Theatre Now New York to Stream 8 New 10-Minute Musicals in May

SOUND BITES Extra Bites will feature work from Kenny Harmon, Steve Wallace, Gabrielle Mirabella, Ernie Bird, and more!

By: Apr. 23, 2021
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Theatre Now New York to Stream 8 New 10-Minute Musicals in May

Theater Now New York announced today that SOUND BITES, its highly regarded annual festival of 10-minute musicals, will be streamed online for free next month, with the live version returning in May of 2022.

The streaming event, SOUND BITES Extra Bites, will be presented in two parts on May 21st and 28th at 7pm est. Each evening will feature presentations of new musicals, interviews with their creators, and guest performances from contributors to the first six years of the SOUND BITES Festival. Reservations are required to attend the free presentations and can be made at www.tnny.org/extra-bites.

SOUND BITES Extra Bites will be hosted by Theatre Now's Artistic Director Thomas Morrissey and Managing Director Colleen Harris, with production support by Paulina Tobar, Sebastian Treviño, and MariaElisa Costa. Morrissey describes the event as "a celebration of the past and future of the SOUND BITES Festival, highlighting the versatility and impact of short-form musicals. With a diverse lineup of stories and storytellers, there is sure to be something surprising and exciting for every viewer."

In the last 6 years, Theatre Now's annual SOUND BITES Festival has presented sixty 10-minute musicals to sold out houses, promoting the work of over 120 different up-and-coming authors, composers, and lyricists. Past productions were compiled into the book The 10-Minute Musical, an Anthology from the SOUND BITES Festival, which was published in 2020, and are available for licensing through Music Theatre International.

The seventh annual festival will feature an additional 10 new musicals. Along with previously announced musicals, two additional shows have been added to the 2022 SOUND BITES line-up: A Seat at the Table, with book, music, and lyrics by Rebecca Murillo and The Saboteur, with book, music, and lyrics by Laura Italiano.

May 21st MUSICAL PRESENTATIONS:

A SEAT AT THE TABLE

Book, Music and Lyrics by Rebecca Murillo

While preparing for a World History test, high school student Citlalli Hernandez finds the courage to speak up about what has been on her mind: why has no one taught her the history of her own people?

HUMPTY'S HATCHING DAY

Book and Lyrics by Kenny Harmon, Music by Steve Wallace

Everyone knows how Humpty Dumpty's story ended, but why did he climb the wall in the first place? Spend 10 minutes with Humpty, his best friend Jack Sprat, and a few of Humpty's other friends on the most important day of his life.

THESE WALLS

Book and Lyrics by Caitlin Collins, Music by Matthew Lowy

It's moving-day, and newly married Liz and Jeff burst into their first home with one another, full of hopeful anticipation. On a separate plane of reality thirty-five years in the future, older Jeff and Liz perform a final sweep as they prepare to move out. The timelines interweave in an exploration of love, loss, and the true meaning of home.

RISE

Book and Lyrics by Gabrielle Mirabella, Music by Ernie Bird

Rise is a musical adaptation of Jack & Jill starring two hungry little girls stuck at the bottom of society, and their highly demanding mistress. Set to a post-soviet, contemporary musical-theatre score, Rise mixes dark themes such as violence and poverty with lightning-fast physical comedy.

May 28th MUSICAL PRESENTATIONS:

THE SABOTEUR

Book, Music and Lyrics by Laura Italiano

It's 1941, and Nazi spies have infiltrated a Brooklyn munitions plant! Maybe! The true-crime story of an FBI agent and the neighborhood eccentrics who help him crack the big case.

COLA'O: A BILINGUAL TROVA

Book and Lyrics by Paloma Sierra, Music by Pedro Emanuel Franco Fraticelli

Two lovers - each with contrary opinions about Puerto Rican national identity - uncover how to prepare "authentic" coffee.

LETTERS FROM MAY

Music by Kristoffer Bjarke, Lyrics by Kara Cutruzzula

What does it mean to be a creator? What happens when reality doesn't align with your expectations? And most importantly, what do you have to leave behind?

PIGEONS MATE FOR LIFE

Book and Lyrics by Joan Saltzman, Music by Andrew Underberg

Girl with pigeon meets boy with pigeon. Pigeon meets pigeon. The pigeons mate for life. With the boy and the girl, it's more complicated.

Additional musical performances by SOUND BITES alumni will be announced at a later date.

To make a free reservation, visit tnny.org/extra-bites. For more information about Theatre Now New York, visit www.tnny.org.



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