I had been noticing of late how many stories have been popping up about new musicals and plays that are in development or receiving their premieres. Then I got this lovely comment from Lou who stumbled upon Man In Chair looking for information about premieres at Pasadena Playhouse. A little research uncovered several projects in the works which sounded interesting to me, and hopefully will to you as well.

Tales of the City
There have long been rumors of a collaboration between Scissor Sisters, Jason Sellards and John Garden, and Avenue Q writer and director, Jeff Whitty and Jason Moore creating a musical adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s San Francisco-based epic, Tales of the City.

According to a press statement, Moore (as librettist) and Whitty (as director) are currently at work on a musical version of Maupin’s 1978 novel, which concerns the fictional Mary Ann Singleton — a naive young woman from Cleveland, OH, who moves to an apartment in San Francisco’s Russian Hill — and the lives of the other tenants of 28 Barbary Lane. Sellards and Garden will supply the music and some of the lyrics.

Whitty’s book will cover the first Tales of the City novel and also touch on story lines that were continued in the sequel, More Tales of the City.

The project is aiming for a Broadway bow in the 2009-2010 season.

Mask
The real-life story of a disfigured boy, his tough mom and the biker community that embraces them, is told with songs opened March 12, when Mask — the new musical inspired by the 1985 film — begins performances at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Allen E. Read, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, plays teen Rocky in the Pasadena Playhouse production of the Richard Maltby Jr.-directed show, which was penned by the picture’s screenwriter Anna Hamilton Phelan (book), Barry Mann (music) and Cynthia Weil (lyrics).

According to the Playhouse, “Mask is a musical based on the true story of an unusual looking boy and his unconventional biker mother. She shows him how to embrace life. He shows her how to choose it.”

The musical’s official opening is May 21.

Monsters
Tony Award winner Cady Huffman, Sandra Bargman, Joy Franz, Ann Harada, Nicolette Hart and Carlos Encinias will be featured in a free reading of the new musical Monsters March 20 in Manhattan.

Part of the York Theatre Company’s Developmental Reading Series, the 5 PM reading will be held at the The Theatre at Saint Peter’s. Steven Yuhasz will direct the evening with musical direction by Jason Loffredo.

Monsters features book and lyrics by playwright Gail Phaneuf and music and lyrics are by composer Ernie Lijoi.

The musical, according to press notes, is described as such: “On her 40th birthday, Samantha [Huffman] meets her demons. A successful, single, Wall Street stockbroker living in Manhattan, she has decided to quit her job and strike out on a soul-searching adventure.”

York Theatre Company productions play The Theatre at Saint Peter’s, which is located in Manhattan on 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue. Admission to the reading is free, but reservations are required by e-mailing Jeff Landsman at Jlandsman@yorktheatre.org or by calling (212) 935-5824, ext. 24.

2 Comments to “Something’s Coming…”

1. Esther — March 14, 2008 @ 9:10 pm
   

   I’m looking forward to “Tales of the City.” I read the first book and I really liked it. I think it’s a great subject for a musical. And I love San Francisco. It’s one of my favorite cities. I’m hoping there’ll be cable cars. Maybe they can work them in somehow.

   And I’d pay to see Tovah do Hepburn, Golda and Tallulah!

2. Eric — March 27, 2008 @ 9:38 am
   

   You know, Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Lestat all did their out of town tryouts in San Francisco. How cool would it be if Tales of the City made it’s debut in the city that is as much a character in the story as the people are?

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