They'll Be There For You! FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY Begins Performances Off-Broadway Tomorrow

Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, Phoebe and Gunther are back! Lynn Shore Entertainment, Theater Mogul and McSmith Family Entertainment present FRIENDS! The Musical Parody, the unauthorized parody of the hit TV show by the creators of Bayside! The Saved by the Bell Musical and 90210! The Musical.

Performances begin tomorrow, Friday, October 13, 2017 at 10:00 p.m. at St. Luke's Theatre (308 West 46th Street - between 8th & 9th Avenues) for a limited engagement through December 31, 2017. Opening Night is set for Thursday, November 2, 2017.

FRIENDS! The Musical Parody is the hilarious new musical thaT Lovingly lampoons TV's Friends! You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll Unagi! Friends! The Musical Parody celebrates and pokes fun at the wacky misadventures of a group of 20-something pals as they navigate the pitfalls of work, life and love in 1990s Manhattan. It's a seemingly typical day at New York's only coffee shop, Central Perk, until an unexpected runaway bride with beautiful hair enters the picture and kicks the whole gang out of second gear. Get ready to PIVOT to St Luke's Theatre!

Created by Bob and Tobly McSmith, the duo that created five critically acclaimed musical parodies including Bayside! The Saved by the Bell Musical (NY Times Critics' Pick), 90210! The Musical, Full House! The Musical starring Perez Hilton, Showgirls! The Musical, and Katdashians! The Musical!

Directed by Paul Stancato (Jekyll & Hyde, The Lion King), with music by Assaf Gleizner (90210! The Musical), the 6-member cast will feature Seth Blum (90210! The Musical) as Chandler, Lisa Graye (Balloon Boy: The Musical) as Monica, Katie Johantgen (Lucky Stiff) as Phoebe, Patricia Sabulis (Ambition: The American Female Serial Killer Musical) as Rachel, Alan Trinca (Full House! The Musical) as Joey, and Landon Zwick (90210! The Musical) as Ross.

For more information, visit www.friendsmusicalparody.com.

Bob & Tobly McSmith (Writers/Creators) are huggable weirdos who met at a Girl Scout Cookie Convention. They are the writers/directors of Bayside! The Musical! and Full! House! The Musical! and Katdashians! The Musical! and Showgirls! The Musical" and Jon Benet! Murder Mystery Theater! Bob and Tobly have won many, many awards including "Most Likely to Improve Sexually" (Tobly, 5th Grade) and "Class Masturbator" (Bob, 1st-12th Grade). They are working on their next musicals: The Life and Times of Kenny G and Philadelphia: On Ice.

Assaf Gleizner (Music) Born and raised in Israel, Assaf Gleizner have been working as a composer, MD, orchestrator, and arranger both in NYC and around the world for the past 10 years. Assaf's favorite credits include: Broadway: Arts for Autism -featuring Kelly O'Hara, Julia Murney (Gershwin Theater) Orchestrator, Arranger. Off-Broadway: 90210! The Musical (Theater 80) Composer, Orchestrator. Katdashians! The Musical (Theater 80) MD, Orchestrator. Full House! The Musical (Canada & Theater 80) MD, Orchestrator. Yankee Peddler (Actors Temple) MD, Orchestrator. Flak House (Actors Temple) Orchestrator. The Travels (NYMF) MD, Orchestrator. I Battled Lenny Ross (Ensemble Studio Theater) MD. Regional: The Swingaroos (Florida Studio Theater) Composer, MD.

Paul Stancato (Director) is a creative show director and choreographer who works in theatre, film and television. He recently directed and choreographed Grease at the John W Engeman Theater in Northport, NY as well as Collected Stories for Palm Beach Dramaworks in Palm Beach, Fl. He directed and choreographed the 2015-'16 National Tour of Flashdance the Musical, & the 2014-'15 National Tour of Jekyll and Hyde. From 2012-2014, Stancato served as the Artistic Director for Franco Dragone's, The House of Dancing Water in Macau, China. He was the Resident Director for the National Tour of Disney's The Lion King, 2006 -2010 (2008 Helen Hayes nomination for Best Touring Musical). He directed the First National Tour of The Wedding Singer and was also Assistant Choreographer for the Broadway production (Tony nomination for Best Musical and Best Choreography). Select directing/choreographing credits include: Long Days Journey Into Night (Palm Beach Drama Works, FL), Powerhouse (Sinking Ship Productions, NYC), Plaid Tidings (Flatrock Playhouse), Jekyll & Hyde, Hairspray and Sound of Music (John W. Engeman Theater, NY), Trav'lin the Musical (NYMF Festival Best Ensemble Honorable Mention), The Cobalteans (NYMF-which earned 7 Nominations for the 2015 New York Musical Theater Festival including Best Direction. Greenwood (NYMF starring Andrea McArdle), Einstein's Dreams (Best Direction Award New York Fringe Festival) He conceived and co-wrote ROCKSHOW, an interactive performance piece, which ran Off-Broadway. Performance credits include, Blue Man Group (Blue Man) and De La Guarda (original New York cast member/Captain). Upcoming projects include- On Golden Pond and In the Heights.

Kristen Lee Rosenfeld (Music Director) is an NYC based music director/composer. Her music direction credits include the First National Tour of Spring Awakening and Band of Angels with collaborator Colman Domingo. She has music directed at theatres and festivals around the country including NYMF, Village Theatre, the John W. Engeman Theatre, Cortland Rep, Fingerlakes Musical Theatre Festival and many more. As a composer, she collaborates with her mother, Luanne. Their show Divided was selected for The Pitch at Fingerlakes Musical Theatre Festival and presented in concert last year at Feinstein's/54 Below to a sold-out house. Their other full-length musical, Cardboard Castles, has been optioned as a feature film by Rubic House. Kristen's songs have been heard at cabaret venues throughout NYC, including Joe's Pub, 54 Below and the Metropolitan Room. Upcoming projects include music directing Gold Mountain at the Times Center, and her third collaboration with children's pop sensation Laurie Berkner.

Seth Blum (Chandler) proudly performed (Off-Broadway) as Steve Sanders (and Others) in 90210 The Musical, Uncle Joey (and Others) in Full House! The Musical, and Mr Belding (and Others) in Bayside! The Musical, all written by Bob and Tobly McSmith. Seth studies acting with Stuart Burney (7 yrs) and is a singer/songwriter/guitarist with his original rock band Six Each. He hosts an open mic called, "Sundays with Seth," in the E Village, was a NYC public HS math teacher over 15 years, and has 8 published letters in the NY Times. Read them all and more at SethBlumNYC.com

Lisa Graye (Monica) is thrilled to be making her off-Broadway debut in FRIENDS! The Musical Parody. Recent productions include Balloon Boy: The Musical (NYMF) and Peter Pan (Syracuse Stage). BFA, Syracuse University '17. Thanks to the cast and creative team! All my love and thanks to Mom, Dad, and my brother Max for helping me to live the dream!

Katie Johantgen (Phoebe) has been preparing her entire life to play Phoebe Buffay - mainly by getting a guitar and never really learning how to play it. Katie is a Philly native and has performed regionally with People's Light & Theatre, The Walnut Street Theatre, and Mauckingbird Theatre Co. Most recently she played Annabel in Lucky Stiff with Americana Theatre Company, and Little Sally in Urinetown with 11th Hour Theatre Co. Katie is a stand-up comedian (Burbank Comedy Festival, Musikfest), and improviser, and can often be found interviewing dogs in Central Park for her web series 'Dog Talk'. Katie is a proud graduate of the Musical Theatre program at Temple University. Much love to her family, her teachers, and of course, her Friends! katiejohantgen.com

Patricia Sabulis (Rachel) is thrilled to be a part of this production of FRIENDS! The Musical Parody. Some favorite past credits include: Cradle Two Grave (Corkscrew Theater Fest), Ambition: The American Female Serial Killer Musical (Ars Nova/ANT Fest), and any work with the indelible, late Liz Swados. Love and thanks to her family (both biological and chosen) and a special shout out to the Monica to her Rachel, Ashley. (And p.s. they were not on a break...)

Alan Trinca (Joey) is psyched to bring Joey to life on-stage with this amazing team. Alan is no stranger to the comic genius of Bob and Tobly McSmith, having worked with them in the off-Broadway productions of Full House The Musical (Uncle Jesse/swing) and 90210 The Musical (Dylan McKay). Other regional credits include A Clockwork Orange (Alex), Say Hello! A Musical Parody of Scarface (Tony Montana), A Woman of No Importance (Gerald), The Drowsy Chaperone (Robert), and Godspell (Judas). Alan voices an animated character on a network television show (TBA) and works as commercial talent, both behind the mic and on-camera. He is eternally grateful to his family and friends for their unwavering support.

Landon Zwick (Ross) is very excited that you are taking the time to read his bio. Off-Broadway credits include: 90210 The Musical (Brandon), Bayside! The Musical (Swing), Full House The Musical (Swing), all at Theater 80, and The ButtCracker (LeeRoy Bacon) at The American Theater of Actors. Recently, he had a workshop of his musical Static, done with Synesthesia Productions. He also directed the Off-Off Broadway production of Fall (Apart) Together. Regional Credits: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Featured Dancer) with Prism Theatrics and Justin in Higher Education with Apples and Oranges Productions. He graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre at Texas State University.

Photo Credit: Russ Rowland