Anna DeNoia and Joshua Villa to Present OPEN, STAY at Feinstein's/54 Below This Month

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present Open, Stay on Friday, July 22nd at 9:30pm- a new work by the composing duo currently making waves on Tiktok, Anna DeNoia and Joshua Villa. Spanning musical genres, Open, Stay is a collection of ten moments of connection- beginnings, endings and in-betweens, as well as moments that come long after we part ways. Full of laughter, loss, and lessons learned, it is an exploration of how we love and how we lose one another. Paranoia, grief, joy, jealousy- from awkward first encounters to bitter goodbyes, this new song cycle for the skeptical romantic wrestles with what we owe and what we can expect from one another (openstaymusical.com).

Since the project's inception at the start of the pandemic, Open, Stay has been discovered and supported by thousands around the world via TikTok, leading the composing duo to release a full studio cast recording of the show on all streaming platforms in 2021. After years of distanced and virtual development, this performance will be the very first time Open, Stay is presented live with all musicians and vocalists together in the same room. The cast includes both Anna DeNoia and Joshua Villa, as well as Rachael Cell, Grace Dangers, Gemma Dobbs, Nate Garner, Steven Klenk, Mackenzie Meadows, and Diana Suk. Also joining the cast will be one performer chosen from Tiktok to be announced later this week, following a viral virtual audition process under the hashtag #openstay54below.

In addition to creating a stir online, Open, Stay looks forward to an unprecedented future of live performance through the new digital licensing company, Uproar Theatrics. The show is now available for production in three distinct formats: 1.) as a song cycle with the music alone, 2.) with the addition of a 10 character story structure and supplemental scenes written by Anna DeNoia, or 3.) with a flexible structure designed for devised work. Within this final format, creative teams are encouraged to devise their own dialogue, change the order of the cycle, and create their own storylines and connections between these characters, with the goal of encouraging theatremakers- students especially- to practice creative collaboration, tell their own stories and create something new together.
Open, Stay plays Feinstein's/54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Friday, July 22nd at 9:30pm. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

ABOUT THE WRITERS

Anna DeNoia (music and lyrics) and Joshua Villa (orchestrations and arrangements) are both recent graduates of James Madison University, where Joshua studied music composition and Anna studied Theatre and Rhetoric. The duo's most recent work in development is a new musical titled Grace and the Ghost, recently seen onstage at Millikin University as well as Aurora University. The pair were recently selected to participate in the 2022 Johnny Mercer Songwriter's Project at Northwestern University, under the mentorship of Andrew Lippa, Craig Carnelia, Lindy Robbins and Autumn Rowe. Additionally, Anna- a presently Chicago-based artist with experience at many of the city's most prominent houses, including Lookingglass Theatre Company and Steppenwolf- looks forward to moving her musical theatre writing practice to New York City this fall to participate in the BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop.

MORE ABOUT FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW

Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, is a performance venue in the grand tradition of NYC nightlife. A few blocks from the heart of Times Square and just below the legendary Studio 54, Feinstein's/54 Below is a classically designed state-of-the art nightclub in the theatre district that hosts audiences with warmth and style. Feinstein's/54 Below presents iconic and rising stars from the worlds of Broadway and popular music and has set a new standard for culinary excellence worthy of the world-class entertainment on the stage. The management team includes proprietors Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, and Tom Viertel, and restaurant general manager Mandisa Boxill.

Feinstein's/54 Below is one of the most in-demand performance venues in the city, presenting over 700 shows each year. Unique in its mission, it has become an indispensable member of the Broadway eco-system,providing a safe place for seasoned and emerging artists to hone their craft, try out new music, grow their fanbases, and gather as a community. It's streaming programs and YouTube videos have garnered millions of video views introducing Broadway talent to new audiences and showcasing the art of cabaret to fans across the world. Located at 254 West 54th Street , the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Late night programming will resume in the coming months.

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