“MATTHEW PASSION”
A New Play (with
music)
OFF BROADWAY at American Theatre of Actors' CHERNUCHIN
THEATRE
Previews Begin March 29th - Opening Monday, April
2nd
A Man Who Chose To Die.
A Man Who Should BE Dead.
And A Boy Who Never Saw It Coming.
“MATTHEW PASSION”A
New Play (with music) by Phil Hall begins previews on Thursday, March 29th
Off Broadway at American Theatre of Actors' Chernuchin Theatre at 314 West
54th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues). The opening will be Monday,
April 2, 2007 at 8:00 pm for the limited engagement. It is directed by
Steve Stringfellow with choreography by Jacob Brent. The scenic design is
by Michael Anania; with costume design by Jimmy Johansmeyer; lighting
design by Jerome J. Hoppe, Jr.; sound design by David Ferdinand / One
Dream Sound Corporation ;photography and poster by David Vance with
graphic design/poster by James Donegan. (1 hr 20 mins with no
intermission)
Matthew Passion tells the story of the passion of
Christ; the story of Matthew Shepard being picked up at a bar in Laramie,
Wyoming, beaten and left for dead on a hillside; and the story of a
middle-aged HIV positive survivor who has outlived his life expectancy.
Although the three stories take place in three different locations, and
are thousands of years apart, they all reflect one another and converge in
the final scene. http://www.matthewpassion.com
Matthew Passion is
the story of one man's journey to overcome his fear, and live his life in
the fullness and beauty of who he was born to be. While it centers around
one man's story, it's a play with universal themes--renewal, regeneration
and hope. Matthew Passion addresses the fear and shame many still feel of
being: gay, HIV+, and passive as we watch friends and loved ones being
persecuted for their beliefs, race or sexuality.
Phil Hall
(Author, Composer/Lyricist, Musical Director) for the better part of his
career has been a conductor and musical director. He composed the score
for “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (Paper Mill Playhouse, Santa Barbara Civic
Light Opera, Kansas City Starlight Theatre and North Shore Music Theatre.
He vocally arranged Sophisticated Ellington, at Carnegie Hall for Erich
Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops. He was a vocal arranger for “Some
Enchanted Evening”—a revue of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. His
arrangements have been published by Warner Brothers' Music and others. On
Broadway, he conducted “Play Me A Country Song” and was associate
conductor for the Broadway revival of “Mame”, starring Angela Lansbury.
Phil has been a conductor/musical director, at The Kennedy Center, St.
Louis MUNY, Michigan Opera Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Atlanta’s
Theater of the Stars, Houston’s Theatre Under The Stars, Seattle’s Fifth
Avenue Theatre, Kansas City Starlight and Indianapolis’ Starlight Theatre
in projects as varied as the Yeston/Kopit “Phantom”; “Side By Side By
Sondheim”; “Sayonara”; “The Wizard of Oz”; “The Merry Widow”; “42nd
Street” and “The Desert Song”. He appeared in “Show Boat”, which aired on
PBS' Great Performances series. He appeared in the Mira Sorvino-produced,
Griffin Dunne-directed film, “Lisa Picard Is Famous”. Phil has worked with
Lily Tomlin, Tommy Tune, Nanette Fabray, Phyllis Diller, Nancy Marchand,
Madeline Kahn, Judy Kaye, Donna McKechnie, Gregory Hines, Nancy Dussault,
Teri Hatcher to name a few.
Performances of the limited engagement
of Matthew Passion through 4/8 are: Wednesday – Saturday at 8:00 pm;
Sunday at 3:00 pm. There are special performances: Sunday, April 1 at 7:30
pm & for the opening night Monday, April 2 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are
only $18 and they are available through SmartTix: (212) 868-4444.
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