Ryan Kasprzak News

Marymount Manhattan College (MMC), a private liberal arts college on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and the college's celebrated musical theatre program, will present a spring theatre festival honoring three generations of musical writers - Richard Rodgers, renowned composer of American popular music and Broadway shows; his daughter, Mary Rodgers, author of Freaky Friday and composer of the Broadway musical comedy, Once Upon a Mattress; and her son, Adam Guettel, composer and lyricist, and Tony winner for his musical The Light in the Piazza.

Laurie Oestreicher and LLL Magic have announced two developmental lab performances, October 27 and 28, 2014, of the new musical, The Next Big Thing, with book and lyrics by J. Laurence Lowenstein, music by Gerald H. Bailey (Courting), and directed by Jim Ortlieb (Broadway's recent Of Mice and Men and Guys and Dolls). The Next Big Thing is an intimate and incisive musical about one young actor's treacherous road to Hollywood stardom.

Laurie Oestreicher and LLL Magic have announced two developmental lab performances of the new musical, The Next Big Thing, with book and lyrics by J. Laurence Lowenstein, music by Gerald H. Bailey (Courting), and directed by Jim Ortlieb (Broadway's recent Of Mice and Men and Guys and Dolls). The Next Big Thing is an intimate and incisive musical about one young actor's treacherous road to Hollywood stardom.

The National Music Theater Institute (NMTI) students have just returned to campus from two weeks training in New York City; scroll down for photos from the visit! NMTI is the newest credit-earning, semester-long intensive from the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Utilizing the O'Neill's 50-year experience in training young theater artists and history of developing new musicals (including Nine, Avenue Q, In The Heights, [title of show], and Violet), NMTI offers broad-based training in all areas of musical theater: acting, singing, directing, writing, dance, composition, and choreography. In addition to the semester's rigorous curriculum-classes 14 hours a day, 7 days a week with emphasis on collaboration and the creation of original work- two weeks of the semester are spent learning in the epicenter of American music theater.

The National Music Theater Institute (NMTI) is the newest credit-earning, semester-long intensive from the National Theater Institute. Utilizing the O'Neill's experience and excellence in training young theater artists and history of developing new musicals (including Nine, Avenue Q, In The Heights, [title of show], and Violet), NMTI offers broad-based training in all areas of musical theater: acting, singing, directing, writing, dance, composition, and choreography.

DancerPalooza, a comprehensive one-of-a-kind dance experience, the 'Coachella' for the dance world, will bring together the industry's top professional choreographers, including Mandy Moore and Travis Wall, who were both just nominated for 2014 Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Choreography for 'So You Think You Can Dance' on FOX.

DancerPalooza, a comprehensive one-of-a-kind dance experience, the "Coachella" for the dance world, will bring together the industry's top professional choreographers, including Mandy Moore and Travis Wall, who were both just nominated for 2014 Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Choreography for "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX.

Following a sold-out Opening Night performance, THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL and SPIEGEL AND WOLPOW PARTNERSHIP have announced a second extension performance of CLONED!, a two of a kind sci-fi musical set in the Manhattan of the 90s, with book by Jacey Powers (Picking Up - DR2 Theater) & Dan Wolpow (Keepers: A Broadway Benefit at Studio 54), lyrics by Dan Wolpow, music by Adam Spiegel (Camp Rolling Hills - 2013 NYMF Next Link Project Finalist), choreographed by Ryan Kasprzak (TV: Smash, So You Think You Can Dance; Tour: Billy Elliot; NYMF: Volleygirls), music direction by Julianne B. Merrill (NYMF: Mother Divine) and directed by Tom Wojtunik (Children of Eden - NY IT Award Outstanding Musical; Urinetown - NY IT Award Outstanding Musical; The Miss Education of Jenna Bush - FringeNYC Best Solo Show & Audience Favorite; Edenville - NY IT Award Nominee Best Director; NYMF: The Groove Factory).

The hysterical new musical Academia Nuts has been selected to kick off the first week of the celebrated New York Musical Theatre Festival with performances from July 9-13, 2014 at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street). Academia Nuts has book and lyrics by Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall, and music by Julian Blackmore, with direction by Thomas Caruso, musical direction by Martyn Axe, and choreography by Ryan Kasprzak. It is produced by Charissa Bertels in association with CAP21 Theatre Company. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal!

DancerPalooza, a comprehensive one-of-a-kind dance experience, the 'Coachella' for the dance world, will bring together the industry's top professional choreographers, master teachers, professional dancers, dance students of all ages and dance fans under one roof for the first time ever for an exlusive week-long event from July 22 through 27, 2014 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Over 5,000 dancers and enthusiasts covering the wide spectrum of the field are expected to participate in this six-day festival.

The hysterical new musical Academia Nuts has been selected to kick off the first week of the celebrated New York Musical Theatre Festival with performances from July 9-13, 2014 at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street). Academia Nuts has book and lyrics by Becca Anderson & Dan Marshall, and music by Julian Blackmore, with direction by Thomas Caruso, musical direction by Martyn Axe, and choreography by Ryan Kasprzak. It is produced by Charissa Bertels in association with CAP21 Theatre Company.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL and SPIEGEL AND WOLPOW PARTNERSHIP have announced the world premiere production of CLONED!, winner of The New York Musical Theatre Festival's 2013 Developmental Reading Award, an Official Selection of the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival's Next Link Project and a Grand Jury Selection of the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival, with book by Jacey Powers (Picking Up - DR2 Theater) & Dan Wolpow (Keepers: A Broadway Benefit at Studio 54), lyrics by Dan Wolpow, music by Adam Spiegel (Camp Rolling Hills - 2013 NYMF Next Link Project Finalist), choreographed by Ryan Kasprzak° (TV: Smash, So You Think You Can Dance; Tour: Billy Elliot; NYMF: Volleygirls), musical direction by Julianne Merrill° and directed by Tom Wojtunik° (Children of Eden - NY IT Award Outstanding Musical; Urinetown - NY IT Award Outstanding Musical; The Miss Education of Jenna Bush - FringeNYC Best Solo Show & Audience Favorite; Edenville - NY IT Award Nominee Best Director; NYMF: The Groove Factory).

Choreographer and performer Grady McLeod Bowman (Broadway's Billy Elliot, South Pacific, Wonderland, The Pirate Queen) puts his own spin on the 'CUPS (When I'm Gone)' song, popularized by Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect, in the video below. Click to check it out!

Queens Theatre (QT), in conjunction with two-time Drama Desk Nominee Parallel Exit, presents EXIT STAGE LEFT, a rollicking speed-of-light comedy. EXIT STAGE LEFT will play six performances only at Queens Theatre (14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY 11368). Performances are December 27th through December 29th at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are $25 and a Family 4-pack $80 (use code FAM4 at checkout) are available online at www.queenstheatre.org/exit-stage-left or by calling 718-760-0064. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Queens Theatre Box Office, Mondays from 10am to 2pm, Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am to 6pm. (Senior discount available, $20 student rush tickets available day of).

Joshua Sherman presents Charmers, a new web series of short musical films with original music, lyrics and choreography for those obsessed with Movie Musicals and Broadway. Episodes are free to watch at JoshuaShermanPresents.com.

The New Victory Theater, New York City's premier theater for kids and families, announces the 2013-14 artists-in-residence for New Victory LabWorks, a groundbreaking initiative designed to spur the development of original high-quality productions for young audiences.

UnsungMusicalsCo. (UMC) will launch its fifth anniversary celebration with a new Off-Broadway production of the 1950 musical revue Bless You All! with sketches by Emmy Award winner Arnold Auerbach ('The Phil Silvers Show,' Call Me Mister) and a score by acclaimed songwriter Harold Rome (Fanny, Destry Rides Again). Directed by UMC artistic director Ben West (The Fig Leaves Are Falling, At Home Abroad), the limited three-week engagement will run today, Sep 19 - Oct 5 at The Connelly Theatre (220 East 4th Street), officially opening September 22.

UnsungMusicalsCo. (UMC) will launch its fifth anniversary celebration with a new Off-Broadway production of the 1950 musical revue Bless You All! with sketches by Emmy Award winner Arnold Auerbach ('The Phil Silvers Show,' Call Me Mister) and a score by acclaimed songwriter Harold Rome (Fanny, Destry Rides Again). Directed by UMC artistic director Ben West (The Fig Leaves Are Falling, At Home Abroad), the limited three-week engagement will run Sep 19 - Oct 5 at The Connelly Theatre (220 East 4th Street), officially opening September 22.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, MONICA RAYMUND of SISU THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, and CAVE 76 PRODUCTIONS are pleased to announce the world premiere production of VOLLEYGIRLS, with book by Rob Ackerman (Tabletop - 2001 Drama Desk), lyrics by Sam Forman (book for F#%king Up Everything), music by Eli Bolin (I Sing, Roller Boogie TV: Sesame Street), musical supervision by Matt Castle, choreographed by Ryan Kasprzak (TV: Smash Tour: Billy Elliot), musical direction by Mike Pettry and directed by Neil Patrick Stewart (LA theatre: The Elephant Man - Ovation Award nominations). VOLLEYGIRLS will play a limited engagement at Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street, NY, NY 10036). Performances begin Monday, July 15 and continue through Saturday, July 27. Opening Night is Monday, July 15 (9 p.m.).

On Monday May 13th, the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in the historic West Side YMCA played host to a completely sold out crowd for their 3rd annual 'Little Theater, Big Dreams' benefit cabaret. Scroll down for photos from the evening!