| "JOY: A NEW TRUE MUSICAL" TO OPEN OFF-BROADWAY THIS SUMMER FOR 8 WEEKS ONLY; WILL STAR TONY AWARD NOMINEE BETSY WOLFE | |
| Last Edit: Official_Press_Release 11:25 am EST 02/18/25 | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 11:24 am EST 02/18/25 | |
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| "JOY: A NEW TRUE MUSICAL," CELEBRATING BUSINESS ICON JOY MANGANO TO OPEN OFF-BROADWAY THIS SUMMER AT THE LAURA PELS THEATRE AT THE HAROLD AND MIRIAM STEINBERG CENTER FOR THEATRE FOR 8 WEEKS ONLY BOOK BY KEN DAVENPORT MUSIC AND LYRICS BY ANNMARIE MILAZZO CHOREOGRAPHY BY JOSHUA BERGASSE DIRECTED BY LORIN LATARRO STARRING TONY AWARD NOMINEE BETSY WOLFE AS ‘JOY' PERFORMANCES BEGIN SATURDAY, JUNE 21 FOR A SUNDAY, JULY 20 OPENING NIGHT PLAYING THROUGH SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 PRE-SALE BEGINS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 GENERAL ON-SALE BEGINS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 SIGN UP AT WWW.JOYTHEMUSICAL.COM FOR EARLY ACCESS New York, NY (February 18, 2025) – Today, producers Sandi Moran and Ken Davenport announced that JOY: A New True Musical, based on the life of trailblazing businesswoman and inventor Joy Mangano, will begin previews at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street) on Saturday, June 21 with an opening night set for Sunday, July 20. The powerful and uplifting new musical with a book by Tony winner Ken Davenport, music and lyrics by GRAMMY and Tony Award nominee AnnMarie Milazzo, choreography by Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse, and directed by Lorin Latarro, will star Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe as ‘Joy.' "I am beyond thrilled that JOY is opening in NYC this summer," said Joy Mangano. "This musical will excite everyone who experiences it! Betsy radiates joy in every way, and I'm honored she's going to be the driving force of inspiring others with my story in this production. The music will keep you singing even after you leave!" "Joy is the fighter, the unsung hero in all of us. At a time where women were often left to stifle dreams, her love for her family led her to do something extraordinary and shows us all what it looks like to believe in yourself," said Betsy Wolfe. Pre-sale tickets to JOY: A New True Musical will be available exclusively to members of the priority list starting Thursday, February 20. To sign up, please visit www.joythemusical.com. Tickets will go on sale to the general public starting Tuesday, February 25 at www.joythemusical.com or by calling (212) 719-1300. Complete casting for JOY: A New True Musical will be announced soon. Sign up at www.joythemusical.com for additional information. JOY: A New True Musical is an uplifting work based on the true story of Ms. Mangano, the inventor behind the Miracle Mop. Her journey—also told in the 2015 film JOY, starring Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence—now comes to life on stage. From single motherhood and financial struggles to building a business empire, Joy's story epitomizes the power of resilience and determination, an inspiring celebration of a woman who never gave up and redefined the American Dream! The creative team for JOY: A New True Musical includes Tony Award nominee Anna Louizos (Scenic Design), Tina McCartney (Costume Design), Tony Award Winner Kai Harada and Haley Parcher (Sound Design), Tony Award nominee David Bengali (Projection and Video Design), Darion Matthews (Hair and Wig Design), Andy Einhorn (Music Supervisor), Jillian Zack (Music Director), Christine D'Amore (Production Stage Manager), with ShowTown Theatricals serving as general manager. In addition to Moran and Davenport, JOY: A New True Musical is also co-produced by TBD Theatricals, Christine Petti, Jonathan & Rae Corr, Scott Abrams, Adam Riemer, Christine G. Williamson, Sheri & Les Biller, Michael T. Cohen & Robin Reinach, Ashley Howe, Marco Santarelli, Mark Jacobs, Sara Miller McCune, Megan Ann Rasmussen, and Larry & Robin Kaufman. Last month, Milazzo released "The Shape of Things: Songs From Joy The Musical," a concept album inspired by JOY: A New True Musical on Joy Machine Records. Written and performed by Milazzo, produced by Sonny Paladino, and with music supervision by Andy Einhorn, the digital album is available for streaming HERE . Additionally, the music video for "The Shape of Things" performed by Milazzo is now available HERE. Though it is being performed at The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, JOY: A New True Musical is not a Roundabout Theatre Company production. BIOGRAPHIES Betsy Wolfe (Joy) recently wrapped her acclaimed tenure with the hit new musical & Juliet as Anne Hathaway where her performance was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Previously, Wolfe starred in the Tony nominated musical Waitress, where she gave a multi-faceted performance as Jenna. Prior to that, she played Cordelia, one of the lovable "lesbians from next door," in the Broadway revival of Falsettos, which airs frequently on PBS. She is perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe can be seen in the indie feature First One In (on all streaming platforms) and starred in the holiday film Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol With A Twist. Wolfe had a guest starring role on the CBS series Instinct. Originally from California, Betsy received her BFA in musical theatre from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. At age 20—she made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under Maestro Erich Kunzel. After receiving her BFA, Betsy quickly moved on to star as Rona Lisa Peretti in the San Francisco and Boston companies of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Soon after, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of 110 in the Shade. Betsy gained attention for her next role in both the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Sherie Rene Scott's Everyday Rapture, where she played one of the two Mennonettes. Betsy's other Broadway credits include Ellen in the 2014 production of Bullets Over Broadway, directed by Susan Stroman, and Rosa Bud in the revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Other notable productions include Beth in the City Center Encores! production of Sondheim's, Merrily We Roll Along, a world premiere production of Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez's musical Up Here, and Mary Ann Singleton in ACT's world premiere of Tales of the City. Betsy made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus (Ida). She has been a guest artist for over 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras across the U.S. and internationally, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra. She has collaborated with The New York Pops and played to sold-out crowds at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center with their Broadway Today and Women of Notes concerts. Recordings include & Juliet, Falsettos, Bullets over Broadway, The Last Five Years, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, Stage Door Canteen,35MM, and Merrily We Roll Along. She can also be seen in the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. In 2018 Wolfe founded BroadwayEvolved, a groundbreaking musical theatre training program for students which has been named (seven years in a row) as one of the best summer programs along with top universities. www.broadwayevolved.com Ken Davenport (Book, Producer ) born Kenneth Anjum Hasija, is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer whose credits include A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (Broadway and National Tour), Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, the 2025 revival of Gypsy, Oh Mary!, Harmony: A New Musical written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, Once On This Island (Tony Award), Gettin' the Band Back Together, The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day (Tony nomination), Deaf West Theatre's Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), It's Only a Play, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Broadway – Tony Award, National Tour, Toronto, Australia, and West End), The Visit (Tony nomination), Mothers and Sons (Tony nomination), The Bridges of Madison County (National Tour), Allegiance, Chinglish, Oleanna starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, Speed-the-Plow, Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America (Tony nomination), Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury (Broadway, West End, and National Tour), and 13 The Musical. Off-Broadway, Davenport has produced The Play that Goes Wrong, Daddy Long Legs, Altar Boyz (Co- Conceiver), My First Time (Author), The Awesome 80's Prom (Creator). Davenport's productions have been produced internationally in over 25 countries around the world. Upcoming projects include The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation, JOY: A New True Musical, The Ten, Slumdog Millionaire: The Musical and a musical based on the life of Harry Belafonte. Davenport created the best-selling board game, Be A Broadway Star, one of the highest-ranking Broadway gifts on Amazon.com. For more information, visit www.KenDavenport.com. AnnMarie Milazzo (Music and Lyrics) Lucky Us (co-music and lyrics with David Foster), A Walk On The Moon, The Snow Guardian, Pretty Dead Girl, (winner of the Special Jury Award Sundance Film Festival) and JOY: A New True Musical. As Vocal Designer: Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, If/Then, Finding Neverland, revival of Carrie, Bright Lights Big City, Superhero, Dangerous Beauty, Prometheus Bound, Some Lovers, Dave, A Walk On The Moon, revival of 1776, Almost Famous, A Beautiful Noise. As Co-Orchestrator of Once On This Island, AnnMarie was nominated for a Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award. She is the Grammy-nominated female vocalist for East Village Opera Company. Joshua Bergasse (Choreographer ) won an Emmy award for choreographing the television series "Smash" on NBC. Broadway: Smash (opening this spring); On the Town (Tony nomination, Astaire Award); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; and Gigi. Off-Broadway: Smokey Joes Cafe; Sweet Charity (Chita Rivera Award) Cagney; Bomb-itty of Errors; and Captain Louie. Encores!: The Golden Apple; Little Me; Annie Get Your Gun; …Superman!; I Married an Angel. Television: Multiple episodes of "So You Think You Can Dance," "Hawkeye," "Sinatra, A Voice for a Century," "A Capitol Fourth," "Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary," "Jessica Jones," "Monsterland." Film: Your Monster. Josh is Vice President of the SDC. Lorin Latarro (Director) directed Candace Bushnell's one woman show, Is There Still Sex in the City - NYTimes Critics Pick, Queen of the Night which garnered a Drama Desk Award, Kill the Boy Band by Lowdermilk and Kerrigan, #DATEME at The Westside Theatre, Taste of Things to Come at Chicago's Nederlander Broadway, Swelling and Irritation by Jodi Picoult and Tim McDonald, Trails, Rodgers after Hammerstein – 92Y Lyrics and Lyricists, Beth Malone's Three Part Harmony. Lorin is currently developing Lauren Sandler's novel This Is All I Got with Kirsten Greenidge and Crystal Monee Hall, Begin Again with music by Train, and an immersive Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Choreography includes Broadway's Once Upon a Mattress, Into the Woods, Tommy, Heart of Rock and Roll, Waitress, Mrs. Doubtfire, Les Liasons Dangereuse with Janet McTeer and Live Schreiber, Waiting for Godot with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stuart, Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), La Traviata (The Met Opera), Oliver (Encores), Chess (The Kennedy Center), Lin-Manuel Miranda's 21 Chump Street for "This American Life"(BAM), The Public Theater's Twelfth Night and The Odyssey (Delacorte Theater), Assassins (Encores). Ms. Latarro is a Drama Desk, Lortel, and Chita Rivera nominee. BFA Juilliard. MA NYU. Lorin performed in 14 Broadway shows and has traveled to India and Africa multiple times to work with The Gates Foundation in family health and planning. She is the founder of ArtAmmmo.org Artists Against Gun Violence as seen in the NY Times, PBS, Rachel Maddow, BBC. Anna Louizos (Scenic Design ) Joy marks her 6th production design at the Laura Pels. A three-time Tony Award nominee whose designs include School of Rock (sets and costumes), In the Heights, Avenue Q, R&H's Cinderella, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, White Christmas, Honeymoon in Vegas, It Shoulda Been You, High Fidelity, Curtains, Golda's Balcony, et al. Select regional/off-Broadway: Scotland, PA (Roundabout), Lucha Teotl (Goodman), West Side Story (world tour), Peter Pan (US tour), The Pilot and the Little Prince (Poland), Fiddler on the Roof (with Jason Alexander). A Sherlock Carol (NWS) Ever After (Alliance), Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, (Chicago, New Victory, Goodspeed) Dallas Theater Center, Old Globe, La Jolla, Goodspeed et al. Book illustrations for Rupert Holmes' recent novel, Murder Your Employer. Tina McCartney (Costume Design ) is a Trinidadian American costume designer working regionally, on Broadway, and in TV and Film. Theatrical: Empire (New World Stages), That Parenting Musical (Theatre Row), Las Borinqueñas (EST), Summer Stock (Goodspeed), Joy (George Street Theatre), The Griswolds Broadway Vacation (Seattle 5th Avenue Theatre), Bruce (Seattle Rep.) Tina has co-designed the last 6 live Tony Awards Ceremonies. She also works as a commercial stylist with brands including Peloton, Aveeno, T-Mobile, and Verizon. For more of Tina's work visit tinamccartney.com. Kai Harada (Sound Design) Broadway: A Wonderful World; Once Upon a Mattress; The Days of Wine and Roses; Merrily We Roll Along (Tony Nomination); Spamalot (co-design with Haley Parcher); New York, New York (Tony Nomination); Kimberly Akimbo; The Old Man and the Pool; Mister Saturday Night; Head Over Heels; The Band's Visit (Tony Award, Drama Desk Award); Amélie; Sunday in the Park With George; Allegiance; Gigi; Fun Home; On the Town; First Date; Follies (Tony, Drama Desk Nominations); and Million Dollar Quartet. West End: Crazy For You; Million Dollar Quartet. Other: Cats: The Jellicle Ball (PAC NYC); Peter Pan (Tour); The Karate Kid (Stages St. Louis); Soft Power (Public Theatre, CTG); Marie: Dancing Still (5th Ave); The Light in the Piazza, Candide (L.A. Opera); The Black Clown (ART); Zorro (Moscow; Atlanta); Hinterm Horizont (Berlin); many musicals at City Center Encores! and the Kennedy Center. Education: Yale University. Pronouns: he/him. Haley Parcher (Sound Design) Broadway: Monty Python's Spamalot, Regional: Something Rotten & Annie (Stratford Festival), Schmigadoon, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, NINE, Bye Bye Birdie, Tick Tick…Boom!, Monty Python's Spamalot, Sunset Boulevard, & Guys and Dolls (Kennedy Center), Waitress, Mary Poppins, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, The Wiz, & Beauty and the Beast (5th Avenue Theatre), Cabaret (The Old Globe), The Last 5 Years & And So That Happened (ACT), Mamma Mia! & Guys and Dolls (Village Theatre), How Can I Love You (Cave B), and American Idiot, Violet and We've Battled Monsters Before (ArtsWest). David Bengali (Projection and Video Design) Broadway: Water for Elephants (Tony and Outer Critics Noms), Eureka Day, The Thanksgiving Play, 1776. Off-Broadway and Regional: We Live In Cairo (A.R.T., New York Theatre Workshop); Here There Are Blueberries (Tectonic Theatre Project; Hewes and Helen Hayes Awards); Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (Signature, A.R.T.; Hewes Award, Drama Desk Nom), Without You (New World Stages), Monsoon Wedding (Saint Anns), The Visitor (The Public; Lortel Nom), Walk On Through (MCC); Circle Jerk (Fake Friends; Obie Award, Drama League Nom); Einstein's Dreams (59E59, Drama Desk Nom) as well as designs at La Jolla Playhouse, Geffen Playouse, Yale Rep, Alliance Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center and others; National Tours: Peter Pan, 1776, Rockin Road to Dublin. Darion Matthews (Hair and Wig Design) is a proud IATSE Local 798 member. Wig, Hair, and Make-Up Designer with work featured in over 12 Broadway shows, Design Credits include: The Heart of Rock and Roll, and OH, MARY!. Off-Broadway and Regional Credits also include Kinky Boots, The Prince of Egypt, and Anything Goes. Darion thanks His Husband and Family for their love and light. #### www.joythemusical.com www.facebook.com/joynewmusical www.instagram.com/joythemusical www.tiktok.com/@joynewmusical www.youtube.com/@JoyNewMusical |
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