THE SCREENING ROOM: Rated RSO Concert, With Derek Klena, Alex Brightman, Arielle Jacobs and More (Video)

By Michael Gioia
11 Feb 2013

Alex Brightman
Alex Brightman

Rated RSO: MT-17, featuring the work of composer-lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver, was offered Jan. 21 at Joe's Pub in New York City. Here are highlights from the concert.

The evening featured new tunes from Oliver's Jasper in Deadland, The Frog Prince Continued and the photography-inspired musical exhibition 35mm as well as old favorites from Darling and Mrs. Sharp.

Performers included Derek Klena (Dogfight), Alex Brightman (Wicked, Big Fish), Arielle Jacobs (In the Heights) and Bobby Steggert (Giant), Jessica Hershberg (Baby It's You!), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Hands on a Hardbody), Ben Crawford (Shrek), Julia Mattison (Godspell), Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon), Brian Charles Rooney (Threepenny Opera), Tori Huston-Elem (The Addams Family), Natalie Charle Ellis (Forbidden Broadway), Maggie Anderson, Jordon Boldon, Max Chernin, Dan DeLuca, Charles A. Franklin, Kerri George, Emily Hughes, Maxwell King, Tatiana Lofton, Jamen Nanthakumar, Hayley Anna Norris, Steve Raymond, Katy Rea, Emily Rogers and Noah Zachary.

Rated RSO: MT-17 featured direction by Travis Greisler with music direction by Will Van Dyke. The band included Matt Hinkley (guitar), Eric Day (bass), Allison Seidner (cello), Joel Waggoner (violin), Jeremy Yaddaw (drums). The creative team also included stage manager Kristina Vnook and lighting designer KJ Hardy; videography is by Shoshana Feinstein. 

Oliver is a 2009 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient and a 2008 Rodgers Award winner. He was also featured in Part One of Playbill's Contemporary Musical Theatre Songwriters You Should Know.

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"Why Must We Tell Them Why?" from 35mm:

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