Steven Booth, Rita Gardner and More Set for Hurricane at NYMF

Hurricane, a new musical about a hurricane that wiped out New England in 1938, will premiere at the New York Musical Theater Festival, running from September 28 through October 10 at The Theater at St. Clements. Michael Bush will direct the show, which features music and lyrics by Michael Holland and a book by Holland and Eric Bernat.

This epic musical takes place in Napatree, Rhode Island, the small resort town where the hurricane made landfall. In its telling of the tragedy, Hurricane focuses on both the residents of the town as well as Charlie Perkins, a young meteorologist in Washington, DC who accurately predicted the destruction.

Hurricane stars Steven Booth (Glory Days) as Charlie Perkins, T.J. Mannix as Mitchell and Rita Gardner (The Fantasticks, The Wedding Singer) as Helen Morse Covington. Also featured in the cast are John Antony as Jeff Morse, Catherine Charlebois as Billie Delgado, Zachary Clause as Junior “June” Silva, Alec Cohen as Clay Morse, Karen Elliott as Margaret, Natalie Charle Ellis as Millie Delgado, Mishaela Faucher as Tillie Delgado, Maya Frank as Baby Mary Morse, Rita Gardner as Helen Morse Covington, Britney Lee Hamilton as Lil, Joey Khoury as Nicky Gomes, Joe Mahowald as Joe Silva, Christy Morton as Caroline Morse, Steve Watts as Norm, Bayla Whitten as Rose Silva and ensemble members Ken Cavett, Erin Childs, Dan Debenport, Ron Destafano, Beth Kirkpatrick, Patty Lohr, Ryan Murray, Patricia Noonan and Jeremy Ritz.

A popular performer on the New York cabaret scene, Holland previously wrote Believe In Me...a Bigfoot Musical, which played at NYMF in 2004. Playwright/actor Bernat has appeared in his solo show Starstruck and his play Jesus and Mandy, which premiered at the 2004 New York City Fringe Festival.

Also on the Hurricane creative team are Jesse Vargas (musical director), Kelli Barclay (choreography), Christopher Akerlind (set and lighting design), Karen Ann Ledger (costume design) and David Margolin Lawson (sound design).

Hurricane will play September 28 at 8pm, October 1 at 9pm, October 3 at 5pm and 9pm, October 6 at 5pm and October 10 at 9pm. For more information, visit the NYMF site.