Jenn Colella, Sarah Litzsinger, Max Von Essen, et al. Set for Reading of Barefoot Boy with Cheek Musical

Revised casting has been announced for a special exploratory reading of the 1947 musical comedy Barefoot Boy With Cheek at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Creative Center (311 West 43rd Street) on January 14 at 3pm. Ben West will direct.

The reading will now feature Jenn Colella, Randy Donaldson, Jenny Fellner, Drew Gehling, Anne Horak, Sarah Litzsinger, Nora Mae Lyng, Rye Mullis and Max Von Essen.
The previously reported Fred Berman and Oliver Vaquer have withdrawn due to scheduling conflicts; additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Based on the best-selling novel by Tony Award nominee Max Shulman, the show follows a bright-eyed young freshman at the fictitious University of Minnesota as he navigates a rowdy campus complete with swindling frat boys, dreamy jocks and communist coeds. It features a book by Shulman, music by Sidney Lippman, and lyrics by Sylvia Dee.

Fran Minarik provides new musical arrangements, and the reading restores Shulman’s original libretto as well as the originally penned act one finale, “Don’t Spoil the Party”, which was cut in 1947 during the musical’s development.

The presentation launches UnsungMusicalsCo. Inc.’s new initiative: The Archival Project. The next reading is slated for Spring 2011.

To attend the reading and receive exclusive invitations to future UMC readings, sign-up at www.UnsungMusicals.org.