New Blackwell/Cohen Musical The Mole to Receive First Public Reading May 13

A liberal young woman goes undercover as a right-wing shock-jock pundit. Can she hold on to who she was, or will she buy into her own hype? This is the premise of The Mole, a new musical by Lavell Blackwell (music) and Joshua H. Cohen (book and lyrics), which will receive its first public reading this week.

The cast will feature Erin Leigh Peck (The Toxic Avenger) in the title role, and Matt Castle (Company) as her would-be puppet-master. Also scheduled to appear are David Garry, Meagan Gilliland, Eric Moore, Reed Prescott and Kathleen Stuart. Hondo Weiss-Richmond will direct, and Adam Ryan Wiggins will music-direct.

Emerging Artists Theatre will present the reading as part of their annual Notes From a Page festival of full-length musicals. The single performance will be Friday, May 13, at 8:30 pm, at Tada Theatre, 15 West 28th Street, 2nd Floor. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/170583.

Blackwell and Cohen's work together has been presented by Dixon Place, the New York International Fringe Festival, Amas Musical Theatre, and others. Cohen is a 2011 recipient of an American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson Grant.