ROCK AND ROLL REFUGEE to Play Royal Family Performing Arts Space

This January, Royal Family Productions (Katie Avebe, Mary Bernardi, Chris Henry and Andy Theodorou, Founders; Michael Perreca, Executive Director) will present the world premiere of Rock and Roll Refugee, written and directed by Chris Henry, music and lyrics by Genya Ravan, with music direction, orchestrations and additional music by Daniel A. Weiss, and choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter and Liz Ramos. Rock and Roll Refugee will begin performances on January 28, open on Tuesday, February 2, and run through February 14, 2016 at Times Square's Royal Family Performing Arts Space (145 West 46th St., 3rd floor). Tickets are $18 and can be purchased by visiting royalfamilyproductions.org or by calling OvationTix at (866) 811-4111.

Rock and Roll Refugee details the astounding true events of a rock and roll pioneer, whose early childhood encompasses being a Holocaust survivor, an immigrant in an unsettling world and the wild ride that shapes her career-as well an impromptu performance that changes her life forever.

Before Goldie and The Gingerbreads, the first successful all-female rock band in 1962, Genya Ravan was Genyusha Zelkovicz, a young girl fleeing Nazi-occupied Poland with her family in search of a hopeful start in America. After passing through Ellis Island and moving to the Lower East Side of New York City, Genyusha, now "Goldie," faced grief, poverty, abuse and loss of identity. With no one to turn to, she forged her own path, and changed history.

"After a successful developmental workshop, when it was called Cheesecake Girl, we discovered people were riveted by Genya Ravan's story-a member of the first successful all-female rock band, a glass-ceiling-shattering producer and a Holocaust survivor. Genya broke barriers and paved the way for countless young women to follow their dreams in the rock world. Now it's time to hear her music in a new way, with extraordinary voices-it's time to celebrate Genya's triumphant story of survival."

Royal Family Artistic Director, Chris Henry

Cast includes: Charlotte Cohn (Broadway: La Boheme, Coram Boy. NYC: Handle With Care), Katrina Rose Dideriksen (Broadway: Hairspray), Dee Roscioli (Broadway: Wicked, Royal Family's Love/Sick), with Rachel Geisler (Royal Family's Love/Sick), Stephanie Israelson (Royal Family's Love/Sick), DeAngelo Kearns (NYC: The Last Hour), Michael Liscio (Off Broadway: Avenue Q), Lindsay Moore (Regional: Harmony), Kimberlee Murray (Regional: Saturday Night Fever), Kristin Nemecek (NYC: The Storytellers), Christopher Thorn (NYC: As You Like It), Jessica Wu (Regional: A Wonderful Life), and Gwynedd Vetter-Drusch (NYC: Dream of a Butterfly).

Creative team: Cheyenne Sykes and Alex Petersen (Scenic Designers), Lux Haac (Costume Designer), Elizabeth A. Coco (Lighting Designer), Danny Erdberg (Sound Designer), Jeanne Wu (Sound Designer), Matthew Haber (Video Design), Charles M. Turner III (Production Supervisor), Timothy Riley (Production Manager), Ben Andersen (Production Stage Manager), Kaila Hill (Assistant Stage Manager), and Joe Goscinski (Dialect Coach).

Photo by Russ Rowland