CAST ANNOUNCED
THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY
AS PART OF ITS 50th ANNIVERSARY SEASON
PRESENTS A YORK LEGACY CONCERT OF
CELEBRATION
MUSIC BY HARVEY SCHMIDT
BOOK AND LYRICS BY TOM JONES
ONE-DAY ONLY!
MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2020 AT 7:30PM
SPECIAL ADDED PERFORMANCE AT 2:30PM
AT THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY AT SAINT PETER’S
New York, NY (January 21, 2020) – The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, as part of its 50th Anniversary season, has announced the cast for the York Legacy Concerts of the 1969 Broadway musical Celebration, written by the revered songwriting team of Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. Performances are on Monday, January 27th at 2:30pm and 7:30pm at The York Theatre at Saint Peter’s (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).
Directed by David Glenn Armstrong (York’s recent concert of I Do! I Do! and multiple Musicals in Mufti including Plain & Fancy), with music direction by Deniz Cordell (Muftis of Panama Hattie and Lolita, My Love), the cast will feature Fred Applegate (The Producers, Sister Act) as Rich, Samantha Bruce (The Fantasticks, York’s concert of I Do! I Do!) as Angela, Matt Dengler (The Visit, Mufti of Harold and Maude) as Orphan, and Nick Wyman (The Phantom of the Opera, York’s Desperate Measures_) as Potemkin, with Joy Del Valle, Gabriella Mack, Noah Mogaka, and Rafael Rodriguez as the Revelers. Casting is by Carol Hanzel.
Broadway veterans Fred Applegate and Nick Wyman first performed these very same roles opposite each other forty-seven years ago in a New Jersey stock production of Celebration which Tom Jones happened to see. Applegate, Wyman, and Jones are all looking forward to their reunion and returning to the magical world of Celebration at The York Theatre, alongside longtime Fantasticks leads Samantha Bruce and Matt Dengler and an ensemble of new faces.
Celebration is set on a deserted city street in winter, where a group of ragged Revelers perform a modern version of the ancient ritual battle between Winter and Summer, the Young and the Old. Inspired by Peter Brook and Joseph Chaikin’s Open Theatre, Celebration now makes its grand return to New York at The York Theatre fifty-one years (and five days) after its opening on Broadway. This newly rewritten version, first staged in 2016 by the New Line Theatre in St. Louis, was hailed by the critics. Bawdy, touching, and full of surprises, Celebration is a major milestone in Jones and Schmidt’s search to find new forms for the American musical.
Tickets for the 7:30PM performance are priced at $50, $45 for York Members, $40 for York Plus! Members. Tickets for a special added preview performance at 2:30PM are priced at $40, $35 for York Members, $30 for York Plus! Members. Tickets may be purchased by calling (212) 935-5820, online at www.yorktheatre.org, or in person at the box office at The York Theatre at Saint Peter’s (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), Monday through Friday (12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.).
The York Theatre Company offers the *York! Membership Program, an exclusive membership package for as low as $75.00—with elite benefits that include up to 35% off tickets to York Theatre Productions, exclusive Member pre-sale opportunities, 50% off on all lobby concessions, 20% off on all lobby merchandise, discounts at local restaurants and parking garages, in addition to special Member-only receptions. The York also offers a _York Plus! _Membership Program* with additional perks, including complimentary tickets to Mainstage productions and invites to several VIP-only presentations throughout the season.
York Memberships can be purchased online at www.yorktheatre.org/membership, or by visiting The York Theatre Company Box Office (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), or by calling the Box Office at (212) 935-5820 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.).
York Theatre Company Gift Cards are available for any production during the 2019-2020 season by visiting the box office or calling (212) 935-5820, or online atwww.yorktheatre.org
For additional information, please visit www.yorktheatre.org
Currently on the Mainstage at The York is the return engagement of the hit Off-Broadway production of Gerard Alessandrini’s hilarious musical spoof of all things theatre Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation written and directed by Gerard Alessandrini and choreography Gerry McIntrye (Spamilton). The cast features Chris Collins-Pisano, Immanuel Houston, Aline Mayagoitia, Jenny Lee Stern, and Joshua Turchin, with Fred Barton on piano.
Due to popular demand, Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation has been extended an additional week and will now continue through February 16, 2020 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s (entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue) where performances began January 15, 2020.
Alessandrini continues to lampoon The Great White Way’s biggest shows and stars in this new edition, which he directed. Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation features spoofs of Hadestown, Moulin Rouge, the recent Oklahoma! revival, The Ferryman, Tootsie, Beetlejuice, Frozen, the Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof, and Dear Evan Hansen; the new generation of Broadway stars including Billy Porter, Santino Fontana, Karen Olivo, and Alex Brightman; exciting turns by Bette Midler, André De Shields, Bernadette Peters, and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and several surprises. Gerry McIntyre (Spamilton) is the choreographer. The return engagement is presented in association with John Freedson, Harriet Yellin, Peter Brash, David Zippel, and Gerard Alessandrini, with Tzili Charney.
Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation plays the following performance schedule: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., Thursday at 2:30 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Please Note: There are no Thursday evening performances.
Tickets for Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation are priced at $67.50 – $72.50. Tickets may be purchased by calling (212) 935-5820, online at www.yorktheatre.org, or in person at the box office at the York Theatre at Saint Peter’s (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), Monday through Friday (12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.). Senior Rush tickets are available in-person beginning one hour prior to performances for $20 cash only. Student tickets can be purchased anytime in advance at the box office during regular box office business hours. Limit one ticket per valid student ID and tickets are subject to availability. Student Rush tickets are $20.00 cash or credit. The York Theatre also offers $25 tickets for guests aged 35 years and under. Groups of 10 or more, contact Great White Way at 212-757-9117, or GreatWhiteWay.com.(*York Members receive Priority Seating and Discounted Tickets.)
Forbidden Broadway has been a theatrical institution since 1982, when Gerard Alessandrini created the first edition, lampooning the Broadway shows and stars of the day, who often stopped by to laugh at themselves alongside the public. In the 38 years since, Forbidden Broadway has garnered international acclaim and awards that include 7 Drama Desk Awards, an Obie, a Drama League Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, and a Special Tony Award.
The York Theatre Company is the only theatre in New York City—and one of very few in the world—dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. For over four decades, York’s intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, The York has focused on new musicals in its Mainstage Series—most of them world, American, or New York premieres—by some of the field’s most esteemed creators and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Well over 40 cast recordings from The York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, including its acclaimed revival of Closer Than Ever (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival); commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir (Tony Award Nomination for actress Judy Kaye), and Jolson & Company, and revivals of Pacific Overtures and Sweeney Todd (four Tony Nominations including Best Revival) have all showcased the importance of The York and its programs.. The York is the recipient of a special Drama Desk Award for “Developing and Producing New Musicals” and, more recently, a special Outer Critics Circle Award for “50 Years of Producing New and Classic Musicals.”
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