Prohibition, Fifth Avenue follows Max and Willy, two dreamers who borrow money from the formidable Tommy Grace to "go legit." Their plan? To open a sophisticated, "dry" nightclub with the elegance of Fifth Avenue. However, Grace has plans of his own, leading to a comedic and high-stakes collision of schemes.

"The show is a musical comedy, but its theme of how ambition and upward mobility fuel the pursuit of the American dream can have its dark side," says co-creator Dan Seidman, whose background includes touring with Chubby Checker and studying at Berklee College of Music. "It feels as timely as ever."

Co-writer Susan Crawford, a student of Arthur Kopit and John Guare, notes the striking parallels between the 1920s and the present day. "The plight of the immigrant and the outsider striving to succeed in 1928 persists today. The post-pandemic world of the 1920s looks remarkably like the 2020s."

The reading features a cast led by Christopher Sutton (Broadway's Spamalot, Barrymore Award winner for The Buddy Holly Story) in the role of "Maxwell," alongside Kevin Arnold, Joseph Peterson, and Adriana Vicinanzo.