War, Muslim Relations, Xenophobia and the struggles of disenfranchised youth are among the contemporary themes highlighted in Les Enfants de Paris, a world premiere musical premiering October 3rd as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Donna Drake directs a cast of seven including, Adam Halpin (Glory Days), Nadine Malouf , Sevan Greene (Aftermath, Betrayed), Megan Reinking (Million Dollar Quartet, Hair, Boardwalk Empire), Jed Resnick (Avenue Q), Dan Kohler (Blue Man Group), and Blake Segal. Seven performances will be held at the TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor, NYC 10018 beginning October 3, 2011.
The youngest writing team in this year’s festival, David Levinson (music / lyrics) and Stacey Weingarten (book) have created a chanson and Arab-influenced score and libretto for Les Enfants de Paris. The streets of Paris are not safe after young Pierre Frollo’s love for a fiery Muslim refugee sparks a series of cataclysmic events in this riveting musical about love and relationships, which re-sets Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris amongst the disenfranchised youth and xenophobia of France 1958, and the Algerian War for Independence.
Les Enfants de Paris is presented by Chinese Mother Jewish Daughter Productions, with general management by Stuart Shefter. Rachel Routh is associate producer. Director/Additional Development: Donna Drake;Â Music Director: Mark Hartman; Choreographer: Rhonda Miller; Set Designer: Ann Bartek; Lighting Designer: Brian Tovar; Costume Designer: Kurt Alger; Sound Designer: Michael Eisenberg; Production Stage Manager: Robert Levinstein; Stage Manager: Tom Kosis; Casting: Michael Cassara, CSA; Publicity: Paul Siebold.
Donna Drake (Director / Additional Development) is known as one of the busiest directors in New York, Los Angeles, and regionally. Among her numerous directing credits are Newsical, Boobs! The Musical!, Christmas with the Crawfords, Romance in the Dark, Are You There God? It’s Me, Ann-Margaret, Nothing Like a Dame (BC/EFA), and the current family hit, John Tartaglia’s Imaginocean. She was the director of last year’s NYMF audience award winning show Things As They Are.  She has choreographed Catherine Zeta Jones for the American Film Institute Awards in 2009 and The AFI 2011 honoring Morgan Freeman and starring Betty White. She also served as choreographer for two seasons of the Disney Channel’s Emmy nominated Johnny and the Sprites. As a performer she has appeared in the Broadway original casts of A Chorus Line, Sophisticated Ladies, Woman of the Year, The Wind in the Willows, The 1940’s Radio Hour, and 5, 6, 7, 8…DANCE! Her work is the recipient of four Drama Desk nominations, a MAC Award nomination, an Emmy nomination, an Off Broadway Alliance Nomination, a Nightlife nomination, and a Theatre World Award.
David Levinson (Music and Lyrics) has written music and lyrics for finished shows Báthory  and Les Enfants de Paris. David is also currently working on music and lyrics for Boys Lost, The Elliot’s…, and Who Is Prester John? which are in development.  Film scoring: The Missing Piece (Leila Manion dir.).  Live theater scoring: The Boy Who Wanted To Be A Robot (written by Edward Einhorn, produced by Evolve co.).  Music direction: Aida, Cabaret, Infa
Stacey Weingarten (Book) wears many hats, mostly cloches. Having graduated in May 2010 from Fordham Lincoln Center with a degree in Theatre Directing and Communications (and a minor in Ancient Greek!), she is currently making her Off-Broadway debut puppeteering “Bubbles†in John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean. Les Enfants marks her first book for a musical though she is also hard at work on several more including Boys Lost, Back in the Day,and The Elliots. Favorite credits include: Johnny and the Sprites (PA, Playhouse Disney), Sesame Street (Asst Wrangler, Jim Henson Co), Once There Was A Boy (Puppet Co-Design/Bebel, Fordham Alumni Co), The Whole World and You(Puppeteer, Atlantic Records). Stacey is also still honing her directing craft by adapting a rock opera concept album for the stage and developing her puppet piece “Oscar†(which began development at the O’Neill Puppetry Conference). www.staceyweingarten.com.
Performances are scheduled for Oct. 3 at 8pm, Oct. 4 at 9pm, Oct. 10 at 5pm and 9pm, Oct. 12 at 5pm, and Oct. 15 at 5pm and 9pm.
The TBG Theatre is located at 312 W36 St, 3rd floor. Â For more information please visit www.lesenfantsmusical.com or www.nymf.org/lesenfantsdeparis
For tickets and more information about the 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival, visit www.nymf.org.
Now in its eighth year, the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is the largest annual musical theatre event in America and is widely regarded as the essential source for new material and talent discovery. NYMF provides a launching pad for the next generation of musicals and ensuring their creators the continued vitality of one of America’s greatest art forms. Hailed as the “Sundance of Musical Theatre,” NYMF discovers, nurtures, and promotes promising musical theatre artists and producers at all stages of development, and inspires a diverse audience through vibrant, accessible, powerful new work.
NYMF is the flagship program of National Music Theater Network, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. NYMF 2011 is presented in association with BroadwayWorld.com, Production Resource Group and TheaterMania.com. Major supporters include The ASCAP Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., The Broadway League, The BWF Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation with the support and encouragement of Jamie Ariel Phinney, The Charlie & Jane Fink Charitable Fund, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Theater League. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. NYMF is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
NYMF Memberships, which combine charitable contributions with valuable, flexible ticket packages and perks like early seating, and tickets to individual events are currently available for purchase at (212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org. Single tickets for Festival events will go on sale September 1.
Press nights begin after the first performance. Artwork and photos are available at www.nymf.org.
WAR, MUSLIM RELATIONS, XENOPHOBIA AND
DISENFRANCHISED YOUTH ARE CENTERSTAGE IN
Les Enfants de Paris
A World Premiere Musical Presented by
The New York Musical Theatre Festival and
Chinese Mother Jewish Daughter Productions
Music and Lyrics by David Levinson
Book by Stacey Weingarten
Directed/Additional Development by Donna Drake
October 3 – October 15, 2011 (7 Performances)
Monday, Oct 3rd, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Tuesday, Oct 4th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Monday, Oct 10th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Monday, Oct 10th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Wednesday, Oct 12th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Saturday, Oct 15th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Saturday, Oct 15th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
TBG Theatre
312 West 36th Street, NYC 10018
Tickets: $25. For tickets, visit nymf.org
Facebook
Twitter:Â @EnfantsMusical
www.lesenfantsmusical.com
Runtime: 2:15, with one intermission
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