FRANKENSTEIN
Frankenstein – A New Musical is a stage musical adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, with music by Mark Baron and book and lyrics by Jeffrey Jackson, based on a story adaptation by Gary P. Cohen. It premiered in New York City on November 1, 2007 in the off-Broadway theater 37 Arts and was directed by Bill Fennelly. The cast featured Hunter Foster as Victor Frankenstein, Steve Blanchard as The Creature, and Christiane Noll as Elizabeth. The show was produced by Gerald Goehring, Douglas C. Evans, Michael F. Mitri, and David S. Stone, in association with Barbara & Emery Olcott.
While adhering faithfully to the original Mary Shelley text, the creative team nonetheless took advantage of modern stage techniques to create a fluid, nonlinear story that challenged audiences to travel across vast distances and time spans while remaining in a single setting that employed projections, light and sound to paint its epic story. The show is nearly “sung-through,” meaning there is very little spoken dialogue, evoking the feeling of a modern operetta.
Early drafts of the show were co-written by Mark Baron and Gary P. Cohen exclusively, with Jeff Jackson, an award-winning screenwriter, coming aboard later to enhance the show's book and lyrics. Preliminary efforts included a high school production and multiple staged readings for local audiences in the authors’ native New Jersey.
In 2001, the team undertook a bold step to try to launch the show's professional future: a full-length video demo that was produced and directed by Jeff Jackson and titled Frankenstein, The Musical. Staged over a four-day shoot in a rented Union City, NJ theater, the production starred Tony Award®-winning actor Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma) as The Creature and featured Broadway veterans Ivan Rutherford (Les Misérables) as Victor Frankenstein and Rita Harvey (Phantom of the Opera) as Elizabeth. The production was a hybrid of a film and a live show. Shot cinematically out-of-sequence with multiple cameras and without an audience, the show was nonetheless filmed on a single stage with traditional theatrical lighting. The final product was published on DVD in 2002, but only screened privately for potential backers of future productions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFg58nvnWOU
In 2006, an updated version of the musical, renamed Frankenstein, A New Musical, was staged at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, NJ for three performances on September 29, 30, and October 1. Featuring Broadway stars Ron Bohmer (The Scarlet Pimpernel) as The Creature and Davis Gaines (Phantom of the Opera) as Victor Frankenstein, Christeena Michelle Riggs (Les Miserables) as Elizabeth and directed by Bill Fennelly, this production served as a direct stepping stone to its ultimate New York debut the following year. It was produced by David S. Stone. An interesting twist occurred during the brief run when star Gaines took sick and co-author Jeff Jackson had to step in at the last minute to perform in the final two performances.
Reviews for the 2007 off-Broadway production were mixed, with the national press receiving it positively while the New York papers were less appreciative. The Associated Press praised it for “bringing the classic tale thrillingly to life,” and Bloomberg Radio hailed it as “Riveting!” and “Totally exciting!”
The original cast album is available on Ghostlight Records and the play is published by Playscripts, Inc. and is currently enjoying ongoing licensed productions around the world. In addition to various US and UK productions, it has been performed in Germany, Hungary, and Latin America, having been translated into the native languages of those regions and countries.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
Children's Musicals
During my tenure at Plays-in-the-Park I wrote the book and most of the lyrics (more on that later) to four Children Musicals which were performed for the kids at weekend matinees inside. My musical collaborators were Mark Baron, Warren Helms, and in the case of "JBs HARMONICA", John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful. John kindly let me alter some of his lyrics to fit the story. "The Reluctant Dragon" embellishes the classic story with singing/dancing Dragonettes, a female mayor, and the knight, Sir Lancealittle. "3 Little Pigs in a Blanket" fractures several famous fairy tales. "A High School Monster Musical" tells the tale of the offspring of famous classic Monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, etc) trying their best to fit in at their all-non-monster high school. John Sebastian wrote a children's book - JB's Harmonica - and he graciously allowed me to turn his book into a stage musical using his Lovin' Spoonful songs.
All four shows were filmed at Plays-in-the-Park, with my direction and Michelle Massa's choreography. Click on any of the posters above to watch the videos.
The shows are also available for licensing. "3 LITTLE PIGS IN A BLANKET" and "JB'S HARMONICA" via the author.
Plays
REHEARSING MAMET explores what happens when two aging old-school community theater actors—fans of Neil Simon and Rodgers & Hammerstein—find themselves rehearsing a play by the contemporary, and explosive David Mamet. Making matters worse, the director is also new school. But, as the evening wears on, they start to find the raw language and situations liberating!
HELL'S KITCHEN, NYC is set simultaneously in four differnt NYC restaurants, where 4 couples find that their dining experience that evening is quite revealing.
Both plays are available for performance. Contact the author for more information.