STAGE TUBE: In Rehearsal with Brainpool's JUNK, Set for National Opera Center

Epic Megalopolis Productions (New York/Los Angeles) will produce a concert reading of Swedish pop band Brainpool's new rock opera JUNK on November 17th and 19th at the National Opera Center in New York City. JUNK will be the first rock opera presented in the new recital hall opened by Opera America earlier this year, a venue dedicated to supporting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera. Get a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal in the videos below!

Brainpool (Christoffer Lundquist, David Birde, Jens Jansson) originally released JUNK – A Rock Opera as 2-CD concept album on Playground Records in 2004. The show premiered in concert with the Malmö Symphonic Orchestra in Sweden in 2005 and is currently being developed for theatrical production with director Shakina Nayfack, who has also worked with the band to expand the libretto and score since its 2007 Los Angeles workshop.

The story takes place in a near-future urban wasteland run by Junk Incorporated. Anna, a Junk employee, dreams of starting a revolution with her all-girl rock band, the MetroJets. Her ambitions are thwarted when she finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle between her boss, Ernie, who owns the last nightclub in the city, and the office janitor, Max, who wants to help her escape the drudges of corporate life.

The cast will include Katrina Rose Dideriksen (The Pregnancy Pact, Bloodsong of Love) as Anna, Freddie Kimmel (Superfly) as Ernie, Mike Backes (Jersey Boys Las Vegas) as Max, Maria-Christina Oliveras (Here Lies Love, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) as Martina, Kate Loprest (Wonderland, Xanadu, Hairspray) and Mary-Kate Morrissey (Hair National Tour) as the MetroJets, JorDan Scott Gilbert as Hannes, Paul Louis Lessard as Kioko, and Ian Joseph and Frank Viveros as The Attendants. Jeremy Robin Lyons will serve as Music Director.

Presentations are Saturday, November 17 at 8pm and Monday, November 19 at 7pm. The National Opera Center is located at 330 7th Ave, 7th floor. A limited number of tickets will be available for the two performances. For ticket information, contact Epic Megalopolis Productions at info@epicmegapro.com.

Epic Megalopolis Productions was formed in 2006 by Shakina Nayfack and Joseph Yoshitomi to support the development of new work for the stage and to produce innovative and socially relevant material for a new generation of theatergoers.