The New York premiere of A Taste of Things to Come, a new musical comedy by Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin, officially opens Off-Broadway November 17. The four-member, all-female cast is made up of Broadway actors Janet Dacal (Wonderland), Paige Faure (Cinderella), Allison Guinn (On the Town), and Autumn Hurlbert (Legally Blonde).
The York Theatre Company production began performances November 9. Lorin Latarro (Waitress), who directs and choreographs, says that while the show is set in the kitchen in the 1950’s and 1960’s, it isn't just about cooking. “[It’s] rather a show about trust, forgiveness, growth, multifarious points of views, and how we maintain friendships inside of them,” comments Latarro in the program’s director’s notes. “The script discusses everything from personal desires and marriage, to work and classic recipes.”
Performances take place at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s. The principal cast is joined by an all-female band made up of Ann Klein (electric/acoustic guitar), Barbara Merjan (drums/percussion), and Sue Williams (upright/electric bass).
Billed as “a saucy new musical,” A Taste of Things to Come debuted at Bucks County Playhouse. It is set in Middle America during the 1950’s, and follows the story of four women who gather for a weekly Betty Crocker cooking contest.
Scroll through production photos below:
Here’s how York Theatre outlines the story: “It’s the 1950’s. The beginning of rock n’ roll. The racial barrier has begun to crack. The Korean War is over, husbands are returning home and the Cold War has begun. Ronald Reagan is a model for Lifebuoy Soap and Rock Hudson is on the cover of LIFE Magazine as ’The World’s Most Eligible Bachelor.’ And women are getting antsy. Smack dab in the middle of America, in Winnetka, IL, four friends gather for a weekly Betty Crocker cooking contest, imagining how the prizes might change their lives. Usually, it’s LIFE Magazine that’s read cover to cover in between mixing, sifting, and chopping. However, a different kind of reading material arrives, and shocked (but inspired) by the Kinsey Report, their lives take an interesting set of turns. In an age that believes that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, they will discover that the way to a woman’s heart is through her best friends.”
A Taste of Things to Come is presented in association with Staci Levine and What's Cookin' LLC. The show features a book, music, and lyrics by Barsha and Levin, and music direction by Gillian Berkowitz. It was conceived by Levin and has orchestrations and dance arrangements by Barsha with Lena Gabrielle and vocal arrangements by Barsha.
The creative team also includes Steven C. Kemp (set), Dana Burkart (costumes), Nathan Scheuer (lighting), Daniel J. Gerhard (sound), Kate Stack (props), and Justin West (projections). Casting is by Joy Dewing. The production stage manager is Veronica Aglow with assistant stage manager Hollace Jeffords.
The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s is located at 619 Lexington Avenue, New York. Tickets may be purchased by calling (212) 935-5820, online at yorktheatre.org, or in person at the box office at the York Theatre at Saint Peter’s.
