Vital Theatre Company Premieres MATTHEW TAKES MANNAHATTA, 10/17

The award-winning Vital Theatre Company's new production, MATTHEW TAKES MANNAHATTA, an original musical with book by Aurin Squire, lyrics by Sammy Buck, music by Daniel S. Acquisto and directed by Carlos Armesto, will open October 17th. The musical is based on the unpublished manuscript, Matthew's Secret Door by Christopher Paul Moore and Matthew Christopher Moore.

In MATTHEW TAKES MANNAHATTA, Matthew and his sister Piper take a magical adventure back in time, where they discover the Manhattan of the past held a very different Thanksgiving than today.

Aurin Squire (Book) is a playwright, reporter, and screenwriter from Opa Locka, Florida. His plays have been produced around the country, including DEFACING Michael Jackson which first premiered at Vital Theatre and won the Samuel French One-Act Play Festival. His play TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, just completed an extended run at the Archlight Theatre in New York. Mr. Squire is one of the co-creators of the on-line comic "Bodega Ave." and is completing work on his television script titled "11th Ward" which already has a development deal.

Sammy Buck (Lyricist) has worked with composer Dan Acquisto on: Andy Warhol WAS RIGHT; LIKE YOU LIKE IT (2009 I.T. Award - The Gallery Players; New Voices Prize; 2nd Runner-Up NYMF Audience Prize) & THE 7-YEAR B*TCH (Outstanding New Musical, Talkin' Broadway Summer Festival Citations) and Vital Theatre's last season's closer THE FROG AND THE WITCH. Bookwriter, Common Grounds (composer, Doug Katsaros; NYMF Outstanding New Musical honorable mention). Screenwriter, "Red Hook" and "Fade to White"(co-writer). He's also one of the Emmy-winning writers of the TV Land Digital team. www.sammybuck.com.

Daniel S. Acquisto (Composer) met Sammy Buck at the BMI--Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop where they developed LIKE YOU LIKE IT (2009 I.T. Award - The Gallery Players; New Voices Prize; 2nd Runner-Up NYMF Audience Prize, Backstage 2008 CRITICS PICK "The season's best new musical." www.likeyoulikeit.com) , and THE 7-YEAR B*TCH (Talkin' Broadway's Outstanding New Musical Citation) and Vital Theatre's last season's closer THE FROG AND THE WITCH. Composer: Andy Warhol WAS RIGHT, WILD ABOUT HARRY, several children's musicals at Merkin Hall, DANCING IN THE DARK, three short films, various concert pieces. Dramatists Guild Jonathan Larson Fellow. MM in Composition from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Visit BUCQUISTO: Words & Music for the auditory and emotional enjoyment of humans, animals, and plants. www.bucquisto.com.

Carlos Armesto (Director) is Artistic Director of Theatre C, a New York based theatre company devoted to creating innovative and arresting theatre through the unexpected fusion of different artistic forms. A director and producer, Mr. Armesto is a former Associate Artistic Director for The Ensemble Studio Theatre. Current Projects with Theatre C include KINGDOM by Aaron Jafferis and Ian Williams, DISORIENTED by Kyoung Park, (E)VAPORATE by Christopher Oscar Peña and Parker Ferguson, and DISPLACED by Lori Fischer. Notable credits include: KINGDOM (ReVision Theatre; Best Musical of the Season - Star Ledger); PINNING HOPE by Matt Schatz (Creative Destruction, Obama Drama Festival); THE SEVEN YEAR B*TCH by Sammy Buck and Dan Acquisto (York Theatre and NYMF); SERENDIB by David Zellnik (EST-Sloan Mainstage 2007); THE BUS TO BUENOS AIRES (EST Marathon 2006) and T! RIANGLE (Williamstown Theatre Festival) both by Curtis Moore and Thomas Mizer. Mr. Armesto also served as Artistic Associate for the 2004 Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts. Education: MFA Directing, Carnegie Mellon; BS Theatre & Chemical Engineering, M.I.T. Honors: Bill Foeller Director's Fellowship (Williamstown), Audelco Award Nomination 2006 (Dramatic Production of the Year, RELATIVITY); Princess Grace Award 2005. Affiliation: SDC

The cast includes Kai Chapman, Daniel Cibener, Larissa Laurel, Kila Packett, Erikamari Rumore, and Lareysa Smith.

The MATTHEW TAKES MANNAHATTA design team includes costume design by Sarita Fellows, set design by Adam Koch, lighting design by Josh Bradford, choreography by Tiffany Rachelle Stewart and musical direction by Martin Landry. Nicholas Rainey is the stage manager.

Performances run Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm through November 29th, 2009. Tickets are $25, with School/Group Performances available at Vital Theatre or at your school or community center. For reservations, visit www.vitaltheatre.org or call (212)579-0528. Vital Theatre Company is located on the Upper West Side.

VITAL THEATRE COMPANY commissions four to five new musicals for children each season. Since its founding in 1999, Vital Theatre Company has been honored with two AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE by the Off Off Broadway Review and received high acclaim from audiences and critics alike for being "a wonderful place for parents to introduce their kids to the glories of live theatre, done well and at modest prices." Now in its 11th season, the company is dedicated to producing entertaining and educational theatre for young audiences. To date, the company has presented 49 original productions for over 156,000 children and their families.

For more information, visit www.vitaltheatre.org.