An industry reading of the new jukebox musical New World Comin’, a 1960s-set musical with songs made famous by Cass Elliot, Petula Clark, and Lesley Gore, will be presented April 14 at 2 PM at The Dance Studio at Theatre 315 in Manhattan.
Shea Sullivan will direct a cast that includes Galyana Castillo (Sweeney Todd), Olivia Hernandez (Days of Wine and Roses), Bobby MacDonell (Boy Band Evolution), Gabriella Palminteri (Blue Bloods), Ephie Aardema Sarnak (Our Town), and Jim Stanek (Into the Woods). Music arrangements and music direction are by Rodney Bush.
With a concept and a book by Dayle Ann Hunt, New World Comin' is set in 1969 as three young women leave Minnesota on a VW bus to head to New York City for a singing contest. From debates over Betty Friedan, women’s lib, break ups, break downs, and the rescue of another young woman they meet along the way, Mickey, Sharon, Bonnie, and Ellie are all on the road, each looking to find her place.
Among the 16 songs of the era featured in the new musical are "Dream a Little Dream of Me," "Downtown," "You Don't Own Me," and "Make Your Own Kind of Music."
“In the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturning, a feminist take on a ‘60s jukebox musical has become more relevant than ever; not just to entertain, but to spark conversation and share history with a new generation,” said book writer Hunt in a statement. "Beginning in 2017 as a Chicago Conservatory of Performing Arts student project, the response from students and faculty was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for a jukebox musical told from a female perspective.”
The upcoming reading follows rewrites and a new creative team after a September 2024 developmental production. A second developmental production is scheduled for the fall with The Bridge Initiative at ASU Kerr in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Producer Judith Manocherian stated, “Our hope is to continue developing the show, ultimately for licensing to theatres of all sizes, and making it accessible to women everywhere.”
The staged industry reading is produced by Judith Manocherian LLC. The executive producer is Christopher Michaels, and the production stage manager is Rebecca L. Johnston.
