All New Musicals, Developed In Village Originals Program

Issaquah, Wash. – Saturday, March 13, 2010 marks the day that three different new musical productions previously developed through Village Theatre’s new works program Village Originals will be running simultaneously in New York City. These shows include the record-breaking hit Million Dollar Quartet, the powerful and moving drama Signs of Life, and the three-time Tony Award-winning musical Next To Normal.

Million Dollar Quartet was originally part of Village Theatre’s 6th Annual Festival of New Musicals in 2006. The show was met with such great applause, it swiftly became the 2007-2008 Mainstage season opener in September 2007. To date, the production is Village Theatre’s largest selling new musical bringing in over $1 million in overall ticket sales. From Village Theatre, the show went on to have a successful run in Chicago first at the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Theatre, and shortly thereafter at the Apollo Theatre where it continues its run after more than a year. Both of these productions received critical acclaim, and featured three of Village Theatre’s original cast members—Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis, Lance Guest as Johnny Cash, and Rob Lyons as Carl Perkins. On March 13, the show will have its first Broadway preview at the Nederlander Theatre this time featuring the same three original cast member previously listed, along with a fourth Village Theatre cast member, Corey Kaiser as Jay Perkins, the bassist.

The new musical Signs of Life: A Tale of Terezin, originally developed at Village Theatre under the title Terezin, is being produced by Snap-Two Productions and Amas Musical Theatre as a five week Off-Broadway run at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre. At Village Theatre, Signs of Life received a Village Originals workshop production in 2006, and a full developmental production in 2007. Village Theatre is excited to announce that Jason Collins (Mainstage: The Importance of Being Earnest, Bye Bye Birdie), originally part of the Village Originals production of Signs of Life, has moved on with the show. The New York Times deems Collins as, “the most compelling actor on stage.” Signs of Life will play at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre through March 21, 2010.

With a national tour on the horizon, Next To Normal —written by Village Theatre’s former associate artistic director Brian Yorkey (director of current Village production Lost in Yonkers)—continues a successful run at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. The show (formerly titled Feeling Electric) began as a staged reading at Village Theatre in March 2002 and the creative team went on to develop the production further as a Village Originals workshop in June 2005. From there the show went to Second Story Theatre in New York and continued on to Arena Stage Theatre in Washington D.C. for further development, before officially opening on Broadway on April 15, 2009. Next To Normal has been nominated for 11 Tony Awards, taking home 3, including one for Best Score by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt.

Village Theatre is dedicated to the preservation and artistic development of musical theatre, one of our country's most enduring art forms. Village Originals is a nationally recognized program and represents one of the strongest commitments to new musicals anywhere. Over the years, Village Theatre has nurtured the development of over 85 new musicals and it is very exciting to see three of these new works continuing their journey with success in New York.

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For more information about Village Theatre, please contact Michelle Sanders, Communications Manager at (425) 392-1942 x124 or msanders@villagetheatre.org.