Desperate Measures Kicks Off Halloween at the York With Haunted Hoedown
(© Carol Rosegg)
In the spirit of Halloween, the York Theatre Company will host a preshow Haunted Hoedown in conjunction with its currently running musical comedy, Desperate Measures, on October 27 beginning at 7pm. The event will be covered by the price of a ticket for that evening's performance.
Desperate Measures features a book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg and music by David Friedman. Directed and choreographed by Bill Castellino, with music direction by David Hancock Turner, performances will run through October 29. The six-member cast features Emma Degerstedt (The Little Mermaid) as Susanna / Sister Mary Jo, Gary Marachek (1776) as Father Morse, Lauren Molina (Rock of Ages) as Bella Rose, Conor Ryan (John and Jen) as Johnny Blood, Peter Saide (Skin Tight) as Sheriff Green, and Nick Wyman (Les Misérables) as Governor von Richterhenkenpflichtgetruber.
Desperate Measures is described as follows: "In 1890, in a territory out West, Johnny Blood, a hot-tempered young cowboy, is sentenced to hang for killing a man in a bar fight. His sister, a novice nun in a nearby mission, is persuaded to plead with a corrupt governor to spare her brother's life. The governor promises to pardon Johnny if his sister, the Sister, will 'do his bidding' for the night. Adding to the humorous complications are a hard-bitten sheriff, a voluptuous saloon girl, and a priest who reads Nietzsche."
Performances began September 19 at the York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's in advance of an October 1 opening.
