FWD Theatre Project Releases Additional Tickets for this Month's Launch Concert

FWD Theatre Project, a grass-roots initiative for the discovery, development and delivery of original musical theater to the Chicago community, has sold out its official launch event, titled LaunchingFWD!, in the 330-seat main room at City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, scheduled to take place Monday, September 22 at 8 pm. FWD and City Winery today announce they will open an additional 70 "Mezzanine" tickets for sale beginning Wednesday, September 10, to meet the overflow demand.

Mezzanine tickets will allow additional guests to join the celebration, mingling with all concert attendees before and after the show (doors open at 6 pm), then watching the performance via live feed just beyond the main room doors. This section of City Winery will also be the artists' lounge; Mezzanine patrons will enjoy the concert in the company of those lending their talents to this vital new addition to Chicago's musical theatre scene.

Chicago native Jessie Mueller (2014 Tony Award-winning Best Actress for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) will headline LaunchingFwd!, making her first hometown appearance since winning the Tony earlier this year. She will be joined by her sister, Abby Mueller (currently on Broadway with Kinky Boots) and Karen Mason (Broadway: Mama Mia, Sunset Boulevard, Outer Critics Circle Award-winner for And the World Goes Round) plus a cast of Chicago favorite and emerging musical theatre stars excited to support FWD and its mission.

FWD (Festival of Works in Development) Artistic Director Amber Mak, along with Collective Artistic Associates Justin Brill, Wade Elkins, Michael Gillis, Karen Multer, Steve Multer, Missy Greenburg, and Scott Sowinski, present LaunchingFWD!, a one-night-only concert to introduce FWD to the city and showcase selections from five new musicals in development, selected for FWD's inaugural season of staged reading presentations.

Beginning with this industry-watched launch, Mak and her devoted team hope to build a strong seed organization, partnering with all of Chicago's dedicated producing entities. By delivering worthy, undiscovered projects into the hands of this city's artistic directors and dedicated audiences, FWD will work to advance Chicago as a leading destination for the development of new musical theatre.

Mezzanine tickets for LaunchingFWD! are $15 and go on sale Wednesday, September 10 through the City Winery box office at 312-733-9463 or http://www.citywinery.com/chicago/tickets/launching-fwd-theater-project-9-22.html. Read more about FWD Theatre Project, the event, and the five new musicals in development selected for the inaugural 2015 festival season at http://FWDtheatre.org.