New York Theatre Barn

09/15/2026

🔆 SHOW SPOTLIGHT: THE LADIES MAN
Experience it in two days at CHOREOGRAPHY LAB
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The Ladies Man, written by Justin Mortelliti and Shannon Hunt, with direction by Matti DiCarlo (Jawbreaker, Moulin Rouge!), is a new q***r pop musical about coming out at the turn of the millennium, caught between the freedom to embrace who you are and the weight of strict Roman Catholicism.

With Choreography by Alex Mitchell
Alex Mitchell is a colorful, q***r creative based in New York City. With a passion for dance education, Alex’s bold choreographic voice has become a new and exciting force in the industry. Her fusion style has been seen at events like Jay Armstrong Johnson’s I Put A Spell on You, Night of Life and The Young Choreographer’s Festival. She served as Associate Choreographer of Billy Elliot at the Paramount Theatre and made her directorial debut with her dance narrative Our House. Recent choreography credits include RENT at the Encore Theatre. She is on faculty at Broadway Dance Center.

Jesse Lozano will serve as Assistant Choreographer

09/14/2026

🔆SHOW SPOTLIGHT: FREEDOM RIDERS
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ABOUT FREEDOM RIDERS
Before Selma, Before MLK’s Dream, They Rode. The courageous Freedom Riders took a stand that changed America forever. Written by Richard Allen and Taran Gray, Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical brings the true story of the 1961 Freedom Rides to life, centering ordinary Americans who boarded buses into the segregated South armed only with conviction, courage, and hope for a better future. Freedom Riders honors the bravery, sacrifice, and unity that fueled the Civil Rights Movement. Richard Allen and Taran Gray developed the show in close collaboration with original Freedom Riders, including John Lewis, Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette, Charles Person, and Jim Zwerg.

CHOREOGRAPHY BY JON RUA
Plus, join us in saying hi to Jon Rua, choreographer of this week's Choreography Lab presentation of FREEDOM RIDERS.

Jon Rua has originated roles in four Tony-nominated Broadway shows, Hamilton, SpongeBob Squarepants, Hands on a Hardbody, and In The Heights. On Screen, Rua has guest-starred on Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Law & Order, Smile 2, Fall to Rise, and First Reformed. An award-winning Choreographer, Jon's credits include: Broadway/Tour: Floyd Collins, Boop (assoc.), SpongeBob and Cher Show (speciality). Concert/Commercial: The Festival, Phish, Giordano Dance Chicago, Lawrence. Regional: world premieres of 3 Summers of Lincoln, Hunter Thompson Musical, The Hombres; also Macbeth, West Side Story, Rent, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida. TV/Film: Isn’t It Romantic (ass.), SpongeBob Live on Nick (ass.), Coheed & Cambria, Cox Mobile, and New York Lotto. As a writer, Jon’s new play First Gen is in development, and his Short Film Unknown was selected for the NY Latino Film Festival.

09/14/2026

🎟Don't forget to get your tix!

🔗 https://newyorktheatrebarn.ticketspice.com/nytbcl917

📰 READ MORE https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/New-York-Theatre-Barns-Choreography-Lab-To-Feature-Three-Original-Musicals-20260815

The 13th season of New York Theatre Barn’s Choreography Lab continues, bringing three original musicals to life through the power of movement: Freedom…

09/14/2026

🔆Show Spotlight: THE MONKEY KING: A KUNG FU MUSICAL
Experience it THIS WEEK at Choreography Lab
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Written by Kimbirdlee Fadner (left) and Jonathan Fadner (right), THE MONKEY KING boldly reimagines the legendary Monkey King from Wu Cheng’en’s beloved 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West as a woman, combining classical and rock music with exhilarating kung fu choreography as she battles to save her tribe and achieve immortality. Experience it with choreography by Mandarin Wu this week at Choreography Lab!

09/12/2026

👋Meet this Week's Choreolab Moderator: Two-time recipient of the Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Choreography RACHEL LEIGH DOLAN!

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Rachel Leigh Dolan is an award-winning choreographer, director, and educator with more than 20 years of experience training dancers for professional careers in commercial theater. A lifelong educator and creative leader, Rachel has choreographed more than 25 professional productions spanning regional theater, Off-Broadway, television, and film. Most recently, she was featured as a choreographer on New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen for CNN and CNN International. Rachel is a two-time recipient of the Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Choreography, with eight total nominations. Throughout her career, she has collaborated on a wide range of projects alongside some of the industry’s most sought-after choreographers across Broadway, television, and film. She currently serves on faculty at Steps on Broadway and Pace University Sands College of Performing Arts.

09/12/2026

THIS WEEK! The Choreography Lab returns featuring choreography by Jon Rua, Alex Mitchell, and Mandarin Wu!

🎟 https://newyorktheatrebarn.ticketspice.com/nytbcl917

Featuring 3 New Culture-Shifting Musicals in Incubation

Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical, written by Richard Allen and Taran Gray, follows a group of college-age activists who boarded interstate buses in 1961 to challenge segregation in the American South, risking their lives in a courageous fight against Jim Crow.

The Ladies Man, written by Justin Mortelliti and Shannon Hunt, with direction by Matti DiCarlo (Jawbreaker, Moulin Rouge!), is a new q***r pop musical about coming out at the turn of the millennium, caught between the freedom to embrace who you are and the weight of strict Roman Catholicism.

The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical, written by Kimbirdlee Fadner and Jonathan Fadner, boldly reimagines the legendary Monkey King from Wu Cheng’en’s beloved 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West as a woman, combining classical and rock music with exhilarating kung fu choreography as she battles to save her tribe and achieve immortality.

09/09/2026

💃Our premiere incubation program returns September 17, with two-time Helen Hayes award-winning choreographer Rachel Leigh Dolan as moderator. Choreography for new musicals in incubation will be led by Jon Rua, Alex Mitchell, and Mandarin Wu.

🔗 Tickets on Sale Now! https://newyorktheatrebarn.ticketspice.com/nytbcl917

The lab features performances by Ben Bartels, Jojo Carmichael (MJ), Sofia Celio, Dean Cestari, Ron Coglitore, Tony Collins, Leah Joy Faircloth, Kimbirdlee Fadner, Marisa Fernandez, Tommy Gendrich, Michael George, Alice Jackson, Amanda Knowles, Anthony Obnial, Norah Perez, Larkin Reilly (The Rocky Horror Show, Just in Time), Cole Sisser, and Haoyi Wen.

The evening will feature short excerpts from the three musicals. Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical, by Richard Allen and Taran Gray, follows college-age activists who risked their lives riding interstate buses in 1961 to challenge segregation and Jim Crow in the American South. The Ladies Man, by Justin Mortelliti and Shannon Hunt, with direction by Matti DiCarlo (Jawbreaker, Moulin Rouge!), is a q***r pop musical about coming out at the turn of the millennium while navigating the tension between self-discovery and the weight of strict Roman Catholicism. The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical, by Kimbirdlee Fadner and Jonathan Fadner, boldly reimagines the legendary Monkey King from Wu Cheng’en’s beloved 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West as a woman.

09/01/2026

⭐️Part 2 is HERE!
🔗 in bio
Plus, see the show live! Use code NYTBFAN for 25% OFF.

Season 3, Episode 15 - Marlise! The Musical Part 2

In this episode we continue our conversation with Justino Tesoro, Jesse Ayala, and Katie Emerson about Marlise! The Musical.
It’s 1954, and Hollywood star Marlise Mattox has been framed for murder, live on television at the Oscars. The only person who believes she is innocent is Arnold Berman, an obsessive superfan and studio prop-room assistant. After bailing Marlise out of jail, Arnold pulls her into a madcap investigation through backlots, biblical epics, and film-noir shadows. Along the way: flipping Pharaohs, biblical tap numbers, buried Hollywood secrets, and a robot on skates.

Equal parts love letter to and loving spoof of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Marlise! follows one fallen movie star and her greatest fan as they attempt to solve a murder, and film her comeback at the same time.

This episode features a demo recording of the song “Moses! Moses!” performed by Justino Tesoro.

08/25/2026

🧡New episode featuring a discount code to MARLISE! and of course a conversation with its creators 🧡

🏷️Use code NYTBFAN for 25% OFF!

🔗in bio

Season 3, Episode 14 - Justino Tesoro, Jesse Ayala, and Katie Emerson: Marlise! The Musical

This episode features a conversation with Justino Tesoro and Jesse Ayala about their new show, Marlise! The Musical! We also had a very special guest: Katie Emerson who plays Marlise herself.

It’s 1954, and Hollywood star Marlise Mattox has been framed for murder, live on television at the Oscars. The only person who believes she is innocent is Arnold Berman, an obsessive superfan and studio prop-room assistant. After bailing Marlise out of jail, Arnold pulls her into a madcap investigation through backlots, biblical epics, and film-noir shadows. Along the way: flipping Pharaohs, biblical tap numbers, buried Hollywood secrets, and a robot on skates.

Equal parts love letter to and loving spoof of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Marlise! follows one fallen movie star and her greatest fan as they attempt to solve a murder, and film her comeback at the same time.

This episode features demo recordings of the songs “The Greatest Movie” performed by Justino Tesoro, Brandon Scott Grayson, and Isa Peña, as well as “Marlise’s Lament” performed by Justino Tesoro.

08/17/2026

Tickets are now on sale for Choreography Lab, returning September 17 at 7PM ET. The evening will feature short excerpts from each of the three new musicals.

GET TIX | https://newyorktheatrebarn.ticketspice.com/nytbcl917

Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Musical, written by Richard Allen and Taran Gray, follows a group of college-age activists who boarded interstate buses in 1961 to challenge segregation in the American South, risking their lives in a courageous fight against Jim Crow.

The Ladies Man, written by Justin Mortelliti and Shannon Hunt, is a new q***r pop musical about coming out at the turn of the millennium, caught between the freedom to embrace who you are and the weight of strict Roman Catholicism.

The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical, written by Kimbirdlee Fadner and Jonathan Fadner, boldly reimagines the legendary Monkey King from Wu Cheng’en’s beloved 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West as a woman, combining classical and rock music with exhilarating kung fu choreography as she battles to save her tribe and achieve immortality.