Encores! Off-Center
Encores! Off-Center, “a summer theater highlight” (The New York Times), brings back groundbreaking musicals with innovative artists of today.
This program is currently on hiatus. We are grateful to the visionary leaders of Encores! Off-Center: Founding Artistic Director Jeanine Tesori (2013 – 2016), Artistic Director Michael Friedman (2017), and Artistic Director Anne Kauffman (2018 – 2020).
Past Productions
Select a Season: 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019
2019 | Return to top
Working: A Musical
Jun 26 – 29
From the book by Studs Terkel
Adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso
With additional contributions by Gordon Greenberg
Songs by Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor
Choreographed by Avihai Haham
Music Director Alvin Hough, Jr.
Directed by Anne Kauffman
Starring Andréa Burns, Mateo Ferro, David Garrison, Helen Hunt, Christopher Jackson, Javier Muñoz, and Tracie Thoms.
With Daniel Ching, Tilly Evans-Krueger, Tessa Grady, and Malik Shabazz Kitchen
Promenade
Jul 10 – 11
Book and Lyrics by Maria Irene Fornes
Music by Al Carmines
Choreographed by Hope Boykin
Music Director Greg Jarrett
Directed by Laurie Woolery
Starring Mark Bedard, Becca Blackwell, Eddie Cooper, Daniel Everidge, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Marcy Harriell, James T. Lane, Bonnie Milligan, Kent Overshown, Bryonha Marie Parham, Don Darryl Rivera, Soara-Joye Ross, Steve Routman, Saundra Santiago, and J.D. Webster
Road Show
Jul 24 – 27
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Music Director James Moore
Directed and Choreographed by Will Davis
Starring Chuck Cooper, Raúl Esparza, Jin Ha, Mary Beth Peil, and Brandon Uranowitz
With Brandon Contreras, Rheaume Crenshaw, Daniel J. Edwards, Marina Kondo, Jay Lusteck, Liz McCartney, Matt Moisey, Shereen Pimentel, Sharone Sayegh, and Vishal Vaidya
2018 | Return to top
Songs for a New World
Jun 27 – 30
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Choreography by Rennie Harris
Music Director Tom Murray
Directed by Kate Whoriskey
Starring Shoshana Bean, Colin Donnell, Mykal Kilgore, and Solea Pfeiffer
Gone Missing
Jul 11 & 12
Created by The Civilians
Written by Steven Cosson from Interviews by the Company*
Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman
“Interview with Dr. Palinurus” by Peter Morris
Choreography by Karla Puno Garcia
Music Director Chris Fenwick
Directed by Ken Rus Schmoll
Starring John Behlmann, Susan Blackwell, Aysan Celik, Deborah S. Craig, Taylor Mac, and David Ryan Smith
*Damian Baldet, Trey Lyford, Jennifer Morris, Brian Sgambati, Alison Weller, Colleen Werthmann
Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope
Jul 25 – 28
Music and Lyrics by Micki Grant
Conceived by Vinnette Carroll
Music Director Annastasia Victory
Directed and Choreographed by Savion Glover
Starring Rheaume Crenshaw, Dayna Dantzler, Aisha de Haas, James T. Lane, and Wayne Pretlow.
With Alexandria Bradley, Marshall L. Davis Jr., CK Edwards, Jeffry Foote, Shonica Gooden, Nina Hudson, Marla McReynolds, and Amber Barbee Pickens
2017 | Return to top
Assassins
Jul 12 – 15
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Assassins is based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.
Choreography by Lorin Latarro
Music Director Chris Fenwick
Directed by Anne Kauffman
Starring Damian Baldet, Steven Boyer, Alex Brightman, Victoria Clark, John Ellison Conlee, Clifton Duncan, Andrew Durand, Shuler Hensley, Ethan Lipton, Hudson Loverro, Erin Markey, Steven Pasquale, Cory Michael Smith, Pearl Sun, and Danny Wolohan
The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
July 26 – 27
By Kirsten Childs
Choreography by Byron Easley
Music Supervisor Chris Fenwick
Music Director Annastasia Victory
Directed by Robert O'Hara
Starring Penelope Armstead-Williams, Tanya Birl, Kaitlyn Davidson, Josh Davis, Yurel Echezarreta, Lauren E.J. Hamilton, Korey Jackson, Nikki M. James, Kingsley Leggs, Jo’Nathan Michael, Kenita R. Miller,Julius Thomas III, Shelley Thomas, and Alex Wong
Really Rosie
Aug 2 – 5
Book and Lyrics by Maurice Sendak
Music by Carole King
Choreography by Ayodele Casel
Music Supervisor Chris Fenwick
Music Directors Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Carmel Dean
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Starring Swayam Bhatia, Kenneth Cabral, Taylor Caldwell, Ayodele Casel, Jaiya Chetram, Eduardo Hernandez, Nanyellin Liriano, Chris Lopes, Zell Steele Morrow, Charlie Pollock, Ruth Righi, Anthony Rosenthal, and Nicole Wildy
2016 | Return to top
Runaways
Jul 6 - 9
Book, Lyrics, and Music by Elizabeth Swados
Choreography by Ani Taj
Music Director Chris Fenwick
Directed by Sam Pinkleton
Starring Frenie Acoba, Sumaya Bouhbal, Kenneth Cabral, Maxwell Cabral, Taylor Caldwell, Sophia Anne Caruso, Xavier Casimir, Joshua DeJesus, Adleesa Edwards, Aidan Gemme, Reyna Guerra, Matthew Gumley, Christina Jimenez, Kylie McNeill, Cele Pahucki, Sam Poon, Siena Rafter, Claudia Ramirez, Ren,MJ Rodriguez, Deandre Sevon, Jeremy Shinder, Ripley Sobo, Chris Sumpter, and Maxwell Vice
Off-Center Jamboree!
Jul 16
Choreography by Noah Racey
Music Supervisor Chris Fenwick
Music Director Jeanine Tesori
Directed by Michael Mayer
Starring Sutton Foster and Jonathan Groff
With César Alvarez, Darren Biggart, Holly Ann Butler, Ayodele Casel, Julian Hornik, Patrick Lazour, Daniel Lazour, Marla Louissaint, Arri Lawton Simon, Shaina Taub, Ben Wexler, Karley Willocks, and featuring members of the City Center Staff
Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Jul 27 - 30
Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken
Additional lyrics by Dennis Green
Choreography by Lorin Latarro
Music Director Chris Fenwick
Directed by Michael Mayer
Starring Skylar Astin, Derrick Baskin, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Nick Choksi, Eddie Cooper, Kevin Del Aguila, Santino Fontana, Clark Johnson, James Earl Jones, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Kevin Ligon, Marla Louissaint, Liz McCartney, Bonnie Milligan, Brynn O’Malley, and Kate Wetherhead
2015 | Return to top
A New Brain
Jun 24 - 27
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by William Finn and James Lapine
Directed by James Lapine
Choreography by Josh Prince
Starring Jenni Barber, Quentin Earl Darrington, Bradley Dean, Dan Fogler, Ana Gasteyer, Jonathan Groff, Josh Lamon, Aaron Lazar, Alyse Alan Louis,and Rema Webb
Little Shop of Horrors
Jul 1 - 2
Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken
Choreographed by Patricia Wilcox
Directed by Dick Scanlan
Starring Tracy Nicole Chapman, Eddie Cooper, Ellen Greene, Joe Grifasi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marva Hicks,Anwar Kareem, Ramona Keller, and Taran Killam
The Wild Party
Jul 15 - 18
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Choreographed by Sonya Tayeh
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Starring Ryan Andes, Brandon Victor Dixon, Sutton Foster, Joaquina Kalukango, Talene Monahon, Steven Pasquale, and Miriam Shor
With Renée Albulario, Penelope Armstead-Williams, James Brown III, Rachel De Benedet, Raymond J. Lee, Kenita R. Miller, Sydney Morton, Clifton Oliver, Charlie Pollock, Britton Smith, Ryan Steele, and Samantha Sturm
2014 | Return to top
tick, tick…BOOM!
June 25-28
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Script Consultant David Auburn
Choreographed by Camille A. Brown
Music Direction by Chris Fenwick
Directed by Oliver Butler
Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Karen Olivo
Randy Newman’s Faust: The Concert
July 1
Music and lyrics by Randy Newman
Choreographed by Marcos Santana
Music Direction by Chris Fenwick
Directed by Thomas Kail
Starring Michael Cerveris, Isaiah Johnson, Randy Newman, Laura Osnes, Vonda Shepard, Brooklyn Shuck, Tony Vincent, Broadway Inspirational Voices
Pump Boys and Dinettes
July 16-19
Book, Music and Lyrics by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, and Jim Wann
Choreographed by Danny Mefford
Music Direction by Chris Fenwick
Directed by Lear deBessonet
Starring Jordan Dean, Hunter Foster, Mamie Parris, Randy Redd, Katie Thompson, Lorenzo Wolff
2013 | Return to top
The Cradle Will Rock
July 10–13
Music, Lyrics and Book by Marc Blitzstein
Choreographed by Chase Brock
Music Direction by Chris Fenwick
Directed by Sam Gold
Starring Danny Burstein, Eisa Davis, Raúl Esparza, Peter Friedman, Aidan Gemme, Judy Kuhn, David Margulies, Martin Moran, Michael Park, Robert Petkoff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Anika Noni Rose, Matthew Saldívar, Henry Stram
Violet
July 17
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by Brian Crawley
Music Direction by Michael Rafter
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Starring Sutton Foster, Joshua Henry, Van Hughes, Austin Lesch, Anastacia McCleskey, Keala Settle, Christopher Sieber, Emerson Steele, Chris Sullivan, Rema Webb, Paul Whitty
I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road
July 24–27
Book and Lyrics by Gretchen Cryer
Music by Nancy Ford
Music Direction by Chris Fenwick
Directed and Choreographed by Kathleen Marshall
Starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jason Rabinowitz, Christina Sajous, Jennifer Sanchez, Frederick Weller
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Sponsors
Leadership support for Encores! Off-Center is provided by
Stacey and Eric Mindich Fund for Musical Theater
Major support is provided by
Series Sponsors
Stacy Bash-Polley
Luigi Caiola and Sean McGill
Elizabeth and Dean Kehler
Andrew Martin-Weber
Paula and Ira Resnick
Nathalie and Pablo Salame
The Lobby Project is sponsored by
The Frederick Loewe Foundation
Support for the Arts Access Fund is provided by
JLGreene Arts Access Fund in The New York Community Trust
Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund
Support for the Artistic Innovation Fund is provided by
Lisa and Richard Witten