Fenimore Art Museum will premiere a rare behind-the-scenes look at "Radiant Baby," the acclaimed off-Broadway musical about the life and work of Keith Haring, to celebrate the final days of the museum’s popular exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. The event will be streamed on Friday, October 8 at 7:00 P.M. and will be freely accessible on both Facebook and YouTube. It will feature three musical performances by Lena Hall (Tony-winner, Grammy nominee, and original cast) and Debra Barsha (Composer/co-Lyricist), and will also include a discussion about the show's history and creative process featuring Stuart Ross (Book/Co-Lyricist) and Stephen Brackett (Director). The group will also discuss their personal connection with Keith Haring, how they became attached to the project, and how the musical speaks to Haring’s artwork. The entire program was recorded on October 3 in the exhibition gallery at Fenimore. Bios of all participating artists are attached below.
The exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision is on view at Fenimore through October 11.
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BIOs:
Lena Hall:
LENA HALL is a Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee who received widespread critical acclaim for her performance of the title role in the feature film Becks, (winner of the U.S. Fiction Award at the L.A. Film Festival) available nationwide. She stars as Miss Audrey in TNT and Netflix’s hit sci-fi drama Snowpiercer. Following her Tony-winning Broadway run in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Lena toured North America with Josh Groban on his “Stages” tour, and portrayed the dual starring roles of both Hedwig and Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in Los Angeles and San Francisco. She originated the role of Nicola in the Tony-winning musical Kinky Boots, and has been seen on HBO’s “Girls,” Amazon Prime’s “Good Girls Revolt,” and can be heard voicing the fan-favorite role of Countess Coloratura on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hall starred opposite Marisa Tomei in Lincoln Center Theatre’s “How To Transcend A Happy Marriage.” Lena’s two solo musical revues Sin & Salvation (at the legendary Cafe Carlyle) and The Villa Satori: Growing up Haight Ashbury both played sold out shows and received rave reviews. Lena's year-long musical passion project “Obsessed,” pays tribute to her greatest musical inspirations with 12 EP releases over the course of 2018 that are accompanied by 54 music videos via YouTube and a live concert tour. For more about Lena Hall and where to see her live, follow her on social media @lenarockerhall or visit her website www.lenahall.com
Debra Barsha:
DEBRA BARSHA won the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Award for the music to Radiant Baby, (Public Theater) directed by George C. Wolfe. Barsha wrote A Taste of Things To Come (with Hollye Levin), which ran at the Bucks County Theatre, Broadway Playhouse (Chicago) and off-Broadway at The York Theatre (dir. Lorin Latarro) and is published by Concord Theatricals. She was a composer for the song cycle Songs From an Unmade Bed (NYTW), Sophie (JRT), NBC’s Policewoman Centerfold soundtrack, and wrote book, music and lyrics for her one-woman shows Go to Your Womb and A Womb With a View (CAP21/Cherry Lane Theatre). Her holiday musical (co-written with Tim Sulka) The Most Miserable Christmas Tree got its world premiere in New York. Debra’s musicals (co-written with Sheilah Rae) include Every Other Thursday and Our Very Best People (both adapted from Edna Ferber short stories). The first was performed at NJ Rep in an evening called Five By Ferber (published by Smith and Krauss). Barsha and Rae also wrote the 15-minute musical From This Moment. Upcoming Barsha and Rae: The Helena Project (NAMT writer’s recipient grant). Her songs have been recorded by Rebecca Luker, George Clinton and Mary Balin among others. She sang on Prince’s 1-800 New Funk, George Clinton’s R&B Skeletons in the Closet and Thomas Dolby’s May The Cube Be With You. Barsha originated roles and was the music director for the original Off-Broadway companies of both Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding and Charles Busch’s Swingtime Canteen. She also served as music director for the Steven Sater/Serj Tankian world premiere of Prometheus Bound (ART - dir. Diane Paulus). She conducted Karen O’s opera Stop the Virgens! at St. Ann’s Warehouse and at the Sydney Opera House. Barsha wrote the vocal arrangement for the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s single Sacrilege (conducted live on Letterman with Broadway Inspirational Voices) and Awolnation’s single I Am (conducted on Late Night with Seth Meyers). She arranged vocals for Orange Is the New Black star Lea DeLaria's David Bowie tribute album House of David. She is one of the playwrights of the live-streamed Period Piece (dir. Karen Carpenter). Her song We’re Still Here (a tribute to our healthcare workers) can be viewed on Barsha’s YouTube channel, performed by her. Barsha was the Associate Conductor for Broadway’s Jersey Boys and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. She is currently the pianist for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
Stephen Brackett:
Broadway Credits: The Lightning Thief and Be More Chill. Off-Broadway: A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons/Page 73, Obie and Drama Desk Awards), Be More Chill (Signature/Two River/London’s Other Palace & Shaftsbury Theater), The Lightning Thief (Theaterworks USA/National Tour), Buyer & Cellar (Rattlestick/Barrow Street/National Tour/Menier Chocolate Factory), The Mad Ones (Prospect Theater), Ultimate Beauty Bible (Page 73), Carnival Kids (Lesser America), After (Partial Comfort), Be A Good Little Widow (Ars Nova), and The Tenant (Woodshed Collective). Regional: Fall Springs (Barrington Stage), Significant Other (Geffen Playhouse), I Now Pronounce (Humana Festival), Le Switch (About Face), The Great Pretender (TheatreWorks). Upcoming: A Strange Loop (Wooly Mammoth), A.D. 16 (Olney Theater), and To My Girls (Second Stage).
Stuart Ross:
STUART ROSS has spent most of his four decades in the theatre creating, adapting and directing new shows. Mr. Ross is the book writer and co-lyricist of RADIANT BABY - The Keith Haring musical, which was performed to acclaim at NYC's Public Theatre (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel nominations for Best Musical) and in Tokyo. He is currently working on the script and lyrics (with Debra Barsha) for the New production of RADIANT BABY (Two River Theater). Mr. Ross is probably best known as the writer and director of the long running musical phenomenon FOREVER PLAID which ran in NYC for over 2000 performances. Mr. Ross also created the Holiday sequel PLAID TIDINGS, plus THE SOUND OF PLAID, FOREVER PLAID: THE MOVIE; and for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, a sixteen-player version of FOREVER PLAID (4 SQUARED). Mr. Ross directed the show across the US and internationally, and this past summer adapted the show for the Pandemic audience. Plaid-Demic Plaid! Other work as director, adaptor include acclaimed productions of ENTER LAUGHING, THE MUSICAL at NYC's York Theatre (Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations), the Bay Street Theatre, Los Angeles's Mark Taper Forum and the Wallis Annenberg Performing Arts Center. Working with Phyllis Newman, Mr. Ross adapted and directed the first revival of the musical SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING for NYC’s York Theatre. Mr. Ross is also currently adapting the film BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY for the NYC cabaret scene, THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL by Jack Viertel for the stage and THE ALICE B. TOKLAS COOKBOOK. On Broadway, Mr. Ross co-wrote the book to the musical STARMITES (6 Tony nominations), as well as THE RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL EASTER SHOW. Off-Broadway he adapted and directed IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S SUPERMAN!; MINNIE’S BOYS, SILK STOCKINGS, COMPOSE YOURSELF and BAJOUR (YORK THEATRE). Mr. Ross has written and created hundreds of sketches, parodies, endless segments of special material and one-person shows for wonderful performers. These include Diahann Carroll (THE SWEETEST SOUNDS and BOTH SIDES NOW), Jason Alexander, Mary Martin (MY HEART BELONGS) and Faith Prince (A LEAP OF FAITH) among others. He also wrote THE HEEBIE JEEBIES, NOT-SO-NEW FACES, TEA WITH BEA (The Beatrice Lillie Show), FUN WITH DICK AND JANE: THE MUSICAL and was the creative consultant on DIAMONDS (directed by Harold Prince) and OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES. Other credits include STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS off-Broadway and in LA (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award as producer), Gilbert and Sullivan's THE GONDOLIERS presented in workshop for the Roundabout Theatre Company, WILD TRAX, a new musical based on the voice over industry, NASTY LITTLE SECRETS by Lanie Robertson, CREEPS, THE LUNCH GIRLS, DEAR LOVE OF COMRADES. In Los Angeles, Mr. Ross directed Reprise’s inaugural production of PROMISES, PROMISES (Jason Alexander, Jean Smart, Fred Willard and Allan Thicke), followed by the Reprise production of BRIGADOON (Marin Mazzie, Jason Daniely, Deb Gibson and Orson Bean); IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE for Pasadena Playhouse (Alfred Molina, Michael Richards, Tony Shaloub, Sharon Lawrence, Orson Bean) and Michael Cristofer’s BREAKING UP (Allison Janney and Matthew Modine). Mr. Ross has worked at some of the country's most prestigious theatres, including Manhattan Theatre Club, San Diego's Old Globe Theatre, Primary Stages, The Alley Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, Cleveland Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Alliance Theatre, The Walnut Street Theatre. For television, Mr. Ross directed sitcoms, including episodes of FRASIER and VERONICA'S CLOSET. He directed and created special material for the PBS GREAT PERFORMANCES "AN EVENING AT THE POPS" starring Jason Alexander. Mr. Ross has served in over a dozen shows on Broadway and off as a "Show Doctor” and consultant. For ten seasons he worked as a director, dramaturg and writer at the EUGENE O'NEILL THEATRE CENTER'S NATIONAL MUSIC THEATRE CONFERENCE, and for nine years was a panelist for the ASCAP/DISNEY Musical Workshop. He is a recipient of the LOS ANGELES CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD, JOSEPH JEFFERSON AWARD, the NBC NEW PLAYWRIGHTS GRANT, and THE UNITED STATES STATE DEPARTMENT GRANT FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE.
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