Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present a developmental reading of the new musical Onward & Upward. Based on the play Up (The Man in the Flying Chair), the show features music by Charlie Romano, lyrics by Will Wegner, and a book by Wegner and Romano. The reading will be held at Ripley-Grier Studios for three performances: November 17 at 6 PM, and November 18 at 12 PM and 4 PM.

Michael Barnard will direct the musical, taking place 17 years after Walter Griffin made national headlines after flying 16,000 feet in the sky with a lawn chair and a cluster of weather balloons. Since then, his wife and son have kept him tethered to the simplicity of daily life...until a surreal visit from his idol, wirewalker Philippe Petit, blurs the line between reality and fantasy.

The cast will include Alex Joseph Grayson (Parade, Into the Woods), Liz McCartney (Funny Girl, Sunday in the Park with George), Mamie Parris (School of Rock, Cats), Sam Primack (Dear Evan Hansen), Jim Stanek (Into the Woods, Fun Home), and Samantha Williams (Caroline, Or Change, Dear Evan Hansen). 

Onward & Upward will feature music direction by Griffin Strout and stage management by Benjamin A. Vigil. Casting is by Michael Cassara Casting CSA.

For tickets and more information, visit AmasMusical.org.