John Cassavetes' Opening Night

Murmrr x The Town Hall Present: John Cassavetes' Opening Night

September 15th | The Town Hall | 7:30PM

"John Cassavetes' Opening Night" is the first stage musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Rufus Wainwright. It premiered in London at the Gielgud Theater in the spring of 2024. The book and direction were by Ivo van Hove. It is based on the 1977 movie Opening Night by American avant-garde director John Cassavetes. It tells the story of an actress, Myrtle Gordon, played by Cassavetes' wife, Gena Rowlands, who is premiering a play written for her that is about a woman coming to terms with aging. Myrtle Gordon does not come to terms with her own aging and rebels against the play and throws the entire production into jeopardy. A young female fan asking her for an autograph at the stage door gets killed by a car as she runs off onto the street. Myrtle is being haunted by the young girl. On opening night, she arrives completely drunk but ultimately does what she does best: act and improvise. Part "All About Eve" Opening Night is the story of an actress who risks madness for her truth.

Rufus Wainwright has reached out to a group of friends and colleagues in the music and musical theater world to perform the songs from Opening Night in a one-night-only special concert at Town Hall, which will support the ACLU. Jason Hart, who was in Rufus' band for many years, is the music director and is leading the orchestra that will perform Wainwright's original West End arrangements. Wainwright will join the cast of talented performers and sing some of the songs himself, and act as the MC, leading through the evening and explaining the story of the musical.

A minimum of USD30 per ticket purchased will be donated to the ACLU in support of their LGBTQ & HIV Project.

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