54 Below to Present SUNDAY BRUNCH - A NEW MUSICAL in October

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present Sunday Brunch, a new musical by Ernie Bird & Rachel Aberman. This comedic new musical about a Sunday brunch gone wrong examines the anxiety of one of life's biggest transitions. When Becca graduates from college she has no idea what to do next, though she receives plenty of suggestions from those around her. Whether she chooses to take the suggestions of her parents, accept her boyfriend's proposal, or forge her own path, only time will tell (about an hour, give or take). But whatever Becca chooses, it will be a fun and funny ride, filled with hilarious and heartfelt songs by exciting new writers, composer Ernie Bird and lyricist Rachel Aberman.

Ernie Bird and Rachel Aberman met at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writers Workshop and immediately connected over their love of brunch. They wrote the first draft of Sunday Brunch in between revisions of a BMI assignment. They are thrilled to be presenting this show at 54 Below and are honored to feature such a stellar cast: Anna DeNoia (Open, Stay, Grace and the Ghost), Jonathan Hadley (Into The Woods, A Class Act, Jersey Boys) Lauren Singerman (The Sabbath Girl), Gabrielle Filloux (The Office! A musical parody), Connor Marsh (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), and others. With music direction by Metropolitan Opera's Zalman Kelber, and direction by Jessica Wu (Miss Saigon, A Chorus Line).

Sunday Brunch plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on October 9th, 2023. Cover charges are $25-$35 ($29-$40 with fees.) Premiums are $60 ($67.50 with fees.) There is a $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.org. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.
 

MORE ABOUT Ernie Bird & RACHEL ABERMAN

Ernie Bird is a writer, composer, actor, and singer living in New York City. Born and raised in Ukraine, he wrote the music for RISE, with a book by Gabrielle Mirabella, which premiered Off-Broadway at Kaufman Music Center in 2022. He is also a co-founder and producer of the critically acclaimed and New York Times featured musical theatre podcast, What Will She Do Next. His autobiographical musical, The Ukrainian War Diary, premiered at the National Opera Center in 2023 and is scheduled for a full showcase in the fall. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and earned an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing at NYU Tisch, where he was honored with a full scholarship. Currently, Ernie is a composer/lyricist at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, a guest composer at Columbia University's MFA Playwriting program, and the Senior Editor of Music & Materials at Theatrical Rights Worldwide. As an actor, his international voice-over work includes; A Goofy Movie (Max; Walt Disney Pictures), Hercules (Walt Disney Pictures), and Bad Teacher (Columbia Pictures). He is a proud member of the Dramatist Guild.

Rachel Aberman is a musical theatre lyricist and playwright based in Queens, New York. Musicals written in collaboration with composer, Alan Mendez, include My Buddy Nellie, Andy Westerling at the Flight Club, and It Ends: The Mortality Shows. Her play for young audiences Juno's Space Adventure, written with performer Taylor Hunsberger, was commissioned by Urban Stages and toured NYC public libraries in 2020. As a member of the performance art group, “An Artist Collective” she devised over 30 theatre pieces and sight specific happenings. Her work has been showcased at The Dramatists Guild Foundation, The NYC Public Library, Muhlenberg College, and throughout New York City in her friends' living rooms. She is a lyricist in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and recently published her first children's book, "Caterpillar and his Very Special Apartment."

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists.  It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent.

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at  54below.org.

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