Clinton sexual scandal musical to be staged
(Playbill On-Line)
Updated: 2005-09-02 14:28

Frenchie Davis will play President Bill Clinton's White House secretary Betty Currie in the world premiere of Monica! The Musical! beginning Sept. 21 as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Monica Lewinsky, who once had a fling with then US President Bill Clinton, is reportedly invited to the the musical show. [file photo]

The musical about the sexual scandal involving Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky has been seen in developmental stagings, including a May 2005 workshop in Manhattan.

NYMF and P73 Productions, Inc. present the latest production at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Sept. 21-Oct. 2.

Casey Hushion directs the show, which has book and lyrics by Daniel J. Blau and Tracie Potochnik, music by Adam Blau and musical direction by Nadia DiGiallonardo.

Monica! "dares to ask one crucial question: Exactly how did something this ridiculous thing happen?," according to production notes.

The show serves "a generous helping of irreverent absurdity, libelous implications and insight that only time can bring. This bold satire mixes past and present D.C. politics with the best (and sometimes worst) of musical theatre as it examines our relationship to tabloid scandal, partisan crackpots and that barrel of Beltway monkeys."

The cast features Christine DiGiallonardo (the current Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Delacorte Theater) as Monica, Megan Lawrence (Urinetown) as Hillary, Duke LaFoon (I Love My Wife, The Audience) as Bill Clinton, Rashad Naylor (Hairspray) as Vernon Jordan, Frenchie Davis ("American Idol," Rent and regional stagings of Dreamgirls) as Betty Currie, Kristie Dale Sanders (Urinetown) as Janet Reno, Charlie Pollock (Urinetown) as Ken Starr and Josh Walden (La Cage Aux Folles, 42nd Street) as George Stephanopoulos.

Lighting is by Jason Lyons (Nerds at NYMF) and props/scenic design is by Seth Sklar Heyn.

The Monica! performance schedule is Sept. 21 at 9 PM, Sept. 22 at 4:30 PM, Sept. 24 at 1 PM, Sept. 25 at 1 PM, Sept. 28 at 7 PM, Oct. 2 at 1 PM.

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre is located at 307 W. 26th Street at the corner of Eighth Avenue. Tickets are $15, available by calling (212) 352-3101 or www.TheaterMania.com or www.nymf.org.

Daniel J. Blau, Tracie Potochnik and Adam Blau have been working on Monica! The Musical since 1998. Staged reading has been presented by Manhattan Theatre Club and the New York Musical Theater Festival. Long Island natives Adam and Daniel J. Blau are brothers who split their time between New York and L.A., while Tracie Potochnik resides in Providence, Rhode Island.

Founded in 1997 by Nicole Fix, Liz Jones, Asher Richelli, and Daniel Shiffman, P73 Productions, Inc. is "committed to developing and producing the work of emerging playwrights." Since its inception, P73 has helped develop works by Peter Ackerman, Peter Morris, Julia Jordan, Karen Hartman, Michael Friedman and many others. Works developed by P73 have moved on to productions at Primary Stages, New York's Women's Project and Productions, Baltimore's Center Stage and San Francisco's Magic Theater.

P73 won the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award for its work on The Unknown by Janet Allard, Shane Rettig, and Jean Randich, which will also be presented in the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival. For more information visit www.p73.org.

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