Emma Hunton (”Spring Awakening”), Darryl Winslow (”Avenue Q”, “Evil Dead”, “Unlock’d” – NYMF), Jeremiah James (”Carousel” – London), Dana Aber, Christian D. White, Christopher Hudson Myers und Ashley Kate Adams sind dabei, wenn das neue Musical “Gay Bride of Frankenstein” beim New York Musical Theatre Festival diesen September Premiere feiert.

Bei “Gay Bride of Frankenstein” handelt es sich um ein “comic-book-rock-musical”, das Rockshow, Theater und Comicbook zu einem ganz eigenen, “cartoon-ish style” verbindet. Die Handlung:

As the music starts the stage is taken over by a graphic novel projected on a large screen showing a wedding day and the new bride crying through most of the ceremony. The groom is so busy grinning ear to ear in anticipation of the wedding night that he doesn’t notice the tears of sadness from behind her veil. A mysterious girl sits at the back of the nearly empty church. She finds she simply can’t watch anymore and runs out of the church as the vows are exchanged. The groom tries to take his bride by force on their wedding night but, overwhelmed by grief, she sets herself and the bed ablaze. He escapes his bride’s fiery tomb crying out to his lost love as her soul goes straight to hell, setting the course of his destiny to bring her back no matter the cost.

Jump ahead to the present out of the comic book and onto the stage and we find ourselves in reality in a high school biology class on Halloween. A strange teacher, Mr. Weatherspoon is subbing for the day. Oddly, rather than sticking to the syllabus, he reads to the class from Mary Shelley’s «Frankenstein.” The roomful of seniors is made up of the sweet, virginal Chloe, determined to be a good girl until marriage. Then there’s her boyfriend Thad who’s already decided on the fraternity he wishes to join the following year. The main requirement for joining Gamma Alpha Epsilon is that Thad must not show up with his virginity intact. Meanwhile, Chloe’s best friend Edna has long since realized that her love for Chloe goes beyond the affection typically felt between two best friends, pining she sings, «Will You be my Abomination.”

Much to everyone’s chagrin, the Halloween Dance is canceled due to inclement weather. However,
strange Mr. Weatherspoon invites the whole bunch to the annual «Monsters Ball,” a celebration with a band called the Monster Makers. Chloe, Edna, Thad and Chloe’s brother Hairy decide to make the long drive to the show and that very night becomes the first night of the rest of their lives!

Das Musical stammt aus der Feder von Dane E. Leeman und Billy Butler, die Musik und Texte steuert Billy Butler (ebenfalls Musikalischer Leiter) bei, für die Regie konnte Stephen Nachamie gewonnen werden, die Choreographie liegt in den Händen von Adrienne Maitland.

Weiters zum Kreativteam gehören: Comicbook-Künstler Dan Drew, Animation Consultant Leon Joosen, Kostümdesignerin Amanda Bujak und Lichtdesigner Matt Guminski.

“Gay Bride of Frankenstein” wird im TBG Theatre am 28. und 30. September 2009 sowie am 3., 4., 8. und 11. Oktober 2009 gegeben.

Links
- Gay Bride of Frankenstein @MySpace
- ArtsBeat: Should You Twitter at an Audition?
- Playbill: Casting Announced for Gay Bride of Frankenstein at NYMF