Northlight Theatre Presents [TITLE OF SHOW] Tonight, May 4

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents [title of show] with music and lyric by Jeff Bowen and the book by Hunter Bell, directed by Peter Amster.  The production runs tonight, May 4 – June 10, 2012 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd.  The press opening is on Friday, May 11, 2012.  Tickets for [title of show],$25-60, are available by phone at 847.673.6300, or online at northlight.org. Young Adult tickets (25 and under) are $10 (one per person with valid ID). 

Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, the pair decides to try to create something new with the help of their friends Susan, Heidi and Larry on the eighty-eights. With the cast in place, Jeff and Hunter begin a conversation about what to write about. Eventually, Jeff Suggests they write about what to write about. They make a pact to write up until the festival's deadline and dream about the show changing their lives.

[title of show] - taken from the space on the festival's application form which asks for the [title of show] – follows Hunter and Jeff and their friends on their journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression. In the span of 90 minutes they write and perform their show at the festival and learn lessons about themselves as people, friends and artists.

[title of show]received a Tony Award® nomination for Best Book of a Musical in 2009.

"Title of Show is as authentic a glimpse of the journey as you are likely to find about the creation of the modern musical. Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell chronicle their struggle to bring a show to life and to get it into one of the many showcases held in New York every year, with the ultimate goal of getting the show to Broadway. In the case of Title of Show, it did get to Broadway, a Cinderella story come true. Funny and true it is a real eye opener for lovers of musical theatre who root for the little guy and who believe that perseverance and talent will win the day," comments BJ Jones.

The cast includes McKinley Carter (Susan), Matthew Crowle (Hunter), Stephen Schellhardt (Jeff), Christine Sherrill (Heidi) and Doug Peck (Piano/Conducter)

Designers include Christopher J. Fitzgerald (Set Design), Rachel Laritz (Costume Design), Chris Binder (Lighting Design), and Victoria DeIorio (Sound Design).  Rita Vreeland is the stage manager.

Jeff Bowen (Music and Lyrics)recently wrote the music and lyrics for and starred in Now.Here.This. at the Vineyard Theatre and also in the Broadway musical [title of show] (OBIE Award, 2009 Best Plays Yearbook, Drama League nomination for Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble, Broadway.com Audience Award, GLAAD Media nomination). He was awarded the Jim Owles Human Rights Award and was named one of the 100 most influential people in OUT MAGAZINE. He has written music and lyrics for Villains Tonight! for the Walt Disney Company, the Easter Bonnet competition for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Actors Fund 125th Anniversary Gala, the Vineyard Theatre's 25th Anniversary Gala, the 53rd Annual Drama Desk Awards, Broadway in South Africa, Broadway Bares 18: Wonderland, Over the Moon: Broadway Lullaby Project. He has composed music for several shows at P.S. 122 including Avant-Garde-A-Rama in Sparklevision; Sparklefest 2000 at Dixon Place; The A-Train Plays; and the film Boat Mime. As an actor he has performed works at The O'Neill Center, Manhattan Theatre source, Ars Nova, the Vineyard Theatre and appeared in the Actors Fund benefit of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the August Wilson. He co-wrote and starred in the web series, "the [title of show] show" as well as scoring and performing its theme song. He developed a half-hour sitcom "Glass Houses" for ABC. Jeff is a proud member of the ASCAP, AEA, WGA, Dramatists Guild, Yale Dramat, and the National Audubon Society. 

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