In Transit

Seven talented individuals come together at the 59e59 Theaters to present In Transit, a new a cappella musical poem to New York City, painting a portrait of the lives, loves, losses, hopes, and dreams of its many inhabitants.  We're a quirky, off-beat, angry, ambitious, optimistic, and most of all, diverse group of people all trying to "make it" here in the concrete jungle and these amazing performers cover the gamut in about 100 minutes.   Take one beat-boxer (that's the guy who makes the sounds of the drums with the microphone) and add six glorious voices and the result is one potent, song-filled evening.  Any New Yorker bound to recognize a friend, family member, or co-worker one of the characters and is guaranteed to find themselves taping their feet to the beats.  Take a subway ride over to the East Side and hear the feel good story for yourself.

The Burnt Part Boys

What a thrill to see a new show that really blows you away.  This is a joint production between Playwrights Horizons and The Vineyard Theatre.  It's been in development for about a year on various stages and this stop on 42nd Street is a true winner.

Pete (Al Calderone) runs away with his best buddy Dusty (Noah Galvin) to try and preserve the memory of his father who was killed in a mine explosion (hence the title, the Burnt Part... of the mine).  Chet his older brother (Andrew Durand) and his best buddy Jake (Charlie Brady) chase after them.  The story is a powerful ode to family and memory, growing up, chasing a dream, and a fight to "get out" vs the need to "stay".   The power behind this show is the music - one strong ballad after another and a cast that can fill the theatre from the front row to the very last.  Kudos to the entire creative team - Mariana Elder (book), Chris Miller (music), and Nathan Tysen (lyrics)  The creative direction (Joe Calarco) and use of the stage, ramps, and aisles during the performance drew you in even closer to the story.

Run, Don't Walk.  This one has Broadway transfer potential.