Kate Baldwin, Mia Pak, DeMarius Copes, and More Join Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's Reading of THE REAL KYLE MCCARREN

Rhinebeck Writers Retreat announced the cast for their reading of THE REAL KYLE MCCARREN taking place Thursday, April 24, including Kate Baldwin (Tony nominated for HELLO, DOLLY! and FINIAN'S RAINBOW), Mia Pak (THREE HOUSES), and DeMarius Copes (SOME LIKE IT HOT). The writers Andy Roninson and Sean McVerry also perform in the musical, which is based on Andy's life. THE REAL KYLE MCCARREN was selected for Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's Triple R program. The writers received a cold table read in NYC, a residency in Rhinebeck, and this final reading with the revised script and score for an invited audience. The reading will be directed by Telly Leung (ALLEGIANCE, IN TRANSIT).  Joey Monda is the General Manager. Casting is by The Casting Collaborative/Jason Styres.

The goal of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's Triple R is to accelerate the development of a musical that has previously been awarded a weeklong summer residency. Past Triple R musicals include BHANGRA NATION, by Mike Lew, Rehana Lew Mirza, and Sam Willmott, which had a world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse (CA); THE TATTOOED LADY, by Erin Courtney and Max Vernon, which premiered at THE PHILADELPHIA THEATER COMPANY (PA); and TL;DR: THELMA LOUISE; DYKE REMIX, by Brandon James Gwinn and EllaRose Chary, which premiered at The Diversionary Theatre (CA).

Since its creation in 2011, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat has supported over 200 musical theatre writers. Musicals developed at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat have been produced in theaters across the country including The Public Theater, Barrington Stage, Paper Mill Playhouse, Playwrights Horizons, and Baltimore Center Stage. OPERATION MINCEMEAT, by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, won the 2024 Olivier award for Best New Musical and is now on Broadway starring the writers who were in Rhinebeck in their Broadway debuts.

Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's programs receive major funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund, The Noël Coward Foundation in honor of Geoffrey Johnson, The National Foundation for Musical Theatre, and the Howard Ashman Trust for Theater Arts. Major individual support comes from Liz Armstrong, Paul Feuerman and Bruce Grivetti, Molly McEneny, Liz and Bill Mills, and Steve and Paula Reynolds.  www.rhinebeckwriters.org

The Real Kyle McCarren is the true story of a musical friendship that transcends life and death. Co-author Andy Roninson sits at the piano to tell the tale of his deceased bandmate and Best Friend Kyle– who materializes onstage, guitar in hand. With the help of three actors, the two musicians jam, laugh, and fight their way through this 90-minute rock and roll celebration of a complicated dude and all the lives he touched.