A heavily revised version of the 2003 Off-Broadway hit Zanna, Don't will make its premiere at Pennsylvania's Theatre Horizon June 29.
Entitled Zanna Don鈥檛 (the Reboot), the one-night-only concert reading (part of the company鈥檚 42nd and Main Concert Series) will begin at 7:30PM. Molly Braverman will direct Tim Acito and Alexander Dinelaris' musical.
One of the major changes in the show鈥攕et in a parallel universe high school where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is taboo鈥攊s the lead character, Zanna, is now pangender. Additionally, 40 percent of the score has been re-composed, and the vast majority of the dialogue is new.
鈥淧erhaps above all, the show wants us to think again about what else we can aspire to be, beyond sexuality or gender identity,鈥� Acito said in a statement. 鈥淲hile those are two central aspects of human identity, of equal or greater importance is discovering what we stand for鈥攎orally, personally, and politically.鈥�
The cast will include Cassie Okenka (School of Rock, Bonnie and Clyde), Teri Furr (Gypsy, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables), Rusty Reynolds (Miss Saigon, Funny Girl, Big River national tour), and Kevin DeJesus-Jones (Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark). The evening will also have musical direction by Noah Mallitz and lighting design by Angela Coleman.
鈥淭he show forces us to think again about who has been left out of our country鈥檚 beloved iconography鈥攏ot just LGBTQ people, but also women, people of color, religious minorities, and the economically disadvantaged,鈥� Acito said. 鈥淥n a more personal level, the show asks us to think again about the damage we can do to ourselves and to others when we run away from problems instead of facing them head on.鈥�
The performance is part of Theatre Horizon鈥檚 鈥淧ay What You Decide鈥� initiative. Tickets are available to book in advance, but there is no obligation to pay until after audience members have seen the show. Tickets can be booked at . It is suggested that guests arrive and collect tickets 15 minutes before the show starts in order to secure seats.
