Sunday, December 30, 2012

'THE PATH TO A PLAY!'- Free Event


Learn about “THE PATH TO A PLAY” at a Free Family February event on Wednesday Feb 20, 6-8pm at the Labelle Winery & Event Center. The audience will hear about the “Page to Stage” process and meet the creative team including; Creator/Playwright Maryann Cocca-Leffler, Co-Adapter/Director Toby Tarnow, Composer/Lyricist Andrew Cass, and NYC Musician/Composer Premik Russell Tubbs, as well as others involved in bringing Princess K.I.M. The Musical to the stage. The NH debut performance of Princess K.I.M. The Musical will at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts in Milford, NH on Oct 3-6, 2013. Open Auditions for this production will be held May 31 and June 1.

This Free Family Event includes; an entertaining presentation, book reading, and a debut performance of selected songs by our talented songwriter/composer Andrew Cass and composer Premik Russell Tubbs. There will also be a book signing as well as a raffle for play tickets and autographed books.  (Toadstool Bookshop will be on hand for the purchase of Maryann’s Princess KIM books, as well as her brand new book, A Vacation for Pooch, among others.)  A cash bar will be available including soft drinks and hot cocoa as well as sampling/purchase of "Totally Awesome Gourmet Popcorn" from NH's own Michelle's Sweet Shoppe.


Advance registration is required at the EVENTS link: www.labellewinerynh.com
REGISTRATION
Labelle Winery & Event Center is located at 345 Route 101, Amherst, NH, (603) 672-9898

Princess K.I.M. The Musical was the winner of the 2012 National New Play Festival at the Caryl Crane Youth Theater in Huron, Ohio. The play will open the 2013 New Play Festival with a full production in Ohio on April 25-26, 2013.

Register today! We can't wait to see you there!
Maryann, Toby, Andrew, Premik and the entire Production team!
Link to Story  on AMHERST PATCH

Monday, November 5, 2012

Final Play Reading

We held a very successful Play Reading on Nov 3. We were grateful to have had 13 talented actors who volunteered their time to help us in this creative process. The Play Reading enabled us to make final edits on the script and music before everything goes to the Caryl Crane Youth Theater in Ohio for our full production on April 25 & 26. (As last year's winner- Princess K.I.M. The Musical will be opening the 2013 Ronald M. Ruble New Play Festival at the Caryl Crane Youth Theater.)

Thanks to our talented actors; Lily Ayotte, Mitchell Jacobs, Lucy Stover, Abby Kirk, Helen St. Cyr, Ben Wesenburg, Jack Kane, Emily Marie Coffey,  Meghan McKnight, Ethan Reeves, Kevin Linkroum, Olivia Vordenburg & Ellen Cunis. We hope to see all of you at our open auditions on May 31-Jun1, 2013 for our New Hampshire Production to be held in October at the Amato Center for the performing Arts in Milford. 
(Also pictured above are Production Team members, Michelle Withers, Rita Piotrowski, Janine Leffler, Director Toby Tarnow, Composer Andrew Cass and Creator Maryann Cocca-Leffler)

Thank you all---- Here's some photos from our reading:
Rita Piotrowski's cousin surprised us with Princess KIM cookies!

YUM!



Toby, Michelle & Maryann taking notes.



Friday, October 5, 2012

Our NH Production Team


Opening Weekend for our New Hampshire production is one year from today! To many, a year is ages away- but not when you are producing a play. Opening Night, (Oct 3, 2013) will come quickly. We have a lot to do to make the New Hampshire production of  Princess K.I.M. The Musical SHINE!  Our planning meetings have already begun.

Our April show in Ohio will be produced by the Caryl Crane Youth Theater, so we will just show up and enjoy the play. The New Hampshire production is "home- grown", with talent harvested from our local theater community. I'm very proud to introduce the NH Production Team:

Director: Toby Tarnow
Co-Producers: Maryann Cocca-Leffler & Rita Piotrowski
Music Director: Sally Landis
Choreography: Bruce Williams
Costume Design: Michelle Withers
Sets: Maryann Cocca-Leffler, Steven Vordenburg & Mike McKnight
Sound Design: Robert "Mac" MacIlvaine
Lighting Design: Craig Brennan

Promotion: Janine Leffler & Peg Harris
Promotion Designer: Jill Weber
Media Designer: Kristin Leffler
Andrew & Toby finalizing the Finale!


Maryann, Steve & Mike in early Set discussions
Sketches of Set
Peg & Maryann planning promotion strategy.

Please continue to follow our progress...and help spread the word about Princess K.I.M. The Musical.
Thank you!
Maryann



Friday, August 24, 2012

Moving Right Along

It's time for some Princess K.I.M. updates:  We are preparing for an exciting year with two scheduled productions in 2013, (Ohio & NH). The Ohio production is set for April 25-26, 2013 at the Caryl Crane Children's Theater in Huron, Ohio. As winners of the 2012 New Play Festival, Princess K.I.M. The Musical will open the 2013 Festival.  Our play will be produced by a very talented team in Ohio. We will proudly attend!

This summer we have gathered a great team for our October 2013 production in New Hampshire. We are thrilled to have lined up a music director, choreographer, costume designer, light, sound and set designers as well as an assistant producer and promotion team. The talented Toby Tarnow will be directing and I will be producing (as well as wearing many other hats!) I will soon post bios of the team.

Premik & Andrew busy scoring.
Premik and Andrew have worked very hard all summer on our Vocal/Piano Book. They have also added a few new songs and are creating the Overture. I am in awe of their talent.

Finally, I'd like to announce our first song on Itunes.  Be Strong was written by Andrew Cass. The beautiful voice you hear is that of Olivia Vordenberg who sung the vocals for this recording. In the play, "Be Strong" is sung by the character "Elizabeth" or "Grandma". Grandma is singing these words to Kim when Kim realizes that she has gotten herself in quite a mess by pretending to be someone she is not...a princess.  I think the message was captured brilliantly by Andrew's lyrics. I hope you like it. If you wish- you can download it here:
 Be Strong On Itunes 
Thank you for checking in. Please continue to follow our progress. I can't wait to share my play with you. I hope that some of you can get involved! (We can never have too much help!)
All the best & more!
Maryann

PS-Auditions are in MAY. More on that later!                                                                                                                      

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Play Festival WINNER! Thanks & Future

Princess K.I.M. Stage Reading - New Play Festival
Hi All-
I want to publicly thank Mr. Ronald M. Ruble, Brian Marshall, the judges and the entire board of the Caryl Crane Children's Theater as well as director Pierre Brault and the cast for giving us the opportunity to have our play staged at your New Play Festival. We are thrilled to have been chosen as the winner and we look forward to the full production in 2013 in Huron, OH!

The purpose of a New Play stage reading is to help launch a new play into the world. This stage reading at the Caryl Crane Theater was a valuable first step for us, and this experience will help us fine tune the play and its music, and discover what needs to tweaked and enhanced. Thank you for providing the venue to help us share our play with a live audience. I observed the audience...they laughed at all the right places, applauded loudly and seemed to be enthralled throughout, but the faces of the children convinced me that we have something special to offer the children's theater world. Thank you! It is only the beginning for Princess K.I.M. We look forward to sharing our play with the world!

I also want to thank the many theater volunteers, parents and support staff who helped behind the scenes. A special thanks to several families (who I recently met at my school visits in Michigan) who bravely made the trip to see my play!

I have posted a photo album of the Festival on the Princess K.I.M. Facebook page. Please view the pictures there. (Our facebook link is to the left.)
Here is the OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

With Grateful Hearts-
Maryann, and the Princess K.I.M. Team;
Toby, Andrew & Premik
Director Pierre Brault, Maryann Cocca-Leffler and Artistic Director Brian Marshall
READ MORE: Amherst Patch Online Articles

Monday, April 30, 2012

WE WON!!!
Princess K.I.M. The Musical was named winner of the New Play Festival at the Caryl Crane Children's Theater in Huron, Ohio!  Thank you to Brian Marshall, the Artistic Director and Pierre Brault, the Directer of our play...and of course the cast! These kids did an amazing job at the stage reading, considering that they only had 4 weeks to prepare! I was especially impressed by the actors that played Kim, Grandma and Dad. I could not be more proud. (Of course, I cried as I saw my play being performed for the first time EVER!) My team and I will return for a full production in the future...date to be determined. I'll post pictures as soon as I am home....still at the airport...I'm making my way home and FLYING HIGH! Thanks to ALL who have supported our play!
XO Maryann and the Princess KIM team

Friday, April 27, 2012

Off to the NEW PLAY FESTIVAL

I spent the week in Michigan with thousands of students who now are big FANS of Princess Kim and they can't wait for Princess K.I.M. the Musical to come to a theater near them! I was able to treat them to a few songs from the play as I shared my books and drew pictures of Princess Kim. After a week of school visits I'm off to Ohio for the Caryl Crane Children's Theater New Play Festival in Huron at Bowling Green University Firelands campus! ( I actually have some supportive families I met in Michigan who are attending! It's free to the public!) I can't wait to see my play performed on Sunday April 29 at 2pm! I am hopeful and I'll be posting the results as soon as I know. BUT whatever happens...I know we have something wonderful to offer the children's theater community! Fingers crossed!!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

THANK YOU Play Supporters!

Because of the generosity of our supporters we have reached our Kickstarter goal! This money will go directly to expenses related to scoring the music and paying for studio time and musicians to make a performance CD, as well as other production expenses.  

As you may know, the New Play Festival in Ohio is in a few weeks. Princess K.I.M. is one of 5 plays in the finals. Whatever happens- we are extremely honored that our play will be performed in a stage reading with music! A win will mean a full production...but whatever happens in Ohio, know that we are working hard to enable this play to be seen by families all over the country. Stay tuned. We look forward to seeing you at a production soon.

Much Thanks- Maryann and the Princess K.I.M. Team

Monday, April 9, 2012

ALMOST THERE!

Our warmest thanks to those who have supported 'Princess K.I.M. The Musical'. You have brought us very close to our goal. We are in the final days of our Kickstarter campaign... For those who are still interested in supporting our play efforts and help us get over the line, there's still time. Our deadline is April 15 to meet out goal of 10,000 ( less than 1,100 to go as of April 9).  Even if you can't give a donation- please send good vibes our way!  The New Play Festival in a few weeks. 
We look forward to seeing you a production soon!  
With Grateful Hearts XO The Princess KIM Team.



Friday, March 23, 2012

WE DID IT! WE ARE IN THE FINALS!

Exciting news:

PRINCESS K.I.M. THE MUSICAL, has made the FINALS!  We are one of the top 5 plays in the 2012 Ronald M. Ruble New Play Festival at the Caryl Crane Children's Theater in Ohio! Our play will be performed at the Festival in on April 28 & 29. At the Festival, one play is chosen for a FULL production in 2013...whatever happens, we see big things 
ahead! Check out the Caryl Crane Children's 
Theater site:
If you are interested in supporting our play,  
our Kickstarter project is still open. We could use your help:

Wish us Luck!
Sincerely-
Maryann and Princess K.I.M. Team



Thursday, March 22, 2012

"BE STRONG"-the SONG- Our first Single

"BE STRONG" is our new single! Listen to a bit of it here:


BE STRONG was written by Andrew Cass, produced by Premik Russell Tubbs and sung by Olivia Vordenberg. Be the first to have a download of the entire song and help Princess K.I.M. the Musical!
Visit our Kickstarter page and for a small pledge the song can be yours to add to your itunes library.
Thanks for supporting us!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

EXCITING NEWS! WE ARE A SEMI-FINALIST IN A NEW PLAY FESTIVAL!

Our play was just chosen as a semi-finalist for the 2012 Ronald M. Ruble New Play Festival at the Carol Crane Children's Theater at Bowling Green State University in Huron, Ohio! Princess K.I.M. The Musical is in the top 15 plays out of 178 plays submitted. We are thrilled! Now, we need your support more than ever! 
VISIT Our Kickstarter Project:




Thursday, March 1, 2012

HELP KICKSTART Princess K.I.M.!

We are very happy to announce that KICKSTARTER.com, a funding site for creative projects, has recently accepted our 'Princess K.I.M. The Musical' project! Now we are one step closer  to acquiring funding that will allow us to bring our play to production. 


Click to> Visit our Kickstarter Page.  
While there, watch a fun video which will explain more about our funding goals and REWARDS!  (Yes! If you decide to help us you will be rewarded for your support!...song downloads, autographed books, t-shirts ...artwork and more!)

Lastly, we are asking your help in spreading the word about our project.  Please forward our Kickstarter link to anyone you know that may be interested in supporting this project.  Perhaps you could write about it in your blog, Tweet it or SHARE it on Facebook. 

Thank you so much for supporting Princess K.I.M. The Musical. We can't do it without you!  Looking forward to seeing you at a production soon.


Forever grateful,
Maryann, Toby, Andrew, Premik, Janine & Kristin

Monday, February 13, 2012

Social Media & Princess KIM

Hello Blog Followers-
Happy 2012! My name is Janine Leffler. I am going to be heading up publicity and social media for Princess KIM The Musical and help get the word out about, what will be, a fabulous production! :)
The Twitter page is up. Please follow us! Our handle is @PrincessKimPlay. Simply click and join the conversation on the twitter reel to the left.
A Facebook Fan Page is up! Be sure to "LIKE" & "SHARE" us to stay up-to-date and help us spread the word. To find the page, click the Facebook Logo on left or type "Princess K.I.M.The Musical"  in the search queue at the top of your facebook main page.
UPCOMING ...
KICKSTARTER APPROVED. Our project was approved by Kickstarter.com a funding site for creative projects. Please look for links soon.
OUR FIRST SINGLE. I am super excited that our first single will be released the Spring! It will be available on Itunes!! PLEASE DOWNLOAD IT and spread the word about it to your friends. (More on that later!)
Do you work for a theatre company and want to get on our mailing list? If so, please contact me and I will add you to our database.
Are you interested in getting more information about Princess K.I.M. The Musical? If so, please contact me with your contact information and we will add you to our general information mailing list.

Looking forward to connecting with you.
~Janine
janread@aol.com

Friday, January 27, 2012

A Big Day.


The script, music and lyrics are complete!
Today is a big day- we are sending our "Baby" out in the world...to an Artistic Director of a Professional Theater for consideration as well as submitting our play to a New Play Festival in Ohio.

This year has flown by and we now have an amazing play, Princess Kim the Musical along with 18 original songs! We have attracted a fabulous international composer/arranger, Premik Russell Tubbs, who is writing the score and composing instrumentals; we have interest from a local professional theater to consider it for production in 2013 as well as interest from an International Rights Organization to license the play!

In 2010, when Maryann asked if I would be interested in working with her to adapt her two published children’s books, Princess Kim and the Lie that Grew & Princess Kim and Too Much Truth, I immediately said “yes”!

I met Maryann at the Boys & Girls Club in Milford, NH where her daughter Janine was an apprentice in my first Creative Drama Theater Camp in 2006. We instantly realized we have an amazing creative rapport and when I introduced Andrew Cass as composer to our creative team we were off and running!  With Maryann’s driving focus we have created, not just one musical, but two! When she was advised that a short Junior Version would be beneficial to the licensing process, we created one! 

Every time we meet it is a love-in of creative energy.  There is respect, expertise and trust on all levels and the play we have created illustrates and contains that same energy! 

We are looking forward to sharing it with you!

Toby Tarnow