May 2011 Archives

THE ZEGEND OF LELDA by Gil Varod and Robert Saferstein to be presented as part of the 2011 West Village Musical Theatre Festival, June 8-12 @ the 13th Repertory Theatre.

From the creators of Oedipus for Kids, comes the new comedic musical, THE ZEGEND OF LELDA, a fifteen-minute excerpt of which will be presented as part of the 2011 West Village Musical Theatre Festival, running in Series B from June 8-12 at the 13th Street Repertory Theatre (50 West 13th Street, New York, NY). Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at www.ZegendOfLelda.com

Who can forget the first time they grabbed their pixelated sword, clutching a wooden shield while fighting off nightmarish monsters in order to collect some weird triangles and save the princess? Or the blinding glow of that golden video game cartridge as you screamed over the eight-bit soundtrack that you’d be down for dinner in just a minute, which easily turned into four hours? Now, one of the most epic and enduring video game series of all time is presented as it was meant to be: as a musical, on stage, and in a fully non-copyright-infringing manner. 

Join us for this Zegendary adventure, and all attendees who come in costume will receive a free feeling of satisfaction from dressing up in costume in a public place. 

With music and book by Robert J. Saferstein and lyrics and book by Gil Varod, THE ZEGEND OF LELDA is a hysterical journey through the video game world in search of bored fairies, questionable power ups, and a chorus of singing deformed villains. Watch as the hero Zink (Ronen Bay) and his trusted friends Boomy (Zack Moody), Sierra Myst (Zoe Farmingdale), and Old Man (Sean Ward) fight to save Princess Lelda (Susanne Nancy Kobb) and the kingdom of Tall-Rule from the evil Dannon (Steve Copps) and his Shmoblins (Steve Walker and Amy Van Deusen). Direction is by Ron Grimshaw. Piano and Musical Direction are by Brenna Sage. Featuring vocal arrangements by Scott Stein and guitar by Natalia Garrido Rosa. 

 Saferstein and Varod previously collaborated on Oedipus for Kids, a 2006 Next Link Selection, which played a sold-out, extended-run production during The New York Musical Theatre Festival. Hailed as a “spoof of children’s theater with some truly funny songs and endearingly loopy performances from a cast of just three,” by Charles Isherwood of the New York Times, the musical is currently available for licensing and purchase at Samuel French, Inc., and has since been produced regionally.

In addition to writing musicals, Robert J. Saferstein is also a theatrical production photographer and has photographed over twenty musicals, plays, and operas on and off-Broadway. Gil Varod is best known for his site www.broadwayabridged.com where he writes abridged scripts that spoof Broadway shows. 

Now in its second year, The West Village Musical Theatre Festival features eighteen new works from some of musical theatre’s most exciting emerging and established writers in under five hours. The festival is presented in three separate series, each consisting of six completely different one-act musicals or snapshots of larger musicals presented in ninety-minutes. For more information, visit www.wvmtf.com.

Spider-Man Said to be Leaving Spider-Man

"A lead producer of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” has told investors in the misfortune-plagued Broadway musical that its title character, Spider-Man, will step aside and be replaced by Batman."

As a member of the Independent Theater Bloggers Association, I'd like to announce the nominations for the 3rd annual Patrick Lee Theater Blogger Awards:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL   
  • Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
  • Catch Me If You Can
  • The Book of Mormon
  • The Scottsboro Boys
  • Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY   
  • Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
  • Brief Encounter
  • Good People
  • Jerusalem
  • War Horse
OUTSTANDING BROADWAY MUSICAL REVIVAL
  • Anything Goes
  • How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
OUTSTANDING BROADWAY PLAY REVIVAL
  • Arcadia
  • Born Yesterday
  • The Importance of Being Earnest
  • The Merchant of Venice
  • The Normal Heart
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
  • Gatz
  • Other Desert Cities
  • Peter and the Starcatcher
  • The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
  • The Metal Children
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
  • Freckleface Strawberry
  • In Transit
  • The Burnt Part Boys
  • The Kid
  • We the People: America Rocks!
OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY REVIVAL (PLAY OR MUSICAL)
  • Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches
  • Angels in America Part 2: Perestroika
  • Hello Again
  • The Little Foxes
  • Three Sisters
OUTSTANDING SOLO SHOW/PERFORMANCE (ALL VENUE CATEGORIES)   
  • Kimberly Faye Greenberg, One Night with Fanny Brice
  • John Leguizamo, Ghetto Klown
  • Michael Shannon, Mistakes Were Made
  • Mike Birbiglia, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
  • Tim Watts, Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer
OUTSTANDING OFF-OFF-BROADWAY SHOW   
  • Belarus Free Theater's Discover Love
  • Black Watch
  • Dog Act
  • Feeder: A Love Story
  • Invasion!
  • Reefer Madness, The Gallery Players
  • ReWrite
  • The Caucasian Chalk Circle
  • Treasure Island
The Patrick Lee Theatre Blogger Awards are named for our friend Patrick Lee, who passed away in June of 2010.  He was the creator and writer of his own blog Just Goes to Show You, and co-founder of the Show Showdown Blog.  He was the original Awards Director of the Independent Theater Bloggers Association, and a regular contributor to a number of theatrical news organizations.

RECENT BLOG ENTRIES

Official Press Release for my new musical THE ZEGEND OF LELDA
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"A lead producer of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” has told investors in the misfortune-plagued Broadway musical that its title…
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As a member of the Independent Theater Bloggers Association, I'd like to announce the nominations for the 3rd annual Patrick…

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