BEHIND THE SCENES AT 'YANK!'
Monday, October 5, 2009
7:00PM - 8:30PM
FREE! Behind the Scenes at the Creation of 'Yank!,'
the Gay World War II Musical.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO FALL IN LOVE IN A TIME AND PLACE WHERE THE ODDS ARE STACKED AGAINST YOU?
In a lighthearted and offbeat presentation, brothers Joe and David Zellnik offer songs from "Yank!," their new, gay World War II musical, with music by Joe (above left) and book and lyrics by David (above center). Collaborators since the ages of 11 and 13, the brothers discuss the myriad challenges they've faced in bringing a gay love story to the stage.
"Yank!" tells the tale of a scared Midwestern kid, drafted in 1943, who becomes a photographer for Yank Magazine, the journal "for and by the servicemen." The score of "Yank!" pays homage to the 1940s and explores what it is to fall in love and struggle to survive in a time and place where the odds are stacked against you.
On Monday, October 5, in the state-of-the-art performance space at the JCC in Manhattan, you learn what led Joe and David to musical theatre in the first place, and how they came to write a deeply felt piece about gay servicemen during World War II.
Joining them is the incredible Kerry O'Malley (above right), who starred on Broadway in Irving Berlin's White Christmas, in the role originated on film by Rosemary Clooney. Kerry's other Broadway credits include Into the Woods (The Baker's Wife, 2002 cast album), Reba McIntire's Annie Get Your Gun, Billy Elliott, Cyrano and Brian Friel's Translations. Known to TV audiences as Mary-Kate on Showtime's critically acclaimed drama, Brotherhood, Kerry stars opposite Renee Zellweger in the upcoming feature film Case 39.
"Yank!" enjoyed a sold-out run at the New York Musical Theater Festival, winning the audience award for Best Musical. A subsequent production by Brooklyn's premier Off-Off Broadway theater, the Gallery Players in Park Slope, was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. The show received its West Coast premiere at the Diversionary Theatre in San Diego.
The Off-Broadway premiere of "Yank!" is set for February 2010 at the York Theatre in Midtown (www.yorktheatre.org). The York is New York's only theater dedicated to producing new musicals. Its Developmental Reading Series, which presents nearly 40 free readings of new musicals every year, was the incubator for the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit "Avenue Q."
Joe and David Zellnik are already at work on two new musical projects. Their previous musicals include First in Flight: The Wright Brothers and City of Dreams. David's plays include Serendib, Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom and Ariel Sharon Stands at the Temple Mount and Dreams of Theodor Herzl. Joe's works include two recent dance pieces for the Chase Brock Experience and the musicals Silken Cords and Trust Me.
Where: The Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Auditorium of The JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue at West 76th St. NOTE: Photo ID required.
By Subway: 1, 2 or 3 to 72nd Street. By Bus: M7 or M11 to West 75th Street.
When: Doors Open, 7:00 p.m. Program and Q&A, 7:30 p.m. Afterwards, say hello to Joe, David and Kerry.
Admission Free! RSVP requested, not required. Those who RSVP are guaranteed admission until 7:15 p.m., when standbys will be admitted.
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The JCC in Manhattan invites Members of Out Professionals and OP.LYNX to learn more about its other LGBTQ programs. Visit them online.
