AMAS MUSICAL THEATRE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH ERIC KREBS
PRESENTS
THE OFF-BROADWAY PREMIERE OF
“ROMEO & BERNADETTE”
A MUSICAL TALE OF VERONA AND BROOKLYN
BOOK AND LYRICS BY MARK SALTZMAN
MUSIC ADAPTED FROM CLASSIC ITALIAN MELODIES
DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY JUSTIN ROSS COHEN
FEATURING: NIKITA BURSHTEYN, ANNA KOSTAKIS, CARLOS LOPEZ, MICHAEL MAROTTA, MICHAEL NOTARDONATO, ARI RASKIN, TROY VALJEAN RUCKER, ZACH SCHANNE, VIET VO
AND
JUDY MCLANE
MEZZANINE THEATRE
A.R.T./NEW YORK THEATRES
502 WEST 53rd STREET (10th AVENUE & 53rd STREET)
PREVIEWS BEGAN TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
OPENING NIGHT IS TONIGHT, THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020
PERFORMANCES THROUGH FEBRUARY 16, 2020
TICKETS NOW ON SALE
New York, NY (1/22/20) – Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) in association with Eric Krebs presents the Off-Broadway premiere of Romeo & Bernadette: A Musical Tale of Verona and Brooklyn, with book and lyrics by Mark Saltzman, music adapted from classic Italian melodies, and directed and choreographed by Justin Ross Cohen. Previews began at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres 502 West 53rd Street (10th Avenue & 53rd Street), on Tuesday, January 14th. Opening Night is tomorrow, Thursday, January 23rd at 7pm. Performances will continue through February 16, 2020.
Romeo—yes, THAT Romeo—finds himself in 1960 Brooklyn, chasing a girl he believes is his beloved Juliet. But no, it’s Bernadette, the beautiful, foul-mouthed daughter of a crime family in this wild spoof of Shakespeare’s timeless tale.
The cast for Romeo & Bernadette is: Nikita Burshteyn (Newsies), Anna Kostakis (NY debut), Carlos Lopez (Man of La Mancha), Michael Marotta (Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical), Judy McLane (Mamma Mia), Michael Notardonato (NY debut), Ari Raskin (NY debut), Troy Valjean Rucker (August Rush – Upcoming B’wy), Zach Schanne (Pippin), and Viet Vo (Viet Gone_).
The creative team is Walt Spangler (Scenic Design), Fabio Toblini and Joseph Schrope (Costume Design), Ken Billington (Lighting Design), One Dream Sound (Sound Design), Aaron Gandy (Music Director), Steve Orich (Musical Supervision/Arrangements/Orchestrations), Kathryn Ann Wright (Associate Choreographer). Christine Viega is the Production Stage Manager. Casting is by Carol Hanzel Casting, CSA.
The performance schedule will be as follows: Tues. at 7pm, Wed.-Fri. at 8pm, Sat. at 3pm and 8pm, Sun. at 3pm. Tickets are priced $49-$69 and can be purchased online at
www.amasmusical.org/romeo-bernadette or by calling (212) 352-3101.
BIOS
Mark Saltzman (Book/Lyrics) began his career in New York with the Muppets. His “Sesame Street” sketches and songs (including “Caribbean Amphibian”) earned him seven Emmy Awards, but behind Bert and Ernie’s back, Mark was writing shows for Soho Rep, 13th Street Theater, and the Village Gate, where he co-wrote the long-running revue “A, My Name is Alice.” Mark collaborated with Jerry Herman on the CBS holiday movie “Mrs. Santa Claus” starring Angela Lansbury. For the movies, he wrote The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Three Ninjas Kick Back and screenplays for SONY, Universal, and Disney. His TV movie, “The Red Sneakers” directed by and starring Gregory Hines was nominated for a Writers Guild Award. In 1997, Mark’s musical, The Tin Pan Alley Rag opened at the Pasadena Playhouse, received five Ovation Award nominations, including Best Musical, and went on to play at New York’s Roundabout Theater. Other stage works: Falling for Make Believe, Lorenz Hart’s life story (Colony Theater); Mr. Shaw Goes to Hollywood (Laguna Playhouse,) optioned for the movies by The Little Film Company. Mark is a graduate of Cornell. More information at www.marksaltzman.com
Justin Ross Cohen (Director/Choreographer) Film and theater director won an Audience Favorite nod for Waiting for Yvette, starring Wendie Malick, at both the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and on LOGO/TV. Off- Broadway: I Could Go On Lip-Synching!, starring Lypsinka (Provincetown Playhouse, NY/ Callboard Theater, L.A.), About Time by Paulette Attie (Jose Quintero). Los Angeles: Nocturne, by Adam Rapp (The Other Space), Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, by Bill Russell, starring John Rubinstein (Interact), Women Behind Bars, by Tom Eyen, starring Lainie Kazan, Jennifer Tilly, Niecy Nash, Lesley Ann Warren, Ellen Greene and Peter Facinelli (Pico Playhouse), Romeo and Bernadette by Mark Saltzman (Wyoming Theater Festival). Acting credits include Broadway: A Chorus Line, Pippin, The Magic Show, and the film A Chorus Line.
Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) now in its 51st year of continuous operation is New York City’s award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas (“you love” in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals through the celebration of diversity and minority perspectives, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of underserved young people in the New York area. In recent years, Amas has emerged as a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, the most recent being Broadway and the Bard, starring Len Cariou and Red Eye of Love, which was awarded the Joseph A. Callaway Award for Outstanding Choreography. Its production of The Other Josh Cohen received six 2013 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical, a 2013 Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Musical, and a 2013 Off-Broadway Alliance nomination for Best New Musical. Other shows that Amas has developed include A Taste of Chocolate, Triassic Parq, The Countess of Storyville, Distant Thunder, Marry Harry, Me and Miss Monroe, Aesop & Company, Signs of Life, Wanda’s World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Lone Star Love, From My Hometown, Zanna, Don’t!, 4 Guys Named Jose and Stormy Weather: Reimagining Lena Horne. Amas education programs include the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Lens on Live Theatre and in-school theatre arts residencies designed in partnership with elementary, middle, and high schools
The A.R.T./New York Theatres are a project of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York), which provide state-of-the-art, accessible venues at subsidized rental rates, plus free access to top-line technical equipment, so that the city’s small and emerging theatre companies can continue to experiment, grow, and produce new works. Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York is the leading service and advocacy organization for New York City’s 400+ nonprofit theatres, with a mission to assist member theatres in managing their companies effectively so that they may realize their rich artistic visions and serve their diverse audiences well. We accomplish this through a comprehensive roster of real estate, financial, educational, and community-building programs, as well as research, advocacy, and field-wide initiatives that seek to improve the long-term health and sustainability of the industry. Over the years, A.R.T./New York has received numerous honors, including an Obie Award, an Innovative Theatre Award, a New York City Mayor’s Award for Arts & Culture, and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. For more information, please visit www.art-newyork.org