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KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS
Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak’s new musical, KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, was invited to the Sundance Institute's Theatre Lab in Utah for a 3-week workshop, July 10-30, 2006, directed by Ron Lagomarsino, and starring Raul Esparza (below), Robert Petkoff, Nancy Anderson, Judy Kuhn, Jordan Gelber, Roderick Hill, Tregeoney Shepherd and Price Waldman. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS had a staged reading at the Huntington Theatre in Boston on April 6, 2006, as part of their Breaking Ground series of new plays. Robert directed a cast featuring Douglas Sills (below), Jonathan Hadley, Nancy Anderson, Jill Paice and Marilyn Caskey. Composer Steven Lutvak was musical director.
Three one-hour presentations of excerpts from the show were held in New York City on October 1, 2004, with a cast including Nancy Anderson (Wonderful Town, Kiss Me Kate), Raul Esparza (Taboo, The Normal Heart, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Sean Allan Krill (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Rebecca Luker (The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Showboat), and James Warwick (An Ideal Husband, Noel and Gertie); and on January 18 and 19, 2005, with a cast including Ms. Anderson, Mr. Esparza, Melissa Errico (My Fair Lady, One Touch of Venus, High Society, Amour), Malcolm Gets (Caroline In The City, A New Brain, Amour), and John Horton (Noises Off, Kiss Me Kate, Amadeus).
See photos of KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS presentations.
For their work on KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS and CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY, Robert and Steve are the recipients of the 2nd Annual Fred Ebb Award for songwriting, from the Fred Ebb Foundation and the Roundabout Theatre Company. They share a $50,000 prize presented at a reception at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway on November 28, 2006.
CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY
Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak’s musical won the 2006 California Musical Theatre Award from the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild and was presented in a staged reading on June 4, 2006, in Beverly Hills. (See photos of the reading.) Featured in the cast were John Rubinstein (pictured), Kaitlin Hopkins, Josh Radnor, Jean Louisa Kelly, Stan Chandler, Corinne Kason, Michael Kostroff, Ron Orbach, Tregoney Shepherd and Steve Vinovich. Based on a book by Greg Mitchell, CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY centers on the comic chicanery, media manipulation, and outrageous shenanigans surrounding Upton Sinclair's race for Governor of California in 1934. (Read the synopsis.)
A staged reading of CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY was held on September 19, 2005, at 3:00 and 7:00 p.m., at Makor, 35 West 67th St., NYC, under the auspices of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The cast featured Tony winner Michael Rupert as Upton Sinclair (pictured), with Sally Mayes, Evan Pappas, Stacie Morgain Lewis, Elsa Carmona, Michael DeVries, Sean Allan Krill, Ron Orbach, Tom Alan Robbins, and KT Sullivan. Steven Lutvak was the Musical Director, and Robert L. Freedman directed. See photos of the NYMF presentation.
A concert version of the show starring Michael Rupert was presented as the closing event of this year's Chicago Humanities Festival on November 14, 2004. The cast included Rob Alton, Roger Anderson, Brian Herriott, Trace Hultgren, Glory Kissel, Frances Limoncelli, Susie McMonagle, Rachel Rockwell, Malcolm Rothman, Daniel Tatar and Tracy Warren. Robert directed, and Steven Lutvak was musical director. See photos of the Chicago Humanities Festival presentation.
Staged readings of CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY were previously held in December, 2003, and May, 2004, at American Musical Theatre of San Jose, with a cast that included Augie Amato, Elsa Carmona, David Curley, Richard Frederick, Angela Gunter, John Hickok, Corinne Kason, Dana Lewenthal, Meg MacKay, Craig Mason, Marsha Mercant, Timothy Meyers, Ren Reynolds, and Diana Torres-Koss. The readings were produced by Marc Jacobs, and directed by Robert L. Freedman. The musical director was Craig Bohmler.
AGE OF CONSENT Robert is writing AGE OF CONSENT, a new film for Lifetime Television, based on the true story of Sandra Beth Geisel, an Albany high school teacher and mother of four who pleaded guilty to having sex with a 16-year-old student. The producer is Ira Pincus, for Blueprint Entertainment.
FULL CIRCLE FAMILY
Robert is writing FULL CIRCLE FAMILY, a new film for Lifetime Television, based on the true story of a Teenage Mom who gives her baby up for adoption, with a surprising twist. Judith A. Polone produces for Lions Gate Entertainment.
MURDER IN THE HAMPTONS
Robert wrote this true crime movie for Lifetime-TV, starring Poppy Montgomery. The premiere on July 11, 2005 received the highest rating of any movie on basic cable all year, and the second highest in three years.
WILLIAM INGE HOUSE RESIDENCY Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak were invited to be Playwrights-In-Residence at the William Inge House in Independence, Kansas, February 13-26, 2005.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE
Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak were invited by the Sundance Institute to participate in their annual Playwrights Retreat at UCROSS in Wyoming, in February, 2004. Robert and Steve worked on their new musical CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY, and returned to UCROSS in August, 2004, and March, 2005, to work on their musical adaptation of the classic film comedy KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS.
KINDERGARTEN WARS
Robert has completed writing the Lifetime-TV comedy KINDERGARTEN WARS, produced by Danielle Von Zerneck and Mia Sara, and Von-Zerneck-Sertner Films. The film tells the story of an upwardly-mobile couple trying to get their child into the "right" Kindergarten.
FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS
Robert has written the A&E drama FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, from a script by Alfred Uhry, about legendary film star Bette Davis, with Susan Sarandon attached to star, and Robert Allan Ackerman ("Life With Judy Garland") to direct. Producers are Greg Gugliotta and Stan Brooks.
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