Andrew Samonsky, Betsy Wolfe & More Set for RED EYE OF LOVE in North Haven, Now thru 8/4

North Haven Arts and Enrichment will present the world premiere of RED EYE OF LOVE, a new musical comedy. The book and lyrics are by Arnold Weinstein and John Wulp. The music is by Sam Davis.

The musical will run from tonight, August 1 through August 4 at Waterman's Community Center, North Haven, Maine. Performances will be at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and at 1:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

RED EYE OF LOVE is a rollicking musical about a love triangle involving a young idealist, Wilmer Flange (Andrew Samonsky), a materialist and butcher, O.O Martinas (John Treacy Egan), and the girl they both love, Selma Chargesse (Betsy Wolfe). Their hilarious misadventures are set against a background of Boom Time War and Depression in America, so that the play becomes a panorama of the United States in the Twentieth Century.

RED EYE OF LOVE was first produces as a straight play at The Living Theatre in 1961. It earned Mr. Wulp an OBIE Award as Best Director. Weinstein and Wulp began collaboration on the musical in the 1980's. The book and lyrics were completed before Weinstein's death in 2006, but it was not until Sam Davis came aboard this spring that the project jelled. After career on Broadway and having established the Playwrights Horizons Theatre School, a division of NYU Undergraduate, John Wulp retired to Vinalhaven, to pain. He also taught drama in the community school of North Haven, an adjacent island. This spring he turned 85. North Haven (population 305) decided to honor him by producing the musical with which he has been so long involved.

Some of the best talent in American Theatre and will be working on this. Anthony Tommasini in The New York Times called Arnold Weinstein one of the country's foremost lyricists. Wulp won a TONY Award for his production of Dracula. Sam Davis is the up-coming composter, who is currently working with Susan Stroman on Big Fish, scheduled for Broadway this fall.

The director is Ted Sperling. Mr. Sperling was Musical Director for South Pacific and The Light in the Piazza, both at Lincoln Center. He received a TONY Award for The Light in the Piazza. The choreographer, Alex Sanchez, is a former Bob Fosse dancer. He recently choreographed Giant for The Public Theater, and Where's Charley? For Encores! The sets will be designed by Robert Indiana. Although he is best known for his LOVE logo, Mr. Indiana is one of the most important American artists of his generation. He will be honored with a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Whitney Museum this fall.

The cast of RED EYE OF LOVE includes some of the brightest talents on Broadway today. Betsy Wolfe recently played Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Andrew Samonsky replaces Matthew Morrison as Lieutenant Joe Cable in South Pacific. John Treacy Egan just closed in Nice Work If You Can Get It.

RED EYE OF LOVE promises to be the musical event of the summer. Seating is limited. Reservations can be arranged at www.watermans.org, or call 1-207-867-2100.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski