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York Theatre Company a Haven for Musicals Both New and Old

By Mary Johnson | January 24, 2012 12:21pm
The York Theatre Company's first show of 2012 is
The York Theatre Company's first show of 2012 is "Ionescopade," a revival of a 1974 musical.
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York Theatre Company

MIDTOWN — The York Theatre Company is kicking off 2012 with a revival of the 1974 Vaudevillian musical "Ionescopade."

Opening night is set for Feb. 2, but the theater, which performs in the basement of Saint Peter’s Church on Lexington Avenue and East 54th Street, kicked off a week of preview performances on Monday.

The show is based on the works of long-deceased absurdist playwright Eugène Ionesco and is part of a season-long celebration of old Off-Broadway musicals at the York Theatre Company, producing artistic director James Morgan said.

“There’s a wealth of shows that have been forgotten,” said Morgan, who has been with the company since 1974. “What’s interesting is that no one ever [revives them].”

"Ionescopade" is one of two productions to be performed at the theater's main stage in the coming months that are revivals of past Off-Broadway successes. After "Ionescopade" wraps, the next show will be "Closer Than Ever," which debuted in 1989. The dates have yet to be set for that show, but theater officials said performances will likely begin in May or June.

The company, which was founded more than 40 years ago by Janet Hayes Walker, has always dedicated some of its work to resurrecting old Off-Broadway gems. But it is also well-known as a haven for up-and-coming and often unconnected writers who are looking for a big break.

“There are a lot of places that won’t take unsolicited scripts,” Morgan explained. “We are one of the few places where you can be a total unknown with no connections, and we will eventually read your script.”

New shows are typically hashed out in the company’s reading series, which functions like a workshop. Writers are invited to submit new shows for consideration. If one is selected, it is performed bare bones in a one-time-only, free production.

If a show does well, it can move on to a mainstage production at the York, which has been a springboard for multiple musicals over the years, Morgan said. "The Musical of Musicals" started out at the York before going on to "charm" three continents, according to the show's website. "Souvenir," a show starring Tony Award-winner Judy Kaye, appeared first at the York before advancing to Broadway.

Even "Avenue Q," an Off-Broadway smash about raunchy puppets that is now on Broadway, went through a reading series at the York. Morgan said he offered to help develop the show for the stage, but at the time, the creators had their mind set on television.

Morgan said the company, which only performs musicals, receives an average of about 300 to 350 scripts every year, and every single one gets read three or four times before it is either accepted or rejected.

The grand prize for an aspiring writer is a coveted performance on the company’s main stage, which over the years has hosted big-name actors such as Jane Krakowski, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth and Glenn Close, Morgan said. 

The shows are intimate, performed in front of a crowd of less than 200. But there’s always a chance that a show’s premier run in the basement of a church could be the start of something big.

The York also presents a series called Musicals in Mufti, performed somewhat informally by actors in street clothes with scripts in hand. Those performances are less expensive, and each show typically runs for five performances over a single weekend, Phil Haas, the theater’s marketing manager, said.

Over the next couple of months, that series will focus solely on the works by Off-Broadway legend Tom Jones (not to be confused with the Las Vegas crooner).

"The Show Goes On" will run March 16 to 18 and will feature an appearance by Jones. After that performance, the York will feature several other Jones revivals, including "Colette Collage" and "Harold & Maude: The Musical."

Tickets to Ionescopade are $67.50 and are available through Feb. 26. For more information, visit the company's website or call 212-935-5820.