Finding
beautiful
July 17: 8PM
July 19: 1PM
The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre
480 W. 42nd St.
New York, New York 10036
A celebration of identity, love, and life through the eyes of both a trans woman and gay man in today's society. Featuring a full jazz ensemble and music influenced by both jazz and musical theater, both unique voices combined offer a raw and unsung exploration of gender identity and the joys and sorrows of transitions, both physical and emotional, in America today. Finding Beautiful promises to speak to anyone who has juggled finding the beauty and love within themselves and the strength to be yourself unabashedly.
By telling honest stories of both woman and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, we hope to bring a greater understanding of their lives to a larger audience than ever before. Despite these groups being underrepresented in the entertainment industry, we believe finding universal commonalities is our best hope of having our stories heard by more than just ourselves. By approaching with humility, not hostility, we can be seen and respected as an integral thread woven into the overall history of human experience. We write from our hearts in the hopes that our stories will be honest and true to the hearts of those outside of our individual groups. Though this material is for those who need it in familiar ways, we believe isolating the many powerful stories to those within the groups they derive from would be an enormous disservice. People, all people, can and will find solace and joy in recognizing themselves when they realize the humanity we all share together.”
CAST
ANESSA MARIE is a composer/lyricist, music director, pianist, orchestrator, actress, and singer based in New York City. Current projects as composer include Come From Terminal C (book and lyrics by Charles Baran), The Imperfect Hour (book by Michael Stang, lyrics by Kim Hawkey/Anessa Marie, music by Assaf Gleizner/Anessa Marie), and City of Runaways, a song cycle based on the lives of New Yorkers. Currently arranging/orchestrating music for Gilded, a dance show with choreography by Kristin Brooks Sandler to premiere at Capitol Fringe, DC in July 2018. NYC: City of Light (dir. Tony Award winner Cady Huffman for the SHENYC Summer Theatre Festival), Lysistrata Jones (Ophelia Theatre), An Intolerant Vaudeville (The Secret Theatre). Regional: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Parade, Fiddler on the Roof, 42nd Street, West Side Story, The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World, The Wild Party (Lippa), Sweet Charity, La Cage Aux Folles, and Ragtime. Other MD roles: NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, Theatre Resources Unlimited. She is on staff with Celebrity Cruises as Vocal Director.
AMY LONDYN is honored to be a part of Anessa Marie’s A Glimpse of the Rainbow. She was most recently seen Off-Broadway in the award winning role of Rosie Penn in Lili Marlene and Frankenstein A New Musical. Favorite film credits include Slow Learners, 1.7 Alpha, and Longing. Other credits include ABC’s “What Would You Do?,” “On the Case with Paula Zahn” and more. Originally from Portland, OR she studied Musical Theatre at Central Washington University and AMDA. Huge thanks to Anessa Marie for sharing her beautiful music and Danny Bristoll for making this all possible. Special thanks to family and friends.
CASSIE RAY BARBAY is a NYC based actress and therapeutic yoga practitioner. As well as performing with Anessa Marie you can find her in Kabarett Weinmar, a Queensborough Theater Project Production. Cassie has performed in touring companies across the US and Canada as well as regional productions post college. After a bit of a hiatus from the stage it has called her back and she’s thrilled to be singing original songs and working with such talented, passionate people!
CHLOE KOSTMAN is honored to be singing Anessa Marie’s gorgeous music again here at The Green Room 42! Most recently she was playing Lysistrata in the musical Lysistrata Jones under Anessa’s music direction. What a joy to share a stage again! Recent happenings: Bobby Lee in Too Wong Foo (29 Hr Reading), Woman 1 in Songs for a New World (OOTB), Mrs. Santiago/ Molly u/s in Ghost (White Plains Performing Art Center) Thank you all for coming! Kindness is the answer.
DANNY BRISTOLL is thrilled to be co-producing another body of work composed by such a talented woman. Off-Broadway: Creature (Frankenstein). NY/Regional Theatre: Paul (Rent) at The Gallery Players, Ernst (Spring Awakening) at Theatre Horizon, and various performances throughout NYC with Irish Repertory Theatre and the Off-Broadway cast of Avenue Q. He is thrilled to be brought on as book writer and co-lyrisit for parts of A Glimpse of the Rainbow alongside Anessa! Proud graduate of Ithaca College.
DWAYNE WASHINGTON A Juilliard School Graduate, credits include: The National Tour of In The Mood, Lun Tha in The King and I dir. by Diane DiCroce (New Hampshire Theater winner - Best Supporting Actor), Lil B-Man in Figaro 90210. Off-broadway: TONYA & NANCY: The Rock Opera at The Duke theatre at NYMF 2015, Ragtime at Bristol Riverside Theatre, Collins in RENT at Gallery Players in NYC (NY-IT award nominee as Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role). London: Ezra Axelrod's Songs from the American Motel and Paul Taylor Mills One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest as Chief Bromden. Also seen in Robin Norton Hale's 2011 Olivier Award winning production of La Boheme at the Soho theater and Cinderella at Kings Head Theater.
JIANZI COLÓN-SOTO is a NYC-based artist from Puerto Rico who grew up in Florida. She just graduated in May 2018 from the CAP21 Program at Molloy College with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Favorite roles include: Cleonice (Lysistrata Jones, Ophelia Theatre), Narrator/Cinderella's Mother (Into The Woods, CAP21), and The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland, Madison Theatre). As always, unending love and gratitude to Mom and Li'l Bro, Apt 52, the Bubba's crew, and the Class of 2018. Ad astra per aspera!
DOMINIC FRIGO was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. He is a composer and performer of a wide variety of musical styles and instruments. With virtuosic integrity in piano, guitar, electric and double bass, organ, and voice, Dominic employs his knowledge of repertory and technique to inform his compositions and improvisational endeavors. Dominic currently lives in New York City and works as a freelance performer, accompanist, and pedagogue.
JULIAN BRIDGES is a percussionist, composer and filmmaker based in New York City and Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Michigan with Highest Honors, receiving a BFA in Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation and a BM in Percussion Performance, was a Jazz Student at the National Conservatory of Paris, and has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and The Kennedy Center. He is currently pursuing an MFA in Film Directing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
KATE BARMOTINA is a Ukrainian-born and Brooklyn-based violist and educator. Kate is a founding member of the PARK Quartet; an ensemble performing the works of composers living and dead in residence at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She recently joined Femmelody, an all female feminist chamber music collective performing works written exclusively by women. She was part of the world premiere of John Luther Adams’ Sila: The Breath of the World and a new music collaboration project Mix Nouveau for three years. Kate has worked collaboratively with the Arch Contemporary Ballet Company, composers Derek Holden, David Cieri, Oliver Hickman, Daniel Hammerlein, Andrew Weiss, Leah Sayad and Minwhee Lee. She has her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from NYU.