Singer-Songwriter Ben Folds to Compose 15-Minute Tuner for The 24-Hour Musicals

Singer, songwriter and popular piano man Ben Folds has been tapped to write a 15-minute musical as part of the fifth outing of The 24-Hour Musicals, according to The New York Times. The musical will be written, cast, rehearsed and performed within a 24-hour period, beginning April 28.  Folds’ musical will then premiere the following night, along with three additional new musicals yet to be announced.

The 24-Hour Musicals will take place at the Gramercy Theatre, with proceeds benefitting the Orchard Project, a non-profit organization that develops new theatrical productions. Created by Tina Fallon, the first production of the similar-minded series The 24-Hour Plays began in October 1995, inspired by Scott McCloud’s 24 hour comics. Previous 24-Hour Plays participants have included Jennifer Aniston, Jim Broadbent, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brian Cox, America Ferrera, Josh Hartnett, Ashton Kutcher, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Sienna Miller, Demi Moore, Cynthia Nixon, Rosie Perez, Sam Rockwell, Josie Rourke, Brooke Shields, Kevin Spacey, Julia Stiles, Vince Vaughn, Dominic West and Elijah Wood.

Folds served as the frontman for the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five before embarking on a solo career. The group reunited to perform and record the album The Sound of the Life of the Mind in 2012. Folds has collaborated with William Shatner, Regina Spektor and “Weird Al” Yankovic, and was a judge on the NBC reality competition show The Sing-Off. Folds’ hit songs include “Brick,” “Rockin’ the Suburbs” and “Battle of Who Could Care Less.

Click below to Ben Folds Five's newest music video "Do It Anyway," which features Tony nominee Anna Kendrick rocking out with the Muppets from Fraggle Rock!