RSO LIVE AT LINCOLN CENTER

January 8, 2016

DEREK KLENA, LINDSAY MENDEZ, KATIE THOMPSON, AND MORE JOIN RYAN SCOTT OLIVER TO OPEN LINCOLN CENTER’S AMERICAN SONGBOOK SERIES

12489894_10153183943696246_1931776842_oAward-winning composer Ryan Scott Oliver will open the 2016 season of Lincoln Center’s acclaimed AMERICAN SONGBOOK series with a free concert on Tuesday, January 19 at 7:30 pm in the David Rubenstein Atrium. Now in its 17th season, American Songbook celebrates the best of American singing and songwriting as interpreted by top performers and rising stars.  Admission is free; no tickets required; seating is first-come; first-served.

The concert will star Kerstin Anderson, Nick Blaemire, Ben Crawford, Jason Gotay, John-Michael Lyles, Julia Mattison, Derek Klena, Lindsay Mendez, Katie Thompson, Betsy Wolfe, and more to be announced.

It will also feature Ethan Carlson, Jessica Crouch, Ian Fairlee, Mary Claire Miskell, Tatiana Lofton, Daniel Yearwood, and the cast of Pace University’s Pace New Musicals developmental workshop of Oliver’s latest musical, ROPE. The concert will feature a dynamic range of songs spanning Oliver’s career.

For the third year, through Lincoln Center’s partnership with PGIM, the global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Songbook’s “Invest in the Future of American Song,” gave members of the public the opportunity to select the artist to open the Songbook season with a free concert at the Atrium. Oliver received the most votes, earning him the opening spot on January 19.

The Larson Grant Award-winning composer’s work has been presented at the Kennedy Center and Joe’s Pub, among other notable venues. Oliver created the music and lyrics for Jasper in Deadland premiered Off-Broadway and remounted at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre); 35mm: A Musical Exhibition (licensed by Samuel French, with original cast recording on Ghostlight Records); Darling, Mrs. Sharp, Out of My Head (licensed through Steele Spring Stage Rights) as well as the commission We Foxes (Broadway Across America). Additional career highlights include a commission for Disney Theatricals, projects for Rosie O’Donnell’s Theater Kids and Theatreworks USA’s We the People.

Oliver is the Director of New Musicals at Pace University in New York City and the Artistic Director of the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program. He is currently at work on the new musical Rope, a commission for Grove Entertainment. Visit RyanScottOliver.com and follow him on Twitter @ryanscottoliver.

American Songbook continues with performances in The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center from January 20 through February 27, followed by American Songbook in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse from March 16 through April 1. For more information and to purchase tickets to these performances go to AmericanSongbook.org, call CenterCharge at 212.721.6500, or visit the Alice Tully Hall and David Geffen Hall Box Offices, or Frederick P. Rose Hall Box Office.

Since its launch in 1998, American Songbook has been dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary achievements of the popular American songwriter from the turn of the 20th century to the present day. Spanning all styles and genres from Tin Pan Alley and Broadway to the eclecticism of today’s songwriters working in pop, cabaret, rock, folk, and country, American Songbook traces the history and charts the course of the American song from its past and current forms to its future direction. For a list of artists that have performed in American Songbook over the years, as well as the composers that have been honored by evenings of their music, click here.

Lead Support for American Songbook provided by PGIM

 

‘JASPER IN DEADLAND’ TO BE RECORDED THIS DECEMBER; CONCERT RELEASE FEB. 12

November 29, 2015

RSO’s ‘Jasper in Deadland’ (with a book by Hunter Foster) will be recorded on cast album and distributed by Sh-K-Boom Records, which also distributed his ’35mm: A Musical Exhibition.’

MATT DOYLE as the title character, with SYDNEY SHEPHERD, LOUIS HOBSON, ANDI ALHADEFF,  BRANDI MASSEY, BONNIE MILLIGAN, F. MICHAEL HAYNIE, JOHN-MICHAEL LYLES and KYLE CARTER will be featured as the nine-person cast on the album.

The album is produced by Oliver and John Clancy (orchestrator), with Nessie Nankivell, Kailey Marshall and Solomon Hoffman as associate producers.

The album is scheduled to be released on February 12, 2016, kicking off with a concert at 54 Below.  On Cyber Monday (Nov. 30), prospective buyers can get 50% off seats for the concert!  CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.

Jasper in Deadland was developed as a commission for the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program in 2011. Prospect Theater Company presented the New York City premiere, which featured Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon) as Jasper, Allison Scagliotti (Off-Broadway debut, SyFy’s “Warehouse 13”) as Gretchen and Ben Crawford (Big Fish, Shrek The Musical) as Mr. Lethe. Performances ran through April 13 at the West End Theatre in the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew. In May of 2015, Jasper in Deadland opened at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre. Said David Armstrong, 5th Avenue Theatre’s Executive Producer and Artistic Director, “Ryan Scott Oliver and Hunter Foster are two of the most exciting young talents working in the theatre today and The 5th has a very successful track record in providing emerging theatre artists like these with a large scale playing field in which they can thrill and amaze us. What Rent is to La Bohème, this show is to the Orpheus myths and legends.”

Jasper in Deadland tells the story of 16-year-old Jasper, who journeys into the Afterlife to rescue his recently deceased best friend, Agnes.  But in this version of the hereafter – known as “Deadland,”  a hybrid of mythology, religion, and superstition – the dead forget Life…  And so, too, will Jasper, if he can’t get past the seven circles of Deadland, fearsome Cerberus, heavenly Beatrix, mysterious Mr. Lethe, and ultimately himself.  Can Jasper bring his best friend back from the dead, or will he join the dead forever?

The cast album is made possible by a generous contribution from Kenny and Marleen Alhadeff. If you are interested in joining the producing team as an investor, contact RSO at [email protected].

Matt Doyle as Jasper, Prospect Theater Company

RSO Joins Lincoln Center Originals Line Up

October 23, 2015

RSO Songs at Lincoln Center this Tuesday.

Catch RSO tunes on Tuesday, October 27th at 7:30pm in Lincoln Center Originals: Songwriters, a FREE performance at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

Alice Ripley

Celebrated musical theater composers showcase original songs inspired by Lincoln Center. Don’t miss appearances by Tony Award-winner Robert L. Freedman (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Joe Iconis (NBC’s Smash), Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk (Henry and Mudge), Ryan Scott Oliver (Jasper in Deadland), Peter Millls (The Pursuit of Persephone), and Justin Levine (Pepper and Sam). The evening will be hosted by Lincoln Center Originals veteran Jeff Blumenkrantz and include special performances by Broadway stars including David Perlman (Baby, It’s You!), and Alice Ripley (Next to Normal, Side Show).

Get more information on the Lincoln Center Atrium website.

Music+Lyrics by RSO: Vol. 3 released Oct. 20

October 13, 2015

New RSO Songbook to be digitally released on October 20

On October 20, 2015 Music+Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver will be available for digital download for $34.99 in the online store.

Highlights of the book include:

  • 20 songs with piano-vocal arrangements and chords
  • Featuring never-before-released tunes from WE FOXES and DARLING, plus more
  • 3 key changes for popular gender-benders

Lindsay Mendez in "Rated RSO" at the New York Musical Theater FestivalFull list of songs:
“Sorrow Done” from We Foxes
“Map of Scars” from We Foxes
“Ruination” from We Foxes
“City of Angels” from We Foxes
“Clever” from Darling
“Ground” from Darling
“You’ll Never Grow a Day Older” from Darling
“Awful People” from Jasper in Deadland
“The Forgetting” from Jasper in Deadland
“One More Day of Snow” from Jasper in Deadland
“Hungry for Your Heart” from Jasper in Deadland
“Lifesong” from Jasper in Deadland
“The Killing” from Jasper in Deadland
“On Her Trail”
“Crazytown” from 35mm: A Musical Exhibition
“Hemming and Hawing” from 35mm: A Musical Exhibition
“Mama, Let Me In” from 35mm: A Musical Exhibition
“Leave, Luanne” (female key) from 35mm: A Musical Exhibition
“On Monday” (male key) from 35mm: A Musical Exhibition
“To Do” (male key) from Out of My Head

RSO IN LONDON VIDEO PLAYLIST

July 19, 2015

Videos from ‘RSO in London’ Released.

RSO in London took place at the St. James on March 23, 2015. The cast included: two time Oliver-nominee Emma Williams, current Kim in Miss Saigon on the West End, Eva Noblezada, BBC’s Any Dream Will Do Daniel Boys and Anton Zetterholm of European productions of Tarzan,Wicked, and Les Miz.:

RSO in London was directed by Katie Pesskin with music direction by Michael Riley and was produced by Susan Winter and Katie Pesskin for As Told By Productions.