An amazing ensemble of Broadway talent will assemble on April 26th to perform the music of Will Reynolds, including: Jeannette Bayrdelle (Hair, The Color Purple) Sara Jean Ford (Finian's Rainbow, Anyone Can Whistle",) Jeremy Jordan (West Side Story, Rock of Ages), Carrie Manolakos (Wicked, Mama Mia) and Zachary Prince (Jersey Boys).
The concert will feature selections from Will's musicals, The Greenwood Tree and The Sixth Borough as well as selections from his songbook.
Will Reynolds is an actor/composer-lyricist born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, now living in NYC. His musical The Greenwood Tree (text by Shakespeare) was an official selection for the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival, and was presented as a concert at the 45th Street Theater, featuring an incredible cast including Broadway's Nikki Renee Daniels, Jeremy, Hunter Herdlicka, Martin Moran, and Theresa McCarthy. It was directed by Matthew Gardiner (Signature Theatre in DC), and music directed by Andy Einhorn (Sondheim on Sondheim). The Sixth Borough, written with Eric Price has been workshopped at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma (dir. Nick Demos) and at the University of Indiana's Premier Musicals program as well. Their 15-minute musical On The Contraray! was commissioned by The Music Theatre Company (formerly LaRed) in Chicago for their 48-Hour Musicals Project. In 2008 Will was one of 12 songwriters chosen from across the country for ASCAP's Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project, working with Craig Carnelia and Andrew Lippa. Will's songs are featured in Sara Jean Ford's (Finian's Rainbow, The Phantom of the Opera) cabaret act "Built Ford Tough," first seen at Davenports in Chicago, and then at the Metropolitan Room in NYC. His songs have been performed at Birdland in NYC, the Signature Theatre Cabaret Series in DC, and he's been honored as the guest composer for both the NYC and Chicago "Monday Nights, New Voices," concerts (created by Scott Alan). As a pianist and arranger, his work can be heard on Natalie Toro's self-titled album, and as an actor, Will toured North America with Mamma Mia! and most recently starred as Huck Finn in Big River at Goodspeed. Will is a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. www.willreynoldsonline.com
Dreamlight Theatre Company is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a home for Musical Theatre. Now in its fourth season, they most recently premiered Chris Miller & Nathan Tysen's Fugitive Songs - a production that earned them their very first Drama Desk nomination.
Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski
