Schele Williams, Jesca Prudencio, Billie Aken-Tyers To Direct NEW NEXT NOW Development Series
AFLOAT, THE (DISASTER) MARATHON OF 1904, and ONE WAY will be presented through The Stage Door Foundation.
The NEW NEXT NOW series revealed the creative teams for three new musicals in a series of invitation-only industry readings being presented as part of this revolutionary new pipeline for new works through The Stage Door Foundation in June.
AFLOAT by Zoe Sarnak & Emily Kaczmarek will be directed by Schele Williams (The Wiz, The Notebook) featuring music direction by Bryan Perri (Almost Famous, Jagged Little Pill) to be presented on June 23rd. This dynamic pop, rock, and hip-hop score brings to life the story of an unlikely trio of teenagers who steal a boat and embark on a harrowing, seafaring journey to escape what remains of New York City in the year 2100, when climate change has rendered the coastal United States uninhabitable, to reach a refugee settlement which promises a new life for all climate migrants.
THE (DISASTER) MARATHON OF 1904 by Tyler Joseph Ellis, Jacob Ryan Smith, Daniel Mertzlufft will be directed by Billie Aken-Tyers (Six, Titanique) with Music Director Alejandro Senior (Death Becomes Her, Bigfoot) with presentations on June 18th at Open Jar Studios. The (Disaster) Marathon of 1904 tells the very real story of one of the most unbelievable events in athletic history, as told by Pheidippides, the ancient Greek runner who died after running from Marathon to Athens. From a cheating scandal, to a runner being poisoned, to another falling asleep mid-race, the St. Louis Olympic marathon is a story of epic and ridiculous proportions. This new musical comedy is packed with humor, heart, and... sole.
ONE WAY, by Ben Bonnema & Christopher Staskel, will be directed by Jesca Prudencio (Julie Taymor World Theatre Recipient) with music direction by Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh (Heathers, Come From Away) with presentations on June 16th. ONE WAY is a queer, anti-billionaire space musical in which Naomi, a retired astronaut, must choose between going on the first one-way Mars mission or staying on Earth with the woman she loves.
New Next Now's mission is to provide emerging writers and creative teams the support and opportunity to focus on the creative process of new and original work at key stages in their development. "One of the things that distinguishes this reading series apart," said Jeff Whiting, Chair of the initiative," is the support the creative teams receive during the process and insightful feedback from industry leaders after the reading to help shape the continued development of the work and identify key next-steps for the works."
The Advisory Board includes Lynn Ahrens, John Kander, Michael Starobin, Sergio Trujillo, Susan Stroman, Christopher Gattelli, Michael John LaChiusa and more, working to shape the NEW NEXT NOW series to help transform the creative industry. The series is made possible, in part, with support from the Fred Ebb Foundation.
Casting for the series is by The TRC Company: Xavier Rubiano (CSA), Merri Sugarman (CSA), Kevin Metzger-Timson (CSA).
For more information about these invitation-only presentations: https://wkf.ms/3RPfVEO
"We also have a number of regional theatres who are already interested in taking these productions to their next step of a premiere production," added Co-Founder Jesse Kissel, "who will be in attendance, as well."
The New Next Now pipeline supports writers and creators at all stages of development, selecting new original works for table readings, industry readings, and an upcoming staged concert of an original work by Kooman & Dimond called THE OPTIMISTS GUIDE TO THE DARK AGES which will have a two-week run in New York City, open to the public.
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