It’s not only a brave new world, it’s a hunky one. Main Stem faves Kyle Dean Massey (Wicked, Next to Normal), Colin Hanlon (Rent) and Josh Segarra (Dogfight, Lysistrata Jones) are set for the pre-Broadway workshop of Brave New World. Directed by Tony nominee Sheryl Kaller (Next Fall), the musical adaptation of the classic Aldous Huxley novel will receive an industry-only workshop on May 3.
Brave New World features an adapted book by Ben Andron, music and lyrics by Jonnie Rockwell and additional lyrics by Nick Messitte. John McDaniel musically directs.
The workshop stars Massey as John, Hanlon as Mond, Segarra as Helmholtz and Nick Blaemire (Godspell, Dogfight) as Bernard, Darren Ritchie (Wonderland, Les Miserables), Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening, Rent) as Lenina and Jennifer Simard (Sister Act, Shrek) as Linda. The ensemble includes Paolo Montalban, Cameron Adams, Paul Canaan, Kyle Post, Matt Lutz, Krystina Alabado, Janine Bernesen, Erica Dorfler, Janet Krupin, Renee Marino, Taso Mikroulis and Eric Ulloa.
Brave New World is set five hundred years in the future, a world with no war, disease or poverty. But perfection comes at a price. In order to maintain social stability, humanity has been stripped of the very things that make us human. True love has been replaced with free sex, art and faith have been replaced with mindless sport and distraction and citizens are brainwashed and drugged into a perpetual state of happiness. Humans don't even reproduce anymore; they are hatched in test tubes to avoid the dangers of family. But there are places - savage reservations - where people still live according to the "old" ways. These savages are fenced in and know nothing of the outside world, until one such savage - John - is given special permission to leave and experience the wonders of civilization.