In the Age of "Glee," Goodspeed Will March Out Band Geeks! in 2010

By Kenneth Jones
24 Nov 2009

Band Geeks!, a new musical about high school musician-marchers, will get a developmental full production by Goodspeed Musicals at its intimate Norma Terris Theatre in spring 2010.

Emerging at a time when TV's musical series "Glee" — about a high school glee club — is popular, this new musical about a teen marching band was tested in Goodspeed's 2009 Festival of New Artists and got a presentation in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's 2009 Festival of New Musicals.

Performances under the direction of Gordon Greenberg will play the Norma Terris in Chester, CT, May 13-June 6, 2010.

Band Geeks! features music by Mark Allen, Gaby Alter and Tommy Newman with lyrics by Gaby Alter and Tommy Newman, and book by Tommy Newman and Gordon Greenberg. The concept is by Tommy Newman.

The show is billed as "a high-stepping tribute to high school marching bands and misfits everywhere."

According the Goodspeed, "With just nine members and dwindling funds, the Cuyahoga High Marching Beavers are close to extinction. When a troubled athlete is relegated to their ranks, Elliott, the tuba-playing band captain and Laura, his best friend, must find a way to unite the band, embrace their inner geek and save the Marching Beavers. A rousing and triumphant musical for all ages!"

Director Greenberg returns to Goodspeed where he directed the 2006 production of Pirates of Penzance and the 2008 comedy Half a Sixpence as well as The Norma Terris Theatre and Opera House productions Happy Days The New Musical.

Band Geeks! will be produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price.

in January 2009, Band Geeks! was part of Goodspeed's 2009 Festival of New Artists. "Since then the writing team has been working together to develop and fine tune" the show, "through work with the Music Theatre Program at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford."

Casting will be announced. Tickets for Band Geeks! will go on sale in early 2010. For more information call the Goodspeed box office at (860) 873-8668 or online at www.goodspeed.org.

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Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre, Goodspeed Musicals produces three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT, and additional productions at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, CT, which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals.

The only regional theatre to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement), Goodspeed also maintains the Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater.