New York Theatre Barn to Celebrate 10th Anniversary Season of Choreography Lab with Musical by Rob Rokicki & Anna K. Jacobs

New York Theatre Barn will conclude the 10th season of its Choreography Lab on Wednesday, September 27th, 2023 at 7PM ET. The in-person presentation will also be streamed live from Alchemical Studios (50 W. 17th St) in New York City. Directly following the presentation, VIP ticket holders will be able to join cast, creatives, and the New York Theatre Barn team in a special Gala toast, celebrating the lab’s decade long commitment to dance in contemporary musical theatre. 

Curated by Avital Asuleen, the program’s 1 Show/3 Choreographers Lab makes space for 3 choreographers to bring 3 different production numbers from an original musical to life, often for the first time. The featured musical is The Real Gemma Jordan which has a book by Anna K. Jacobs (Teeth, Pop!) and music and Lyrics by Rob Rokicki (The Lightning Thief). When aspiring influencer, Gemma Jordan, is taken down by an online troll, aka @therealgemmajordan, she sets out on a mission to confront them. But a troll isn’t the only thing that Gemma must come to face. Featuring a catchy, high-energy pop-rock score, The Real Gemma Jordan is a subversive and funny exploration of the human need to connect in an age when the line between reality and fantasy is mind-bendingly thin.

The featured choreographers include Arthur Cuadros, Niani Feelings, and Katharine Quinn. The lab also features special guest Josh Bergasse (SMASH, On The Town, Gigi, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory), who will serve as the event’s moderator. The company continues its partnership with Full Out Creative who will collaborate with the choreographers to film their pieces live. Tori Crow is the lab’s associate producer.

There are a limited number of tickets for the in-person audience, as well as tickets to live stream the presentation which can be purchased here. Additionally, this lab will feature Live CART and captioning accessibility services. Support for Open Captioning is provided in part by TDF. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Art. 

Now in its 10th season, the Choreography Lab is the only platform for choreographers and writers to collaborate on movement for new musicals during incubation. Funded in part by a generous gift from the Amber Foundation, the Choreography Lab was created to elevate and expand the use of dance in musical theatre. For more information, visit New York Theatre Barn’s website: www.nytheatrebarn.org.