The 8 PM evening spotlights several up-and-coming musicals: Concertgoers can expect interviews with the writing teams of the dawning musicals as well as performances from those productions. The featured shows include Blake Edwards, Lisa Lampert and Greg Morrison's Big Rosemary; Cy Coleman, David Zippel and Wendy Wasserstein's Pamela's First Musical; Adam Mathias and Brad Alexander's See Rock City; Michael Zam, Jack Lechner and Andy Monroe's The Kid; and Barry Harman and Grant Sturiale's Under Fire.
The evening will also present a second look at Brian Hill and Neil Bartram's The Story of My Life, which will make its Broadway premiere in 2009. Authors Hill and Bartman will discuss the show's evolution, and its stars, Will Chase and Malcolm Gets, will perform.
Others who will bring these various shows to life are Jill Abramovitz, Skylar Astin, Neil Ben Ari, Christian Borle, Cady Huffman, Troy Britton Johnson, Lucas Steele, Phoebe Strole and Patrick Wetzel.
Host Liz Callaway, most recently on Broadway in The Look of Love, made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, and she also took part in the anniversary concert of that musical. For her work in the musical Baby, she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and her other Broadway credits include The Three Musketeers, Miss Saigon and Cats. Callaway's solo recordings include "The Beat Goes On," "Anywhere I Wander—Liz Callaway Sings Frank Loesser" and "The Story Goes On." She is also currently at work on a new solo disc for the PS Classics label.
The Merkin Concert Hall is located at 129 West 67th Street in Manhattan. Visit www.merkinconcerthall.org for ticket information.