The six-character musical will feature Anita Gillette, Lea DeLaria, Randy Jones, Marie-France Arcilla and Harrison Chad.
The concert represents the premiere showing of Bingo City, which follows "one Bingo-crazed Grandma's cross-country road trip as she tries to save St. Francis Retirement Center," according to the creators. "If a nun, several Elvises, a group of Hell's Angels, and others can help Grandma Bingo get to Bingo City, Texas in time, she just might win the $2 million prize to save the home."
The show is based on a story by Lance Sticksel and features music by Alan Cancelino and book and lyrics by Jenne Wason.
Leigh Silverman, whose recent credits include Well at The Public Theater, and Oedipus at Palm Springs at New York Theatre Workshop, will direct.
Catherine "Grandma Bingo"” Baladucci will be played by Broadway veteran Anita Gillette (Chapter Two, Mr. President). Her crotchety sidekick Sister E will be renowned genre-hopping comedic performer Lea DeLaria (On the Town). Randy Jones, the original cowboy from the Village People, will be taking on the role of Wink Wonders — "washed-up one-hit pop country star from the 70s, who is exploiting his former fame and popularity with the blue-hairs as host of a Bingo TV game show."
Newcomer Marie-France Arcilla, soon to be seen in The Ark Off-Broadway, is Rita Sanchez, the conniving Reigning Bingo City Bingo Queen.
Rounding out the cast is 12-year-old Broadway regular Harrison Chad (Caroline, Or Change, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Best, Peter Pan) who plays Catherine's grandson Junior Baladucci.
In addition to their primary roles, all actors except for Gillette double as various road trip characters including a country singer, a Texas sheriff, some showgirls, and Elvis impersonators.
Writing team Cancelino and Wason originally met in the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Their dramatic musical The White Rose has been seen in development at The Public Theater, Wright State University, and at The Tank in the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival.
The NYMF concert of Bingo City will be presented in abbreviated concert form, which will run under an hour. "A majority of the show's songs will be performed, and the story will be told through narration and snippets of dialogue," according to the creators.
"We decided to do a concert rather than a full reading to give a quick taste of what the show is all about, writer Jenne Wason said in a statement. "Between NYMF, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival, and the new theatre season there's a lot going on in New York right now. Our narrated concert gives the audience a chance to get to know our show in record time; to let loose and enjoy this musical road trip before heading out to their next event."
Bingo City will be presented in two free concerts on Sept. 23 at 2 PM and 4 PM at Theatre Row's Studio Theatre on West 42nd Street. To make a reservation, email [email protected] or call (646) 373-4779. For more information www.bingocitymusical.com or www.nymf.org.
