New musical “The Yellow Wood” to grow in Seattle

Seattle, WA— Contemporary Classics will present the new musical in development THE YELLOW WOOD for nine performances only July 23-August 1 at the Center House Theatre.

THE YELLOW WOOD is a musical kaleidoscope where not-so-normal 17-year old Adam takes a fantastic, unpredictable journey as he struggles to accept all the parts of himself. Free of his Ritalin for the day, Adam has to navigate the pressures of school all while trying to memorize Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” As he does, the yellow wood from the poem begins to come to life in the hallways of his school as he navigates through the different facets of his not-so-normal life: his ADHD, his Korean heritage and his complex relationships with friends and family. THE YELLOW WOOD explores the angst, joy and highly imaginative state of one teen's amazing brain. Contemporary Classics’ artistic director Brandon Ivie (Zanna, Don’t!, A New Brain), who assisted Pulitzer Prize winner Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal) on two readings of the show, will take the helm as director of the piece.

A celebrated new musical by Danny Larsen and Michelle Elliot, this challenging show has received praise from many festivals and awards since its conception. It appeared at the New York Musical Theatre Festival as directed by Tony Award winner BD Wong where it won Best Music. Pullitzer Prize winner Brian Yorkey directed two readings of the show at Village Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival of New Musicals inNew York. Larsen and Elliot received the prestigious Richard Rodgers grant for their work on the piece.

THE YELLOW WOOD is the first new musical in development to be produced by Contemporary Classics – and with 18 cast members, it will also be the largest undertaking in the company’s existence. The Seattle production will include new dialogue and music developed by the production team over the last six months.

“Doing a new musical is risky, period,” Artistic Director Brandon Ivie says, “and producing a new musical that’s not based on existing material makes it even more risky. But the world of this play has too many amazing possibilities for us not to do it. I’m thrilled to take the risk with this particular show.”

The cast includes some of Seattle’s best young talent as well as veterans of past incarnations of the show. Making his journey through the wood, University of Michigan musical theatre student Daniel Berryman will be playing Adam, as he did in the Village Theatre reading. The principal cast also includes recent Boston Conservatory graduate Sarah Davis (Zanna, Don’t!), Diana Huey (5th Ave’s MAME, NAMT’s The Yellow Wood), Bob DeDea (Showtunes’ Follies, 5th Ave’s Into the Woods), Heather Apellanes (5th Ave’s Joseph…, Village’s Beauty and the Beast), Evan Woltz(Nietzsche! The Musical!, Balagan’s The Full Monty), Trish LaGrua (Village’s The Gypsy King, ArtsWest’s Bat Boy), andBrian Lange (Village’s The Gypsy King). Ensemble includes Kyle Anderson, Jared Michael Brown, Elise Campello, Eric Engelhard, Kirsten Helland, Danny Kam, Lindsey Larson, Natalee Merrill, James Padilla, and Justine Stillwell.

The production team includes R.J. Tancioco (5th Ave’s Joseph…, Village’s The Gypsy King) and Michael Matlocksharing music director duties, recent Seattle University graduate Annie Murphy as costume designer, Robert J. Aguilar (New Century’s On the Nature of Dust, Seattle Rep’s Speech & Debate) as lighting designer, and Andrea Bush (Book-It’s Cider House Rulse, Washington Ensemble Theatre’s TITUS) as scenic designer.

The production runs Wednesday-Monday at 8pm. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 student/TPS members.

DANNY LARSEN AND MICHELLE ELLIOTT are both alumni of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Their shows include THE YELLOW WOOD, which played a celebrated run at the New York Musical Theatre Workshopin 2007, directed by Tony Award Winner BD Wong, and their new musical CLOAKED, a contemporary retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story, which is currently running at NYU’s CAP 21. Larson and Elliott won the 2006 Richard Rodgers Development Award and a Daryl Roth Award.