Max Vernon's THE VIEW UPSTAIRS Begins Workshop Rehearsals; Full Cast Announced

The workshop of award-winning composer/lyricist/playwright/performer Max Vernon's new musical THE VIEW UPSTAIRS, directed by Scott Ebersold and with choreography by Spencer Liff and music direction by Matt Aument, began rehearsals last week in New York City and will culminate in three industry presentations on March 31st and April 1st. THE VIEW UPSTAIRS is produced by Invisible Wall Productions, and they are proud to announce the following cast and creative team:

The cast of THE VIEW UPSTAIRS features Frenchie Davis (RENT, The Voice) as Henrietta, Nathan Lee Graham (Priscilla..., Zoolander) as Willie, Robin De Jesús (In the Heights, La Cage aux Folles) as Freddy, Ben Mayne (Plaid Tidings) as Dale/Cops, Doreen Montalvo (On Your Feet!, In the Heights) as Inez, Justin Matthew Sargent (Rock of Ages, Spider-Man) as Patrick, Jason Tam (If/Then, A Chorus Line) as Wes, Clarke Thorell (Annie, Hairspray) as Buddy, and Michael Winther (33 Variations, Mamma Mia!) as Richard. The Stage Manager is Linda Marvel and the Assistant Stage Manager is Genevieve Kersh.

Wes is a handsome young man who thinks he has it all ... but does he? After buying an abandoned space in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Wes unexpectedly finds himself transported back to 1973 in all its glam rock glory. Step into the sexy, vibrant, glitter-drenched world of The UpStairs Lounge where the drinks flow, worlds collide and love ignites. Inspired by one of the most significant all-but-forgotten acts of violence against the LGBTQ community, THE VIEW UPSTAIRS explores how much queer culture has evolved over the last 40 years, and what has been gained and lost in the march towards equality.

Composer/lyricist/bookwriter Max Vernon says of THE VIEW UPSTAIRS, "In the past, the queer community was largely bound together by a shared experience of oppression. In this 'post-equality' world, if the oppression is no longer there, what keeps us connected to our cultural history? And what are the consequences of not knowing that history?"

The creative team for THE VIEW UPSTAIRS includes Matt Aument (Music Director), Spencer Liff (Choreographer), Jason Sherwood (Scenic Design Consultant), Rebecca Feldman (Casting Director), Joseph Travers (Fight Choreographer) and Patrick Sulken (Associate Music Director).

Through its developmental history, selections from THE VIEW UPSTAIRS have been performed at Joe's Pub, Goodspeed Opera House, NYU, The Living Room, NYMF, Two River Theater, The Dramatist Guild, Pride Films and Plays and the Rhinebeck Writer's Retreat.

THE VIEW UPSTAIRS is produced by Invisible Wall Productions, Inc. For more information, please visit www.invisiblewallproductions.com.

MAX VERNON (Composer/Lyricist/Bookwriter) Described by the New Yorker as "equal parts bohemia and Broadway," Max's work has been performed and developed at Ars Nova, Actors Theatre of Louisville (Wondrous Strange, Humana Festival 2016), Keen Company, Berkeley Rep, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Naked Angels, New Dramatists, Theatreworks USA, Two River Theater (NJ), Ma-Yi, Dixon Place, LaMaMa, Goodspeed Opera House, Pride Films and Plays (Chicago), among others.

He has received the Jonathan Larson Grant and JFund Award from the Jerome Foundation, been a Dramatist Guild Theatre Fellow, and an artist in residence at Rhinebeck Writer's Retreat and the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony. He is currently a member of Ars Nova's Uncharted, and former member of the Civilians' R&D Group. He has performed over a hundred concerts in New York City, including sold out shows at Joe's Pub (Frisk Me: The Songs of Max Vernon), Lincoln Center (LC Originals) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Civilians' Let Me Ascertain You).

His musicals include The View UpStairs (NYU, Pride Films and Plays, Invisible Wall Productions), 30 Million (Keen Company) and WIRED (Ars Nova) Developing: KPOP! (Ars Nova/Ma-Yi/Woodshed Collective); Co-Op (Ars Nova, Naked Angels Radio); Show & Tell (Jerome Foundation, Civilians R&D Group); Nincest (Berkeley Rep Ground Floor) He hopes to one day dismantle patriarchy and steal yr grandma's sequin blazer. MFA: NYU- Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. www.maxvernon.com

SCOTT EBERSOLD (Director) Scott Ebersold is a theatre director and was recently Artistic Associate of Off-Broadway's Classic Stage Company where he directed Charles L. Mee's trilogy Imperial Dreams. Other credits include: Tony Kushner's A Bright Room Called Day (Columbia Stages), The Gifts of the Magi (Tilles Center for the Performing Arts), Children at Play by Jordan Seavey (Advocate's "Top 10 Gay Plays"), Elevation (Vineyard Arts Project), The Calmative based on the writings of Beckett and Nancy Cunard, Nerve by Adam Szymkowicz, Three Sisters and Baal and Orestes (Columbia University), NYMF's Explorers concert (Signature Center), America, You Kill Me by Joshua Conkel, Paper Cranes by Kari Bentley-Quinn, Edgar and Patrick by Ken Urban, as well as the silent concerto (Outstanding Director, FringeNYC), the october crisis, marea (HERE), and expat/inferno (Best Production, FringeNYC) by Alejandro Morales. He assisted directors Tina Landau at Steppenwolf Theatre and John Doyle on the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Allegro at Classic Stage Company. He holds a BFA from NYU and an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University. www.scottebersold.com

MATT AUMENT (Music Director) is a New York-based orchestrator and music director. As conductor and arranger, his theatrical work includes the 2015 Broadway production of Gigi, Prospect Theatre Company's Tamar of the River, and Medea/Macbeth/Cinderella with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Additionally, he has created new orchestrations for Camelot at Drury Lane Theatre, Bells Are Ringing with Berkshire Theatre Group, and concerts including Kristin Chenoweth at Carnegie Hall. Matt works particularly on new musicals and has been involved in the development of works by Sam Willmott, Tim Rosser and Charlie Sohne, Drew Fornarola, and Rebekah M. Allen.

SPENCER LIFF (Choreographer) Broadway: Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He's best know for his work on the past 7 seasons of FOX's So You Think You Can Dance which have earned him 2 Emmy nominations for Best Choreography. Other TV: Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Dancing with the Stars, How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation, Mike and Molly, 2 Broke Girls, The Latin Grammy Awards and The Emmy Awards Film: Speech and Debate. Other regional theater includes the world premiere of Sleepless in Seattle: The Musical (Pasadena Playhouse), Circus in Winter (Goodspeed), Two Gentlemen of Verona: A Rock Opera (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Oliver! (Human Race Theatre), World Of Color (Disneyland), Saturday Night Fever (Royal Caribbean). As a performer he's been seen on Film, TV, and 5 Broadway shows winning the 2008 Astaire Award for Best Male Dancer on Broadway. Thanks for the amazing support from Victoria Morris and WME. Twitter & Instagram @spencerliff website Spencer-Liff.com.