For Immediate Release: May 3rd, 2013
Contacts: Eric Webb/La Vie Productions, 646-290-7569, eric@lavieproductions.com
NOT YOUR AVERAGE ROBIN HOOD STORY!
JANA ROBBINS and BETTER WORLD PRODUCTIONS present by invitation only
Staged readings of
ROBIN HOOD – THE FINAL ADVENTURE
A New Musical
Book by Thomas Meehan, Music by Peter Sipos, Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Music Direction by Kevin Stites
Directed by Martin Charnin
Friday, May 3rd & Monday, May 6th
New York City
Jana Robbins and Better World Productions present staged readings of ROBIN HOOD – The Final Adventure (Book by Thomas Meehan, Music by Peter Sipos, Lyrics by Martin Charnin) on Friday, May 3rd and Monday, May 6th in New York City. The industry-only staged readings are open by invitation only.
ROBIN HOOD – The Final Adventure is an exciting new musical filled with drama, intrigue, suspense and a whole lot of laughter.
Robin Hood, long thought to have been killed in the final battle of the Crusades, returns to England, to once again take up arms against the brutal tyranny of the brainless King John. There he reunites with his beloved Maid Marian, who has, to say the least, a major surprise for him, as they set off together on his last and greatest adventure!
Lyrics and direction for ROBIN HOOD – The Final Adventure are by Tony Award winner Martin Charnin (TWO BY TWO, ANNIE), with a book by Tony Award winner Thomas Meehan (THE PRODUCERS, HAIRSPRAY, ANNIE) and a bright and melodic new score by Canada’s Peter Sipos (CONTACT).
ROBIN HOOD – The Final Adventure readings features Anthony Warlow (ANNIE) as Robin Hood and Shelly Burch (NINE) as Maid Marian. Additional casting includes Jason Collins, Dan Deluca (“The Wire”), Aloysius Gigl (RAGTIME), Brian Michael Hoffman (SEUSSICAL), Richard Mark Jordan (SCROOGE), Simon Jones (BLITHE SPIRIT), Michael X. Martin (NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, 9 TO 5), Eric Page, Christy Carlson Romano (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, AVENUE Q), AJ Shively (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES), Jill Shackner (LES MISERABLES), Gordon Stanley (CABARET, RAGTIME), Richard M. Steele, Quinn Van Antwerp (JERSEY BOYS), Walter Willison (GRAND HOTEL, TWO BY TWO), Mark Elliot Wilson,. The reading is stage managed by Anita Ross with casting by Geoff Josselson and general management by La Vie Productions.
Thomas Meehan (Book) is a three-time Tony-award book writer for the Broadway musicals ANNIE, THE PRODUCERS and HAIRSPRAY,. In addition, he has written the books of a dozen or so other Broadway musicals, including Richard Rodgers’ I REMEMBER MAMA, CRY-BABY, Mel Brooks’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, ELF and CHAPLIN. A long-time contributor of humor pieces to The New Yorker magazine and an Emmy-award-winning TV comedy writer, he has also written a number of screenplays, most notably for TO BE OR NOT TO BE and SPACEBALLS. He is a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild.
Peter Sipos (Music) Born in Budapest, Hungary, Peter was founding member of the legendary Hungarian rock band Hungaria (1969-1979). He moved to Montreal, Canada in 1980 where he became a well-known musician-composer-producer. Celine Dion recorded his song “Pour Vous” in 1985. His first musical JEANNE (JOAN OF ARC) premiered in 1995 in Montreal and played 147 times until 1997 in three different productions in Quebec. He created orchestral underscoring for the Montreal theater production of the legendary Jewish mythical story THE DYBBUK in 1998. His latest musical was based on Carl Sagan’s novel and subsequent movie CONTACT co-authored by Amy Engelhardt (lyrics) and Alan Bryce (book). It opened in September 2009 at Centerstage in Federal Way, WA. Peter lives in Montreal, Canada, with his wife Kira and their beloved poodle Sammy. He is an enthusiastic aviator and a certified flight instructor.
Martin Charnin (Lyrics & Director) Tony Award® winning lyricist and director of original Broadway production of ANNIE. Charnin has directed 19 other productions of ANNIE including all of its first class national companies, three West End productions, and productions in Holland and Australia. His last production was in 2005, celebrating Annie’s 30th anniversary. He began his professional career in 1957, creating the role of Big Deal in the original Broadway company of WEST SIDE STORY. Since then, he has been the director, lyricist, composer, librettist or a combination of the aforementioned for over 125 theatrical ventures. He has collaborated with Peter Allen, Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Marvin Hamlisch, Peter Stone, Mary Rodgers, and Alan Jay Lerner, as well as two musicals with Richard Rodgers, TWO BY TWO and I REMEMBER MAMA. His other Broadway productions include HOT SPOT, THE FIRST, LENA HORNE; THE LADY AND HER MUSIC, CAFÉ CROWN, A LITTLE FAMILY BUSINESS, THE FLOWERING PEACH, NASH AT NINE and the off-Broadway productions of UPSTAIRS AT O’NEALS, THE NO FRILLS REVUE, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, PUT IT IN WRITING, MUSIC, MUSIC and in London, BAR MITVAH BOY, BLESS THE BRIDE and THE 9½ QUID REVUE. He conceived and directed THE NATIONAL LAMPOON SHOW which ultimately became “Saturday Night Live”. This fall, he will direct the new Pre-Broadway production of TWO BY TWO starring Jason Alexander, and write the lyrics for and direct SKIN DEEP, a new Broadway bound musical
.
Kevin Stites (Music Director) Most recently, Kevin Stites served as the Music Director for the 25th Anniversary National Tour of LES MISERABLES, THE PRODUCERS (directed by Susan Stroman) at the Hollywood Bowl, and PERFECTLY FRANK: FROM HOLLYWOOD TO BROADWAY at the Grant Park Music Festival. He has also acted as Music Supervisor for the German Premiere of REBECCA in Stuttgart, Music Supervisor/Conductor for the World Premiere of DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, and Music Director/Pianist for Deborah Voigt’s VOIGT LESSONS. Broadway: SOUTH PACIFIC (LCT), TALE OF TWO CITIES, THE COLOR PURPLE, TITANIC, SUNSET BOULEVARD, PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL, CHILDREN AND ART, LES MISERABLES, THREEPENNY OPERA, FIDDLER, NINE, OKLAHOMA!, ON THE TOWN, NINE TO FIVE (Additional Musical Arrangements). National Tours: LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE COLOR PURPLE, MARTIN GUERRE, MISS SAIGON, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES, TITANIC. Regional: World Premiere THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB by Marsha Norman (Composer/Music Arranger) at The Guthrie, TITANIC at the St. Louis Muny, and TAKE FLIGHT at The McCarter Theatre.
Jana Robbins (Producer) is a Tony nominated producer for the 2009 Broadway production of RAGTIME, joining Kevin McCollum and Manny Azenberg to transfer the highly successful Kennedy Center Production. In 1995 she founded BETTER WORLD PRODUCTIONS in order to “present theater and film entertainment that inspires us to create a Better World”. Jana made her Broadway producing debut with Allan Knee’s LITTLE WOMEN starring Sutton Foster and Maureen McGovern and her Off-Broadway producing debut with I LOVE YOU BECAUSE. Other Off-Broadway producing credits include WHITE’S LIES starring Betty Buckley and Daniel Beaty’s THROUGH THE NIGHT with producer Daryl Roth earning her a second Drama Desk nomination. Producing projects currently in development are Allan Knee’s THE JAZZ AGE, MANAGING MAXINE by Janece Shaffer and ROOF OF THE WORLD by D. Tucker Smith.
The invitation-only staged readings of ROBIN HOOD – The Final Adventure play Friday, May 3rd and Monday, May 6th in New York City. ###