With Glee is the first musical developed at the New York University Tisch Graduate Musical Writing Program to be produced at the Skirball Center. The production is a partnership between the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and Skirball Center, a professional presenter and producer of live performance.
Book, music and lyrics are by John Gregor, based on his own experiences at The Oxford Academy in Connecticut. Gregor's children's show Pinkalicious recently began an open-ended run at the Soho Playhouse. Gregor is a graduate of the Tisch program and wrote With Glee while he was a student there.
Ryan Mekenian, a recent graduate of Tisch, directs a cast featuring Justin Bellero, Greg Kenna, Liz Kerins, Dan Lawler, Michael Miller, Kevin Murphy and Ryan Speakman. The entire cast consists of NYU students and recent NYU graduates.
According to production notes, "With Glee follows five 13-year-old boys — Nathaniel, an awkward trouble maker; Clay, an introvert; Chip, a theatre nut; Sam, a poor kid from Pittsburgh; and Scott, a rich WASP — who are sent to Westbrook Academy in Maine. Always struggling against overbearing parents and teachers, the five bond as they try to break out of school, steal the headmaster's car — and put on a musical."
* The creative team consists of Billy Griffin (choreographer), Lindsay Weiner (musical director), Rob Hartmann (orchestrations), Chris Ford (set design), Tricia Barsamian (costume design), Jon Dunkle (lighting design) and Benjamin Furiga (sound design). Griffin, Weiner, Ford and Barsamian are all graduates of NYU's Tisch School.
Lyricist and composer John Gregor received a 2004 Frederick Loewe Reading for his musical With Glee. He is also composer and co-lyricist of Pinkalicious The Musical, based on the book by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann. His musical adaptation of Gogol's tragicomic short story "The Overcoat" has been presented in London at the Bridewell Theatre, Barrington Stage Company and The New York International Fringe Festival. He has also co-written several children's musicals for the Vital Theatre Company, including The Changeling and The Bully.
Gregor holds an MFA in musical theatre writing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and a degree in musical theatre from Emerson College.
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is located at 566 LaGuardia Place (Washington Square South). Tickets are $15 for the public and free for NYU students. They may be purchased online at www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu, in person at the box office (566 LaGuardia Place, Tuesday-Saturday noon-6 PM), or by calling Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200.
