BRILLIANCE, A New Musical Based On Life Of Frances Farmer To Premiere At Players Theatre

Brilliance, a new musical based on the life of actress Frances Farmer, is set to make its New York premiere in an Off-Broadway residency at The Players Theatre (115 Macdougal Street) for a three-week limited engagement. The musical is scheduled to open on Thursday, April 7.

Brilliance chronicles the meteoric rise, and tragic fall of Frances Farmer, a Hollywood movie star in the 1930s and 40s. The play takes us from the beginning of Frances' career, through her unprecedented success as, what Paramount described as, "the next Greta Garbo," to her involuntary commitment to an insane asylum by her own mother. This musical explores the nature of fame in the "Silver Screen" era of old-style movie stardom the fine line between mental health and insanity.

The show's creator and producer, Lance Lewman, believes that this old Hollywood story will resonate with modern audiences as the country experiences a mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Brilliance is aligning with the critical reporting of the current news trends, in that, even though Britney Spears has been released from her conservatorship...Amanda Bynes, Demi Lovato and 1.3 million other Americans are still suffering through conservatorships. Our mental health industry is in crisis... and in October 2021, the industry declared a crisis in children's mental health."

Bethany McDonald is set to play Frances Farmer. McDonald made her New York theater debut in the world premiere of Mindy in Mike and Mindy's Wild Weekend Jam at The Players Theatre. She also played Annette in Saturday Night Fever on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas. Some of her Off-West-End credits include concert productions of A Night at the Musicals and The Future is Female.

Frances' mother, Jillian, will be played by Jeri Sager, who made her Broadway debut as Fruma-Sara in the 25th Anniversary production of Fiddler on the Roof. She went on to star in national touring productions of CATS (as Grizabella) and Les Miserables (as Fantine). As a singer, Sager's covers of standards and show tunes are available for digital download on iTunes and Amazon Music.

The principal cast is rounded out by Sarah Mossman, Julia Feinberg, Gabriel Kane, Isaac Conner, David John Phillips and Daniel Beau. The show's ensemble will feature Brittany Kimball, Michael Larson, Livvie Hirschfeld and Gabrielle Larios.

Brilliance features a book, music and lyrics by Lewman, with additional music and lyrics by Kristan King and additional music by Gabriel Kane. The musical will be produced and directed by Lewman with music direction by Evan Swanson and choreography by Bobby Cassedy (Broadway: Kinky Boots, National Tour: The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten). The creative team will be rounded out by scenic designer Jim Stoneberger, costume designer Sarah Constable, lighting designer Samuel J. Biondolillo, sound designer Julianne Mason and stage manager Paulina "Pau" Tobar.

Tickets are $52-$72. To purchase tickets, please visit theplayerstheatre.com or call 212-475-1449. For more information about Brilliance, please visit https://musicalbrilliance.com.

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