Daniel Reichard, Tituss Burgess and Megan Sikora Headline The Happy Embalmer at NYMF

Broadway alums Daniel Reichard, Tituss Burgess and Megan Sikora will star in the premiere of new musical The Happy Embalmer, which takes the Acorn Theater stage as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival this fall. The tuner, with book and music by Mark Noonan and Nick Oddy, plays October 6 through 10 as part of the annual unveiling of new works. The piece is directed and choreographed by Kelly Devine, the hoofer behind Tony Award nominated hit Rock of Ages' sassy moves.

Notes on The Happy Embalmer instruct audiences to "picture a no-holds-barred steel cage match between Mel Brooks, Bruce Lee, Monty Python and Axl Rose." The madcap new show follows lonely embalmer Edward Nando and his lost love Emily, who is dead. Toss in a pistol-shooting Texan, a groovy Russian scientist and one bad-ass Dalai Lama, and The Happy Embalmer promises that "all hell is about to break loose."

In addition to Reichard (Edward), Burgess (Dalai Lama) and Sikora (Emily), the show features Noah Aberlin, Candi Boyd, Joe Coots, Tony Daussat, Drew Gehling, Steven Hauck, Lara Janine, Cedric Leiba Jr., Kevin Michael Murphy, Natalie Newman, Christopher Spaulding and Tiffany Sudol.

Reichard made his Broadway debut as Bob Gaudio in the smash hit Jersey Boys. Soon thereafter, he made his New York City Opera debut as the title star in Leonard Bernstein's Candide. Additional credits include Forbidden Broadway.

Burgess was last seen on Broadway in the recent revival of Guys and Dolls. He originated the role of Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid. Additional Broadway credits include Jersey Boys and Good Vibrations.

Sikora has appeared on Broadway in Curtains. Additional Broadway credits include Wicked, Dracula, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street and The Wild Party.

Creative team members include Jo Winiarski (scenic design), Paul Carey (costumes), Jason Lyons (lighting design), Walter Trabach (sound design) and Austin Switser (multimedia design).

For additional details on the new musical, visit its home on the NYMF site.