Gemini the Musical

Kudos to Linda Hart, who was one of eight performers from this years New York Musical Theatre Festival to receive an award for excellence for her portrayal of Bunny in “Gemini the Musical.” The NYMF Awards for Excellence are bestowed by a distinguished panel of critics, authors and performers; TheaterMania has the whole scoop on the other winners.

Director Mark Robinson has just updated his personal site with a slew of great pictures from the NYMF production. The pictures do a great job of conveying the charisma of the talented cast and the vitality of our production. Don’t miss it!

We filmed some excerpts from the show a few days ago, and you can see them, along with commentary from an unnamed individual that many of you will recognize as the composer and lyricist, by clicking here.

Our day in the BroadwayWorld.com series “30 Days of NYMF,” that is, and you can read my posting here.  Great runthrough of the show yesterday; the last of the changes are going in this morning, including a new song for Bethe Austin as Lucille. (She’s so wonderful, writing something for her was a joy!) Meanwhile, the company is gathering tonight as “One Big Family” for an Italian dinner - except in NYC, I bet they serve their pasta with “sauce,” not South Philly “gravy.”

The first announcements have begun to appear - here’s one in BroadwayWorld and here’s another on Playbill.com. There’s also a piece in Playbill.com about the appearance that Charlie and Albert will be making at Barnes and Noble on September 20, when Peter Filichia will moderate a panel discussion that will also include writer and librettist teams Gary Adler, Kevin del Aguila & Michael Patrick Walker (Altar Boyz). This is just the beginning!

The excitement has been nearly unbearable in the past few days. We’ve finalized the script, the score and the cast, and everything is in readiness to begin rehearsals. The cast we’ve assembled is first-rate in every way, and the older members of the cast boast a distinguished set of accomplishments. Returning to create the role of Bunny a third time (which is a charm, or so the saying goes) is LINDA HART, who won kudos for her portrayal of Bunny in the play “Gemini” at Second Stage in 1999 and in the premiere production of “Gemini the Musical” at the Prince Music Theater in 2004. Linda is joined by JOEL BLUM as Fran Geminiani (a two-time Tony nominee) and BETHE AUSTIN as his “girlfriend,” Lucille. The younger generation of the cast is headed by DAN MICCICHE as Francis, with KIRSTEN BRACKEN as Judith, RYAN REID as her younger brother Randy (her rival for Francis’s affections) and JONATHAN KAY as Bunny’s son Herschel I have a great feeling about this cast, and can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished - the rewrites, the funding, the new director. And now, here we go, like over the top of some roller-coaster, flinging arms up into the air - WHEEE!

Monday August 13 was audition day, and what an exciting and productive day it was! The production team took up residence on the 17th floor of Ripley-Grier Studios on Eighth Avenue for a long day that commenced at 11 am.  Mad props must be given to casting director Paul Hardt from Stuart Howard Associates, who organized the day and assembled a great selection of talented performers for our consideration. Excellent candidates were seen for all seven roles in the show, after which director Mark Robinson guided the deliberations and decision-making. Next step: offers must be made, considered and (we hope) accepted; we’ve already had some yesses (and a no or two) and, with any luck, in another day or so, we’ll be able to post the results here and announce our casting to the press. For now, suffice it to say that all our expectations have been exceeded and that the NYMF cast will be an outstanding one!  Check back soon, and while you’re waiting, enjoy this article on how to talk South Philly style.

Today was an exciting milestone in our progress toward NYMF - our first production meeting! Gathered round the table for the kickoff were many of the members of the production team, including director Mark Robinson, producer/GM Geoff Cohen, composer/lyricist Charlie Gilbert, set designer Dana Kenn, music director Christine Riley, choreographer Rhonda Miller and sound designer Duncan Cutler. (Read their impressive credits here.) A big tip of the hat is proffered to Geoff Cohen, who was tireless in his efforts to assemble a first-rate team. Lots of important things were discussed, including plans for auditions on Monday August 13. Casting director Paul Hardt has come on board to help with the casting effort, which needs to be accomplished in a very brief time, since rehearsals will get underway on August 20 - less than two weeks from now. All left feeling full of purpose - without a doubt, we’re really underway now!

As you’ve probably noticed, the venue for Gemini the Musical at NYMF is The Acorn Theater, located at 410 W. 42nd St. The powerful symbolic meaning of the acorn is not lost on me; in fact, in an earlier musical, “A Tiny Miracle,” I (Charlie) wrote a song called “Have A Little Faith” in which a wise old oak tree gives advice to a tiny evergreen seedling that was planted in its shade. The Wise Oak counsels the Little Tree, “Little acorns grow to be/majestic oaks eventually./Although you may be small,/there’s big things you can do!” It’s a thought to keep in mind as we head into our final month of preparations for rehearsals for NYMF. Want to hear the song? Here’s the link:

Have A Little Faith

Yo! You wanna know the latest news about “Gemini the Musical”?  You’ve come to the right place!

Here’s what’s up at the moment:

• Albert Innaurato, the playwright, and Charlie Gilbert, the composer, have been working with dramaturg Michelle Tattenburg on refinements to the script.
• The authors are working with producer Geoff Cohen to staff the show, talking to directors, music directors and designers.
• The design team at P’unk Ave is getting the various features of the site up and running, and preparing ads and promotional postcards.
• A preliminary round of EPA’s (Equity Principal Auditions) has taken place, and the casting effort will commence in earnest once a director has come on board.

In other words, lots of excitement in New York and South Philly. To get first crack at tickets for the show, you should become a NYMF member - tickets go on sale to members starting August 1, but the general public has to wait til September 1. Sign up for the newsletter (using the link in the left hand column) to receive email updates about the show, or visit again soon.