York Theatre Company to Present THE ROAD TO RUIN Reading Directed by Pat Birch, 1/25 & 1/26

The York Theatre Company will continue their Developmental Reading Series with the presentation of William Zeffiro's musical, THE ROAD TO RUIN. The reading will be directed by Tony nominee Pat Birch with a cast featuring students from the Musical Theatre Program at Marymount College. The readings will take place January 25th and 26th at 7:30pm.

THE ROAD TO RUIN (The 1928 Exploitation Musical) is where sex, bad mommies, worse daddies, bottled water and Christians conspire to bring down Litte Sally Canfield, "The Nicest Girl at Central High." The show enjoyed a sold out run at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2008 where it caught the attention of Broadway legend Patricia Birch.

The full cast will feature Austin Boone, Leann Brunn, James Chandler, Alissa Crea, Joy Fischer, Maeve Halloran, Katie Moyer, Jack Raymond, Lindsey Sconiers, Courtney Simmons, and Quinn Wolfendon.

Birch began her career as a dancer in Broadway musicals, including Brigadoon, Goldilocks, and West Side Story (playing "Anybodys"). She has directed and choreographed music videos for Cyndi Lauper, the Rolling Stones, and Carly Simon. She earned Emmy Awards for her direction of the television specials Natalie Cole: Unforgettable and Celebrating Gershwin and, in collaboration with Michael Tilson Thomas, she staged the concert version of On the Town performed by both the London Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. Birch spent six years staging numbers for Saturday Night Live. Birch has received Tony nominations for her work on Grease, Over Here!, Pacific Overturs, Music Is, and Jason Robert Brown's Parade.

Tickets for the reading are free and may be reserved online at roadtoruin.eventbrite.com or by calling the York Theatre box office at 212-935-5824, ext. 21. The reading will take place at York Theatre @ Saint Peter's Church located at 619 Lexington Ave. at 54th St.

For almost four decades, The York Theatre Company's intimate, imaginative style of producing both new and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim, multiple awards, and recognition from artists and audiences alike. York is the only theatre in the city-and one of few in the world-committed to developing and producing new Musical Theatre Works and rediscovering musical gems from the past. In 2006, a special Drama Desk Award was presented to the company for its "vital contributions to theater by developing and producing new musicals." Founded by the late Janet Hayes Walker in 1969, York has presented over 60 full-scale musical productions, including such classics as The Golden Apple, The Grass Harp, On the 20th Century, A Doll's Life, Lost in the Stars, Carnival and Merrily We Roll Along. In addition, York has presented over 70 staged concert revivals of musical theatre gems from the past in its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series. York also produces the annual NEO Concert recognizing New/Emerging/Outstanding musical theatre writers; special one-night only concerts; and a number of educational programs in partnership with various colleges and universities. The company is also the proud administrator of the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre.

For more information, visit www.yorktheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride