Matt Bogart, Dee Roscioli, & Phoenix Best Join THE CIRCLE SERIES' First Musical Reading

Following over two months of weekly staged readings of developing and classic plays, The Circle Series announces their first staged reading of a musical. Producers Circle in the Square Theatre School (Paul Libin, President; Susan Frankel, COO), Pigasus Institute, and Rachel Shuey have selected the folk rock musical The Circus in Winter, with music and lyrics by Ben Clark and book by Matthew Keuter and Hunter Foster. The reading will be held at Broadway's Circle in the Square on Monday, October 21 at 7pm and is open to the public. Admission is a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, with all proceeds benefiting Circle in the Square Theatre School.

Conceived by Beth Turcotte and inspired by the novel of the same name by Cathy Day, The Circus in Winter is a folk rock musical where legend and lore collide. Wallace Porter searches for redemption and grace under the big top and is forever changed by the characters he meets, from an elephant and dangerous carnival hustlers to a death-defying acrobat named Jennie Dixianna. The Circus in Winter debuted at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and had its New York debut at the 24th annual Festival of New Musicals.

Leading the cast are Phoenix Best (Dear Evan Hansen, The Color Purple), Matt Bogart (Himself and Nora, Jersey Boys), Victoria Huston Elem (Lolita, My Love; Finding Neverland tour), Anthony Michael Lopez (The Artificial Jungle), Alessa Neeck (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella; Bright Star tour), Dee Roscioli (The Cher Show, Wicked), Zach Schanne, and Stuart Zagnit (Newsies, Seussical). The reading is directed by Joe Calarco (The Burnt Part Boys, Shakespeare's R&J).

Giving theatre lovers a new option to spend a Monday night on Broadway, The Circle Series brings together the New York theatrical community and provides a creative outlet for Circle in the Square Theatre School students and alumni by showcasing new and developing work on Circle in the Square's Broadway Stage. The Circle Series is presented by the Pigasus Institute and produced by Rachel Shuey in partnership with the Circle in the Square Theatre School. All donations benefit Circle in the Square Theatre School.

For complete information about The Circle Series, visit www.circleseries.org

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos