Jet Li Musical Parody Kicks Off at Duplex 10/6

The American Theatre Wing's Jonathan Larson and MAC's John Wallowitch Award-winning writer Joel B. New presents the concert premiere of Monkey Trouble Unleashed! at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre on Sunday, October 6th at 6:30pm.

A mashup parody of an action thriller starring Jet Li and a family film starring a Capuchin monkey, this genre-bending musical comedy tells the story of a man who wears a collar and is trained to attack whenever it is removed. Featuring original songs with titles like "Don't Make A Monkey Out of Me," "(Help Me) Move This Body," "Welcome To My Deathmatch," and "Monkey See! Monkey Kill!"

The cast includes Leigh Ellen Caudill (IFC's The Onion News Network), Amy Jo Jackson (The Brass Menagerie), Ernie Pruneda (Sister Act, CW's Gotham), and Charles Sanchez (Merce, The Series) as Mrs. Subplotnik. Music direction by Gillian Berkowitz (Avenue Q) and stage direction by Charlie Johnson. Featuring Ms. Berkowitz on piano and James Pingenot on percussion.

Each Monday leading up to the concert, Joel is releasing a brand new episode of Something New: A Musical Theatre Podcast, featuring interviews with the cast and songs from the show.

New's musical theatre works include Mackenzie and the Missing Boy, To Hell and Back, Standalone: a song cycle, Agatha In The Attic, and RSVP. His work has been seen and developed at Ars Nova, New York Theatre Barn, Prospect Theater Company, Musical Theatre Factory, Broadway au Carré in Paris, and the New York Musical Festival. He is also the creator and host of Something New, which was named one of the Top 20 Podcasts for Theatre Fans by BroadwayWorld.com. Joel's debut solo album Cabot Cove -- a collection of "theatre pop" songs inspired by the classic TV series Murder, She Wrote -- is available on Broadway Records.

$15 tickets can be purchased here.

Established in 1950, the legendary Duplex Cabaret Theatre is the cornerstone club in Greenwich Village, the cradle of New York City cabaret. Originally under the direction of Tony Award-winning actor Hal Holbrook, the club has built its reputation as a dynamic platform for new and emerging talent, performers seeking to launch their career and hone their craft. Luminaries such as Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, and Barbra Streisand are among the incredible talent who graced our stage early on in their careers. Continuing this time-honored tradition, we attract and work with the best and brightest up-and-coming composers, singers, and comedians, as well as established Broadway professionals and award-winning recording artists.