Tuesday, April 7, 2015

BETSY! Vibrant Appalachian-Puerto Rican Musical Gets Off-Broadway Premiere starring Caridad De La Luz “La Bruja” and Elise Santora

Pregones + Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, in collaboration with Roadside Theater of Kentucky, announce the Off-Broadway premiere of the new inter-cultural musical play BETSY! in strictly limited engagement, April 9th through the 26th, at PRTT, 304 West 47th Street, Manhattan. Tickets on sale at www.pregonesprtt.org or by phone at 718-585-1202. Buy early for best prices!

SYNOPSIS: BETSY! tells the story of a Nuyorican singer and performer uncovering secrets of her maternal family’s history and twin Spanish-Caribbean/Scots-Irish roots. Her dilemma stirs up the ghosts of six generations of American women, and musical currents spanning four continents. Soulful and funny, BETSY! grapples with a surprising, many-layered narrative that links an orphaned teenager tricked into leaving Ireland in the 18th century, her seducer, and their descendants, all the way down to Betsy, our sassy protagonist, finding her bearings in the rhythmic pulse of 21st century New York

BETSY! is alive with the fire of Jazz, Bluegrass, and Latin music compositions delivered by three powerful vocalists —poet/performer Caridad De La Luz “La Bruja”, Broadway veteran Elise Santora, and big voiced Pat D. Robinson— plus a mighty five-piece Appalachian-Puerto Rican band on piano, fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, drums, and percussion. Directed by Dudley Cocke and Rosalba Rolón. Book by Dudley Cocke and Ron Short with Rosalba Rolón and Beegie Adair. Music by Ron Short, Beegie Adair, and Desmar Guevara. Book by Dudley Cocke and Ron Short with Rosalba Rolón and Beegie Adair.

The latest creation in 21 years of creative relay between Pregones and Roadside, BETSY! is also subject of Beyond Cliché, a multi-voiced journal series about American identity, published by Café Onda and HowlRound, and viewable for free via pregonesprtt.org/beyond-cliche/.  

An extraordinary evening of live theater and music for everyone! Performed in English and Spanish with dual-language supertitles. 90 minutes.

DATES:                April 9-26, 2015
                             Nights — Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8:00pm
                             Matinees–Wednesdays at 1:30pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00pm
                             Artist-Led Conversation on Sunday, April 12th

LOCATION:         Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, 304 West 47th Street, Manhattan

TICKETS:            $24 Advance, $40 Door — Group Discounts Available
                             Online at WWW.PREGONES.ORG
                             By phone at 718-585-1202


SAVINGS: $15 for groups of 10 or more; $12 Zip Tickets for residents of select zip codes in The Bronx, East Harlem, Washington Heights, and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen: 10451, 10452, 10454, 10455, 10474, 10029, 10031, 10032, 10033, 10034, 10035, 10040 — advance, in-person purchase with proof of residence, limit 4 per household; Members, Seniors, and Students call for special pricing; other restrictions apply.

PREGONES/PRTT
Now one and the same great company, Pregones Theater and Puerto Rican Traveling Theater champions a cultural legacy of universal relevance through creation and performance of original musical theater and plays rooted in Puerto Rican/Latino cultures, and presentation of other artists who share our twin commitment to the arts and civic enrichment. With a combined 200 theater premieres, 400 guest artists, and more than 500 travel credits to date, Pregones/PRTT’s artists are known for mining connections between theater and popular culture, creating plays of dynamic visual and rhythmic character, galvanizing multiple generations of art makers and art lovers, and securing a home for Latino performing arts in The Bronx and in Manhattan.
www.pregonesprtt.org

ROADSIDE THEATER
Based in the mountains of Kentucky and boasting deep roots in the local culture, Roadside Theater has created the single largest existing body of drama about Appalachia.  With 60 new plays to its credit, the ensemble has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe, performing in small towns and big cities alike since 1975.  Mastery of the Appalachian storytelling craft and musical traditions, involvement with audiences of diverse cultural background, and a distinct call for social justice distinguish Roadside's art and ensures its popularity.
www.roadside.org

For more information contact Priscilla Aguilar: 718-585-1202, paguilar@pregones.org

THANK YOUS:
Creative development for the Off-Broadway premiere of BETSY! was supported, in part, by an Exchange Grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters NET/TEN Program, and by a travel grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation/New York Theater Program, administered by New York Foundation for the Arts. 

This program also made possible, in part, by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the NYC Council. Southwest Airlines is the Official Airline of Pregones/PRTT.


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