Prospect Theater Company is presenting the world premiere of Notes From Now, directed and choreographed by Billy Bustamante through March 20, 2022 at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street). This brand-new musical anthology, bringing together songwriters from Broadway and beyond, weaves together words and music to create a gallery of playful, provocative, and profound observations on the human journey.
The line-up features newly-commissioned original songs created by 21 of today’s brightest musical theater writers: Jay Adana; Troy Anthony; Masi Asare; Jeff Blumenkrantz; Georgie Castilla and Jaime Lozano; Gretchen Cryer; Tia DeShazor and Derrick Byars; Alexandra Elle and Stephen Schwartz; Adam Gwon; Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar; Peter Mills; Michelle Rodriguez; Ryan Scott Oliver; Angela Sclafani; Paulo K Tiról; and Amanda Yesnowitz and Deborah Abramson.
Notes From Now offers a dynamic musical reflection of our contemporary world, spanning a wide range of song styles. Sean Peter Forte serves as Music Director. Macy Schmidt, recently named to Forbes ’30 Under 30’ music list for 2022, is the Orchestrator.
The cast features Ashley Blanchet (Waitress), Thani Brant, Darron Hayes, Josh Lamon (The Prom), Aline Mayagoitia (HBO’s “Love Life”), Outer Critics Circle Award winner Judy McLane (Romeo & Bernadette), John Yi (Soft Power), with understudy support from Genesis Adelia Collado.
Scenic design is by Riw Rakkulchon, costume design by Rodrigo Muñoz, lighting design by Shannon Clarke, sound design by Ben Scheff, and casting by Michael Cassara, CSA. Production Stage Manager is Elizabeth Emanuel.
Notes From Now will play March 2 – 20, 2022 on the following performance schedule: Tuesdays – Fridays at 7:00pm; Saturdays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm; and Sundays at 2:00pm.
Tickets, starting at $25 for “first look” performances, are now available and can be purchased by visiting www.59e59.org or by calling 646-892-7999. Student Rush tickets are also available.
Promo code PTCEB saves over 35% on regular price tix March 11-20.
For more information, please visit ProspectTheater.org.
BILLY BUSTAMANTE (Director/Choreographer) is a NYC-based Performer, Director/Choreographer, Performer and Photographer. His Directing/choreography credits include The Adding Machine, LaChiusa’s The Wild Party, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Prospect Theater Company, Arden Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Goodspeed, Lincoln Center & National Asian Artists Project. Broadway performing credits include Miss Saigon (Engineer alt.), The King And I (Lun Tha u/s). Off-Broadway/ Regional: Soft Power and Here Lies Love at the Public Theater, Center Theatre Group, Arena Stage, Old Globe and Paper Mill Playhouse. Billy studied musical theatre at Philadelphia’s University Of The Arts and is a proud member of SDC, AEA and SAG/AFTRA. He is co-founder of Broadway Barkada, and is on faculty at Jen Waldman Studio and Circle In the Square Theatre School. Billy is passionately committed to the development of new artists and building a more equitable world.
59E59 THEATERS was established by the Elysabeth Kleinhans Theatrical Foundation in 2004 to grant professional space and expertise to non-profit theater companies premiering their work in New York City. Under the leadership of Val Day, Artistic Director, and Brian Beirne, Managing Director, 59E59 Theaters presents a year-round curated program of Off Broadway plays and musicals that are nurtured and supported through highly-subsidized rental rates as well as production, ticketing, FOH, marketing, and press support.
PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY is dedicated to fostering and showcasing today’s new voices shaping tomorrow’s musicals. Over two decades, the company has premiered more than 35 musicals in New York City, in addition to new plays and numerous re-inventions of classic works. Reflecting its investment in the future of the field, Prospect leads a variety of developmental initiatives: including an annual Musical Theater Lab for emerging writers, and the IGNITE Series of new musical theater in concert. In 2020, Prospect launched the VISION Series of original music-theater works on film, created for online streaming. In recognition of its enterprising and risk-taking new musical theater, the company has received an OBIE Award grant, and its role as a community anchor for emerging artists that strengthens the quality, diversity, and dynamism of American theater was honored by the American Theatre Wing.
Lia Chang loves to tell stories – as an actor, a multi-media content producer, a performing arts photographer and an award-winning filmmaker. A co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, Lia makes films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and The Last Dragon. She stars in and is the Executive Producer for the indie films Hide and Seek (AA Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Best Actress Nomination), Rom-Com Gone Wrong, and When the World Was Young (2021 DisOrient Film Audience Choice Award for Best Short Narrative). Lia made her stage debut as Liat in a national tour of South Pacific with Barbara Eden and Robert Goulet, was featured as Joy in Signature Theatre’s revival of Sam Shepard’s Chicago and has worked extensively Off-Broadway. Photo archives: Lia Chang Theater Portfolio collection,1989-2011, housed in the AAPI collection in the Library of Congress’ Asian Reading Room; Lia Chang Photography Collection in The Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library. Awards: 2000 OCA Chinese American Journalist Award, the 2001 AAJA National Award for New Media. Lia is an AAJA Executive Leadership Graduate (2000), a Western Knight Fellow at USC’s Annenberg College of Communications for Specialized Journalism on Entertainment Journalism in the Digital Age (2000), a National Press Photographers Association Visual Edge/Visual Journalism Fellow at the Poynter Institute for New Media (2001), a Scripps Howard New Media Fellow at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism (2002), and a National Tropical Garden Environmental Journalism Fellow (2003). www.liachang.com, www.liachangphotography.com
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang 