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The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) announces casting for Mark Twain's Blues, the next offering in its acclaimed Developmental Reading Series. As always, these readings are open to the general public and admission is free, but reservations are required and can only be obtained by visiting yorktheatre.org to make reservations online or by calling 212-935-5824 x524.
Mark Twain's Blues Book by Walt Stepp Music and Lyrics by Walt Stepp & Mark Twain Thursday, March 18, 2010 • 3 PM
The cast of Mark Twain's Blues features Bonnie Kramer (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Nat'l Tour), Lance Olds (Naked Boys Singing!), Barry Phillips ("30 Rock") and Bill Tatum (The Last Girl Singer). Directed by Tom Herman (An Evening at the Carlyle); Music Direction by David Wolfson (An Evening at the Carlyle).
In Mark Twain's Blues, Mark Twain dreams that an older Huck Finn and Jim (the slave Huck helped to escape) "return" to bawl him out for betraying them at the end of his so-called masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Now older and wiser, Huck and Jim come back to help Twain face his demons by re-writing the book as it was meant to be written -- and giving everybody the better ending they deserve. The lyrics of this new musical are based on Mark Twain's own words.
The York Theatre Company was nominated for five 2009 Drama Desk Awards, four Lucille Lortel Awards, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and two Drama League Awards for its productions of Enter Laughing, The Musical and My Vaudeville Man! last season. York Theatre Company is one of the only companies in the city committed to developing and producing new Musical Theatre Works and rediscovering musical gems from the past. Winner of a special Drama Desk Award for developing and producing new musical theatre, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike for almost four decades. Under the guidance of Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused exclusively on new musicals in its Mainstage Series-most of them world, American or New York premieres-by some of the field's most esteemed creators and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers.
Each year, York's Developmental Reading Series presents between 30 to 40 readings and workshops of new musicals by emerging and established authors, all free of charge and open to the public. Reading Series Coordinator Jeff Landsman says, "These readings give writers a unique opportunity to get audience feedback while a show is still in progress and gives audiences an active role in the creative process." York's current mainstage production, Yank!, as well as past mainstage productions Souvenir and The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) were first developed in the Developmental Reading Series, where the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Avenue Q also made its first appearances. The Developmental Reading Series is made possible in part by The Dorothy Strelsin Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.
