Exclusive: Krystina Alabado & More Stage Alums Star in Trailer for New Dark Comedy SMILE… THE WORST IS YET TO COME

It is anything but smooth sailing for Ben and Birdie in the first trailer for the indie feature Smile...The Worst is Yet to Come. BroadwayWorld has the first look at the new dark comedy, which features a cast of stage alums, and will hold its world premiere later this month at the Dances With Films festival in New York.

The movie follows Ben (Joseph Mancuso, also co-writer and producer) and Birdie (Elizabeth Masucci, also producer), an LA-based couple grappling with a series of personal and professional losses. In an attempt to rekindle their dwindling romantic flame, they retreat to Big Bear Lake for a weekend away. The trailer previews their rocky relationship, which is only amplified when they meet two strangers who begin sharing their private struggles online for the whole world to see.

"Working with a cast with deep theater backgrounds, and having an acting background myself, meant we shared a common language, a commitment to rehearsal, and a spirit of play," co-writer/director Chloe Lenihan shared with BroadwayWorld. "Thanks to their theater training, everyone was off book before Day 1, which gave us the freedom during takes to chase impulses and let scenes breathe in a way that felt truly alive."

She continued, "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was a major inspiration in both the writing and staging. I asked the cast to watch the Nichols film and find ways to weave in subtle homage. I’m excited for Broadway audiences to see if they can spot the Easter Eggs and feel Edward Albee’s influence!”

 As a performer, Joseph Mancuso has spent twenty years working in New York theater, performing on stages like The Cherry Lane, The Public (developing works with LAByrinth Theater Company), and 59 East 59th S. Likewise, Elizabeth Masucci has starred in various off-Broadway theater productions, including Unlikely Japan, written and directed by Tony-nominated playwright Neil LaBute. 

Supporting cast includes Ethan Jones Romero, who will next appear on stage as Paul in When We Were Young and Unafraid, and Joe Pacheco, who has performed with the Tony-nominated Willow Cabin Theater Company and Circle Rep.

The movie also stars Krystina Alabado, who made her Broadway debut in American Idiot and originated the role of Vanden in American Psycho. She also starred as Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls on Broadway during the final year of the production.

Alabado likened the filming experience to a theatrical production, also noting its connection to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? " [It] felt like this complex, insanely fun four-hander play between me, Ethan, Joe, and Liz, "she explained.  “We would run lines like we were in a play together and do character work and improv similarly to how we build things here in New York for stage…” she explained. "We built some great bonds and friendships, which I think really show in the film."