Rich Prezioso (Music) has played blues, country, folk, and rock in no particular order as a solo and in both acoustic and electric bands. He studied classical guitar and composition, and worked for five years as a jingle writer in Chicago, writing music for Cap'n Crunch Cereal, Gatorade, and Domino's Pizza, among others. He has gained a reputation as a songwriter and as a "guitar whiz" for his multi-styled approach to the instrument (a label he says he'll only accept when the endorsements start rolling in).
Since 1998, Pat Byrnes (Book & Lyrics) has been a regular contributor to "The New Yorker." He is also a staple in "Reader's Digest" and "America Magazine." And for three years, he created the syndicated comic strip, "Monkeyhouse." In 2002, he won a Reuben Award, for his advertising illustration. He has penned and produced two musicals for the stage, won awards for his sonnets, and paints when he has the time. His gag cartoons now appear for the first time in book form in "What Would Satan Do?" According to Entertainment Weekly, it is "Hell-arious." His second book, "Because I'm the Child Here and I Said So," hit the bookstores in April 2006. Mr. Byrnes is a proud member of Theatre Building Chicago's musical theatre writers workshop.
Stage Director Greg Kolack who has been working professionally in Chicago for the past 30 years, and is the recipient of two Jeff Citations and three After Dark Awards, works his magic taking words from a page and making them explode on stage. He most recently directed "The Exonerated"Â at Raven Theatre, and last spring directed the Chicago premiere of Tim Robbins' "Embedded"Â for Prop Theatre. Last year he directed the world premieres of the critically acclaimed "All Through the Night"Â at Chicago Jewish Theatre, and "Hitman"Â at Bailiwick Repertory.
DESPAIRadise is the third of six new musicals in progress in Theatre Building Chicago's Monday Night Musicals concert reading series. Admission is $10 and includes a post-show reception with the authors and artists. Theatre Building Chicago has devoted 30 years to cultivating new American musical theatre by supporting writers, lyricists and composers, while staging over 124 new musicals in Chicago.
Our Musical Theatre Writers Workshop meets regularly to collaborate under the guidance of Artistic Director, John Sparks. Members develop individual projects with select new works presented in the Monday Night Musicals series, as well as studio presentations, One-Acts Projects, Mini-Musicals and Stages, an annual festival of new musicals in progress. To view TBC's 2006-2007 musical program season, click here.
Alumni workshop member Dave Hudson (award winning librettist of Muskie Love (Stages 2003); Dust and Dreams: Celebrating Sandburg (Stages 2005) and Main-Travelled Roads (Stages 2006) praised the workshop, saying "I have learned more in one year at this workshop than in all my other workshops combined and it has motivated me to write more now than I ever have in the past. There is nowhere in the world like TBC."Â
Theatre Building Chicago welcomes media attention focusing on the developmental process of new musicals; however, all Monday Night Musicals performances are works in progress and not appropriate for critical review.
For more information, call TBC's box office: 773/327-5252 or visit our website: www.theatrebuildingchicago.org (advance reservations are strongly encouraged). Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster: 312-559-1212 or online at ticketmaster.com. Theatre Building Chicago is located in the heart of Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood (1225 W Belmont Ave., Chicago IL) with metered parking and within close walking distance to the CTA (Belmont). Enjoy restaurant discounts (with TBC ticket stubs) at nearby TBC restaurant partners. -- www.theatrebuildingchicago.org
Posted January 10th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
