Oedipus! a new musical comedy

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Sunday, December 21 at 9pm
54 Below, New York City

Join us at 54 Below for a joyful evening featuring the songs of Oedipus! A New Musical Comedy! This 1996 Jim Henson Award winner for Projects Related to Puppetry and 1997 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Artistic Achievement Award (Playscript) musical takes the classic Greek tragedy out of the Mediterranean and into the backwoods of West Virginia. Experience tunes like “The Need a Man Blues,” “Safety Orange,” “Moonpies & RC Cola,” and “The Fertility Song” as Oedipus (Eddie) and Jocasta (Jo) navigate incestuous relationships, constipated jackasses, and psychic oracles.

Kicking the classic tragedy’s grim ending to the curb, this musical offers Eddie and Jo a delightfully unexpected conclusion. Oedipus! stars Janine LaManna (The Drowsy Chaperone, Sweet Charity, Seussical) and Jeff Gorti (Chicago, The Life at New York City Center Encores!), featuring Adam B Shapiro (Fiddler on the Roof at the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene), Billy Sharpe (The Scarlet Pimpernel national tour), Zuri Washington (national tours of 1776 and Bat out of Hell), and members of the original cast (Pam Schmier Hacker and Jennifer Norkin Schwartz), with musical direction by Michael Lavine. This concert showcases the work of Bob Johnson and Anne Fliotsos (book & lyrics) and Edwin Wald and Cynthia Jay (music). Directed by Anne Fliotsos.

Janine Lamanna

Janine LaManna’s Broadway credits include THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Janet Van De Graff), SWEET CHARITY (Nickie), THE LOOK OF LOVE, KISS ME KATE (Lois Lane), SEUSSICAL (Gertrude McFuzz—earning Drama Desk and Grammy Nominations), RAGTIME (Evelyn Nesbit) and SWING!. Her First National Tours include CHICAGO (Velma Kelly) and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Stand-by for Chita Rivera). She has appeared on TV and Film as Carmen Sandiego on the PBS series WHERE IN TIME IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?, TWO WEEKS NOTICE, and DEVIOUS MAIDS. Her Off-Broadway credits include WOMAN OF THE YEAR, LUCKY STIFF, ENTER LAUGHING, HIGH SPIRITS, and THEDA BARA AND THE FRONTIER RABBI. Regionally, she has performed in REGENCY GIRLS (The Old Globe), THE PROM (BW Nominee) NOISES OFF, SWEET POTATO QUEENS (BW Award Winner for Lead Actress in a Musical), I HATE HAMLET, EVITA, and AIDA (IRNE Nominee). Concert and recordings include CANDIDE with the New York Philharmonic, Carolina Philharmonic, Army Ground Forces Band, West Point Band, SWEET CHARITY, SEUSSICAL, ENTER LAUGHING, and KRIS KRINGLE The Musical.

Jeff gorti

Jeff Gorti: Broadway/NY: CHICAGO (Understudy Billy Flynn), Billy Porter’s production of THE LIFE (New York City Center Encores!). Helen Hayes Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor in A CHORUS LINE at Signature Theatre. Select regional roles include OUR LADY OF 121ST (Edwin), 21 (Roberto Clemente), FOOTLOOSE (Chuck Cranston), EVITA , THE WIZ (Gatekeeper), DAMN YANKEES, THE WIZARD OF OZ, and R&H’s CINDERELLA. He is the author of the children’s book THE BLACK HOLE AND THE THREE LITTLE PLANETS (2025, illus. Mike Ryan).

Adam B. Shapiro

Adam B. Shapiro’s Off Broadway credits include Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, The Mikado-Reimagined, The Golden Bride, Bastard Jones, Death of a Salesman, and Gimpel the Fool. His favorite regional credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Tevye), The Producers (Max Bialystock), Ragtime (Tateh), The Prom (Barry), Titanic, and She Loves Me. His TV/FILM appearances include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, 30 Rock, Master of None, FBI: Most Wanted, Adam Sandler’s The Cobbler, and the role of Bella in HBO’s Emmy-winning film, The Normal Heart. Adam is also an award-winning cabaret performer, and his debut EP Let Love In is available on all digital music platforms.

Billy Sharpe

Billy Sharpe’s Off Broadway credits include FIVE COURSE LOVE (Male Understudy), SPACE TREK: A MUSICAL PARODY (Sloshy), and TAKE IT EASY. His National Tour credits include THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (Armand St. Just) and 42nd STREET. Internationally, he appeared in ON THE TOWN (Europe) and ANNIE (Korea). Regional Theatre credits include A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Bob Cratchit – 5 times), DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Lumiere), MARY POPPINS (Robertson Ay), THE MUSIC MAN (Oliver Hix), The 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Panch), I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE (Man 1 and Man 2), FOREVER PLAID (Sparky), BATBOY – THE MUSICAL (Rick, Lorraine, Pan), THE NERD (Rick Steadman), SYLVIA (Tom, Phyliss, Leslie), A TUNA CHRISTMAS (Thurston, Bertha et al), THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Riff Raff), BLOOD BROTHERS (Mickey), INTO THE WOODS (The Baker), THE BIG BANG (Boyd and 13 others), THE LITTLE MERMAID (Scuttle), and I LOVE MY WIFE (Alvin). He also directs RCCL’s productions of MAMMA MIA! and Saturday Night Fever.

ZURI WASHINGTON

Zuri Washington’s national tours include 1776 (Robert Livingston), BAT OUT OF HELL, MEMPHIS – THE MUSICAL (Felicia), and BRING IT ON (Danielle). As a voice-over artist, she stars in STAR TREK: KHAN (Madot) wherever you get your podcasts, and can be heard on Netflix as Aisha in the new reboot of WINX. Additional voice-over credits include POKÉMON: PALDEAN WINDS (Ryme), WARHAMMER 40K: ROGUE TRADER (Idira Tlass), and WONDER PETS: IN THE CITY!.

Pam Schmier hacker

Pam Hacker’s past credits include Suessical the Musical, the original Oedipus! A New Musical Comedy. She previously worked at Sesame Street and HBO behind the scenes in PR and Social Impact roles. She currently leads Social Impact at Kyndryl. Hacker is a passionate Board member for Opening Act, an organization that provides free theatre arts education to under-resourced NYC schools.

Jennifer Norkin Schwartz

Jennifer Norkin Schwartz has TV credits including UGLY BETTY(ABC), ZOEY 101 (NICKELODEON), STRONG MEDICINE (LIFETIME), ENTOURAGE (HBO), and ER (NBC). Her Los Angeles theatre credits include INTERNET DATING: THE MUSICAL, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, SAUCY JACK AND THE SPACE VIXENS, and several cabaret performances.

Michael Lavine
Music director

Michael Lavine is a Musical Director, Vocal Coach (specializing in Musical Theatre), Orchestra Conductor and Record Producer. Lavine attended Columbia University in New York City, New York, graduating in 1983, where he received a B.A.

The creative team

Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson (Book & Lyrics) has spent the majority of his career working in non-profit communications with areas of expertise that include theater, higher education, music, dance and religion. Some of his plays for young audiences (Attack of the Vampire Pigs, Snow White & the Magic Go-Go Boots, Mother Duck & the Golden Goose, The Little Mermaid and The Wicked Prince) are published by Drama Notebook. He also wrote the dialogue to an opera based on the O.J. Simpson trial with composer Anthony Newman. He was the associate producer of the Off-Broadway hit Cougar the Musical and his photographs have appeared in publications that include The New York Times , New York Post, Star magazine and Equestrian Living. He is currently on the board of Out of the Box Theatre Company.

Anne Fliotsos

Anne Fliotsos, Ph.D. (Book & Lyrics & Director) is Professor of Theatre Emerita, Purdue University. Her books include American Women Stage Directors of the 20th Century, International Women Stage Directors, Interpreting the Play Script: Contemplation and Analysis, and Teaching Theatre Today. She enjoys directing and creating theatre and is a national member of the League of Professional Theatre Women. Her website chronicling 20th century Broadway theatre can be found here.

Edwin Wald

Edwin Wald (Composer) is a composer, author, producer, director, actor, singer, designer, and dialect/acting coach based in Chicago, Illinois. He has worked on myriad theatrical productions over the last forty years. A proud member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, Mr. Wald is best known as a professional actor, but he enjoys every aspect of creating the magic of Theatre. Musicals he has composed include: Eight to the Bar (with Bob R. Patterson), and Rick Cousteau’s Café Big D (for Pegasus Theatre, Dallas, Texas).

Cynthia Jay

Cynthia Jay, DMA, (Composer) is a diverse performing artist and educator with dance, theatre and music backgrounds spanning over 55 years in the U.S. and internationally. A highly respected educator, she has been a teacher or professor for such institutions as Westminster Choir College, University of Maryland, and University of Texas-El Paso. Along with stage directing and choreography, she has extensive experience as a choral conductor, vocal coach, and accompanist, while providing nearly four decades of private instruction in her performance and wellness arts studio in voice, piano, acting, movement for the stage, and fitness.

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