Off-Broadway's York Theatre has revealed the three productions that will be part of its New2NY series this spring.
The three musicals, previously unseen in New York, will be minimally staged. This year's lineup will include Platinum Dreams (March 8-16), Who Is Jimmy Pants? (March 22-30), and According to Howard (April 5-13). The first New2NY presentations were seen in 2008, in a series that included In Transit prior to its Broadway run.
Set in 1977, with a score encompassing 70’s rock, 40’s big-band, and a contemporary theatre sound, Platinum Dreams follows Lila Halliday, a musical movie star of the 1940’s hoping to make a comeback by recording her first-ever solo album; Dan Hardin, a hot rock ‘n’ roll star looking to keep his relevance on the charts; and Jamie Stiles, a record producer/studio owner who is Dan’s former writing partner and former lover. Platinum Dreams will be directed by York Interim Artistic Director Joseph Hayward, with music direction by David Klodowski. Casting will be by Michael Cassara Casting.
Platinum Dreams, with a book by Stevie Holland, music by Gary William Friedman, lyrics by Will Holt, and additional lyrics by Stevie Holland (adapted from Platinum by Holt and Bruce Vilanch and Sunset by Holt), will be presented in association with 150 Music Productions, Lyle Saunders, Ken Inadomi, and Melinda Wolfe.
Who Is Jimmy Pants?, a satire of bio-jukebox musicals, spans the 60s to the 2000s and describes itself as Spinal Tap meets The Drowsy Chaperone, poking fun at the current slew of jukebox musicals while also paying homage to the joy they bring audiences.
Who Is Jimmy Pants? features music and lyrics by Joseph Church and a book and lyrics by Jeff Bienstock. Directed by Stephen Nachamie (Dear Jack, Dear Louise; She Loves Me), with musical direction by Benjamin Weiss, the production is executive-produced by Kierstead Productions, Inc./Jim Kierstead. Casting will be by Michael Cassara Casting.
Closing the series will be According to Howard. The musical dives into the unique life and times of one of the most controversial individuals of the 20th Century: Howard Robard Hughes, Jr.. Once one of the richest men in the world, whose every action became front page news, Hughes' later years were marked by increasingly eccentric behavior caused in part by his worsening obsessive-compulsive disorder, chronic pain, and paranoia.
With music by Jim Scully, a book by Frank Evans with revisions by Jennifer Paulson-Lee and Scully, and lyrics by Evans with additional lyrics by Chad Gorn, According to Howard will be directed by Jennifer Paulson-Lee, with music direction and arrangements by Scott Cady. Casting will be by Jason Styres/The Casting Collaborative.
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