Yesterday we told you how the cast and creative’s met the press

The cast and creatives

In today’s edition hear director Warren Carlyle, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman describe their show.

The it was a treat as the cast sang 5 songs from the show. Including “Harmony,” Hungarian Rhapsody,” “Where You Go’ and “Stars in the Night.”

Hear The Harmonists Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey, along with Chip Zien, Sierra Boggess and Julie Benko.

The hit song of the show will be the gorgeous ballad “Every Single Day” sung by Danny Kornfeld.

Harmony begins previews at the Barrymore Theatre on Wednesday, October 18, ahead of a Monday, November 13 official opening night.

Photo’s by Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Harmony, has been in rehearsals for 3 weeks and yesterday morning, they meet the press.

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow, wrote the original music.

Bruce Sussman

Bruce Sussman, who wrote the book and lyrics

Warren Carlyle

Warren Carlyle

director/choreographer Warren Carlyle

Ken Davenport

and producer Ken Davenport started the show off to a harmonious roll. Harmony begins previews Wednesday, October 18, ahead of a Monday, November 13 official opening night.

Many of the cast are making their Broadway debuts with Harmony, including 5 of the 6 actors playing the Harmonists.

The Harmonists, along with Chip Zien finished out the morning with a performance of the song “Stars in the Night.”

Chip Zien

The production also stars performers Sierra Boggess and Julie Benko.

Sierra Boggess

Julie Benko

Tomorrow meet the men of Harmony

The John W. Engeman Theater’s production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical opened and T2C Genevieve Rafter Keddy was there to capture the moment.

Stephanie Lynne Mason

Stephanie Lynne Mason

Stephanie Lynne Mason

The Cast of Beautiful

The Cast of Beautiful

Laura Leigh Carroll and Devon Goffman

Noah Berry

Noah Berry, Stephanie Lynne Mason and Sarah Ellis

Stephanie Lynne Mason and Sarah Ellis

From the chart-topping hits she wrote for the biggest acts in music to her own life-changing success with Tapestry, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began–and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. Featuring such unforgettable classics as “You’ve Got a Friend”, “One Fine Day”, “So Far Away”, and many more. This Tony and Grammy Award-winning show is filled with the songs you  remember and a story you’ll never forget.

Stephanie Lynne Mason

The cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical features Stephanie Lynne Mason as  Carole King (Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof; Off-Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish; National  Tours: Million Dollar Quartet; Regional: George Street Playhouse, Wallis Center, Virginia Musical Theater)

Noah Berry

Noah Berry as Barry Mann (National Tour: Spamalot, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story; Regional:  Highlands Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, Maples Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Memorial Hall)

Jack Cahill-Lemme

Jack Cahill-Lemme, Stephanie Lynne Mason, Sarah Ellis and Noah Berry

Jack Cahill-Lemmeas Gerry Goffin (Broadway: Moulin Rouge! The Musical; National Tour: Moulin  Rouge! The Musical; Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, The Marriott Theatre, Timberlake Playhouse;  The Rev; Film/ TV: “FLOATS”)

Sarah Ellis ad Brad Putz

Sarah Ellis as Cynthia Weil (Engeman: Million Dollar Quartet;  National Tour: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder; Regional: The Gateway Playhouse, Stages St.  Louis, Gena Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse)

Devon Goffman as Don Kirshner (National Tour:  Jersey Boys, On Your Feet, Motown, Titanic, Grease, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story; Regional: Virginia  Repertory Theatre, Dodger Theatricals, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre; Film/TV: “Law & Order Organized  Crime”).

Cory Simmons, Dwayne Washington, Damien DeShaun Smith and Leron Wellington

Justin Waite, Cory Simmons, Dwayne Washington, Damien DeShaun Smith and Leron Wellington

Damien DeShaun Smith

Dwayne Washington

Cory Simmons

Leron Wellington

Zuri Washington

Zuri Washington, Renee Marie Titus, Cece Morin, Cecily Dionne Davis and Alaysia Renay Duncan

Renee Marie Titus

Laura Leigh Carroll

Cece Morin

Alaysia Renay Duncan

Sean Widener and Renee Marie Titus

Cecily Dionne Davis

Jillian Worthing

Justin Waite

Justin Waite and Leron Wellington

Justin Waite, Cece Morin and Leron Wellington

Cece Morin and Leron Wellington

Devon Goffman

Devon Goffman and Jack Cahill-Lemme

Joe Caskey

Jack B. Murphy

Sean Widener

Kate Coffey

Katie Goffman and Devon Goffman

Julia Bogdanoff

Justin Waite and Jeff Cox

Devon Goffman and Paul Stancato

Paul Stancato and Zuri Washington

Leron Wellington and Paul Stancato

Leron Wellington and Zuri Washington

The Band that includes Jeff Cox (Musical Director), Nathan Dame, Lucas Colon, Joel Levy, Bob Dalpiaz, Matthew Herman, Russell Brown, Teddy Motz and Jim Waddell

Sarah Ellis, Noah Berry, Paul Stancato, Jack Cahill-Lemme and Stephanie Lynne Mason

Zuri Washington, Renee Marie Titus, Cece Morin, Paul Stancato, Cecily Dionne Davis and Alaysia Renee Duncan

Dwayne Washington, Renee Marie Titus, Justin Waite, Zuri Washington, Cece Morin, Damien DeShaun Smith, Leron Wellington, Alaysia Renay Duncan, Cory Simmons and Cecily Dionne Davis

Paul Stancato joins Dwayne Washington, Renee Marie Titus, Justin Waite, Zuri Washington, Cece Morin, Damien DeShaun Smith, Leron Wellington, Alaysia Renay Duncan, Cory Simmons and Cecily Dionne Davis

Justin Waite, Kate Coffey, Alaysia Renay Duncan and Sean Widener

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is directed and choreographed by Paul Stancato (Engeman Theater: The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Bronx Tale, Aida, In the Heights, Grease, Jekyll & Hyde,  Sound of Music, Hairspray; National Tours: The Wedding Singer, Disney’s The Lion King, Flashdance The  Musical, Jekyll and Hyde; Off-Broadway: Friends! The Musical Parody, ROCKSHOW, Happy 50-ish;  Regional: Drury Lane Chicago, The Public Theater Joe’s Pub, Timber Lake Playhouse, Grand Ole Opry,  Palm Beach Dramaworks & The Mint Theater).

The Cast and Creative of Beautiful The Carole King Musical

The York Theatre Company production of The Lieutenant, with book, music and lyrics by Chuck Strand, Eugene Curty, and Nitra McAuliffe, is the second offering of the Fall 2023 “Musicals in Mufti” series.

James Morgan, Nitra McAuliffe and Chuck Strand

James Morgan

The Band that includes- George Petersen, Gabriel Wareing, Eric Warton and Ryan McCausland

Chris Cardozo, Hana Culbreath, Dan Domenech, William Thomas Evans, Anthony Festa, Travis Kent, Cal Mitchell, Noah Christopher Ruebeck, Alyssa Marie Watkins and A.D. Weaver

Performances began Saturday afternoon, September 9, 2023 and will continue for 11 performances through Sunday, September 17, 2023.

Chris Cardozo

The cast features Chris Cardozo (Pretty Woman)

Hana Culbreath

Hana Culbreath (Annie)

Dan Domenech

Dan Domenech (Rock of Ages),

William Thomas Evans

William Thomas Evans (Desperate Measures)

Anthony Festa

Anthony Festa (Miss Saigon)

Travis Kent

Travis Kent (Disaster!)

Cal Mitchell

Cal Mitchell

Noah Christopher Ruebeck

Noah Christopher Ruebeck

Alyssa Marie Watkins

Alyssa Marie Watkins

A.D. Weaver

and A.D. Weaver.

Eric Svejcar, Bill Castellino and Victoria Casillo

The Lieutenant is directed and choreographed by Bill Castellino (York’s Desperate Measures) and Cagney), with music direction by Eric Svjecar (York’s Marry Harry and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown). The production team includes Associate Director and Choreographer Victoria Casillo (York’s How to Steal an Election), Lighting Designer John Salutz, Projections/Sound Designer Peter Brucker, Projections Co-Designer Matt Gurren, Associate Music Director George Peterson, Production Manager Aaron Simms, Production Coordinator Noah Glaister, Production Stage Manager Shanna Allison, Assistant Stage Manager Jade Doina, and Company Manager Tori Calderon-Caswell. Casting is by Michael Cassara, CSA.

Bill Castellino and A.D. Weaver

A.D. Weaver, Chris Cardozo

James Morgan, Bernard Carragher, Joan Ross Sorkin and Laurence Holzman

Gabriel Wareing, Eric Svejcar (Musical Director), George Petersen, Eric Wharton and Ryan McCausland

William Thomas Evans, Cal Mitchell, Hana Culbreath, Dan Domenech, Nitra McAuliffe, Anthony Festa, Chris Cardozo, Travis Kent and Chuck Strand

Marie Grace LaFerrara, Joseph Hayward, James Morgan, Seth Christenfeld, and Aaron Simms

Paula Vogel by Ken Fallin

Paula Vogel’s new play Mother Play, will star Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger. The show, begins outside Washington in 1962, and is about a strong-willed mother raising two children as the family relocates.

Jessica Lange

Lange, 74,  is a two-time Oscar winner (for “Tootsie” and “Blue Sky”) and won a Tony Award in 2016 for playing Mary Tyrone in a revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

Celia Keenan-Bolger

Keenan-Bolger, 45, is a four-time Tony nominee who won in 2019 for To Kill a Mockingbird.

Parsons, 50, last appeared on Broadway in a 2018 production of The Boys in the Band.

Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman. Photo by Paul Aphisit

Rehearsals have begun for Harmony – the new, original musical by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman with direction and choreography by Warren Carlyle. Harmony previews begin Wednesday, October 18, ahead of a Monday, November 13 official opening night.

Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, along with Warren Carlyle, welcomed the cast and creatives and acknowledged the many members of the company who are making their Broadway debuts with Harmony, including 5 of the 6 actors playing the Harmonists. The Harmonists, along with Chip Zien finished out the morning with a performance of the song “Stars in the Night.”

Ghostlight Records released the full digital cast recording of the upcoming Broadway production on Thursday, August 31. The album is produced by Barry Manilow, with Lawrence Manchester serving as co-producer.

Principal cast members include Chip Zien; Sierra Boggess; Julie Benko; the Comedian Harmonists Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman, and Steven Telsey; Allison Semmes and Andrew O’Shanick. The complete cast includes Zak Edwards, Dan Hoy, Bruce Landry, RhonniRose Mantilla, Daniel Z. Miller, Benjamin H. Moore, Matthew Mucha, Constantine Pappas, Kayleen Seidl, Kyla Stone, Bronwyn Tarboton, Kate Wesler, Stuart Zagnit, and Lee Zarrett.

The creative team for Harmony includes Beowulf Boritt (scenic design), Linda Cho & Ricky Lurie (costume design), Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer (lighting design), Dan Moses Schreier (sound design), batwin + robin productions (media design), Tom Watson (wig & hair design), Jamibeth Margolis, CSA (casting), Sara Edwards (associate director/choreographer), John O’Neill (music director), Michael Aarons (music coordinator), Doug Walter (orchestrations) and Scott Taylor Rollison (production stage manager).

Harmony features an original new score by legendary Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award^® winner Barry Manilow with lyrics and book by Drama Desk Award Winner, Bruce Sussman. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle (The Music Man, Hello Dolly!), this timely and captivating rags-to-riches story lost to history comes to dazzling life with a sensational cast of Broadway favorites.

Based on an unbelievable true story, Harmony tells the tale of the most successful entertainers you’ve never heard of. . . until now. In the 1920s and 30s, The Comedian Harmonists sold millions of records, made dozens of films, and sold-out the biggest theaters around the world.  Their heavenly harmonies and musical comedy antics catapulted these six talented young men from singing in the subway tunnels of Berlin to international superstardom.

Betty Who
Photo Credit: Andy Henderson

Philip Boykin
Photo Credit: Andy Henderson

International pop music sensation Betty Who and Tony® and Grammy Award® nominee Phillip Boykin took their first bow in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Hadestown as ‘Persephone’ and ‘Hades,’ respectively. Best known for her chart-topping singles such as “I Love You Always Forever” and “Somebody Loves You,” Hadestown marks Betty Who’s stage debut.

Hadestown currently stars Solea Pfeiffer as Eurydice, Grammy Award winner Reeve Carney as Orpheus and Tony Award winner Lillias White as Hermes. They are joined by Amelia Cormack, Lindsey Hailes, and Brit West as the Fates. The chorus of Workers is played by Emily Afton, Malcolm Armwood, Alex Lugo, Sayo Oni, and Alex Puette. The cast includes swings Brandon Cameron, Yael “YaYa” Reich, Eddie Noel Rodríguez, and Allysa Shorte.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Producer, Marie Grace LaFerrara, Managing Director) “Where Musicals Come to Life” will present two (2) exclusive industry readings of On the Flip Side by comedy writer Gary Apple on Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. Rather than focus on the songs of just one recording artist or group, this innovative jukebox musical cleverly integrates 14 famous one-hit wonders from 1960 to 2010, complemented with two original songs by Paul Libman and Gary Apple. The one-hit-wonders include Spirit In The Sky, Venus, Afternoon Delight, Macarena, The Windmills Of Your Mind, and many more favorites from 1960-2010.

On The Flip Side tells the story of Elijah, a self-centered singer who finds himself cursed with only one hit song. He’s compelled to sing it for thirty years at oldies festivals and shopping malls until a chance encounter with a quirky fortune teller sets him out on a quest of redemption to undo the curse.

The show reunites performers Christopher Sutton, Lyn Philistine, and Zak Risinger, who last starred together in the 2022 Las Vegas run of Gary Apple’s irreverent holiday musical Christmas in Hell—which premiered at The York in 2018. The line-up also features Lance Roberts (The Music Man, Sunset Boulevard), Honey Davenport (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Joel Blum (2x Tony Award nominee for Steel Pier, Show Boat), Iris Beaumier (The Little Prince), Kara Arena (Man of La Mancha), Jack Herholdt (The 39 Steps) and Shadia Fairuz (On Your Feet).

Christopher Scott is the director, who earlier this year directed Hip Hop Cinderella at The New Victory Theater. Musical Direction is by Logan Medland. Michael Vezo of “Mostly Musicals” is the producer.

For more information or any questions regarding attending these private industry presentations, please email boxoffice@yorktheatre.org.

The IGNITE Series Concert, will present in a renewed partnership with Prospect Theatre and National Asian Artists Project (NAAP). On Monday night, October 2, at 7:30pm Baked! The Musical – In Concert.

Baked! The Musical is a new musical about family, failure, and weed. Book, music and lyrics are by Jord Liu and Deepak Kumar. Featuring an all Asian American cast and a contemporary pop-rock score, this hilarious and heartwarming show reflects on self-worth and the question of what we owe the people we love. Here’s the gist:

Overachiever Jane Huang doesn’t get the scholarship that would send her to her dream college – but that doesn’t stop her! With the help of her best friend, Jane joins forces with the class degenerate to build the greatest cannabis edible empire ever run by high-schoolers. Kept in the dark are Jane’s parents, who struggle to maintain a profit at their Chinese bakery while coping with their only daughter leaving home.

The evening will star Claire Kwon (Almost Famous) as ‘Jane Huang’, with Lianah Sta. Ana (Miss Saigon) and Jason Ma (Pacific Overtures at Signature Theatre, author of Gold Mountain), and feature Prospect alumni artists, performer and writer Timothy Huang (American Morning) and MinJi Kim (Rule of Three), and Sushma Saha (1776), with additional cast members to be announced. The concert will be directed by Miranda Cornell, with music direction by Alexander Tom.

Click here for more info and to reserve tickets.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announced today the full cast and creative team for Swept Away. Featuring a book by Tony Award® winner John Logan (Red), with music and lyrics by “America’s Biggest Roots Band” (Rolling Stone) The Avett Brothers, this soul-stirring new musical will run November 25 – December 30, 2023, in Arena Stage’s Kreeger Theater. Press Night will be held on Wednesday, December 6 at 8 p.m.For information and tickets, please visit arenastage.org/sweptaway.

The Arena Stage production will reunite much of the team from the show’s Berkeley Repertory Theatre world premiere, which enjoyed a thrice-extended run in early 2022. It will be directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening)and star Tony Award winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening), Tony Award nominee Stark Sands (Kinky Boots), Adrian Blake Enscoe (Apple TV+’s Dickinson), and Wayne Duvall (1984).

“The true genius of Swept Away lies in how The Avett Brothers peel back the layers of uncertainty, vulnerability, hope, and self-discovery to reveal our fundamental humanity in this exquisite musical,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif.

Set in 1888, Swept Away follows four survivors—a young man in search of adventure (Enscoe), his big brother who has sworn to protect him (Sands), a captain at the end of a long career at sea (Duvall), and a worldly first mate who has fallen from grace (Gallagher)—after a violent storm sinks their whaling ship off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. How far will they go to stay alive? And can they live with the consequences? Described as “reverberating all the way into your core” (San Francisco Chronicle), this electrifying, soul-stirring musical explores how facing tragedy can open the door to forgiveness, if only we’ll let it.

Joining Duvall, Enscoe, Gallagher, and Sands onstage is a talented ensemble comprised of Hunter Brown (The Sound of Music National Tour), Matt DeAngelis (Broadway’s Waitress), Taurean Everett (Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Cameron Johnson (Broadway’s Into the Woods), Brandon Kalm (Broadway’s Waitress), Michael Mainwaring (Arena’s Smokey Joe’s Café), Orville Mendoza (Broadway’s Peter and the Starcatcher), Tyrone L. Robinson (Broadway’s Frozen), John Sygar (Kennedy Center’s Look Both Ways), and Jamari Johnson Williams (Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud).

In addition to Mayer, the Swept Away creative team includes Tony Award-nominated Choreographer David Neumann, Music Arranger & Orchestrator Chris Miller, Music Arranger & Orchestrator / Music Supervisor Brian Usifer, Music Director Will Van Dyke, Tony Award-winning Set Designer Rachel Hauck, Tony Award-winning Costume Designer Susan Hilferty, four-time Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Kevin Adams, Tony Award-winning Sound Designer John Shivers, New York Casting Director Jim Carnahan, Jillian Cimini, and Alexandre Bleau, CSA, DC Casting Director Joseph Pinzon, Stage Manager Matthew Leiner, and Assistant Stage Managers Alice M. Pollitt, Marne Anderson, and Jalon Payton.