'Matthew Passion' Begins June 18th for Gay Pride 2009

The Cathedral of St. John The Divine in support of Gay Pride 2009 presents MATTHEW PASSION A New Play (with music) by Phil Hall on Wednesday, June 18th at 7:00 pm at The St. James Chapel - The Cathedral of St.John The Divine 1047 Amsterdam at 112th Street. Admission is free for the special presentation.  The cast of 9 men paying multiple roles  includes Jeff Applegate, James Royce Edwards, Jimmi Kilduff, Timothy John Mandala, Chad McCallon, Craig Ramsay, Andrew Redeker, Matt Shepard, Jay Sullivan.  It is directed by Steve Stringfellow with choreography by Jacob Brent; photographer David Vance; loin cloth design by Rob Bevenger;  with logo & card design by James Donegan/James Did It!          

Matthew Passion is about being all of who you are with no apologies.  It tells the story of the passion of Christ; the story of Matthew Shepard being picked up at a bar in Laramie, Wyoming, beaten and left for dead on a hillside; and the story of a middle-aged HIV positive survivor who has outlived his life expectancy.  Although the three stories take place in three different locations, and are thousands of years apart, they all reflect one another and converge in the final scene.     http://www.matthewpassion.com         

Matthew Passion is the story of one man's journey to overcome his fear, and live his life in the fullness and beauty of who he was born to be.  While it centers around one man's story, it's a play with universal themes--renewal, regeneration and hope. Matthew Passion addresses the fear and shame many still feel of being: gay, HIV+, and passive as we watch friends and loved ones being persecuted for their beliefs, race or sexuality. 

Phil Hall (Author, Composer/Lyricist, Musical Director)  for the better part of his career has been a conductor and musical director.  He composed the score for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (Paper Mill Playhouse, Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, Kansas City Starlight Theatre and North Shore Music Theatre. He vocally arranged Sophisticated Ellington, at Carnegie Hall for Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.  He was a vocal arranger for "Some Enchanted Evening"—a revue of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. His arrangements have been published by Warner Brothers' Music and others. On Broadway, he conducted "Play Me A Country Song" and was associate conductor for the Broadway revival of "Mame", starring Angela Lansbury. Phil has been a conductor/musical director, at The Kennedy Center, St. Louis MUNY, Michigan Opera Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, Houston's Theatre Under The Stars, Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre, Kansas City Starlight and Indianapolis' Starlight Theatre in projects as varied as the Yeston/Kopit "Phantom"; "Side By Side By Sondheim"; "Sayonara"; "The Wizard of Oz"; "The Merry Widow"; "42nd Street" and "The Desert Song". He appeared in "Show Boat", which aired on PBS' Great Performances series. He appeared in the Mira Sorvino-produced, Griffin Dunne-directed film, "Lisa Picard Is Famous". Phil has worked with Lily Tomlin, Tommy Tune, Nanette Fabray, Phyllis Diller, Nancy Marchand, Madeline Kahn, Judy Kaye, Donna McKechnie, Gregory Hines, Nancy Dussault, Teri Hatcher to name a few.

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