This page contains information about recent and upcoming events.
CURRENT/UPCOMING EVENTS
Much Ado About Nothing
Andrea returns to Theatre for a New Audience with Michael Friedman, serving as Music Assistant for Much Ado About Nothing, which runs February 2-April 6 at The Duke on 42nd St. The production is directed by Arin Arbus and stars Maggie Siff and Jonathan Cake. Tickets are available at the link above.
Portraits
Andrea is music directing Prospect Theater Company’s 2013 Musical Theater Lab, titled Portraits. The production is directed by Dev Bondarin and features eight new 10-minute musicals by young or emerging writers, all based on or inspired by portraits. Portraits will run for six performances from February 22-March 2 at the West End Theatre at 263 W. 86th St.
Sunday in the Park with George
Andrea will be returning to Princeton University this spring, this time as a hired professional. She is music directing the Program in Theater’s production of Sunday in the Park with George from April 12-20 in the Berlind Theater. Check back soon for ticket information.
RECENT EVENTS
Keep the Home Fires Burning: A Very Manderley Holiday
“It’s the Broadway show that was, then wasn’t.” Andrea served as Co-Music Director for ”Keep the Home Fires Burning: A Very Manderley Holiday”, a one-night-only holiday concert with the cast of REBECCA to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Held at Broadway cabaret hotspot 54 Below, the concert featured a variety of new and humorous holiday songs, including “The Twelve Days After Christmas” (sung by Maree Johnson), “There Is No Mrs. Santa Claus” (sung by Kevin David Thomas), and “Showstopper” from the new musical Naughty/Nice (sung by Roger DeWitt).
Gypsy of the Year
Andrea performed with the cast of Rebecca at the 24th Annual Gypsy of the Year competition. She accompanied cast members from an onstage grand piano at the New Amsterdam Theatre, and for the second performance, she sang as well.
Misery
Andrea assisted Michael Friedman with music for the new stage adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery, penned by Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman. Misery ran November 24-December 8 at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA.
Pretty Filthy at Joe’s Pub
Andrea was thrilled to return to Pretty Filthy, a new show by The Civilians about the adult entertainment industry. She was Music Assistant for a one-week workshop which culminated in a one-night-only concert performance at Joe’s Pub on November 12, 2012.
Rebecca
Andrea was signed on to serve as Music Assistant for the Broadway premiere of Rebecca, the extravagant collapse of which made headlines in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and every major theatrical publication. Needless to say, it was an interesting way to jump back into life in the States.
Active Virgin
Andrea concluded her year in Scotland by music directing the premiere production of Active Virgin, a new musical by the award-winning Kielty Brothers (Wasted Love). Active Virgin‘s wild humor tackles such serious issues as body dysmorphia and obsessive gym culture. Andrea also served as arranger and orchestrator.
Directed by Susie Dumbreck and produced by One Academy Productions, Active Virgin ran August 1-27, 2012 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Reviews called Andrea a “flying-fingered synthesizer wizard” (The Scotsman) who “single-handedly aced the delightfully ambitious backing score” (FringeGuru).
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Andrea recently earned an M.A. with Highest Honors in Musical Theatre Musical Directing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. This one-year intensive program accepted only five students from around the world this year, and it culminates in a production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Andrea’s first public presentation with the Conservatoire was as Assistant Musical Director and Keyboards for Into the Woods in November. In December, she co-music directed Swingin’ Into Christmas, a concert featuring the Master’s performance students and jazz musicians. The concert featured two medleys Andrea arranged, orchestrated, and conducted herself. After music directing the first ever B.A. Musical Theatre showcase, Andrea worked with four Master’s performance students to create 25-minute cabaret sets. The year concluded with an Edinburgh Fringe run of Active Virgin, a new musical which Andrea music directed, arranged, and orchestrated. Andrea also played keyboard for The 27 Club, a rock tribute to the many revolutionary musicians who died at age 27.
The Taming of the Shrew
Andrea served as Music Assistant on Theatre for a New Audience’s production of The Taming of the Shrew, for which she vocal arranged two pieces under the direction of composer/arranger Michael Friedman. The Taming of the Shrew ran from March 19-April 21 at the Duke on 42nd Street. Read the glowing New York Times review here.
College Light Opera Company
Andrea spent the summer of 2011 in Falmouth, MA as Associate Conductor of the College Light Opera Company. She collaborated with another associate conductor, three music directors, two accompanists, an orchestra of 18, and a vocal company of 32 to stage ten full-scale productions in ten weeks. Andrea conducted matinee performances of The Pirates of Penzance, Sweeney Todd, The Vagabond King, Wonderful Town, and Oklahoma!
Strange Faces
Andrea’s senior thesis musical, Strange Faces, premiered April 1-2 and 7-9, 2011 in the Matthews Acting Studio. Andrea wrote, composed, and directed the musical, which sold out every performance and received rave reviews. Read a synopsis below:
Jamie’s a sweet, introverted boy who loves trains. Peter’s a precocious, talkative child with quirky obsessions like Harry Potter and map-making. And Laura, who’s preparing to begin college at music school, is distraught that her twin brother Harrison is going to a different college and seems to be pulling away. Jamie, Peter and Laura have Asperger’s syndrome. Strange Faces, a humorous and heartfelt musical, tells the stories of Jamie and his parents, Peter and his sister, and Laura and Harrison as they try to navigate the impact of Asperger’s and find their places in each other’s lives.
A Mozart Evening
Andrea made her operatic conducting debut on January 8, 2011 with A Mozart Evening, directed by Edward Berkeley and conducted by Andrea and Michael Pratt. The performance was the result of a semester-long opera scenes course through the Department of Music at Princeton and featured a 40-person contingent of the Princeton University Orchestra. Andrea conducted 40 minutes of material from The Magic Flute, including the Act I Finale. She also played harpsichord for significant portions of The Marriage of Figaro.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Andrea served as Music Assistant/Copyist for the Broadway transfer of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, directed by Alex Timbers and with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. The show ran September 20-January 2 at the Jacobs Theatre. Find out more about the show here.
Floyd Collins
Andrea served as Music Director for Floyd Collins for the Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Theater. Floyd, directed by Andrew Linz ’11, ran December 3-4 and 9-11, 2010 at the Matthews Acting Studio.
Our Town
Andrea assistant music directed the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of Our Town, directed by Nicholas Martin and starring Campbell Scott, Jessica Hecht, and Brie Larson. The show ran July 28-August 8, 2010.
Summer 2010
Andrea spent an exciting summer in New York City! She served as Music Assistant and Copyist for the workshop of The Civilians’ new musical about the pornography industry, Pretty Filthy, and for the second workshop of Michael Friedman and Itamar Moses’s musical adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s acclaimed novel, The Fortress of Solitude. Andrea was Assistant Music Director for the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of Our Town, directed by Nicholas Martin and starring Campbell Scott, Jessica Hecht, and Brie Larson. Andrea also spent the summer preparing for the theatrical projects of the upcoming academic year and seeing over a dozen shows, both on and off Broadway.
The Great Immensity
Andrea music directed the premiere workshop of The Great Immensity, a new musical by The Civilians, at the Berlind Theatre on Saturday, April 17. The Great Immensity, by Steve Cosson and Michael Friedman, was presented through Princeton’s Atelier Program and the Princeton Environmental Institute.
Take Flight
Andrea served as Music Department Apprentice/Copyist on the McCarter Theatre’s production of Take Flight, a new musical by Tony Award-winners John Weidman and Richard Maltby, Jr. and Academy Award-winner David Shire, directed by Sam Buntrock. Take Flight ran from April 30 to June 6; more information is available at www.mccarter.org.
Store Trek
The Princeton Triangle Club’s fall production of Store Trek, for which Andrea received the Milton Lyon Award for Outstanding Writing, completed its fall run in the McCarter Theatre to sold-out houses. The Store Trek company toured the northeast in January 2010 and returned to the McCarter Theatre in May 2010 for two final performances.
ALiCE
Andrea’s stage managed ALiCE, a senior thesis production adapted by and starring Veronica Siverd ’10. The production was directed by Tim Vasen. ALiCE ran from March 5-6 and 10-12 in the Berlind Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, to much acclaim.
My Fair Lady
Andrea made her first onstage appearance in a Princeton musical – as a pianist! She played Piano 1 in the two-piano version of My Fair Lady, a production by the Princeton Department of Theatre featuring Laura Hankin ’10 as Eliza. My Fair Lady ran November 13-14 and 19-21 in the Berlind Theatre at the McCarter Theatre Center and sold out the entire run!
Songs for a New World
Andrea again opened the Princeton University Players’ 2009-2010 season by co-directing and music directing Songs for a New World. The show, co-directed by Claire-Marine Sarner, ran in the Matthews Acting Studio at 185 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ, from October 1-3. The cast included Billy Hepfinger, Adam Hyndman, Miyuki Miyagi, and Meredith Wren, and the audience included original cast member Brooks Ashmanskas!
New London Barn Playhouse
Andrea served as Associate Music Director at the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, NH from June-September 2009. She music directed two mainstages (Anything Goes and Suds) and assistant music directed four (She Loves Me, South Pacific, The Producers, and and The Fantasticks). She was also Music Director for the Barn’s Junior Intern Company, which produced four additional productions of its own, including Disney’s High School Musical. Andrea played lead keyboards for every show she music directed and synthesizer for her assistant music direction credits. More information on the New London Barn Playhouse is available at www.nlbarn.org.
PRISM Saxophone Quartet Commission
In August 2007, Andrea was awarded a commission by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet. The award is presented to one student in the Walden School Young Musicians Program each summer, and the recipient’s work is performed the following year. Andrea’s piece, “The Frog Prince,” was performed on May 16, 2009 in New York, NY and on May 17, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA, in a concert featuring performances from PRISM and by the elite choral group, Cantori New York. “The Frog Prince” was very well received in both cities! To listen to “The Frog Prince,” visit the Music and Media page.
Assassins
Andrea music directed, conducted, and played synthesizer for the Princeton University Players’ winter production of Assassins, directed by Brandon Lowden ’09. A cast of sixteen and a pit orchestra of seven filled the Class of 1970 Theater in Whitman College for a two-weekend, seven-performance run from February 26-March 7, 2009. Andrea conducted her own re-orchestration of the score.
tick, tick…BOOM!
Andrea directed tick, tick…BOOM! a musical by Jonathan Larson, creator of Rent, at Princeton. Her cast included Jonathan Schwartz, Billy Hepfinger, and Liz Dengel. “tick” ran October 2-4 with four successful performances and standing ovations!
“Echo” Premiere
In 2006, Andrea was commissioned to write a work for the Kingswood-Oxford Octopipers, under the direction of Marcos Carreras Castro, in honor of the group’s fiftieth anniversary. “Echo,” based on the poem by Christina Rossetti, was premiered at Kingswood-Oxford’s Choralfest on May 2, 2008, at 7 pm in Robertson Auditorium. Congratulations to the Octopipers as they performed their first work by an Octopiper alumna! The recording is available on our Music and Media page.
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"Wheels"
From the Live Original Cast Recording of Strange Faces (April 2011)
Events
This page contains information about recent and upcoming events.
CURRENT/UPCOMING EVENTS
Much Ado About Nothing
Andrea returns to Theatre for a New Audience with Michael Friedman, serving as Music Assistant for Much Ado About Nothing, which runs February 2-April 6 at The Duke on 42nd St. The production is directed by Arin Arbus and stars Maggie Siff and Jonathan Cake. Tickets are available at the link above.
Portraits
Andrea is music directing Prospect Theater Company’s 2013 Musical Theater Lab, titled Portraits. The production is directed by Dev Bondarin and features eight new 10-minute musicals by young or emerging writers, all based on or inspired by portraits. Portraits will run for six performances from February 22-March 2 at the West End Theatre at 263 W. 86th St.
Sunday in the Park with George
Andrea will be returning to Princeton University this spring, this time as a hired professional. She is music directing the Program in Theater’s production of Sunday in the Park with George from April 12-20 in the Berlind Theater. Check back soon for ticket information.
RECENT EVENTS
Keep the Home Fires Burning: A Very Manderley Holiday
“It’s the Broadway show that was, then wasn’t.” Andrea served as Co-Music Director for ”Keep the Home Fires Burning: A Very Manderley Holiday”, a one-night-only holiday concert with the cast of REBECCA to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Held at Broadway cabaret hotspot 54 Below, the concert featured a variety of new and humorous holiday songs, including “The Twelve Days After Christmas” (sung by Maree Johnson), “There Is No Mrs. Santa Claus” (sung by Kevin David Thomas), and “Showstopper” from the new musical Naughty/Nice (sung by Roger DeWitt).
Gypsy of the Year
Andrea performed with the cast of Rebecca at the 24th Annual Gypsy of the Year competition. She accompanied cast members from an onstage grand piano at the New Amsterdam Theatre, and for the second performance, she sang as well.
Misery
Andrea assisted Michael Friedman with music for the new stage adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery, penned by Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman. Misery ran November 24-December 8 at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA.
Pretty Filthy at Joe’s Pub
Andrea was thrilled to return to Pretty Filthy, a new show by The Civilians about the adult entertainment industry. She was Music Assistant for a one-week workshop which culminated in a one-night-only concert performance at Joe’s Pub on November 12, 2012.
Rebecca
Andrea was signed on to serve as Music Assistant for the Broadway premiere of Rebecca, the extravagant collapse of which made headlines in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and every major theatrical publication. Needless to say, it was an interesting way to jump back into life in the States.
Active Virgin
Andrea concluded her year in Scotland by music directing the premiere production of Active Virgin, a new musical by the award-winning Kielty Brothers (Wasted Love). Active Virgin‘s wild humor tackles such serious issues as body dysmorphia and obsessive gym culture. Andrea also served as arranger and orchestrator.
Directed by Susie Dumbreck and produced by One Academy Productions, Active Virgin ran August 1-27, 2012 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Reviews called Andrea a “flying-fingered synthesizer wizard” (The Scotsman) who “single-handedly aced the delightfully ambitious backing score” (FringeGuru).
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Andrea recently earned an M.A. with Highest Honors in Musical Theatre Musical Directing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. This one-year intensive program accepted only five students from around the world this year, and it culminates in a production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Andrea’s first public presentation with the Conservatoire was as Assistant Musical Director and Keyboards for Into the Woods in November. In December, she co-music directed Swingin’ Into Christmas, a concert featuring the Master’s performance students and jazz musicians. The concert featured two medleys Andrea arranged, orchestrated, and conducted herself. After music directing the first ever B.A. Musical Theatre showcase, Andrea worked with four Master’s performance students to create 25-minute cabaret sets. The year concluded with an Edinburgh Fringe run of Active Virgin, a new musical which Andrea music directed, arranged, and orchestrated. Andrea also played keyboard for The 27 Club, a rock tribute to the many revolutionary musicians who died at age 27.
Andrea is blogging her year in Glasgow at andreagrody.wordpress.com.
The Taming of the Shrew
Andrea served as Music Assistant on Theatre for a New Audience’s production of The Taming of the Shrew, for which she vocal arranged two pieces under the direction of composer/arranger Michael Friedman. The Taming of the Shrew ran from March 19-April 21 at the Duke on 42nd Street. Read the glowing New York Times review here.
College Light Opera Company
Andrea spent the summer of 2011 in Falmouth, MA as Associate Conductor of the College Light Opera Company. She collaborated with another associate conductor, three music directors, two accompanists, an orchestra of 18, and a vocal company of 32 to stage ten full-scale productions in ten weeks. Andrea conducted matinee performances of The Pirates of Penzance, Sweeney Todd, The Vagabond King, Wonderful Town, and Oklahoma!
Strange Faces
Andrea’s senior thesis musical, Strange Faces, premiered April 1-2 and 7-9, 2011 in the Matthews Acting Studio. Andrea wrote, composed, and directed the musical, which sold out every performance and received rave reviews. Read a synopsis below:
Jamie’s a sweet, introverted boy who loves trains. Peter’s a precocious, talkative child with quirky obsessions like Harry Potter and map-making. And Laura, who’s preparing to begin college at music school, is distraught that her twin brother Harrison is going to a different college and seems to be pulling away. Jamie, Peter and Laura have Asperger’s syndrome. Strange Faces, a humorous and heartfelt musical, tells the stories of Jamie and his parents, Peter and his sister, and Laura and Harrison as they try to navigate the impact of Asperger’s and find their places in each other’s lives.
For more information visit strangefacesmusical.wordpress.com.
A Mozart Evening
Andrea made her operatic conducting debut on January 8, 2011 with A Mozart Evening, directed by Edward Berkeley and conducted by Andrea and Michael Pratt. The performance was the result of a semester-long opera scenes course through the Department of Music at Princeton and featured a 40-person contingent of the Princeton University Orchestra. Andrea conducted 40 minutes of material from The Magic Flute, including the Act I Finale. She also played harpsichord for significant portions of The Marriage of Figaro.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Andrea served as Music Assistant/Copyist for the Broadway transfer of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, directed by Alex Timbers and with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. The show ran September 20-January 2 at the Jacobs Theatre. Find out more about the show here.
Floyd Collins
Andrea served as Music Director for Floyd Collins for the Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Theater. Floyd, directed by Andrew Linz ’11, ran December 3-4 and 9-11, 2010 at the Matthews Acting Studio.
Our Town
Andrea assistant music directed the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of Our Town, directed by Nicholas Martin and starring Campbell Scott, Jessica Hecht, and Brie Larson. The show ran July 28-August 8, 2010.
Summer 2010
Andrea spent an exciting summer in New York City! She served as Music Assistant and Copyist for the workshop of The Civilians’ new musical about the pornography industry, Pretty Filthy, and for the second workshop of Michael Friedman and Itamar Moses’s musical adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s acclaimed novel, The Fortress of Solitude. Andrea was Assistant Music Director for the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of Our Town, directed by Nicholas Martin and starring Campbell Scott, Jessica Hecht, and Brie Larson. Andrea also spent the summer preparing for the theatrical projects of the upcoming academic year and seeing over a dozen shows, both on and off Broadway.
The Great Immensity
Andrea music directed the premiere workshop of The Great Immensity, a new musical by The Civilians, at the Berlind Theatre on Saturday, April 17. The Great Immensity, by Steve Cosson and Michael Friedman, was presented through Princeton’s Atelier Program and the Princeton Environmental Institute.
Take Flight
Andrea served as Music Department Apprentice/Copyist on the McCarter Theatre’s production of Take Flight, a new musical by Tony Award-winners John Weidman and Richard Maltby, Jr. and Academy Award-winner David Shire, directed by Sam Buntrock. Take Flight ran from April 30 to June 6; more information is available at www.mccarter.org.
Store Trek
The Princeton Triangle Club’s fall production of Store Trek, for which Andrea received the Milton Lyon Award for Outstanding Writing, completed its fall run in the McCarter Theatre to sold-out houses. The Store Trek company toured the northeast in January 2010 and returned to the McCarter Theatre in May 2010 for two final performances.
ALiCE
Andrea’s stage managed ALiCE, a senior thesis production adapted by and starring Veronica Siverd ’10. The production was directed by Tim Vasen. ALiCE ran from March 5-6 and 10-12 in the Berlind Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, to much acclaim.
My Fair Lady
Andrea made her first onstage appearance in a Princeton musical – as a pianist! She played Piano 1 in the two-piano version of My Fair Lady, a production by the Princeton Department of Theatre featuring Laura Hankin ’10 as Eliza. My Fair Lady ran November 13-14 and 19-21 in the Berlind Theatre at the McCarter Theatre Center and sold out the entire run!
Songs for a New World
Andrea again opened the Princeton University Players’ 2009-2010 season by co-directing and music directing Songs for a New World. The show, co-directed by Claire-Marine Sarner, ran in the Matthews Acting Studio at 185 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ, from October 1-3. The cast included Billy Hepfinger, Adam Hyndman, Miyuki Miyagi, and Meredith Wren, and the audience included original cast member Brooks Ashmanskas!
New London Barn Playhouse
Andrea served as Associate Music Director at the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, NH from June-September 2009. She music directed two mainstages (Anything Goes and Suds) and assistant music directed four (She Loves Me, South Pacific, The Producers, and and The Fantasticks). She was also Music Director for the Barn’s Junior Intern Company, which produced four additional productions of its own, including Disney’s High School Musical. Andrea played lead keyboards for every show she music directed and synthesizer for her assistant music direction credits. More information on the New London Barn Playhouse is available at www.nlbarn.org.
PRISM Saxophone Quartet Commission
In August 2007, Andrea was awarded a commission by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet. The award is presented to one student in the Walden School Young Musicians Program each summer, and the recipient’s work is performed the following year. Andrea’s piece, “The Frog Prince,” was performed on May 16, 2009 in New York, NY and on May 17, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA, in a concert featuring performances from PRISM and by the elite choral group, Cantori New York. “The Frog Prince” was very well received in both cities! To listen to “The Frog Prince,” visit the Music and Media page.
Assassins
Andrea music directed, conducted, and played synthesizer for the Princeton University Players’ winter production of Assassins, directed by Brandon Lowden ’09. A cast of sixteen and a pit orchestra of seven filled the Class of 1970 Theater in Whitman College for a two-weekend, seven-performance run from February 26-March 7, 2009. Andrea conducted her own re-orchestration of the score.
tick, tick…BOOM!
Andrea directed tick, tick…BOOM! a musical by Jonathan Larson, creator of Rent, at Princeton. Her cast included Jonathan Schwartz, Billy Hepfinger, and Liz Dengel. “tick” ran October 2-4 with four successful performances and standing ovations!
“Echo” Premiere
In 2006, Andrea was commissioned to write a work for the Kingswood-Oxford Octopipers, under the direction of Marcos Carreras Castro, in honor of the group’s fiftieth anniversary. “Echo,” based on the poem by Christina Rossetti, was premiered at Kingswood-Oxford’s Choralfest on May 2, 2008, at 7 pm in Robertson Auditorium. Congratulations to the Octopipers as they performed their first work by an Octopiper alumna! The recording is available on our Music and Media page.