FLIES! THE MUSICAL! Extends Through June 16

The Jeff-recommended World Premiere production of FLIES! THE MUSICAL has been extended for one additional weekend, due to popular demand. Originally scheduled to close on June 10, the new musical by bookwriter/lyricist Larry Todd Cousineau and composer Cindy O'Connor will play three additional performances - on Thursday June 14 and Friday, June 15 - and closing Saturday, June 16, all with curtain times of 7:30 pm. The Thursday, June 14 performance is pay-what-you-can for theatre industry members and returning audiences. The musical is performed in The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway.

In a twisted mash-up of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and GLEE, FLIES! THE MUSICAL! follows the drama kids from Lovely Valley High School. The students are left behind in an abandoned forest preserve during a "research" retreat for an unauthorized teacher-written musical production of LORD OF THE FLIES. Gradually, things turn savage in a couple of unsupervised hours as the plot points of the novel begin to come true one by one, in song, until eventually the kids are "rescued" by an astonished park ranger (who happens to love musicals) but it's much too late for them to go back to who they were before.

FLIES! THE MUSICAL! is an original musical by Chicagoan Larry Todd Cousineau (book and lyrics) and Cindy O'Connor (music). It was developed in 2016-2017 in a series of readings in Chicago at Uptown Underground and Pride Arts Center. This 2018 production is its world premiere. It is directed by Michael Driscoll, who directed the Jeff nominated productions of CARRIE: THE MUSICAL (Bailiwick Chicago) and BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (Step Up Productions), the Jeff recommended DESPERATE DOLLS (Strawdog Theatre), and many others. Sawyer Smith, whose credits include HEATHERS (Kokandy Productions, Jeff Award winner for Best Choreography) and recently, ALTAR BOYZ (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre) is choreographer. J.D. Caudill, music director for RUDOLPH THE RED HOSED REINDEER and LADY X at Hell in a Handbag, is music director.

The cast includes Mario Aivazian, Ryan Armstrong, Jayla Williams Craig, Joey Fontanetta, Nicky Mendelsohn, Jeff Meyer, Christea Parent, and Missy Wise. Allison Petrillo and Kris Hyland are understudies. The production team includes Sarah Watkins (scenic design), Paul Kim (costume design), Adam McAleavey (puppetry design), John Nichols (sound designer), Jamie Karas (properties design), Maggie McCarthy (technical director), Michael Starcher (stage manager) and Anna Zerwer (assistant director).

Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 students and seniors and are on sale at www.pridefilmsandplays.com

Photo by Paul Goyette.

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