First Annual New York Musical Improv Festival Nov 6-7

Magnet Theater presents the first annual New York Musical Improv Festival from November 6-7, 2009 at 254 W. 29th Street, ground floor (between 7th and 8th Avenues), NYC.  A detailed schedule and description of each night's line-up will be available at www.nymif.com.  Tickets are $10-$15 and will be available at www.brownpapertickets.com.

"Musical Improv in all of its forms has become a vital part of New York City's comedy scene. This challenging form of improvisation puts top musicians, singers, actors, comedians and even dancers through their paces, challenging them to create music, lyrics, and movement on the spot.  Audiences have responded to the excitement and urgency of seeing these exceptionally talented singers and musicians creating something amazing - from scratch.  This festival will celebrate a broad range of styles and bring together performers from top comedy theaters," said T.J. Mannix, founder and co-producer of the New York Musical Improv Festival.

Confirmed acts include:

Baby Wants Candy

Once performing only to audiences in Chicago, Baby Wants Candy has now taken on Manhattan full time.   The "grand daddy" of musical improv kicks off with the title of a never-before-seen musical that is shouted from the audience.  With no preparation, Baby Wants Candy cast members and their full band dive right into creating an amazing, hour long musical.  Not to be missed.

Bash 

All the way from Chicago, the home of all things improv, comes Bash.  This critically acclaimed show is a fully improvised, multi-character, one-man musical starring Improv Olympic alumnus Blaine Swen and pianist Dave Asher.

Broadway's Next Hit Musical 

Is a two-act musical created in real time. As always, the show's first act is an award ceremony spotlighting nominees for "Best Musical" based on audience-written song titles, and the second act is the entire musical based on the favorite nominee from act one. Every melody, lyric, plot twist and jazz hand is made up on the spot.

Centralia 

Is a bold, four-man (and a musician) improv group who blow the doors off of what's "legal" in spontaneous performance.  From their roots with Chicago's Second City Improv and the legendary Burn Manhattan, Centralia has delighted and stunned audiences around the country.  They regularly sell out the hippest underground improv, theater and comedy joints in NYC.  Centralia is Matt Higgins, Jay Rhoderick and Kevin Scott. Music by Stuart Bogie.

Don't Quit Your Night Job 

Is where Broadway and improv meet . . . and make out. After the curtain comes down on their Broadway shows, these veteran performers create a late night happening of improvised music, sketches and offbeat performances you won't see anywhere else. Who needs a composer, when these Broadway actors can craft their own songs instantaneously?

I Eat Pandas 

In just minutes, Eliza Skinner and Glennis McMurray do what it takes Andrew Lloyd Webber YEARS to do: crap out a hit musical from start to finish.  With one audience suggestion, the ladies of I Eat Pandas improvise three entire musicals in under an hour - complete with dancing and melodrama. Along with their pianist, the trio belts out original, hilarious, and surprisingly catchy songs on the fly.

The Made-Up Musical 

One lucky audience member talks about where they grew up, and that town gets the spotlight and the "Chicago" treatment - a brand new musical, improvised in the moment.   The cast of The Made-Up Musical breaks out with all the songs, dances and wit you'd expect from a hundred dollar ticket uptown.

Once Upon A Time 

Proving that there really are two sides to every story, a squadron of 16 musical performers weave an audience member's suggestion into two instant musical fairy tales that tell what happened from the viewpoint of both the hero and villain.  All the music and magic of a Disney flick (or the darkness of the Brothers Grimm).

For more information, visit www.nymif.com.