If you're in the Chicago area be sure to go to this fabulous festival of new musicals!

Here's the info direct from the press release:

THEATRE BUILDING CHICAGO OPENS 30TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH STAGES -- A FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS:

AUGUST 11, 12, 13, 2006

August 4, 2006 -- CHICAGO, IL. Theatre Building Chicago presents STAGES 2006, a festival of eight new musicals on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, August 11, 12, and 13, 2006. The three-day musical extravaganza performs each new work twice in concert-style formats. Now in its thirteenth season. STAGES is committed to developing musicals and the writers who create them.

STAGES kicks off with HALF THE SKY, conceived by Donna Trinkoff, book by Marsha Lee Sheiness, lyrics Luis Santeiro, June Siegel, Greer Woodward, and music Rick Cummins.

STAGES features two musicals by homegrown Chicago writers. BEACH WARS by Nan Hoffman, Laurel Haines and Howard Pfeifer and MAIN-TRAVELLED ROADS by the 2005 Richard Rodgers award-winners Dave Hudson and Paul Libman were both developed in TBC's Musical Theatre Writers' Workshop.

STAGES includes STUDIO by Charles Strouse, Broadway's preeminent composer of ANNIE, APPLAUSE, and BYE BYE BIRDIE. STUDIO marks TBC's second Strouse premiere. (The first was THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE in 1987).

STAGES also highlights a "revisal" of the ground-breaking 1959 Broadway jazz musical THE NERVOUS SET, book by Jay Landesman with revisions by Tim Treanor and Lorraine Treanor, music by Tommy Wolf with additional music by Simon Wallace, and lyrics by Fran Landesman. Several of the show's songs have become international jazz standards, such as "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" and "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men."

STAGES also presents FAIRYSTORIES by Paul Graham Brown. The National Alliance for Musical Theatres suggested this piece to TBC and several other Alliance members that are devoted to developing new work in order to expand the Alliance's capacity to encourage musical production.

STAGES also highlights THE COTTON CLUB by Arnold Margolin, Weslie Brown and Jason Kuller and SUGAR DUMPLING by Cheryl L. Davis and C. Colby Sachs.

THEATRE BUILDING CHICAGO's musical program offers an array of works in multiple "stages" of development. TBC nurtures new works through its Musical Theatre Writers' Workshop and through collaboration with theatre companies and artists across the country.

WHEN: STAGES kick-off gala (6pm reception; 7:30pm performance, Fri., Aug. 11)

Curtain times range from 9am-7:30pm, Sat.- Sun., Aug. 12-13

STAGES BRUNCH: 11:15am, Sun., Aug. 13, followed by PRODUCERS' FORUM: 11:45am

WHERE: 1225 W Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL Phone: 773.327.5252

TICKETS: $75: Opening Night performance and receptions; $85: Stages Pass (good for all Sat. & Sun. shows); $20: Brunch, followed by Producers' Forum (free); $15: Single tickets will be sold at the door as available

Reservations are strongly encouraged. Valet & metered parking available; enjoy dining discounts; enjoy dining discounts (with TBC ticket stubs) at neighborhood restaurants.

Visit our website: www.theatrebuildingchicago.org for details.

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