Carner & Gregor Set Cast for 7th Annual BARELY LEGAL SHOW-TUNE EXTRAVAGANZA

Musical theater writing team Sam Carner and Derek Gregor announced the finalized cast for their upcoming 7th Annual Barely Legal Show-Tune Extravaganza. The annual contest rewards college student performers with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend week-long intensive workshops led by Broadway stars, casting directors, agents, actors and more, culminating in a concert on Monday, August 17th at 7:30pm at premier New York music venue (Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street in Manhattan.

Carner & Gregor annually host the "Barely Legal Show-Tune Extravaganza" featuring a cast comprised of up-and-coming college student performers and 2015 graduates from around the world.

"This concert is always a highlight of our year," said Sam Carner. "These young performers' energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to explore their craft always makes it a delight to work with them, and we're especially proud to provide an opportunity for New York industry and theater fans to become acquainted -- often for the first time -- with these incredibly talented young singers."

The cast was selected by a dynamic panel of judges comprised of Broadway performers and theater experts including Natalie Weiss (Les Miserables, Everyday Rapture, American Idol), Kathyrn Boswell (Gigi, Barely Legal Alumni), casting director and producer Michael Cassara (NYMF, NAMT), agent Samantha Stoller (Abrams Artists) and Broadway Producer Jamie Kaye-Phillips (An Act of God, The Elephant Man, Seminar).

"I'm so excited that I got to be a judge for the 2nd year in a row. I am so inspired by new young talent," said Natalie Weiss. "I can't wait to meet the cast!"

The cast will make their New York concert debut joined by a Broadway band and various Broadway stars (former guests include Tony Award nominee Bobby Steggert, Andrew Kober, and Sarah Stiles) in an unforgettable experience for participants and audiences alike. This year's cast was selected out of a pool of hundreds of applicants who submitted videos of musical selections from Carner and Gregor's catalog.

For the 2nd year in a row, the Carner & Gregor's "Barely Legal Show-Tune Extravaganza" will be produced by Bandits Roost Entertainment, who will expand upon last year's successful addition of workshops, classes and mentoring sessions from Broadway stars, producers, casting directors, agents, actors, teachers, and more, ensuring an enhanced experience for the young performers that can help prepare and guide them in their future endeavors. This year producer Joey Perniciaro will join the team.

Alums of Carner & Gregor's "Barely Legal Show-Tune Extravaganza" include Kathryn Boswell (Gigi), Danielle Wade (winner Over the Rainbow Canada, Dorothy in the North American tour of Wizard of Oz, having completed a year-long Toronto run), Ashley Park (currently appearing as Tuptim in The King and I, Mamma Mia!) Lora Lee Gayer (Dr. Zhivago, Young Sally in the recent Broadway production of Follies!), Blair Goldberg (Carrie Off-Broadway and Sister Act 1st National Tour) and many more performers currently working Off-Broadway, regionally, and on national tours.

"BARLEY LEGAL" 2015 CAST:

NAME:	COLLEGE:	GRAD. YEAR:
Taylor Pearlstein	University of Arizona	Class of 2017
Lily Talevski	Oakland University	Class of 2018
Mitchell Aiello	Oakland University	Class of 2016
Jacob Grant	Abilene Christian University	Class of 2016
Michelle Beth Herman	Hartt School	Class of 2015
Johnny Shea	Ithaca College	Class of 2016
Justin Hermosilla	Marymount Manhattan	Class of 2016
Jared Brendon Hopper	Princeton University	Class of 2018
Anna Dvorchak	Millikin University	Class of 2016
Noah Virgile	Pace University	Class of 2019
Samantha Bourque	Sheridan College	Class of 2018
Lily Kerhoas	Choreia Arts Studio, France	Class of 2015
Keaton Whittaker	CCM	Class of 2018

For more information, visit www.CandGBarelyLegal.com or www.CandGBarelyLegal.com/contest. For tickets to the concert, visit lepoissonrouge.com.

About Carner & Gregor: Sam Carner and Derek Gregor, among Playbill.com's 12 "Contemporary Musical Theatre Songwriters You Should Know," won the 2014 John Wallowitch Award, and Sam won the 2015 Kleban Prize for "Most Promising Librettist." Seven of their songs have been nominated for MAC Awards, and their work is performed in hundreds of venues around the world every year (six continents to date, including Antarctica).

Carner & Gregor's musical Unlock'd played an extended Off-Broadway run at the Duke Theater in 2013, having won a Richard Rodgers Award and "Best of the Fest" at NYMF. Their musical Island Song was produced in 2014 at the Bloomington Playwrights Project, having had workshops around the US, as well as concerts at (le) Poisson Rouge in New York, Crawfish in Tokyo (in Japanese!), London's St. James Studio, and the Comedie Nation in Paris.

Current projects include additional songs for Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (book by Todd Graff and songs by Michael Devon, direction by Susan Stroman), which had a recent workshop with the Vineyard Theatre, and an adaptation of Rex Rose's novella Toast, which is slated for a workshop production at the Bloomington Playwrights Project in early 2016.

Their short children's musical Love, Splat has toured the country since 2013 in the TheatreWorks USA revue The Teacher From the Black Lagoon and Other Stories. They have written numerous songs for revues and web series, including My Gay Roommate, Redheads Anonymous, and more. www.carnerandgregor.com

About Bandits Roost Entertainment: Bandits Roost is an entertainment Production Company based in New York City. Led by Cori Silberman and Michael Dovid, Bandits Roost develops and produces creative content across various mediums including theater, film, television, print and digital. (BanditsRoost.com)