Teal Wicks & Carole Demas Join Carner & Gregor's 2015 BARELY LEGAL SHOW-TUNE EXTRAVAGANZA

Teal Wicks (Finding Neverland, Wicked) and Carole Demas (Grease, The Baker's Wife) will join host Natalie Weiss (Les Miserables, Everyday Rapture, "American Idol") and the selected cast of musical theater writing team Sam Carner and Derek Gregor's 7th Annual "Barely Legal Show-Tune Extravaganza" in performance on Monday, August 17th at 7:30pm at New York's Monday, August 17th at 7:30pm at premier New York music venue (Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street in Manhattan.

The annual concert series 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 at (Le) Poisson Rouge. This year, the concert will once again be directed by Marlo Hunter (Unlock'd, My Life is a Musical, Island Song) who has directed the concert five times previously.

"Directing the Barely Legal concert is one of my favorite experiences of the year", said director Marlo Hunter. "Working with these performers, who are on the precipice of the unknown and taking that courageous leap because they want nothing more than to be on that stage -- is truly electric. It's such an honor to help usher the next generation of talent into our community."

Deemed by Playbill.com as one of the top "contemporary musical theatre songwriters you should know," 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. Many cast members will make their New York concert debut where they will be 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.

"I am delighted to be a part of Carner and Gregor's ongoing educational contributions- so generous and impressive!" said Guest Star and stage legend, Carole Demas. "I admire their talent and energy enormously and am enjoying performing their work. Like the firefly in their extraordinary song, their future shines brightly!"

The cast was selected by a dynamic panel of judges comprised of Broadway performers and theater experts including Natalie Weiss, 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).

"Derek and I are deeply grateful to all of the industry who are generously contributing their time to help make this a meaningful experience for these young performers, many of whom will be making their New York debuts," Sam Carner said. "They'll be sharing the stage with Broadway stars, they'll be working closely through the week with a lauded New York director, and they'll be meeting and picking the brains of industry professionals from throughout the business. I'm confident it will be a great and memorable week."

This year's cast, selected out of a pool of hundreds of applicants who submitted videos of musical selections from Carner and Gregor's catalog, hail from across the nation and the world with participants hailing from Canada and France.

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.

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

"BARELY LEGAL" 2015 CAST:

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

Sam Carner and Derek Gregor 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

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)

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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