The presentation is part of New York Stage and Film's 2005 summer season of workshops and readings.
Dangerous Beauty has music by Michele Brourman, book by Jeannine Dominy and lyrics by Amanda McBroom, and is directed by Sheryl Kaller.
The show is described as a "new musical set in the opulent, decadent world of 16th century Venice. A beautiful young woman treads the only available path to education, power and her upper class lover by taking on the life of a courtesan. Based on the movie of the same name, also written by Jeannine Dominy."
Both Powers and McGinnis starred in the recent Broadway musical Little Women. Skinner's credits include The Full Monty and Dinner at Eight.
* Also scheduled for the season at Vassar College is Behind The Limelight, with music, book and lyrics by Christopher Curtis, directed by Michael Unger. Limelight promises that "the wounded youth, the idealist, the cad and the genius all come together in this musical exploration of one of film's great enigmas and greatest legends, Charlie Chaplin." It runs July 21-24 at the Martel. Luther Creek plays Chaplin.
As previously reported, the latest work by recent Pulitzer Prize-winner John Patrick Shanley, titled Chain of Command, will be given a workshop July 29-31 at the Powerhouse Theatre. Chris Cooper will star.
The new drama is about "two officers who clash over an explosive incident." Shanley, who has directed his own work on occasion, will stage the piece. No cast has been selected. Doug Hughes directed the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Doubt.
Another late edition to the NYS&F 2005 season is Jeff Whitty's new comedy The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabbler, which will be part of the Powerhouse's Second Reading Festival the weekend of July 22-24. Whitty is the Tony-winning librettist of Avenue Q.
Next up is Blue Door by Tanya Barfield, telling of "the ghosts of one family’s past [as they] come alive to reveal a history of heartbreak and pain in post Civil War America." Dates are July 6-9. Lastly at the Powerhouse, July 13-16, is Big Wyoming, a new work by David Neipris, directed by Hal Brooks, about "a Romanian philosopher in the twilight of his life [who] relives memories of Paris, his one great love and the painful consequences of his youthful ideas."
Under the category of "Special Presentations" come two short presentations at the Powerhouse: Anna and Mee by Randle Mell, directed by Max Mayer; and Love Child, written by the actors Dan Jenkins and Robert Stanton, and directed by David Warren. In Love Child, Jenkins and Stanton will "portray everyone on stage, backstage and in the house on one disastrous night at the theatre."
The entire season will run from June 17 to July 31.
NYS&F's 2004 season reaped remarkable benefits. Among the presentations—all of which subsequently traveled to New York, or were announced for future New York productions—were Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, the musical Good Vibrations, The Argument by Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros and Fran's Bed by James Lapine.
