York Theatre to Kick Off Musical Theater Game Show TUNE IN TIME This Month

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, partners with producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields to present a new game show for musical theater lovers called Tune in Time, hosted by Emily McNamara, music direction by Nate Buccieri, with Sheila Head as the annoyingly insistent timekeeper. Performances are set for Tuesday evenings October 14, 2014, October 28, 2014, November 11, 2014 and December 2, 2014 at The York Theatre Company's home at Saint Peters (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

In this "musical theater Olympics," Tune in Time brings together three teams of composers and lyricists who have never worked together - who must now collaborate to beat the clock! Their task is to write a song for a new Broadway musical, the title of which is picked from a hatful of audience suggestions, in a style determined by a spin of the dreaded "Genre Wheel" - all within 20 minutes. Tune in Time is an evening of edge-of-your-seat suspense, brain-frying bravery, and Broadway trivia. Each edition features a different roster of musical theater composers and lyricists as well as a panel of celebrity judges who award points based on specific criteria (use of title, adherence to genre and whether they actually wrote a tune in time). Trivia questions also give the contestants an opportunity to earn more points. The final overall score determines the winner.

Songwriters confirmed for the 'first game show' on October 14 will include James Ballard, Zoe Sarnak, Benny Gammerman, James Harvey, Robbie Torres and Avi Amon.

General Admission tickets are priced at $20 and can be purchased online at www.yorktheatre.com, or by visiting the York Theatre Company Box Office (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), or by calling the Box Office at (212) 935-5820 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.). For additional information, visit the website at www.yorktheatre.org.

The York Theatre Company is the only theater in New York City -- and one of very few in the world -- dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. For over four decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and neglected classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Under the guidance of Producing 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. Over 35 cast recordings from The York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, and commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir, Jolson & Company, and its acclaimed revivals of Closer Than Ever (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival), Sweeney Todd and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.