Richard Cory Makes NY Debut At NYMF Starring Cady Huffman, Catherine Cox, Harris Doran Christeena Riggs, Lynne Wintersteller And More

By: BWW News Desk Aug. 25, 2005

THE 2005 NEW YORK MUSIC THEATER FESTIVAL, DENNIS GRIMALDI PRODUCTIONS and Nick Cavarra are pleased to announce the New York premiere of the new musical "RICHARD CORY," directed by JAMES BRENNAN. Book, music and lyrics are by Ed Dixon, adapted from a play by A.R. GURNEY. Featured in the cast is Tony winner Cady Huffman (Producers, Will Rogers Follies) and Broadway veterans Catherine Cox (Footloose), Harris Doran (Hair, The American Tribal Love Rock Musical), Allen Fitzpatrick (Sweet Smell of Success, 42nd Street), HERNDON LACKEY (Parade, Inherit the Wind), Maureen Moore (Gypsy [2003 Revival], Cabaret) CHRISTEENA RIGGS (Les Miserables) John Sloman (The Music Man, Big) and LYNNE WINTERSTELLER (A Grand Night for Singing, Closer Than Ever). Performances will be at the Lion Theater and run September 14th and 17th at 8:00, September 18th at 4:30 pm, September 19th at 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm and September 21st and 24th at 1:00 pm. All tickets are $15.00. For reservations please call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com to purchase tickets online. The Lion Theater is located at 410 West 42nd Street, (between 9th and 10th Avenues). For complete festival information visit www.nymf.org.

A completely new concept in musical theatre, "RICHARD CORY" is based on the famous poem by E.A. Robinson. It tells the story of a man who has "everything" and yet simply cannot fit in. Each scene is performed in a different musical style. However, in every interaction, Richard fails to find his own voice. In a startlingly original construction the devastating story unfolds with wit and humor that ultimately delivers the audience and Richard to his inevitable conclusion. "RICHARD CORY" was originally commissioned by PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS with a grant from Harold and Mimi Steinberg. It was also developed in the Eugene O'Neill Conference's 20th Anniversary Season. Its premiere at the Dallas Lyric Stage received a Leon Rabin Award Nomination for Best New Work.

"Soulful…fascinating…lovely singable melody." The Dallas Morning News. "…strangely appealing… an inspired idea. Fort Worth-Star Telegram. "Clever musical approach… a masterpiece of remarkable emotional range." Dallas Voice.

A.R. GURNEY's work has been produced on international theatre stages for more than 30 years. The David Show, was produced in New York in 1968. In 1970, Scenes from American Life received its world premiere at the Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo. Children, premiered in London, England in 1974. His breakthrough success came in 1982 with The Dining Room. Other award-winning plays include The Middle Ages, Richard Cory, The Golden Age, What I Did Last Summer, The Wayside Motor Inn, Sweet Sue, The Perfect Party, Another Antigone, The Cocktail Hour, Love Letters, The Old Boy, The Fourth Wall, Later Life, A Cheever Evening, Sylvia, Overtime, Let's Do It (a Cole Porter musical), Labor Day, Far East, Darlene and The Guest Lecturer, Ancestral Voices, and Mrs. Farnsworth. Mr. Gurney wrote the libretto for Strawberry Fields with music by Michael Torke, as part of the Central Park Opera trilogy presented by the New York City Opera. Gurney is the recipient of a Drama Desk Award, a Rockefeller Award and two Lucille Lortel Awards.

Ed Dixon, playwright, composer and lyricist, began his collaboration with A. R. Gurney after Mr. Gurney saw Cather County, Mr. Dixon's first musical at Playwright's Horizons. Cather County went on to have an official debut at Lyric Stage in Dallas where it won the Leon Rabin Award for best new work and was voted one of the ten best events in Dallas for the year 2000. Shylock, Ed's adaptation of The Merchant of Venice was presented by the York Theater and garnered Mr. Dixon his first Drama Desk Nomination. Carole Shelley debuted his one woman play, Norma, at Playwright's Horizons, where he also produced The Spectre Bridegroom which then went on to Lyric Stage. Scenery opened at the John Drew Theater in Long Island. Fanny Hill, Ed's adaptation of the famous naughty novel was first produced by the Goodspeed Opera House and is now being prepared for a commercial run by producers Dennis Grimaldi, Nick Cavarra and The Zipper Theater.

Director JAMES BRENNAN has helmed productions of The Sound of Music, Call Me Madam, Noises Off, Don't Dress for Dinner, A.R. Gurney's The Dressing Room, She Loves Me, Crazy for You (televised on PBS), Where's Charley?, 42nd Street, Hello Dolly!, Chicago, Cabaret, The Merry Widow, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Bells are Ringing, George M, The Apple Tree, Kiss Me Kate and High Button Shoes

The production team includes set and costume design by MICHAEL BOTTARI and RON CASE (David Merrick's State Fair, Shanghai Moon, Die Mommie Die) and lighting design by PHIL MONAT (Finian's Rainbow, Sly Fox, Sally Marr and Her Escorts).

Producer DENNIS GRIMALDI's Broadway credits include Angels in America, Sally Marr...and her Escorts, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, (London's Evening Standard Award), Any Given Day, Tom Stoppard's Artist Descending A Staircase . Off-Broadway credits include 2 Outter Critics Circle Award-Winning productions Annie Warbucks and Other People's Money as well as Grace & Glorie, Burning Blue (Olivier Award winner) and the revival of The Boys in the Band.. Mr. Grimaldi was Associate to the Producers on A. R. Gurney's Broadway production of Sweet Sue starring Mary Tyler Moore and Lynn Redgrave and has been associated with producer Emanuel Azenberg on Neil Simon's London Suite as well as the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play, Lost in Yonkers, The Cryptogram, Lypsinka! A Day in the Life and Oblivion Postponed.

Producer Nick Cavarra, president and founder of Dreampeddler Productions is currently at work on Fanny Hill, a new musical by Ed Dixon, produced in partnership with Dennis Grimaldi and the Zipper Theatre, Girl's Room, a new play by Joni Fritz, also in partnership with Dennis Grimaldi, "S.I., New York," an independent film Mr. Cavarra wrote and Scenery, a comedy in two acts by Ed Dixon. As an actor, Mr. Cavarra has appeared on Broadway in Grease!, The Scarlet Pimpernel and King David and on television he appeared with Hal Linden on "Jack's Place" and the daytime drama's, "One Life to Live," "As the World Turns," "Santa Barbara" and "The Guiding Light."

Dedicated to discovering new work and new artists, The New York Musical Theatre Festival celebrates the diversity, creativity, and future of musical theatre. NYMF is a flagship program of the National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and is America's largest annual musical theatre event. NYMF is produced in association with Virgin Megastores and proudly supported by amNewYork, Village Voice, WB11, Dodger Stages, Receptasign, King Displays, Rosco, Scharff Weissberg, TheaterMania.com, BroadwayWorld.com and Manhattan Living. For more information, visit www.nymf.org.

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