City Canyons, a new musical scheduled to open April 30 at the Gene Frankel Theatre, will preview music from the show on March 16 at Tribeca Blues in Manhattan. There, the City Canyons band, C.C. Special, will perform music from the show at 9:30 PM.

The band C.C. Special has been playing City Canyons music at a number of clubs to generate awareness. Production sources said these live performances are intended to develop a "following to crossover into their audience when the show opens April 30."

In the musical itself, an Oklahoma cowboy, working in New York City's East Village as a bouncer is the central character in City Canyons. The story focuses on the diversity of the East Village in the '70s and '80s, and the drama revolves around a conflict between the cowboy and a former stockbroker turned powerful drug lord.

C.C. Special is a 11-piece band led by City Canyons composer Stephen McConnaughey. An accomplished musician, McConnaughey recalls his early exposure to the Motown sound at Detroit's Village nightclub and credits that inspiration with prompting him to chose a musical career. Having opened for such bands as The Who, Cream, Jefferson Airplane and The James Gang with his band Iron Horse Exchange in the '60’s-'70s, McConnaughey also toured with The Coasters before he started performing guitar with several Off-Broadway productions.

C.C. Special features co-bandleader and arranger Ken Fradley, Kurt Weiss, Robert Aron, Cornelius Bumpus (played with Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan), Tehran Cole (played for Broadway's Dream Girls), Andrew Burns, Larry Eagle & Art Lillard, Shelly Riff, Marcus Maurice (Dream Girls) and Thirsty Dave. Admission for the March 16 show is $10. Tribeca Blues is located at 16 Warren Street between Broadway and Church Streets. For information vivit www.citycanyons.com.

-- By Murdoch McBride