NewsMason, Roman and Foster Join NAMT Festival; Casting Now CompleteKaren Mason, Eliseo Roman and Hunter Foster are among the latest additions to the roster of performers who will take part in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals.
By
Adam Hetrick
October 15, 2008
Karen Mason
Mason joins the cast of Pamela's First Musical as Aunt Louise, Roman is set for The Cuban and the Redhead, and Foster has been cast in See Rock City and Other Destinations.
In addition to newly announced casting for the industry-only festival, which takes place Oct. 20-21 at New World Stages, NAMT has also revealed newly added performers for its Songwriter Showcase on Oct. 21.
Set to perform works from emerging musical theatre writers are Liz Larsen (A New Brain), Elena Shaddow (The Light in the Piazza) and Michael Kadin Craig (Altar Boyz). Playwright David Henry Hwang will be on hand at the Songwriter Showcase to talk about his work with the writers of Victor Woo.
Xanadu's Anika Larsen has also joined the line-up for NAMT's A Toast to 20! benefit concert on Oct. 19 at Comix.
Complete casting for the 2008 NAMT selected musicals follows:
Barnstormer, featuring book and lyrics by Cheryl L. Davis and music by Douglas J. Cohen (The Big Time). Jerry Dixon (Laugh Whore, Once on This Island) directs a cast including Kenita Miller (Xanadu), Norm Lewis (The Little Mermaid), Julia Lema (Little Ham), Stu James (The Color Purple), C.E. Smith (The Full Monty), Glenn Turner (Five Guys Named Moe) and Rema Webb (The Lion King).
Beatsville, with music and lyrics by Wendy Leigh Wilf and a book by Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid). The musical is based on the film "A Bucket of Blood." Todd Buonopane (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Alli Mauzey (Cry-Baby), Stephen Buntrock (Grease), Hilary Gardner, Tommar Wilson (Hairspray), Cameron Barnett, Beth Malone (Marvelous Wonderettes), Richard Roland (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Stephen DeRosa (The Gershwins' An American in Paris), Marla Mindelle, Joe Kenosian and Dan Sherman appear in Beatsville, under the direction of Tony nominee Robert Longbottom (Side Show, Flower Drum Song).
The Cuban and the Redhead, penned by Broadway Backwards creators Robert Bartley and Danny Whitman. Robert Bartley directs High Fidelity star Jenn Colella as Lucy, opposite Gypsy's Tony Yazbeck as Desi in a cast that also features Eliseo Roman (In the Heights), Eileen Galindo, Michelle Blakely (Annie Get Your Gun), Jessica Carter, Miguel Cervantes, Hattie Davis, Morgan James, Jay Russell (The Play What I Wrote), Tim Salamandyk, Roland Rusinek, Philip D'Amore, Cheryl Stern and Kirsten Wyatt (Grease).
The Legend of Stagecoach Mary, created by Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore. Tony nominee Christopher Gatelli (South Pacific) directs Danielle Lee Greaves (Rent) in the title role. Stagecoach Mary also features Lauren Kennedy (Vanities), Madeleine Doherty (The Producers), Sarah Saltzberg (Spelling Bee), J. Austin Eyer (The Secret Garden), Josh Henry (In The Heights), Steve Kazee (110 in the Shade), Jose Llana (Spelling Bee), Jason Patrick Sands (A Chorus Line), David Driver and Nick Wyman (A Tale of Two Cities).
Ordinary Days, written by Adam Gwon. Legally Blonde's Kate Shindle and Kate Wetherhead join Jared Gertner (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and Adam Jacobs (Les Miserables) for Ordinary Days under the direction of Matt Toronto.
Pamela's First Musical, created by the Tony-winning trio of Wendy Wasserstein (book), David Zippel (lyrics) and Cy Coleman (music). Lyricist Zippel directs Mary Poppins' Lila Coogan as Pamela in a cast that also features Karen Mason (Mamma Mia!), Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys), Steven Bogardus (Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Falsettos), Karen Ziemba (Curtains), Lewis Stadlen (The Producers), Dan Bogart (Les Miserables), Dan Petrotta (A Tale of Two Cities), Devin Richards (A Tale of Two Cities), Adam Jacobs (Les Miserables), Deborah Lew (Beauty and the Beast), Allison Blackwell, Carrie A. Johnson and Allison Walla.
See Rock City & Other Destinations, with book and lyrics by Adam Mathias and music by Brad Alexander. Altar Boyz book writer Kevin Del Aguila directs the musical that will feature Skylar Astin (Spring Awakening), Hunter Foster (Frankenstein), Jill Abramovitz (Fame Becomes Me), John Jellison (All Shook Up), Cassie Wooley, David Rossmer (Titanic) and Wesley Taylor.
The Yellow Wood, with a book by Michelle Elliot, music by Danny Larsen and lyrics by both Elliot and Larsen. Brian Yorkey replaces B.D. Wong as the director of Yellow Wood, which features Danny Larsen, Melinda Bass, Randy Blair (Adding Machine), Bob De Dea, MaryAnn Hu (South Pacific), Diana Huey Morgan Weed (Saved) and Amy Linden.
Musicals previously presented in NAMT's Festival of New Musicals include Vanities, Dangerous Beauty, Emma, The Gypsy King, The Story of My Life, Tinyard Hill, The Drowsy Chaperone, Thoroughly Modern Millie, I Love You Because, Songs for A New World, Striking 12, Summer of '42, Ace, Children of Eden, Harold and Maude, Honk! and Meet John Doe.
The revival of the John Kander-Fred Ebb-Joe Masteroff musical opened at the August Wilson Theatre April 21, with Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin leading the cast.
