Tuesday, June 12, 2007; Posted: 2:47 PM - by BWW News Desk
Double Play Connections and Meredith Lucio will present the world premiere production of a new musical, Take Me America, directed by Gregg Wiggans, with musical direction by Nate Patton, about asylum in America, inspired by the P.O.V. documentary Well-Founded Fear.
Take Me America will
play 6-shows only at the WorkShop Theatre (312 West 36th Street, 4th
Fl.). Performances begin Monday, July 16 and continue through Friday,
August 3 as part of the eighth annual Midtown International Theatre
Festival.
"Follow
nine refugees in their quest for asylum in the US and the three INS
agents who decide their fate. Do they stay or do they go? How would
you decide? Get it wrong and you might as well sentence them to
death.... or worse. Inspired by true stories from the asylum process;
stories of life and death. They are real, sometimes humorous, but
always compelling," as press notes describe.
The cast includes several Broadway veterans: Ana Andricain (Marie Christie, Beauty and the Beast), Eric Chan (Flower Drum Song, Miss Saigon, Shogun the Musical, Anything Goes), Michelle Liu Coughlin, Jan Leslie Harding (The Green Bird, founding member of the Bat Theatre Company at The Flea), Mike Mitchell, Jr., Ellen Mittenthal, Natasha Tabandera (Bombay Dreams, Mamma Mia, Miss Saigon) and Ernest Williams.
The
show has book and lyrics by Bill Nabel and music by Bob Christianson.
The production features choreography by Denny Paschall and dramaturgy
by Peter Flynn.
The production features costume design by Michael Piatkowski and lighting design by Amanda Woodward. Ms. Woodward is the stage manager.
Tickets are $18 and are now available online at www.SmartTix.com or by calling 212-868-4444. More information can be found at www.takemeamerica.com.
The musical revue Chuckleball: Jailhouse Jocks will begin a limited engagement at Off-Broadway's Snapple Theater Center Oct. 24.
The production will officially open at the midtown Manhattan venue — which is currently home to The Fantasticks and Perfect Crime — Oct. 26. The revue, which plays in the Studio Theatre space, will continue through Dec. 30.
Billed as a "sports comedy and parody musical revue... in the style of the long-running Forbidden Broadway and The Capitol Steps," Chuckleball
"lampoons the foibles, fumbles and felonies of today's sports
headlines: O.J. Simpson's sports memorabilia caper, Michael Vick's
dog-fighting fiasco and Isaiah Thomas' sexual harassment hullabaloo are
just a few of the stories that receive a parody pounding in this
face-paced romp from the locker room to the court room," according to
show materials.
The cast will feature Katey Daniel, Noah DeBiase, Mike Mitchell Jr. and Justin Senense.
Jason Goldstein (who also produces) and Ian Nemser co-direct and
wrote the stage show. Meg Zervoulis is musical director. Brad Resnick
serves as production manager.
Chuckleball last played in New York at The Producer's Club
Theatre in 2004. The work has since been seen in other incarnations
— including Chuckleball: Performance Enhancers, Chuckleball: I Keep Working My Way Back From Juice and Chuckleball: There's Always Room For Balco — across the country.
The approximately 95-minute show will play Mondays, Fridays and
Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM. Additional performances include
Oct. 24 at 2 PM and Oct. 25 at 8 PM.
Tickets to Chuckleball: Jailhouse Jocks at the Snapple
Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street (at Broadway), are available by
calling (212) 921-7862. For more information visit chuckleball.com.
Yearning to breathe free Take Me America
Book and Lyrics By Bill Nabel
Music by Bob Christianson
Directed by Bill Nabel
Produced by Double Play Connections LLC and Meredith Lucio
WorkShop Theater MainStage, 312 W.
36th St., 4th Floor
Equity showcase (closed August 3,
2007)
Review by Byrne Harrison
"...The acting is strong in this production. Most notable were
Kolinski as the conflicted Gerald, the
delightful JanLeslieHarding one of Gerald's
no-nonsense coworkers, Denny Paschall,
as a non-observant Jew fleeing persecution in Russia,
and MikeMitchell, Jr.,
as Jean, a Haitian who will say or do anything
to come to America..."
GOTHAM BASEBALL MAGAZINE "CHUCKLEBALL IS A GRAND SLAM!" Written by Mark Healey Tuesday, 06 November 2007
"........Both Noah DeBiase ("James) and Mike Mitchell Jr. (Isiah) are talented
singers and move well, but their characterizations of the well-known
duo give a context to the performance that a sports fan can really
appreciate. Meantime, their ease and fluidity on stage immediately
resonates with the theater aficionado.
The best part is, there's so much more. Specifically, 90 minutes of non-stop performing by the aforementioned DiBiase and Mitchell, and the equally talented Katey Daniel and Justin Senense
Each has a signature moment, and in some cases, more than one.
Mitchell spends the night transforming from character to character, and there are points when you think there's another actor in the show. From O.J. Simpson to Marion Jones to Barry Bonds, his attention to detail and character development is impressive at any level. In the intimate Snapple Theater, it's extraordinary.
The Bonds number is uncanny, and his accompanying tune (I Never Get Booed in San Francisco) sung to the tune of the Tony Bennett standard is both hilarious, ironic and downright spot on as editorial commentary.........."
"...Mike Mitchell, Jr. lends a more immediate form of comedy to the cast;
he has his best moments in short scenes. His imitation of hyperactive
boxing promoter Don King demands attention and his Marion Jones must be
seen to be believed..."
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS NEW YORK UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER - WWW.NYUNEWS.COM
Sports stars satirized in 'Chuckleball' Josh Harrison Issue date: 11/30/07 Section:Theater
How do you like your ham? If the answer is sugar-cured and
country-flavored, then Manhattan Children's Theater's latest production
should appeal to your tastes. Although not a revisionist ''Three Little
Pigs'' (the Wolf is still bad), this musical adaptation has a sweet
premise -- that celebrating differences is better than fighting over
them -- and its rousing rockabilly tunes and lyrics, by Kyle C. Norris,
keep the sentiments from becoming saccharine. The book, by Sarah Norris
(this is a married couple; she also wrote some of the lyrics), sets the
tale in the South, where the pigs live with Mama, a sow of ample girth
(Katie Knipp, with the help of strategically placed pillows). But her
offspring -- Patty (Julie Mozdy), Patterson (Mike Mitchell Jr.) and Pat
(Stephen McFarland), above from left -- are little in every sense, and
get into fistfights when they're teased. Mama suggests that they enter
the local talent contest as the Three Little Pigs, showing pride in
their smallness. The trio really can sing (no ''American Idol''-style
stumbling here), and young audiences should enjoy their ode to food,
which includes warm words for bacon: veggie bacon, that is. Big Bad
Wolf (Chris Will), who combines Johnny Cash's fondness for black with a
James Dean swagger, is already something of a country star, with his
own agent, Rae Coon (Molly Roberson). Bad, as he's called, can't resist
the idea of tricking the pig family into becoming his dinner.
Traditionalists who long to hear the refrain of ''Not by the hair on my
chinny chin chin'' will have their wishes satisfied at this point, when
the pigs, deceived into thinking Mama has skipped town over their
squabbling, build private houses. Ably directed by Bruce Merrill, the
production offers amusing slapstick and an opportunity for young
theatergoers to help give Bad a taste of his own medicine. With all the
practice they get from blowing out birthday candles, children should
have no trouble huffing and puffing a gale-force wind. (Saturdays and
Sundays at noon and 2 p.m., through Feb. 25, with an additional show on
Feb. 19 at 1 p.m., 52 White Street, near Church Street, TriBeCa,
212-352-3101; $15.) LAUREL GRAEBER
'Chuckleball' Performed at Knicks & Jets Games
The cast of the sports themed, Chuckleball: Jailhouse Jocks currently playing at the Snapple Theater Center
sang the national anthem last night, November 20 at the New York Knicks
basketball game. The cast had also
performed the "Star Spangled Banner" this past Sunday, November 18 at the New
York Jets football game.
Last night's basketball game was the New York Knicks vs the
Golden State Warriors at Madison
Square Garden
at 7:30PM. Sunday's football game was
between the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Meadowlands.
"Chuckleball:
Jailhouse Jocks is the sports comedy and parody musical revue currently
playing at the Snapple
Theater Center. The fast-paced revue is a unique theatrical
event consisting of musical numbers that lampoon the headlines and the
sidelines. Four actors impersonate
dozens of top athletes and there scandalous stories," explain press notes.
Chuckleball: Jailhouse
Jocks plays Mondays at 8PM, Fridays at 8PM, Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at
7PM. Tickets priced at $45 are on sale through the end of the year and are
available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (212) 307- 4100.
The Snapple
Theater Center
is located at 1627 Broadway at 50th
Street. For more information, visit www.chuckleball.com.
Take Me America Reading, with Chan, Sage, Andricain, Harding, Torres, Presented Nov. 11
The York Theatre Company's Developmental Reading Series continues Nov. 11 with a free reading of Take Me America.
The new musical about asylum in America will be presented at 3 PM.
The cast features Eric Chan, Raymond Sage, Ana Andricain, Natasha
Tabandera, Quinn Van Antwerp, Jan Leslie Harding, Aalock Mehta, Mariand
Torres, Marie-France Arcilla, Mike Mitchell, Jr., Ernest Williams and
Michael Schultz.
Susan Russell directs with musical direction by Amy Duran.
Take Me America features book and lyrics by Bill Nabel and music
by Bob Christianson. The musical, according to the York, is described
as such: "Nine refugees challenge for asylum in the United States.
Three immigration agents will decide their fate. Go or stay, life or
death?.... What would you say? Inspired by the true stories of the
Sundance documentary, 'Well Founded Fear,' real, sometimes humorous,
always compelling-Take Me America [is] a bold new musical."
The reading will be presented at the York's home at The Theatre at
Saint Peter's on 54th Street, east of Lexington Avenue. Although the
reading is free, reservations are required by emailing Jeff Landsman at
Jlandsman@yorktheatre.org (include name, phone number, the show's title
and the number of tickets)
or by calling (212) 935-5824, ext. 24.
