Jeff Blumenkrantz Penning New Musical The Red Rose Girls

Composer and actor Jeff Blumenkrantz, a Tony nominee for contributing songs to Urban Cowboy, has been commissioned to compose the score for a new musical called The Red Rose Girls. The show is aiming for a 2011-2012 Broadway debut, produced by Brian Dorsey. No book writer has been announced.

Based on Alice A. Carter’s illustrated biography, The Red Rose Girls recounts the lives of four renegade artists of the early 20th century in Philadelphia. Violet Oakley, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green and Henrietta Cozen fought sexism and prejudice to become among the most acclaimed artists and illustrators in the country. The women’s personal lives and career struggles form the basis for The Red Rose Girls.

In addition to Urban Cowboy, Blumenkrantz has written songs recorded by Sutton Foster, Megan Mullally, Audra McDonald, Victoria Clark and Lauren Kennedy. His Broadway acting credits include Into the Woods, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and A Class Act.