Spotlight on EDDIE AND THE PALACEADES

Manhattan Theatre Mission is excited and delighted to produce our second New Musicals Showcase! Following up on the rousing success of last year's Showcase, we look forward to bringing you four diverse offerings from some of today's up-and-coming talent! In the coming weeks, we will be spotlighting each of our selected shows to give you a taste of the excellent material we have planned for this year. This week's spotlight is on EDDIE AND THE PALACEADES (Music by Stephen Feingenbaum, book and lyrics by Roy O'Neil).

Inspired by true events in O'Neil's hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut, EDDIE AND THE PALACEADES is the story of a family breaking apart and reuniting after Eddie, an over-the-hill one-hit-wonder, runs for mayor in order to save the local Palace Theater. Conflict arises, however, as not everyone in his family is thrilled by his decision to enter politics... Sporting a tuneful pop-rock score, EDDIE AND THE PALACEADES is a zesty, light-hearted story with a celebratory spirit that's sure to get your toes tapping.

Drawing inspiration from such writers as Meredith Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose first shows were also love letters to their hometowns, O'Neil and Feingenbaum were originally connected through an online community bulletin board.  Much of the initial draft was written via email.  Most interestingly, the pair only found out after work had been progressing for some time that they were, in fact, 40 years apart in age!  This dynamic has naturally generated  a show that combines the nostalgia that comes from experience with a youthful, energetic score.

EDDIE AND THE PALACEADES has been in development for some time, and the creative team looks forward to taking the next step!  Hopefully, the show will one day see a full production on the real stage of the Palace Theater in Waterbury.

Manhattan Theatre Mission is excited and honored to include EDDIE AND THE PALACEADES in this year's Showcase!  Further information about the piece (including audio samples, synopsis, and more) can be found at www.eddieandthepalaceades.com.  Be sure to check out the link below for an audio sample of the show's opening number, "Bangarang"!

We hope you'll join us at this year's Showcase and show your support for the wonderful finalists! The New Musicals Showcase will take place on Saturday, December 7th at 4pm at the Times Square Arts Center. For tickets and more information, please visit our website: www.manhattantheatremission.com

Article by: Jeff Crosley