With music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Feeling Electric is getting its first full world-premiere production, after earlier New York and regional developmental presentations.
In addition to Rent veterans Rapp (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and Spanger (Kiss Me, Kate), the actors involved are Annaleigh Ashford, Joe Cassidy (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and Benjamin Schrader (Big River, national tour).
Spanger appeared in the Village Theatre's developmental run of Feeling Electric in June in suburban Seattle. Peter Askin (The Good Body, Trumbo) directs the NYMF run at the Barrow Group Theatre in midtown. Reno Productions is producing.
According to the creators, "Darkly funny and brutally honest, this powerful new musical chronicles one family’s personal battle to cure a mother (Spanger) of her long-term depression, with the controversial help of one hotshot young doctor (Rapp) who prescribes electric shock therapy as her last resort treatment."
With choreography by Kathryn Van Meter, musical direction by Alex Lacamoire, Feeling Electric features scenic design by Robert Brill, costume design by Jessica Jahn, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Simon Matthews and casting by Dave Clemmons Casting. Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics) wrote book and lyrics for the musical adaptation of Ang Lee's award-winning film The Wedding Banquet, which last year completed a sold-out tour of Asia and a premiere production in Seattle. He is currently writing the musical feature film "Time After Time" for Universal Pictures, and his film "Sluts" (written with Pamela Buchignani) is slated for production at Lions Gate later this year. His musical Making Tracks performed to sold-out audiences regionally and internationally. Concept albums for both shows were released by Sony Music International. He recently wrote a new book for the country musical Play it by Heart, and his play The Book of Jobs (co-authored with Alex Glover) was presented by Brooklyn's International WOW company in 2002.
Tom Kitt, composer/arranger/orchestrator, has worked on Broadway's Laugh Whore, Urban Cowboy, Bombay Dreams and Nothing Like A Dame, "Caroline's On Broadway's 20th Anniversary Celebration," Lincoln Center Songbook series and Off-Broadway's Debbie Does Dallas, Dream a Little Dream, For the Love of Tiffany, It's Only Life: The Songs of John Bucchino, Dog Sees God, Making Tracks, Put A Little Love in Your Mouth, The Violence Project. He created vocal arrangements for Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, a new Neil Sedaka musical. Kitt is also the leader of The Tom Kitt Band (www.tomkittband.com).
In 2004, Kitt and Yorkey were recipients of a grant from the Jonathan Larson Foundation, which was used toward a workshop of Feeling Electric.
Reno Productions, Inc. operates the Westside Theatre, housing two Off-Broadway spaces, which were renovated by Reno in 1991, and have been home to Trumbo, The Vagina Monologues, Full Gallop, The Food Chain, Nixon’s Nixon, The Cryptogram, Later Life, Spic-o-Rama and And the World Goes 'Round.
Feeling Electric will play six performances only at the Barrow Group Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street. The playing schedule is Sept. 14 at 8 PM, Sept. 17 at 8 PM, Sept. 18 at 4 PM, Sept. 21 at 4 PM and 8 PM, Sept. 24 at 8 PM.
Tickets are $15 each and are available at www.nymf.org or by calling TheatreMania.com at (212) 352-3101.
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Dedicated to discovering new work and new artists, The New York Musical Theatre Festival celebrates the diversity, creativity, and future of musical theatre. NYMF is a flagship program of the National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and is America's largest annual musical theatre event.
