Douglas Sills, Kara Lindsay, Beth Malone & More to Star in GENIUS: A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY Staged Reading

Ogunquit Playhouse will present a staged reading of GENIUS: A New Musical Comedy, which will be held on Friday, May 19.

GENIUS is based on the novel by Patrick Dennis (Auntie Mame) with a book by Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid, music and lyrics by Ilene Reid, and direction by Michael Heitzman. Incidental lyrics enhanced with Spanish translation by Jaime Lozano.

The cast for the May 2023 reading of GENIUS: A New Musical features Douglas Sills, Kevin Zak, Kara Lindsay, Beth Malone, Ashley Brown, Eddie Korbich, Francisca Muñoz, Ryah Nixon, Phillip Taratula, Jacob Gutierrez, Rob Colletti, Debra Cardona, Elíseo Román, Austin Colby, and Lara Hayhurst.

GENIUS will feature music direction by Andrea Grody, orchestrations and arrangements by Steven Bishop. Ruth E. Kramer will be the stage manager and Chris Gunn will provide stage direction.

GENIUS is a hilarious romp set in the sixties, starring the most selfish, irresponsible charmer ever to moon an Oscar audience: Leander Starr, a Hollywood director in the tradition of Orson Welles, whose artistic aspirations soar as high as his cheeks bounce.

Fleeing creditors, the IRS, and miscellaneous ex-wives, Starr escapes to Mexico City where he runs into legendary author, Patrick Dennis, who proceeds to skewer Starr and his hangers on with wit as dry as a gin martini.

Michael Heitzman

(Director/Writer) is the Artistic Director for Musical Development at the historic Lucille Lortel Theatre. His longtime collaboration with Ilene Reid has garnered them a Grammy Award nomination for their song "Throw That Girl Around" from the Broadway musical Swing! Genius and their original musical Solana are both working toward their first productions. Recent directing credits: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Tuacahn Center for the Performing Arts (currently running), Beauty and the Beast and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 42nd Street at The Ordway and Drury Lane Theater (Jeff Award nominee, Best Director), Beauty and the Beast PCLO, North Shore Music Theater, La Mirada. Newsies, Big River and Legally Blonde at Broadway at Music Circus. SHREK and Disney's The Little Mermaid (IRNE Award nominee, Best Director) at North Shore Music Theater and VICES (Jeff Award nominee, Best Director). Member of The Dramatists Guild and SDC. michaelheitzman.com

Ilene Reid

(Book, Music and Lyrics) is one of the Grammy-nominated songwriters of Throw That Girl Around from the Broadway musical SWING! Her musical BINGO (THE WINNING MUSICAL) written with Michael Heitzman and David Holcenberg had a successful Off-Broadway run and continues to have numerous productions nationally and internationally. Currently in development, the original musical, Solana and original musical Godsplaining with Bookwriter, Manja Lyssy. Ilene, a proud member of The Dramatists Guild (2008-2009 Fellow) and Maestra, is also a private vocal coach in New York City and adjunct vocal professor at Indiana University.

Steven Bishop

(Orchestrator and Arranger) is excited to have been named Arranger/Orchestrator for the upcoming shows, GENIUS and SOLANA, both penned by Heitzman & Reid. Other credits include re-scoring the critically acclaimed, completely reimagined revival of CAMELOT, which was seen throughout North America. His arrangements for television have been heard on The Today Show, AMC, Discovery, TNN's Nashville Now, and Bobby Jones Gospel Hour. Mr. Bishop has also been the Musical Supervisor for the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, winning acclaim for his compositional and orchestrational contributions to THE GREEN VIOLIN, a new musical which won several Barrymore awards, including best new score. His arrangements and orchestrations have been heard on the smash national tours of GREASE, starring Frankie Avalon, Chubby Checker, and Fabian, the Off-Broadway production of BINGO, and the National Tours of FAME, RING OF FIRE, ZIEGFELD, and THE MUSIC OF Andrew Lloyd Webber. The recipient of the Bravo award for his outstanding contribution to the field of musical theatre, Mr. Bishop has musically directed or supervised over 200 productions including 5 in Seoul, Korea, and is in constant demand as a vocal and audition coach.

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