Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director) and Snap-Two Productions' will begin performances of the new musical Signs of Life this Tuesday, February 16, 2010.
Signs of Life has a book by Peter Ullian, lyrics by Len Schiff, music by Joel Derfner, music direction by Michael Pettry, musical staging by Christine O'Grady and directed by Jeremy Dobrish. Signs of Life will begin performances on Tuesday February, 16 and will open on Thursday, February 25, running through Sunday, March 21 The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre (5 West 63rd St.).
Tickets are $55 for adults and $40 for seniors and students and $40 for all previews and can be purchased by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/425
Signs of Life is an exploration of life in the Jewish artists' ghetto created by the Nazis in the Czech town of Terezin during World War II. Hitler renamed it Theresienstadt and his propaganda cynically proclaimed it "A City for the Jews". He proceeded to populate Theresienstadt with the most prominent artists, composers, scientists, and scholars of Europe. A vibrant artistic community emerged and the ghetto was alive with concerts, plays, and lectures. The Nazi's, for their own international propaganda purposes, coerced their prisoners to depict Terezin as a place where they lived free lives. But hidden from the watchful eyes of their captors, the artists created secret pictures and writings which were concealed and smuggled out to alert the world to what was really happening. They felt that, because of their covert efforts, the truth could survive. Signs of Life is a true story of love, defiance and the power of art.
The cast includes Erika Amato (Lead singer of Velvet Chain, Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV Show and Soundtrack), Wilson Bridges (My Fair Lady, National Tour, Off-Broadway: Academy), Jason Collins (Annie National Tour, Next to Normal), Nic Cory, Gabe Green, Patricia Noonan (Girl Crazy, Carousel -Barrington Stage), Allen E. Read (Mask-Pasadena Plyhse), Stuart Zagnit (Broadway: Suessical, The Wild Party), and Kurt Zischke (Broadway/Nat's Tour Whistle Down the Wind, Buddy, Broadway) .The creative team includes Alexis Distler, set design; Michael Gottlieb, lighting design, Jennifer Caprio, costume design; Michael Eisenberg, sound design; Chris Kateff, video design; casting, Carol Hanzel Casting; marketing, HHC Marketing.
Signs of Life
Book by Peter Ullian, lyrics by Len Schiff, music by Joel Derfner, music direction by Michael Pettry, musical staging by Christine O'Grady and directed by Jeremy Dobrish.
Begins Performances on Tuesday, February 16; Opening, Thursday February 25 through March 21.
The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre is located at 5 West 63rd St.
Performance schedule: Tuesday at 7:30; Wednesday - Saturday at 8PM; Saturday & Sunday at 3PM
Tickets are $55 ($40 during previews).
For tickets call 212 352 3101 or visit www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/425
Joel Derfner (Composer) is from Charleston, South Carolina, where his great-grandmother had an affair with George Gershwin. He graduated from Harvard with an A.B. summa cum laude in linguistics and from NYU with an M.A. in musical theater writing. His musical Blood Drive, with words by Rachel Sheinkin, has been produced at the Bridewell Theatre in London, the Provincetown Playhouse in New York, and the Theatre Latte Da in Minneapolis. Joel has been in residence three times at the O'Neill Music Theater Conference, and his work from his first year there has been heard at The Duplex and Joe's Pub in New York. Joel is a grateful alumnus of the Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU, where he is now on the faculty. He also teaches aerobics, knits, and is the author of Gay Haiku (Random House, 2005) and Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever (Random House, 2008). He has written for a number of national periodicals, including Out, Genre, and The Advocate. He can be found on the web at joelderfner.com
