11th Hour Theatre Company is pleased to present the Philadelphia Premiere of Rooms: a rock romance. This musical will close May 2 at the Independence Black Box at the Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut Street.
11th Hour Theatre Company is only the second theatre in the country to be given the rights to present Rooms: a rock romance after its Off-Broadway run at New World Stages in 2009. The musical begins in late 1970's Glasgow where Monica, an ambitious singer/songwriter meets Ian, a reclusive rocker. The two quickly become entangled creatively and romantically. Their music takes them first to London and ultimately to New York City, where they discover a vibrant new music scene and create an intimate partnership, their love deepening while their personalities drive them apart. A five-piece rock band accompanies these two characters as they search for the balance between ambition and happiness. Michael Phillip O'Brien, 2009 Barrymore Award winner for Leading Actor in a Musical, appears as Ian and Alex Keiper, who appeared as Ronette in 11th Hour and Theatre Horizon's production of Little Shop of Horrors this winter, plays Monica. The Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording is currently available from Time-Life Records.
"This show really represents who we are as a company," said Michael Phillip O'Brien. "There is a kind of edge to this piece and we are really proud that we were given the opportunity to present this show."
11th Hour's Resident Director and two -time Barrymore nominee, Megan Nicole O'Brien is at the helm of this Philadelphia Premiere. Dan Kazemi, 2009 Barrymore award winner for Outstanding Musical Direction, is the Musical Director and will lead the five piece rock band. Shelley Hicklin is designing the lighting and Craig Vetter is designing the set. Lauren Perigard is handling costumes and Mark Valenzuela is handling sound design.
Paul Scott Goodman wroth the music, book, and lyrics for Rooms: a rock romance. He was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. He relocated to NYC after 5 years of performing in London and a year in LA. Paul wrote the book, music, and lyrics for Bright Lights, Big City, which was presented at the New York Theater Workshop (dir. Michael Greif), The Guggenheim Museum, the Prince Music Theater, Philadelphia, and recently licensed worldwide by The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Paul was the first recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Best New Songwriter Award, winner of the Backstage Bistro Award for Domestica (book, music and lyrics), first solo recipient of the Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, and winner of the Gilman Gonzalez-Falla Theater Foundation Commendation Award. In London, Paul's musicals have been produced at the National Theater, The New End Theater, and twice on BBC television. He has performed as an opening act for John Cougar Mellencamp, Joan Armatrading, David Essex, and The Average White Band. His wife, Miriam Gordon co-wrote the book for Rooms:a rock romance, with him. Other works with her husband include: Him & Her, Tiny Dancer and Domestica, which won a NYC International Fringe Festival 2002 award, and was also produced at The Prince Music Theater (Philadelphia, 2007, dir. Michael Unger), The New End Theatre (London, 2006), Theater One (NYC, 2003), and Musical TheaterWorks (NYC).
About 11th Hour Theatre Company
11th Hour Theatre Company is a not-for-profit company committed to expanding one of the truly great American art forms...musical theatre. As the only company in the city dedicated to producing musical theatre, 11th Hour focuses on the intimate relationship that forms between artist and audience when music, theatre and dance come together to entertain, educate and inspire.
