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Like You Like It, Musical Set in a 1980s Mall, Gets Premiere in NY Musical Theatre Fest Sept. 26-Oct. 4
By Kenneth Jones
26 Sep 2004
Like You Like It, the new musical that sets Shakespeare's As You Like It in a suburban mall in the 1980s, gets its world premiere in a full staging in The New York Musical Theatre Festival, Sept. 26-Oct. 3.
The title has proved popular in the fest: After selling out many of its six performances, two shows were added: 3 PM Sept. 28 and 4:30 PM Oct. 2.
The show by Sammy Buck (book and lyrics) and Daniel S. Acquisto (music) is billed as a "totally awesome mix of Shakespeare and John Hughes." Here, the quirky musical suggests "all the world's a mall."
Jen Bender directs the production at the Beckett Theatre in the Theatre Row complex. Choreography is by Stephen Nachamie. Sharon Fallon and Matt Wolf are producers.
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"Like You Like It takes place in 1985 at the brand new Arden Mall, where there is going to be a high school dance," according to production notes. "Straight-A babe Rosalind wants to go with varsity wrestler Orlando, but she is too shy to face him. Rosalind disguises herself as a frat dude named Corey and learns Orlando's true feelings for her. Things get tricky when 'Corey' complicates the lives of
three other couples at Arden, and Rosalind must show up at the dance as both herself and Corey."
The cast includes Michele Ragusa (Urinetown) and Joshua Park (Tom Sawyer), Rebecca Bellingham, Jason Blaine, Ayler Evan, Colby Foytik, Charlie Mechling, Michael Messer, Jonathan Monk, Tara Sands, Stephanie Schweitzer, Charly Seamon, Joanna Young and Monica Yudovich.
Gillian Berkowitz is the musical director.
Designers are Shoko Kambara (sets), Dave Swanson (sound), Andy Keegan (lights) and Vanessa Leuck (costumes).
Creators Buck and Acquisto were introduced to each other by Avenue Q creators Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez. Like You Like It was the 2004 winner of the inaugural National Music Theater Network and The Theater for the American Musical New Voices prize. Pieces of the show have been heard in the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, the ASCAP Workshop and elsewhere. It has been read and showcased at the Century Center's Musical Mondays, the National Alliance
for Musical Theatre and The York Theatre.
The performance schedule is Sept. 26 at 8 PM, Sept. 29 at 1 PM and 8 PM, Oct. 1 at 1 PM and 4:30 PM, Oct. 2 at 8 PM and October 3 at 1 PM and 4:30 PM.
All tickets are $15. The Beckett is at Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. For reservations please call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.nymf.org.
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