AMAS PRESENTS A FREE STAGED PRESENTATIONS OF AESOP & company – Dec 16 – 18

AMAS MUSICAL THEATRE

Donna Trinkoff/Producing Artistic Director

in association with Randall L. Wreghitt

PRESENTS FREE STAGED PRESENTATIONS OF

AESOP & company

music by JOHN MCMAHON lyrics by JAY JEFFRIES

book by JOHN MCMAHON and JAY JEFFRIES

starring

JOSH GRISETTI as Aesop BRAD OSCAR as King Croesus

and

HEIDI BLICKENSTAFF KIMBERLY FAURÉ JENNIFER FRANKEL

JOHN CHRISTOPHER JONES ALLI MAUZEY SEAN MCKNIGHT

AMBER OWENS BLAIR ROSS JOSH ROUAH DANNY RUTIGLIANO JENNIFER SMITH EDWARD WATTS ANTHONY WAYNE

Music Director ERIC STERN Choreography by WARREN CARLYLE

Directed by JAY BINDER

DECEMBER 16 @ 3:00pm; DECEMBER 17 @ 11:00am & 3:00pm;

DECEMBER 18 @ 10:30am

NEW 42nd STREET STUDIOS, 229 WEST 42nd STREET

New York: Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff/Producing Artistic Director), in association with Randall L. Wreghitt, will present free performances of “Aesop and Company”, a new musical with book and lyrics by Jay Jeffries, book and music by John McMahon, directed by Jay Binder. The performances will take place on Thursday, December 16th at 3:00pm, Friday, December 17th at 11:00am and 3:00pm, and Saturday, December 18th at 10:30am at New 42nd Street Studios, 229 West 42nd Street.

“Aesop and Company” is a comic tale of how the famed fabulist’s career was launched, an evil king’s plots foiled, and a gorgeous slave woman wooed and won. The presentations are part of the ongoing Amas Lab and Workshop Series, a development program for writers, lyricists and composers to develop and advance their new musicals. These four performances are being offered free to the public.

““Aesop & Company” is the fable behind the fables and it has it all”, says Donna Trinkoff, Amas’s Producing Artistic Director. “The story is meticulously crafted and very funny; the music and lyrics are witty, charming and absolutely delightful,” she adds. “It’s a true homage to classical musical theatre and with the creative team and cast we’ve assembled, audiences will have a ball”.

“Aesop and Company” is the latest collaboration between veteran composer/pianist/music director John McMahon (“Satan’s School for Girls”) and writer/lyricist Jay Jeffries (“That’s My New York!” and “Friends Like These”, with Mr. McMahon). Jay Binder’s multi-faceted career includes stage direction of “Present Laughter” for the Acting Company, and “Rex”, “Best Foot Forward”, “Androcles and the Lion”, and “Jumbo” for the York Theatre, as well as casting for scores of Broadway shows. Warren Carlyle (“Finian’s Rainbow”, “A Tale of Two Cities”) is choreographer and Eric Stern (“Shrek”, “Xanadu”, etc.) is music director.

The show stars Josh Grisetti (“Enter Laughing”) as Aesop and Brad Oscar (“The Producers”, “Young Frankenstein”, etc.) as King Croesus, and features Heidi Blickenstaff (“[title of show]”), Kimberly Fauré, Jennifer Frankel (“Curtains”), John Christopher Jones (“Heartbreak House”, “Otherwise Engaged”, etc.), Alli Mauzey (“Cry Baby”, “Wicked”), Sean McKnight (“Curtains”), Amber Owens (“Mary Poppins”), Blair Ross (“42nd Street, “Stormy Weather” at Amas), Josh Rouah (“Wicked”, “South Pacific” National Tour), Danny Rutigliano (“The Lion King”, “Kismet”), Jennifer Smith (“The Drowsy Chaperone”, The Producers”, etc.), Edward Watts (“The Fantasticks”), and Anthony Wayne (“Anyone Can Whistle” at Encores!, “A Chorus Line” National Tour).

Theatre programs at Amas are supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years building strong, creative communities in New York’s 62 counties, and by the ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Fund, the BMI Foundation, the Barbara Bell Cummings Foundation, the Dramatists Guild, the Edith Meiser Fund, the Shubert Foundation, and through the generous support of many individuals.