James Barbour, Brandi Burkhardt, Elizabeth Futral, et al. Set for 2010 Festival of New American Musicals

Selections have been announced for the 2010 Festival of New American Musicals, to take place in a variety of Southern California venues, May 16-August 21.

As part of the Festival, there will be a free production of Serrano, a new musical by Madeline Sunshine and Robert Tepper and directed by Joel Zwick, to run June 20-21 and El Portal’s Forum Theatre. Tony Award nominee James Barbour, Brandi Burkhardt, Herhsel Sperber, and Lesli Margherita co-star in the show, which is set in modern-day Little Italy and is loosely based on Cyrano de Bergerac.

The Long Beach Opera will present Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus & Euridice, June 11-13, starring Elizabeth Futral and Grammy Award-nominated clarinetist Todd Palmer.

Other highlights of the festival will include Mark Waldrop’s Luck!, based on a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Noho Arts Center, May 17-18); The Night of the Black Cat, set in 1881 Paris (Edgemar Theatre, May 22-28); Das Barbecu, a musical satire based on Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” (Alex Theatre, June 14); the musical comedy It’s Top Secret (Noho Arts Center, June 19-July 18); Laurie Whitaker’s Lost Lady With a Violin, directed by Billy Porter (El Portal, June 22); the children’s musical Super Sidekick (Sherry Theatre, July 11-August 15); the Old Globe’s world premiere of the Broadway-bound musical Robin and the 7 Hoods with a new book by Rupert Holmes (July 14-August 22); the Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre’s production of Trails-A New Musical (July 22-August 1); and Cheri Steinkellner’s Hello My Baby (Rubicon Theatre, August 5-15).

For more information, visit www.lafestival.org.