PITTSFIELD, MA – Under the mentorship of Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn, Barrington Stage Company is proud to announce the third exciting season of its acclaimed Musical Theater Lab. Developed by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd in conjunction with Finn in 2006, the Lab is designed to nurture and assist musical theater writers, composers, and lyricists as they create new works. These musicals, when fully developed, will result in workshops and/or full presentations. Since its founding, the Musical Theatre Lab has already presented six original/new musicals/revues, in addition to numerous readings and workshops.
Audiences should note that there is a new performance venue for Barrington Stage Company’s Musical Theatre Lab and Stage II: The VFW Hall, 36 Linden Street (one block west of North Street) in Pittsfield. Built in 1970 the VFW hosts a fully-accessible 99-seat performance space on street level with free parking.
“We’ve hit the ground running, introducing our largest Musical Theatre Lab season yet. Not only are we presenting three new musicals, a staged reading and a workshop but we’re also introducing two evenings in concert, featuring the songs of young songwriters who have original voices. We’re presenting the best songwriters we know to Pittsfield, and then the world,” said William Finn.
This year’s exciting Musical Theatre Lab lineup opens June 18 through July 5 with the musical The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, followed by a Korean rock musical My Scary Girl from July 9 through 26, and from August 7 through 24 See Rock City & Other Destinations, winner of this year’s Richard Rodgers Musical Theatre Award. Special events include Mary Testa and Michael Starobin’s Sleepless Variations, a staged reading of WATT!?!, a new musical in the early stages of development and two evenings in concert, featuring songs of Michael R. Jackson and Niko Tsakalakos.
The performance schedule is Wednesday through Friday evening at 7:30pm, Saturday at 4 and 8pm, Sunday at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15 for the first two previews, while other performances are $25-$30 and are on sale now. Student tickets for the Sat. at 4pm matinees are $15. For information on a Musical Theater Lab pass, call 413-236-8888 or online at www.barringtonstageco.org.
Details on the 2008 Musical Theatre Lab schedule are as follows:
June 18 through July 5 The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Book by Joe Calarco, Music by Chris Miller; Lyrics by Nathan Tysen Inspired by the book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg Directed by Joe Calarco From the creators of the 2006 hit musical, The Burnt Part Boys. A full production of last summer’s popular workshop! Years ago Harris Burdick, a writer, left a series of astonishing sketches at a publisher’s office promising to return the next day with their accompanying stories. He never returned. Inspired by Chris Van Allsburg’s famous illustrated book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick offers one explanation for the man’s disappearance, taking the audience on a wild ride through wonder, fear, and the imagination.
Performances at VFW Hall, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield.
July 9 – 26 My Scary Girl
Book by Kyoung-ae Kang and Mark St. Germain Lyrics by Kyoung-ae Kang Music by Will Aronson Based on the Korean film My Scary Girl Think Little Shop of Horrors meets So I Married an Axe Murderer meets (a Korean) Gertrude Stein. A romance/comedy/horror story set in Seoul , Korea , with a sensational contemporary musical theatre score—laugh-out-loud funny! Note to press: Workshop production. Advance interviews possible, but no reviews at this point in time.
Performances at VFW Hall, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield.
August 7 – 23 See Rock City & Other Destinations
Book and lyrics by Adam Mathias Music by Brad Alexander Directed by Kevin Del Aguila (Funked Up Fairy Tales) Fueled by a brilliant pop-rock score, See Rock City & Other Destinations ventures to tourist destinations across America , mapping out stories of sightseers who need to get a little lost in order to find themselves. Winner of the 2007 Jerry Bock Award and the 2008 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre.
Performances at VFW Hall, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield.
SPECIAL EVENTS: WATT!?! staged reading
Book and Lyrics by David Javerbaum Music by Brendan Milburn Directed by Jonathan Bernstein Saturday, May 24 at 4pm; Sunday, May 25 at 7pm This high-energy rock and roll musical tells the story of one of the least rockin’ people of the 20th century: James Watt, the man best known for his tumultuous 38-month reign as Ronald Reagan’s first Secretary of the Interior. Watt was one of the most controversial Cabinet secretaries in United States history, detested both politically and personally. Profoundly ironic, Watt!?! lets James Watt, and his loyal wife, Leilani, tell their own story with a combination of sympathy and unintentional hilarity, in a musical idiom that is profoundly, profoundly inappropriate. From David Javerbaum, the former head writer of The Daily Show and lyricist of Cry Baby and Brendan Milburn, keyboards/vocalist for GrooveLily.
Performances at VFW Hall, 36 Linden St, Pittsfield.
Special Event: WHY I DON’T SLEEP AROUND Michael R. Jackson in Concert Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19 at 8pm
Songwriter extraordinaire. O, to be young, black and gay in Detroit and New York City ! We’re afraid of and delighted by what’s going to come out of Michael’s mouth next—be there and see!
Performances at Dottie’s Coffee House, 444 North Street, Pittsfield. Food and beverages available.
Special event: SONGS OF A NIGHT OWL Nikos Tsakalakos in Concert Thursday, July 24, Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 at 8pm
Once you’ve worked poolside at the Hotel Bel Air, life takes on a whole new meaning! He used to be called the Greek Neil Diamond, now he’s singular. Nikos writes astounding songs that will make you sit up straight and purr with pleasure.
Performances at Dottie’s Coffee House, 444 North Street, Pittsfield. Food and beverages available.
SLEEPLESS VARIATIONS with Mary Testa and Michael Starobin Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, August 3 at 8pm
Join Broadway star Mary Testa (Xanadu) and noted orchestrator Michael Starobin (Falsettos, Spelling Bee) as they tell the tale of a woman’s sleepless night of fears, fantasies and dreams, expressed through a cycle of songs by composers as varied as Jimi Hendrix, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Bjork. Tickets $15 (first preview); Friday and Sunday night $25 and Saturday $30.
Performances at VFW Hall, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield.