Halson, Testa, Lead THE CHOCOLATE SHOW! Reading, 3/25

On March 25 the new musical THE CHOCOLATE SHOW! featuring Broadway actors Julie Halson, Mary Testa, Erin Davie, Will Erat, and Spencer Moses will get a staged reading in Manhattan.

THE CHOCOLATE SHOW! music and book are by Alan Golub and Laura Goldfader and lyrics are by Golub. Jeffrey Klitz will provide musical direction and arrangements.

A veteran of the stage, Halston first achieved fame through her performances in the comedies of playwright Charles Busch, including VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM (1984) and THE LADY IN QUESTION (1989). She performed in a series of one-woman comedy shows in the 1990s. More recent theater credits include Broadway revivals of THE WOMEN, TWENTIETH CENTURY, and THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER. She also starred in the 2003 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, HAIRSPRAY, and the Tony Award-nominated Best Revival of a Musical, GYSPSY. Her performances in WHITE CHOCOLATE and Busch's RED SCARE ON SUNSET both earned her Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. She has won four MAC awards for her solo comedy performances.

Mary Testa is a two-time Tony Award nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein's ON THE TOWN (1998) and 42ND STREET (2001). Testa made her debut as Miss Goldberg in William Finn's one-act musical IN TROUSERS (1979), part one of his "Marvin Trilogy." She returned to Broadway in July, 2007 in the musical-theater remake of the 1980 film XANADU for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination. Other Broadway credits include THE RINK, LUCKY STIFF, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, TARTUFFE, and CHICAGO, and GUYS AND DOLLS.

Erin David is best known for her performance as the young Edith Bouvier Beale in the Broadway production of the musical GREY GARDENS, taking the part for the slightly revised version on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre, after its initial run at Playwrights Horizons. She previously appeared on the national tours for SWING! and THE MUSIC OF Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as the Off-Broadway production, INFERTILITY. She recently played the character Isabella Andreini in the Lincoln Center Theater's production of THE GLORIOUS ONES. On February 7-10, 2007 she appeared in the role of Eve Harrington in the New York City Center Encores! production of APPLAUSE and on February 15, 2007 took over the role of Niki Harris in the Broadway production of CURTAINS. In 2009 she took the role of Countess Charlotte Malcolm in the Broadway Revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

Will Erat's theatre credits include the original Broadway production of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS in 2005 and the Off-Broadway revival of GODSPELL in 2000.

Spencer Moses' Broadway credits include THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION and the recent revival of GUYS AND DOLLS.

This is a by-invitation-only event. Any industry folk interested in attending should contact chocolateshow@me.com.