Barrington Stage Company Musical Theatre Lab Presents THE GOLEM OF HAVANA, Now thru 8/10

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, presents the BSC Musical Theatre Lab (William Finn Artistic Producer) world premiere production of The Golem of Havana, a new musical with book and direction by Michel Hausmann, lyrics by Len Schiff and music by Salomon Lerner.

The Golem of Havana begins previews tonight, July 16, opens Wednesday, July 23 and will run through Sunday, August 10 at the St. Germain Stage, at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield.

This 10th world premiere musical from the Musical Theatre Lab, The Golem of Havana is an original story of a Hungarian-Jewish family living in Batista's Havana on the brink of the Cuban Revolution. When their maid's son, a guerrilla fighter, is injured, they must choose between protecting him and guarding their fragile prosperity since emigrating to Cuba after World War II. The Golem of Havana weaves together the music and traditions of two worlds, asking questions about family, community, religion and politics.

The company features Jacqueline Antaramian (Yutka Frankel), Julie Benko (Rebecca), Danny Bolero (Arturo Perez), Rheaume Crenshaw (Maria Rondon),Felipe Gorostiza (Batista), Gabriel Elizabeth Kadian (Olga), Ronald Alexander Peet (Teo Rondon), Ari Stachel (Sanchez), Gordon Stanley (Pinchas Frankel), along with Matt Gregory, Ross Yoder, Brian Sandstrom, and Jordana McMahon.
Music direction is by Jason Yarcho and choreography by Marcos Santana. The design team of The Golem of Havana includes Edwin Erminy (scenic design), Arnulfo Maldonado (costume design), Mary Louise Geiger (lighting design), and Patrick Calhoun (sound design). Ryan Winkles (fight choreographer). Christopher Shane Donovan is production stage manager.

Len Schiff (Lyricist) Signs of Life (music, Joel Derfner; book, Peter Ullian) at Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, and Marjorie Deane Theater, New York;Frondy (Derfner, Ullian), Usher Falling (music, Randall Eng) at Dixon Place, New York, Zach in Progress (music, Georgia Stitt), Aethernity (music, Chris Sidorfsky). Alum of Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU, BMI Lehman Engel Workshop.

Salomon Lerner (Composer) At BSC: Composer in residence/assistant to William Finn 2011 & 2012 and composer of songs for Ridiculously Talented...concerts and The Big V-Day Cabaret. Broadway: Hands on a Hardbody (music PA). Off-Broadway: Little Miss Sunshine (music assistant), El Color del Deseo (composer), Yellow Brick Road (orchestrator). He holds an M.F.A. in Musical Theater Writing from NYU and was a Film Scoring major at Berklee College of Music. He worked professionally as a music director/conductor, composer for film, TV and theater, and as a record producer and arranger in his native Caracas, Venezuela before moving to New York.

?Michel Hausmann (Book/Director) Venezuelan-born Director, Writer and Producer. NY Credits include: workshop production of The Golem of Havana(LaMama), NY premiere of Vassily Sigarev's Black Milk (off-Bway) and the NY premiere of Nilo Cruz's The Color of Desire (Rep Español). International:Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Producers, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and the world premiere of Isaac Chocron'sLos Navegaos. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Palo De Agua, an award-winning Venezuelan Theater Company. Michel is a New York Theater Workshop fellow and a Richard Rodgers Award finalist, www.michelhausmann.com.

Join the cast for Free Post-Show Discussions following the Tuesday, July 29, and Tuesday, August 5 at 7:30pm performance of The Golem of Havana at the St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield.

The Golem of Havana is sponsored by Carrie and David Schulman. The Golem of Havana is also sponsored in part by Drs. Judith and Martin Bloomfield & Norma and Sol Kugler. The Golem of Havana is a production of the Musical Theatre Lab which is sponsored in part by Elayne Bernstein and Sol Schwartz & The Elayne P. Bernstein Foundation.

July 20: Free Conversations with... Event: From Prague to Havana: The Enduring Power of the Golem, will be held Sunday, July 20 at 1pm at the St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield. A conversation with Rabbi Josh Breindel (Temple Anshe Amunim, Pittsfield) as he discusses the history of the golem in Jewish folklore and in the musical The Golem of Havana. Joining him are director/bookwriter Michel Hausmann, composer Salomon Lerner and lyricist Len Schiff. While all Conversations with..." events are free, reservations are highly recommended. All seating is general admission. Call the Box Office at 413-236-8888.

Performances of The Golem of Havana will take place at Barrington Stage Company's St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30pm, Thursday; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm (excluding July 17). Press Opening: Wednesday, July 23 at 7:30pm. Tickets start at $43. Tickets to performances July 16 & 17 are $15.

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