New Musical Yank! Is Aiming for Broadway in 2010-11 Season

By Andrew Gans
31 Mar 2010

Bobby Steggert and Ivan Hernandez
Bobby Steggert and Ivan Hernandez
Photo by Carol Rosegg

The new musical Yank! A WWII Love Story, which was recently extended through April 4 at The York Theatre Company, is heading to Broadway.

Co-producers Maren Berthelsen, Pamela Koslow, Stuart Wilk, Matt Schicker, Hugh Hayes, Jim Kierstead, Sondra Healy, Shidan Majidi and Karl Held will bring the acclaimed musical to The Great White Way during the 2010-11 season. The Broadway mounting will cost approximately $5 million. The York, according to the New York Times, will not be one of the producers.

Neither casting nor theatre has been announced.

Co-creators Joe and David Zellnik told Playbill.com, "Yank! is a true labor of love for us. Words cannot describe how truly thrilled we are to now be headed to Broadway! We feel blessed to work with an incredibly talented creative team and cast, some of whom have been with Yank! through every stage of its development, and whose perseverance and faith in the show has been unflagging. Not to mention a team of wonderful and fearless producers who believe in the show so strongly that they will stop at nothing to help see that it reaches the widest possible audience."

Co-producer Wilk said in a statement, "[While Yank! is not] an overtly political musical, we’ve been mindful of 'don’t ask, don’t tell' moving right to the center of the national discussion. There has never been a better time on Broadway for a musical wartime love story that just happens to involve two G.I.’s."

Bobby Steggert, recently on Broadway in the revival of Ragtime, heads the York cast as Stu. He is joined onstage by Nancy Anderson (Wonderful Town, A Class Act), Jeffry Denman (White Christmas, The Producers), Ivan Hernandez (Romantic Poetry, The Fantasticks), Andrew Durand (Spring Awakening), Zak Edwards (Encores! No No Nanette), Todd Faulkner (PBS's "Wordscape"), Denis Lambert (A Chorus Line), Joseph Medeiros (Guys and Dolls, Grease), David Perlman (Calvin Berger at Barrington Stage), Christopher Ruth (Happy Days at Paper Mill/Goodspeed) and Tally Sessions (South Pacific).

Igor Goldin directs. The production also features music direction by John Baxindine and choreography by Jeffry Denman.

Yank! A WWII Love Story has music by Joseph Zellnik with book and lyrics by David Zellnik. According to the producers, the musical "chronicles the relationship between two servicemen long before 'Don't-ask-don't-tell' was part of the national discussion. With a lively score inspired by the pop sounds of the 1940s, Yank! captures the spirit and exuberance of the era as it explores questions of prejudice, courage and survival."

The production also boasts set design by Ray Klausen, costume design by Tricia Barsamian and lighting design by Ken Lapham.

The musical is co-produced by Maren Berthelsen, Pamela Koslow, Stuart Wilk, Matt Schicker, Hugh Hayes, Jim Kierstead, Sondra Healy and Shidan Majidi.

Tickets are available by calling (212) 935-5820 or by visiting www.yorktheatre.org. All performances will be at the company's home at The Theatre at Saint Peter's (54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).