The 24 Hour Plays will mark its 24th anniversary with an intimate production of The 24 Hour Musicals June 17 at 8 PM on the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center.
Four new musicals will be written and performed within the span of 24 hours. Performing those new works will be Erich Bergen, Clifton Duncan, Isabelle Fuhrman, Noah Galvin, Joel Marsh Garland, Montego Glover, Jessica Hecht, Atandwa Kani, Richard Kind, Leslie Kritzer, Bonnie Milligan, Anthony Rapp, Dee Roscioli, and Sarah Steele.
Three of the four musicals will be directed by Oliver Butler, Shira Milikowsky, and Taylor Reynolds and composed by Mike Doughty, Toshi Reagon, and Nellie McKay. Additional talent will be announced.
“The 24 Hour Plays and The 24 Hour Musicals are a delivery system for joy,” said Executive Director Mark Armstrong, “and for 24 years, this organization has brought together extraordinary artists around the world to make singular evenings of theatre in 24 hours. From raising millions of dollars for charities, to launching significant careers through our professional development initiatives for young artists, our work shows what communities can do when they come together. We’re celebrating 24 years of work that’s touched everyone from celebrities to students and looking ahead to the next 24 years.”
The marathon process begins at 9 PM the night before the performance. Performers and creators gather for an orientation where they share costume pieces and props, their special skills, and reveal something that they have always wanted to do onstage. At 11 PM, composers and writers get to work crafting 15-20 minute musicals, and at 9 AM the next morning, actors receive their roles and directors, choreographers, and musicians arrive to begin rehearsal. Less than 12 hours later, the performance begins.
Proceeds benefit The 24 Hour Plays’ programs, including The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals (a professional intensive for young artists) and help support the organization’s ongoing non-profit work, including partner productions around the world.
Visit 24HourPlays.com.
