As The Curtain Rises Broadway’s First-Ever Digital Soap Opera Ramps Up For Opening Night OfAvvatar, The Musical
Listen NOW at BPN.FM/ATCR
As Times Square transforms into Pandora and the “red carpet” is ironed and steamed, the frenzied ramp-up for Opening Night of AVVATAR: The Musical continues on AS THE CURTAIN RISES, Broadway’s First-Ever Audio Soap Opera. Joining the star-studded cast are a myriad of Broadway glitterati (playing themselves). The audio soap opera returns exclusively to the Broadway Podcast Network with four more episodes April 8 and subsequent three Thursdays wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts and www.BPN.FM/ATCR.
Written and Directed by Dori Berinstein (CEO Broadway Podcast Network, The Prom, Legally Blonde) and Co-Written by Mark Peikert (former Editor-in-Chief Playbill), AS THE CURTAIN RISES brings Broadway’s high-wire risk-taking and epic-dream-chasing to new, unhinged levels.
After news about the top-secret, new mega-musical AVVATAR leaks, the Broadway community goes off-the-charts batty. Everyone wants ‘in’. Arch enemy mega Producers Steve Jones (James Monroe Iglehart) and Cheryl Phillips (Lilias White) manage to score the rights…at least that’s what they think. As the drama continues, who’s pushing Composer Bobby Kern’s (Michael Urie) buttons? Is his marriage to Lyricist Kay Fields (Ashley Park) spiraling into a calamari-infused tizzy? What’s going on between Director/Choreographer Zoey Taylor (Ariana DeBose) and Science Consultant Andrew Barth Feldman (Andrew Barth Feldman)? Is Diva Emma-Olivia (Sarah Stiles) being devoured with jealousy over boyfriend and personal trainer-turned-triple threat Stavros (Ramin Karimaloo)? And is agent Maxwell Fernsby (George Salazar) stepping into his boss’s slick shoes or is he stepping into something far less savory? Only The Narrator (Alex Brightman) knows for sure.
Want some late-breaking behind-the-curtain scoop, make sure to be following BPN, As The Curtain Rises, on Instagram as well as AVVATAR.
AS THE CURTAIN RISES stars Alex Brightman (Tony Award-Nominee Beetlejuice) as the Narrator, Ariana Debose (The Prom Film, Hamilton, Summer) as Zoey Taylor, Andrew Barth Feldman (Dear Evan Hansen) as “himself”, James Monroe Iglehart (Tony Award-Winner Aladdin) as Steve Jones, Ramin Karimloo (Olivier and Tony Award-Nominee, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera) as Stavros, Ilana Levine (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown) as the CAAA receptionist, Lesli Margherita (Matilda The Musical) as the Broadway Texter, Mauricio Martinez (On Your Feet!) as Thomas Navaro, Bonnie Milligan (Head Over Heels) as Debra Hannaford, Ashley Park (Netflix’s Emily in Paris, Tony Award-Nominee Mean Girls) as Kay Fields, George Salazar (Be More Chill) as Maxwell Fernsby, Jake Smith (Doctor Zhivago, Frozen) as Sardi’s Waiter Randolph, the Lyft Driver, and the Barista, Sarah Stiles (Tony Award-Nominee Tootsie, Hand to God) as Emma-Olivia, Michael Urie (Grand Horizons) as Bobby Kerns, and Lillias White (Tony Award-Winner The Life) as Cheryl Philips.
With special appearances by Damian Bazadona (President & Founder Situation Interactive) as head of AVVATAR Interactive, Joe Benincasa (President, The Actor’s Fund), Matt Britten (CEO Broadway Brands), Haven Burton (Shrek, Legally Blonde) as Gwendolyn George, Gordon Cox (Variety’s Stagecraft), Alan Cumming (Tony-Winning Actor), Frank DiLella (NY1 Theatre Reporter), Greg Evans (Deadline Editor & Broadway Critic), Scott Farthing (Sony Masterworks Sr. VP) producer of AVVATAR Cast Album, Felicia Fitzpatrick (Director of Social Media and Strategy Playbill), David Gordon (Managing Editor TheaterMania), Julie James (Sirius Radio On Broadway Program Director), Natasha Katz (Tony-Winning Lighting Designer) as AVVATAR lighting designer, David Korins (Tony-Winning Production Designer) as AVVATAR production designer, Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton Music Director/ Arranger) as AVVATAR Music Director, Danny Marin (Broadway Actor) as SoulCycle Instructor, Peter Marks (Drama Critic, The Washington Post), Rick Miramontez (Broadway Publicist DKC/O&M), Lynn Nottage (Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright/Lyricist), Mark Peikert (Former Editor-in-Chief Playbill) as Box Office Manager,, Michael Riedel (Theatre Gossip Columnist/Author), Justin “Squigs” Robertson (Broadway Artist), Jordan Roth (Producer and President, Jujamcyn Theatres), Paul Tazewell (Tony-Winning Costume Designer Hamilton) as AVVATAR Costume Designer, Paul Wontorek (Editor-in-Chief Broadway.com), and Tom J. Callahan & Marci Kaurman Meyers (Serino Coyne Marketing Executives).
AS THE CURTAIN RISES is produced by Dori Berinstein and Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network (Brittany Bigelow, Yoanna Nikolova, Katie Rosin, Cyndy Schatz, Beatriz Westby) and Executive Produced by Liz Armstrong. The Soap Opera is edited and sound designed by Bart Fasbender, AVVATAR music by Matthew Sklar, sound engineering by Alan Seales and banshee wrangling by Bill Berloni.
AS THE CURTAIN RISES was created and recorded entirely in Quarantine.
This Broadway Soap Opera celebrates and supports The Actor’s Fund and the BPN Frontline Worker Initiative which you can find at: BPN.fm/frontlineworkers. As The Curtain Rises is a Sponsored Project of IFP.
Website: https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/
The Podcast is available on Apple/iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart, TuneIn, Deezer, Player.FM, Pocket Cast, Podcast Addict and everywhere else you listen to podcasts.
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