On Monday, October 23 and Tuesday, October 24 at 3PM at New 42nd Street Studios in New York, NY, the New Works Program presents, by special arrangement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, an invite-only Actors' EquityAssociation staged reading of Mr. Holland's Opus - A New Musical, with music by Wayne Barker and book and lyrics by BD Wong, based on the screenplay by Patrick Sheane Duncan.
Mr. Holland's Opus tells the story of an aspiring young composer working as a music teacher in a public high school in the 1960s to make ends meet. As the years go by, he grows further from his dreams and experiences decades of disappointment, regret, and difficulties both in the dwindling of support for arts education, and within his own family, as he raises his hard of hearing son Cole with his wife, Iris.
The reading will be directed by BD Wong.
Book and Lyrics By BD Wong
Composer Wayne Barker
Cast
Glenn Holland: Deven Kolluri
Irs Holland: Anastasia Barzee
Helen J Jacobs: Cindy Cheung
Gene Wolters: Tom Allan Robbins
Bill Meister/Radio DJ: Chris Orbach
Besty Bryant/Stadler’s Mom/Shirley: Sasha Weiss
Brent Shaughnessey/Jim Stahlen/”Stage Manager”: Peter Saide
Lamont Ryan: Kennedy Kanagawa
Gertrude Liang: Diana Huey
Louis Rus, JR.: Damon J Gillespie
Debbie/Nervous Messenger/Kendra: Trista Dollison
Bobby Tidd: Futaba Shioda
Stadler: Michael Lee Brown
Louis rus, Sr./Babatunde/Bus Driver: Alan H. Green
Rowena Moraga: Krystina Alabado
Cole (13-14): Joshua Castille
Cole (20-40) Russel Harvard
Natalie Anderson/ASL Interpreter: Maria Micioni