Barrington Stage's Musical Theatre Lab Presents Mormons, Mothers & Monsters

Barrington Stage Company's Musical Theatre Lab, under the leadership of Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn, Musical Theatre Lab Artistic Producer, Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and TriStan Wilson, Managing Director, presents the world premiere of Mormons, Mothers and Monsters, a quirky new musical with book and lyrics by Sam Salmond and music by Will Aronson. Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, performances of Mormons, Mothers and Monsters are July 14 through 31 at BSC Stage 2 (36 Linden Street, Pittsfield). The press opening is Wednesday, July 20 at 7:30pm.

Mormons, Mothers and Monsters stars Taylor Trensch (World Premiere of Little Miss Sunshine/National Tour Spring Awakening), Stanley Bahorek (Broadway: Spelling Bee/Def West National Tour Big River), Jill Abramovitz (BSC's See Rock City & Other Destinations, Broadway: 9 to 5: The Musical, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me), and Adam Monley (Broadway: Mamma Mia!).

Not to be confused with The Book of Mormon on Broadway, Mormons, Mothers and Monsters is written by Mormon-reared librettist/lyricist Sam Salmond. A Mormon boy and his mother smile their way through three shattering divorces. As he grows, the boy hides under his bed-sheets, prays fervently and tries to figure out just who is responsible for his crappy, crappy life.

Mormons, Mothers and Monsters has sets by Brian Prather, costumes by Paloma Young, lighting by Grant Yeager, sound by Ryan Peavey, and music direction by Vadim Feichtner. Shakina Nayfack is the Drama League Directing Fellow. Rose Marie Packer is production stage manager.

Sam Salmond (Book and Lyrics) was recently awarded his Master's degree from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Sam has contributed songs to BSC's Songs By Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don't Know, But Should and The Big V-Day Cabaret. He wrote book and lyrics to Missing Parents with music by Yoonmi Lee. A recipient of the A. E. Wise Promising Playwright's award, Cleveland Chamber Symphony Young and Emerging Composer award, and TWA Theater "I Bet Real Soon..." grant, Mormons, Mothers and Monsters marks his first full-length musical.

Will Aronson has previously contributed music to the BSC productions of Sleepless Variations (by Mary Testa and Michael Starobin) and Bill Nelson's All-Male Revue, among others. He is the composer and co-bookwriter of The Trouble With Doug (NAMT 2010, dir. Victoria Clark) and the composer of My Scary Girl, which won the 2009 Outstanding New Musical award at NYMF, as well as Best Small Stage Musical at Korea's 2009 Musical Awards. Will is the recipient of a Fulbright grant, an ASCAP Frederick Loewe Award, and a Baryshnikov Fellowship. He is a Harvard graduate with a Master's from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

Mormons, Mothers and Monsters will be presented at BSC Stage 2 (36 Linden Street, Pittsfield) from July 14 through 31 with performances Tuesday-Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 4 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday at 3pm. There will be two weekday matinee performances: Thursday, July 21 and Thursday, July 28 at 3pm. Tickets are $15-$39 (all seats reserved) by calling 413-236-8888, at the Barrington Stage box office (30 Union Street), or online at www.barringtonstageco.org. Mormons, Mothers and Monsters is sponsored by The Ungar Foundation. Mormons, Mothers and Monsters is a production of the Musical Theatre Lab, which is sponsored in part by Elayne Bernstein and Sol Schwartz and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Barrington Stage Company's Musical Theatre Lab

BSC's commitment to new work is perhaps best seen in the Musical Theatre Lab (MTL), overseen by Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn. The Musical Theatre Lab, created in 2006, is a place for young musical theater writers to develop their work on all levels: from staged readings to workshops to full productions. Since its creation, seven world premieres and four workshops have been produced. The critically acclaimed The Burnt Part Boys (2006), written by Nathan Tysen, Chris Miller and Marianne Elder, received a production at Playwrights Horizons in May/June 2010, and is now published by Music Theatre International. Kirsten Childs, who wrote the 2007 world premiere Funked Up Fairy Tales, continued developing her musical at The Sundance Institute in December 2007. Barry Wyner's 2007 hit musical Calvin Berger recently received critical acclaim at the George Street Playhouse, and is now part of Tams-Witmark Music Library, an Off-Broadway production is also planned. In 2008 The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Joe Calarco (book), Nathan Tysen (lyrics) and Chris Miller (music) was chosen one of the Top 10 year-end shows by both The Boston Globe and The Berkshire Eagle. See Rock City & Other Destinations by Adam Mathias and Brad Alexander was also produced in 2008 and later played at the Transport Group in NYC, where it won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and is now published by Samuel French. In 2010 Nikos Tsakalakos and Janet Allard's Pool Boy played to sold-out houses and Sara Cooper and Zachary Redler's The Memory Show received critical acclaim and will be seen Off-Broadway in 2011/2012.

About Barrington Stage Company
Barrington Stage Company, a professional award-winning Equity theatre located in the heart of the Berkshires, in Pittsfield, MA, was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd. Barrington Stage's mission is three-fold: to present top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways to bringing new audiences into the theatre-especially young people. Barrington Stage garnered national attention in 2004 when it workshopped, and premiered William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin's musical hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which later transferred to Broadway's Circle-in-the-Square Theatre where it won two Tony Awards and played more than 1,000 performances. In 2009/2010 Barrington Stage produced the world premiere of Mark St. Germain's Freud's Last Session, which later moved Off-Broadway to the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, where it resumed performances on January 14, 2011. For more information, log on to www.barringtonstageco.org.

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