A Note From Neil - October 2009

Hey Everyone!

I am writing to you from Spokane, WA where the "100 Years of Broadway"
tour is chugging along. We are in our second month of our 120 city tour across the country having already played all over Wisconsin, Iowa, California, Oregon, Washington, and now headed to Idaho for the first time! The audiences have been incredible as always. At some venues, where we have been before, we are doing our "101 Years of Broadway" and, in some venues, we are even doing "102 Years of Broadway"! These are all-new shows exploring the history of Broadway with incredible Broadway stars such as Marc Kudisch, Norm Lewis, Rob Evan, Craig Shulman, Ray McLeod, Rita Harvey, Carter Calvert, Andrea Rivette, Robert DuSold, and, for the first time, my pal, Jeremy Kushnier. Welcome Jeremy... good to have you aboard!

Other exciting news; I am teaming up with composer Lucy Simon to produce a benefit concert of her musical masterpiece, THE SECRET GARDEN. This will be done with an all-star Broadway cast at the St. Joseph Regional High School's Auditorium in Montvale, NJ, on Saturday night November 28, 2009 at 7:30pm and Sunday November 29th, 2009 at 3:00pm. All proceeds to benefit the Montessori School and St. Joseph's Performing Arts Program where I run my summer Musical Theatre Camp and I am co-director. Tickets can be ordered by calling 201-391-3300 during school hours or 845-353-2407. Bring the family and don't miss it!

My new musical, THE TWELVE, which I am collaborating on with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Robert Schenkkan, opens April 1, 2010 at the glorious Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. This exciting classic rock musical is my tribute to all the great rock bands I loved listening to growing up, like Led Zeppelin, The Who, David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Mountain, The Beatles, The Stones, Jackie Wilson, U2, Janis Joplin, and Pink Floyd. Think of it as an original sequel to "Jesus Christ Superstar". This will be the first stop in which we hope will be an extended tour with an alternate NY production.

My other musical, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, just finished up this past summer at the Festival of New Musicals at the Village Theatre in Issaquah, WA. The show was directed by this year's Tony Award winner Brian Yorkey. who wrote the lyrics and book to "Next to Normal". Thanks, Brian, for your great work!

And, finally, for the big news! GRUMPY OLD MEN will be getting its pre-Broadway tryout in Fall 2011 at the Manitoba Theatre in Manitoba, Canada. Glenn Casale will direct and David Holcenberg be will the musical supervisor. Watch this website for more details to follow.

As we continue to tour around this county, we will be playing everywhere, including New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Colorado, Wyoming, Tennessee, Alabama, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, Wisconsin, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, California, New York, and even Canada! As always, the most gratifying part of the tour is meeting you all after the show, so be sure to stop by and say hello.

Long live Broadway!

Much love,
Neil Berg