Teaser promo for the musical MURDER BALLAD
Made in 72 hours and premiering October 13, 2017 at the Weinberg in Frederick, MD, PLAYDATE is a funny and touching look at a playdate gone wrong.
To make an ad with four days notice and no budget for a startup with a pitch opportunity, I used what I had at hand. My little actresses were even somewhat cooperative.
“…It is director Elizabeth Lucas who is the true star of this production…Lucas makes sure her cast works every nuance of Edwards’ script, and the result is that even the most minor characters come to life and create a world with a reality and depth not usually seen on local stages.”
– Steven V. Cronin, Atlantic City Press
“The Surflight has brought newcomer Elizabeth A. Lucas in to direct this wonderful production…the execution in this fast-paced comedy is almost flawless…It is a first-rate production…”
– Kevin Adair, Beachcomber
“…the novelty, invention, surprise and theatricality of the use of these musical elements to tell this story is quite remarkable…if all of the above is due to director Elizabeth A. Lucas, then let us just praise her, for her selections, and what she accomplished on stage. From small emotional moments to large stage pictures, she created a seamless, fluid, kinetic telling of the tale that made comprehension both clear and effortless. Very nice… it is a rich and spicy stew, something to be savored, and, in this production, a quite wonderfully realized expression of theatrical abilities.”
–Clark Gesner, Brooklyn Heights Press
“…the credit for this successful and entertaining staging can be shared by the skilled director Elizabeth A. Lucas and her talented cast…the biggest tribute goes to director Lucas, who manages to keep the action flowing smoothly as the actors move from drama to dance, from comedy to cruelty.”
– Paulanne Simmons, The Brooklyn Papers
Three interlocking stories set in the future, each 50 years apart but all in the same Central Park location, reveal that the unexpected consequences of love lost can echo across generations.
Part 3: In 2130, a twenty-something brother and sister, who have spent their whole lives in an underground dwelling pod with nothing but movies and television from the previous centuries as their companion, are banished from their colony. They must confront the inhospitable surface of their destroyed planet to find a new home and discover whether life above ground is still possible.
Shot on six winter days, mostly in Central Park, featuring Santino Fontana, Liz Holtan, Tom Gualtieri, and written by Erin Hill
Three interlocking stories set in the future, each 50 years apart but all in the same Central Park location, reveal that the unexpected consequences of love lost can echo across generations.
2070. A father-to-be desperately searches for a mysterious object that will save his unborn child while on the run from a cybernetic security officer and a man who claims to be his future son. The enigmatic man from the future swears that if the child is saved, an apocalypse will begin today. Together, they must decide if they will destroy the object at the cost of the son’s life.
Shot over six winter days, mostly in central park.
Three interlocking stories set in the future, each 50 years apart but all in the same Central Park location, reveal that the unexpected consequences of love lost can echo across generations.
2019. At winter’s first snowfall, a married teacher cuts school to meet up with her much younger lover for their yearly ritual. She reveals a secret that she hopes will end the affair, but he isn’t ready. When she cuts away her subcutaneous “iChip”, which contains all her memories of him, and hides it in the park, he is devastated in unexpected ways.
Shot over six winter days, mostly in central park.
Because we had access to a cool location
Starring Alison Cimmet and Graham Rowat
Screenplay by Laura Henry
Photography by Christopher Ebel
Score by Skip Kennon
Casting by Michael Cassara
Produced by Brad Rubenstein
MYTHS & HYMNS is a song cycle by Adam Guettel for which I wrote and directed a narrative, presented by Prospect Theatre in NYC. A description of that project is coming, but in the meantime, please enjoy this video about the process.
The New York Times Review: “Ms. Lucas’s poetic staging…provides a satisfying frame for them without twisting itself in any narrative knots…”
The New York Times Profile: “…this revamp has the potential to convince theaters everywhere that “Myths and Hymns” is viable as a stage property.”
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Elizabeth Lucas’ direction shows “…a unity of purpose and approach rarely seen in a production so young.”
– Robert Windeler, Backstage
PLAYBILL: The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), LC Productions and Julie Miller present the world premiere of Zapata! The Musical July 24-29 at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center
Directed by Elizabeth Lucas (PTC’s Myths and Hymns), the cast features Natalie Toro ( A Tale of Two Cities, Les Miserables), Enrique Acevedo (Michael John LaChiusa’s Giant), Andrew Call ( American Idiot, Cry Baby, Altar Boyz), Eliseo Roman ( Leap of Faith, In the Heights), Maria Eberline ( Wicked), Blanca Camacho ( In the Heights), Tony Castellanos ( Jesus Christ Superstar national tour), Victor Hernandez ( Bonnie & Clyde), Jen Anaya, Erin Maya, Grisel Pren Monje, Marco Antonio Santiago ( The Wedding Singer national tour), Henry Gainza, Nick Duckart, Carlos Gonzalez ( In the Heights national tour), Sasha Hollinger (In the Heights national tour) and Santiago Spivey.
Zapata! The Musical, which tells the story of Emiliano Zapata — hero of the Mexican revolution — who appears in the 21st century to inspire a member of the Occupy Wall Street movement, has music and lyrics by L.A./Nashville songwriter Peter Edwards and a book by Edwards and Ana Edwards.
In the Heights assistant choreographer and performer Luis Salgado provides choreography and musical staging with Jesse Vargas (Glory Days, The Ritz) providing musical arrangements and orchestrations.
Other members of the creative team include general manager Julie Miller, musical director Kenneth Gartman, assistant musical director Charles Santoro, lighting designer Herrick Goldman, scenic and props designer Aaron Scheckler, costume designer Asa Benally, sound designer Jason T. Hurley, dramaturg Anne Davison, production stage manager Annelise Castleberry and assistant stage managers Katie Kavett and John Nehlick. Valeria Cossu and Grisel Pren Monje are the assistants to the choreographer.
“the Cape Rep Theatre production, under the masterful direction of Elizabeth Lucas, beautifully captures the spirit and essence of the show…Lucas works magic with this ensemble production.
Lucas moves her cast with great skill as time, place and focus fluidly change from New Rochelle to the Lower East Side, from train station to dock, from Harlem to Union Square, from Atlantic City to J.P. Morgan’s library. The ensemble work is excellent.”
– Debbie Forman, Cape Cod Times
“Lucas then takes a cast of 25 characters played by 19 actors with over 30 musical numbers, and creates an intense yet intimate show. Bring a tissue.”
– Amy Tagliaferri, Cape Cod Chronicle