The York Theatre Company's Fall 2004 Musicals in Mufti series, comprising musical theatre gems in staged
concert performances, opens on October 8 with Bob Merrill and Nunnally Johnson's
Henry,
Sweet Henry.The "Musicals in
Mufti" are performed for five perfomances each, at the company's home, the York
Theater at Saint Peter's in CitigroupCenter,
619 Lexington Avenue
(at 54th Street).Henry, Sweet Henry opened in 1967, following such Bob Merrill hit musicals as Carnival! and Funny Girl.The sprightly, pop-influenced
score musicalizes Nora Johnson's The
World of Henry Orient, a novel about two teenage girls and their obsession
with an avant-garde composer.Starring
Don Ameche, the original production featured choreography by a young Michael
Bennett, dance arrangements by Marvin Hamlisch and Billy Goldenberg, and
direction by George Roy Hill.The cast
featured Alice Playten and Neva Small; Louise Lasser and Pia Zadora were cast
in small roles.Henry, Sweet Henry will
be directed by Gordon Greenberg with musical direction by David Kirshenbaum.Performances are Friday, October 8 at , Saturday, October 9 at and , and Sunday, October 10 at and Audience disucssions follows each matinee.
The famed Siamese twin Vaudeville performers, the Hilton
sisters, were captured on film in the cult classic "Freaks" and are the inspiration
behind the musical comedy Twenty Fingers, Twenty Toes.The engaging show, the first musical ever
based on the story of the famous duo, features music and lyrics by Michael
Dansicker and book by Dansicker and Bob Nigro.Originally produced by the WPA Theatre in 1989, Twenty Fingers, Twenty Toes
will be directed by Jay Binder with music direction by Lawrence Yurman.The musical will be presented on Friday,
October 15 at ,
Saturday, October 16 at
and , and Sunday,
October 17 at and Audience discussions follow each matinee.
The legendary Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying)
wrote the music and lyrics for Greenwillow, a lyrical and pastoral
musical fable set in a magical town where one man attempts to break his
family's curse: the eldest male is "born to wander" and must leave the woman he
loves.Produced on Broadway in 1960 with
direction by George Roy Hill and choreography by Joe Layton, the original cast
starred a pre-Psycho Anthony Perkins.One of the best- known song from the lush
scrore, "Never Will I Marry," was popularized by Judy Garland and, later,
Barbra Streisand.Greenwillow will be directed by Michael Montel.The musical will be presented on Friday,
October 22 at ,
Saturday, October 23 at
and , and Sunday,
October 24 at and Audience discussions, as always, follow each
matinee. Now beginning its 36th season, The York Theatre Companyis the
only theatre in New York City—and one of very few in the world—dedicated to
developing and fully producing new musicals, and preserving neglected, notable
shows from the past. For over three decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of
producing both original and neglected classic musicals has resulted in critical
acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike.More than 20 cast recordings from York Theatre productions are now available on CD, and
commercial transfers of such York productions as
Jolson & Company, Sweeney Todd, and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.Its recent hit, The Musical
of Musicals – The Musical!,was
developed in the York Theatre
Company's Developmental Reading Series, where the current Tony Award-winning
hit Avenue Q, also started.
Tickets for all shows are
available at SmartTix.com, (212) 868-4444.All tickets are $35.Sales to the
public begin September 28.York Members
may buy discounted tickets immediately; Memberships are avialble for $20 each
by contacting the York
box office at (212) 935-5820.
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