Saturday 21st August, 20.30
Single Malt Productions
Genesis
Inspired by the true story that shocked the nation, British composer Will Todd and American writer David Simpatico slice through the silence of a city stricken with fear in the musical-opera The Screams of Kitty Genovese. The New York Times says, “hold the hand-wringing over the precipitous decline of the American musical theatre, please.” And Robert Brustein of The New Republic says, “… a powerful evening of theatre, one with the prime ingredients of classical tragedy: pity and terror. In addition to being one of the most powerful operas of the last decade, „Kitty Genovese‟ gave me hope for the renewal of musical theatre.” Keep your eyes and ears open – The Screams of Kitty Genovese will have you on the edge of your seat. August 2010, Kitty appears in two UK festivals: London‟s Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, followed by a week at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Synopsis
What would you do?
Music: Will Todd
Words: David Simpatico
Director: David G Edwards
Assistant MD & Conductor: Julian Black
Percussion: Jim Fleeman
Guitars: Thomas Gray
Featuring:
Frannie: Susannah Self
Kitty Genovese: Sophie Tehrani
Vinny: Robert Irons
Martha: Caroline Sabiston
Marty: Steve Devereaux
Mommy: Sarah Applewood
Baby: Waylon Jacobs
Mac: Ben Dunwell
Betty: Claire Platt
Jimmy: Bradley White-Dale
Cathy: Jessica Ridley
Winston: Darren Charles
Music: Will Todd
Words: David Simpatico
Director: David G Edwards
Assistant MD & Conductor: Julian Black
Percussion: Jim Fleeman
Guitars: Thomas Gray
Featuring:
Frannie: Susannah Self
Kitty Genovese: Sophie Tehrani
Vinny: Robert Irons
Martha: Caroline Sabiston
Marty: Steve Devereaux
Mommy: Sarah Applewood
Baby: Waylon Jacobs
Mac: Ben Dunwell
Betty: Claire Platt
Jimmy: Bradley White-Dale
Cathy: Jessica Ridley
Winston: Darren Charles
Biographies
David Simpatico (Librettist) has written for the stage, film, television and the concert stage. He adapted both High School Musical 1 and 2 for Disney Theatricals, which included multiple US and international tours and a production at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. Recent commissions include: the stage adaptation of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland for the Disney Company, Antonya Nelson’s novel Nobody’s Girl for film, and Ernst Lubitsch’s Trouble in Paradise with the Hourglass Group.
Will Todd (Composer) His output includes opera, musicals, oratorio, orchestral and religious works, and his music has been performed throughout the UK, in Europe and in the USA. Notable works include the opera The Blackened Man, the oratorio Saint Cuthbert and the cantata The Burning Road – written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Jarrow March. Will’s jazz mass setting, Mass in Blue has been performed more than fifty times around the world since its 2003 premiere, as well featured on two commercial recordings.
David G Edwards (Director) is a freelance director, writer and presenter. David has directed opera around the world including San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, London, Milan, Vienna, Singapore and Tokyo. He staged the premiere of Will Todd’s The Blackened Man at the Buxton Festival in 2004 and The Screams of Kitty Genovese at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2006. Theatre work includes The Queen of Spades and Oh! What a Lovely War (Cambridge).
Single Malt Productions (Producer) was formed by Staci Levine, Michael Nassar, Pamela Lloyd and Christian Pimsner for the purpose of producing The Screams of Kitty Genovese. Individually and collectively they have worked as Producers and General Managers on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on tour and at regional theatres throughout the United States, Australia and in London.