Kokandy Productions Presents Staged Musical Reading of MERCY: VARIATIONS

Kokandy Productions is pleased to present the first installment of its 2015 New Staged Musical Reading Series: MERCY: VARIATIONS with book and lyrics by Larry Todd Cousineau, music by Mike O’Mara, directed by Spencer Neiman with music direction by Kory Danielson (Kokandy’s Resident Music Director). MERCY: VARIATIONS will play two nights only: Monday, March 23 and Monday, March 30 at 7:30 pm at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets, priced at $12, are available at www.kokandyproductions.com.

MERCY: VARIATIONS will feature Adam Fane (Eddie), Nathan Mittleman (Young Ray), Danni Smith (Marie) and Sean Thomas (Ray).

On the eve of his retirement, television reporter Ray admits on air to killing someone 30 years before. As he relives conflicting versions of the experience in nightmares and hallucinations, Ray’s best friend, his former lover and the DA pursuing his case question his sanity and the very nature of truth.

The New Staged Musical Reading Series provides budding musical theater writers with the opportunity to have their developing work presented by a company of professional actors. By eliminating sets and costumes and focusing attention on the play itself, the Series gives the creative team an opportunity to identify areas for story and song development, and gives audiences the chance to be an integral part of the artistic process with their invaluable feedback.

MERCY: VARIATIONS is presented during off nights of Kokandy’s mainstage production of the musical comedy THE FULL MONTY, with performances March 10 – April 12, 2015 at Theater Wit.

BIOGRAPHIES

Larry Todd Cousineau (Playwright) has written projects including 40 is the New 15 (with composer Cindy O’Connor), which had a critically-acclaimed run at the NoHo Arts Center in Los Angeles, was featured at the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop, and received a 2010 GLAAD Media Award Nomination for Outstanding LA Theatre. Now and Then a Hero (composer Jake Anthony) was part of the Missoula Colony Festival, and is currently in development at California State University, Northridge. All That He Was (composer Cindy O’Connor), won the Kennedy Center National Playwright’s Award and the ACTF Musical Theater Award and is published through Samuel French. His musical revue Songs from My Closet appeared to sold-out houses in Chicago last year.

Mike O’Mara (Composer) is the Founder and Director of etc. Music School in Evanston, which won the 2014 Evanston Mayor’s Award for the Arts for exemplary contributions to Evanston’s arts community. He is active as a conductor, music director and educator throughout the Chicagoland area. Mike’s choral, orchestral and musical theatre works have been performed by numerous ensembles from grade schools to universities in America and abroad.

Spencer Neiman (Director) is a Chicago-based director, making his Kokandy Productions debut. Previously in Chicago, he was worked with The Hypocrites (Into the Woods), Griffin Theatre Company (25th... Spelling Bee and Titanic) and Vivarium Theatre Company. A proud Northwestern graduate, where some favorite credits include The Waa-Mu Show, Romeo and Juliet, and The Drowsy Chaperone.

Kory Danielson (Music Director) is a Chicago-based music director, pianist/conductor and vocal coach. He currently serves as Resident Music Director at Kokandy (Assassins) and Haven Theatre (Hedwig, Wedding Singer). Other selected Chicago credits include Tommy (Paramount Theatre); Xanadu, Singin’ in the Rain (Drury Lane); How to Succeed... (Porchlight); Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Passion (Theo Ubique, for which he won the 2014 Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction); Triumph of Love, Lucky Stiff, Zanna Don’t (The Music Theatre Company).

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theater to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theater artists, and raising the profile of Chicago’s non-Equity musical theater community.

The company’s artistic staff is comprised of John D. Glover (Co-Artistic Director), Allison Hendrix (Co-Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer), Kory Danielson (Resident Music Director) and Jonathan Goldthwaite (Production Assistant).

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.