TONYA & NANCY:  THE ROCK OPERA

The New York Musical Theatre Festival and Paul T. Boghosian/Harborside Films present

TONYA & NANCY: THE ROCK OPERA

Concept, Book and Lyrics by ELIZABETH SEARLE
Music and Additional Lyrics by MICHAEL TEOLI

Starring
TRACY McDOWELL, JENNA LEIGH GREEN, LIZ McCARTNEY and TONY LEPAGE
With
ANDREW AARON BERLIN, HEIDI FRIESE, CHASE KAMATA
TATIANA LOFTON, RYAN J. MacCONNELL, and DWAYNE WASHINGTON

Directed by DAVID ALPERT
Choreographer: MARC KIMELMAN
Music Director: HENRY ARONSON
Scenic Design: STARLET JACOBS
Costume Design: VANESSA LEUCK
Lighting Design: RUI RITA
Sound Design: ALEX HAWTHRON
Assistant Director: CORY PHELPS
Wig Design: BOBBIE ZLOTNICK
Casting: DARYL EISENBERG, CSA, DARYL EISENBERG CASTING
Marketing: ALAN SWANKE
Press: JOE TRENTACOSTA
Production Stage Management: KELLY MARTINDALE
General Management: KIMBERLY LOREN EATON/THEATRUM MUNDI PRODUCTIONS, LLC
& EVAN BERNARDIN
Production Manager: TANNER ALVAREZ
Assistant Stage Manager: KATHERINE K. YIP
Production Coordinator/ASM: CHRISTIN EVE CATO

PTC Performance Space
555 West 42nd Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues)
07/09 @ 8 PM, 07/11 @ 5 PM, 07/12 @ 8 PM, 07/14 @5 PM, 07/14 @ 9 PM, 07/16 @ 1 PM

Against a pulsating rock background, the knee-whacking scandal between Olympic skating contenders Tonya Harding (Tracy McDowell) and Nancy Kerrigan (Jenna Leigh Green) is relived in TONYA & NANCY: THE ROCK OPERA. The roads taken by Portland trailer-park, truck-driving, tough-talking Tonya and Massachusetts right-side-of-the-tracks Princess Nancy are not as dissimilar as you would imagine. The grueling training schedules, the sacrifices, the disappointments, and the quest for perfection are detailed in the musical numbers as they connect and collide on the rinks to the Gold. Clever lyrics and rollicking choreography move the story along until you reach the dramatic 1994 Olympics.

With much humor the absurdity of the situation is depicted in songs enhanced by news commentators, sequined costumes, court scenes, outrageous wigs, and shiny skates. Green and McDowell do a fine job as the protagonists. Shout outs go to scene stealers Liz McCartney as the schizophrenic Mom and Tony LePage as the imposing Jeff Gillooly. Thanks to them and the entire ensemble a good time is had by all. There’s still time to grab a sign and wave your flag (compliments of the production) because TONYA & NANCY: THE ROCK OPERA has been extended.

- Laurie Lawson -