The Irish Repertory Theatre continues its New Works Reading Series with a free reading of BERNICE BOBS HER HAIR, a new musical featuring music by Adam Gwon and book and lyrics by Julia Jordan on Friday, May 21 at 2:00pm at the Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) in Manhattan. Joe Calarco to direct.
The cast of BERNICE BOBS HER HAIR includes Kevin Carolan (THE RITZ, CHICAGO), Cady Huffman (THE PRODUCERS, SURFACE TO AIR), Erin Mackey (SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, WICKED), A.J. Shively (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES) and Phoebe Strole (THE METAL CHILDREN, SPRING AWAKENING), with an ensemble of Carey Anderson, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Demi Fragale, Olli Haaskivi, Morgan Karr, Zachary Prince, Casey Tuma, and Blake Whyte. Zak Sandler (Signature Theatre's SWEENEY TODD) is Musical Director.
BERNICE BOBS HER HAIR is a musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's early short story of the same title, and is also based on letters he wrote to his sister. It is set in Fitzgerald's hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota and concerns "the drama, the semi-cruel world of adolescence." Back in that time, a girl's hair was worn down until adolescence, at which point her hair was put up -- only to be released again in front of a man on her wedding night. In the story, Bernice is the awkward country cousin who has come to the big city to visit her audacious and popular cousin Marjorie. She doesn't fit in and she makes every social mistake. Marjorie, frustrated by this human
millstone around her social neck, decides to make Bernice over, personality and all. What she doesn't count on is her overwhelming success.
Composer Adam Gwon was named one of "50 to Watch" by The Dramatist magazine, and won the Fred Ebb Award for excellence in musical theater songwriting. His musical ORDINARY DAYS made its NYC premiere this season with a sold-out run at the Roundabout Theatre Company. Other projects include the upcoming THE BOY DETECTIVE FAILS (book by Joe Meno). His work has been seen at Roundabout, Primary Stages, York Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Signature Theatre (Arlington), the Kennedy Center, Ars Nova, New Dramatists, NAMT, NYMF, SPF/Public Theater, Adirondack Theatre Festival, Pennsylvania Centre Stage, Finborough Theatre (London), the ASCAP/Disney workshop, and many others. His other honors include the ASCAP Harold Adamson award, the MAC John Wallowitch award and a MAC Award nomination for best song, as well as commissions from South Coast Rep, Signature Theatre (Arlington), Broadway Across America, and the EST/Sloan Project. Adam has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony and the Dramatists Guild, an artist-in-residence at Weston Playhouse, and is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Visit www.adamgwon.com.
