New Works Night at 54 Below
The Table Read Co. joins forces with five visionary composer and lyricist teams to bring new musicals across Manhattan to 54 Below in Concert! Directed and produced by Kristen Eliza Brock and Annika Burley, this electrifying concert spotlights the songs that could become tomorrow’s classics.
Audiences will experience song selections from Brooklyn’s Bridge, Riverbend, Two Weeks and a Day, Broken Madonna, and the premiere of Bluebirds. From bold new sounds to some special guests, the night promises something for every lover of musical theatre.
New Works Night is dedicated to uplifting emerging theatrical voices and championing the future of Broadway. Be there at the beginning—you’ll want to say you heard it first.
Music direction by Blake Blaskie.
DRUMS……………………………………………Zac Dayrit Swanner
BASS/GUITAR………………………………….Alex Pharo
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Two Weeks and a Day
Scott Brons
“The Mommy Song” ft. Annika Burley, Kristen Eliza Brock
“Last Summer” ft. Kristen Eliza Brock
“Dialing Home” ft. Annika Burley
Broken Madonna
Josefin Silén
“Not Today” ft. Diva LaMarr
“Heartbeat” ft. Stephanie Hawkins
“There She Goes” ft. Monica Rosenblatt
Riverbend
Caroline Game and Michael Light Oosterhout
“When She Holds Me” ft. Taylor Marie Daniel, Samantha Belding
“The Tree” ft. Amaya White, Audrey Fisher, Jalyn Crosby
“After Dark” ft. Full Cast
Bluebirds
Joe Colaneri and Jacqueline Birgitte Hennessy
“Bluebirds” ft. Rosie Dunphy
“Music In The Making” ft. Duncan Smith
“Something Great” ft. Lucas Babcock
“Stars” ft. Full Cast
Brooklyn’s Bridge
Joseph Baker and Ray Roderick
SHOW MEDLEY INCLUDING
“From Our Window”, “Bridge to Sell”, “We Are”, “On A Wire”, “Marching On Pt. 2”, “Finale”
ft. Laurel Hatfield, Brian Love, James Benjamin Rodgers, and Company.
ABOUT THE TABLE READ CO.
The Table Read Co. is a nonprofit bringing fresh plays, musicals, and screenplays to life through table reads and staged readings. We collaborate with up-and-coming writers by empowering emerging theatre voices to hear their work out loud and take it to the next level.
Not only do we work directly with writers, we recruit and collaborate with actors and creatives – as well who all want to get involved in developing new work.
BE PART OF THE PROCESS: HELP THE TABLE READ CO. CREATE NEW THEATRICAL WORK
Giving Levels & Perks
Print the Pages - $25 Donation
Support an Actor - $50 Donation
Cover a Stage Manager - $100 Donation
Fund a Table Read - $250 Donation
Director’s Circle - $500 Donation
Producer’s Circle - $1000-$4999 Donation
Executive Producer’s Guild - $5000 Donation
WHY DONATE?
Your support helps us:
Produce exciting new readings and performances of new projects happening in NYC.
Mentor and collaborate with emerging writers, actors, and creatives.
Build a thriving creative community of theatre lovers and makers.
CAST
LUCAS BABCOCK
BLUEBIRDSLucas is making his 54 Below Debut and is so excited to do it alongside great friends! Credits: Hamilton National Tour (Laurens/Philip), Once on this Island (Daniel), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Lead Drifter), Next to Normal (Gabe), Grease (Danny). Production Vocalist with Norwegian Cruise Lines. Graduate of Emerson College’s BFA program! Instagram: @lucashbabcock
SAMANTHA BELDING
RIVERBENDSam Belding (she/they) is a NYC-based actor and musical theatre performer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. They are thrilled to be back at 54 Below alongside this incredible cast! Sam made her National Tour debut in Little Women as a swing covering Jo and has loved developing new works, performing in cabarets, making audiences laugh, and bringing new stories to life since moving to New York. Favorite credits include Fun Home (Medium Alison), In the Green, Newsies (Katherine), and Little Women (National Tour). Whether it's a brand-new musical or a beloved classic, Sam is happiest when she's telling stories onstage. When she's not performing, you can find Sam stopping to pet every dog she meets, writing, or searching for last-minute Operation Mincemeat tickets. @sammyroo16 | samanthabelding.com
TWO WEEKS AND A DAY | PRODUCERKRISTEN ELIZA BROCK
Kristen Eliza Brock (she/her) is an AEA actress based in Manhattan and a graduate of Montclair State University where she received a BFA in Musical Theatre, class of 2022. She also appeared as Ann on Norwegian Cruise Lines in the closing cast of Swing! The Broadway Musical. Credits: Mary Lane (Reefer Madness), Millie (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Ariel (Footloose), Janet (Rocky Horror Picture Show), Reno (Anything Goes), Sharpay (High School Musical), Jovie (Elf) and The Witch (Into the Woods) where she was a nominee at the 2018 Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre. Proudly signed with Bright Artists Management. Instagram: @kristenelizabrock
TWO WEEKS AND A DAY | PRODUCERANNIKA BURLEY
Annika Burley (she/her) is a New York based artist who specializes in coming of age femme/queer stories, Shakespeare, acting-driven musicals, and new works from their beginning stages. Theatre (select): Janice (Come From Away, Nashville Rep), Lady M (Macbeth, Commonwealth Shakespeare), Natalie (Next to Normal, Scranton Shakespeare), Constance (Kill The Magistrate, Boston Playwrights), Ruby (She Reached for Heaven, Nashville Rep), Swing (The Play That Goes Wrong, Cincinnati Shakespeare), Rosalind (As You Like It, Nashville Shakespeare), Third Witch (Macbeth, Commonwealth Shakespeare), Tybalt (Romeo & Juliet, Cincinnati Shakespeare), Sally Brown (You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Berkshire Theatre Group). She is the voice of Jane on the animated series, Dead Sea Squirrels (creators of VeggieTales) streaming on Prime now.
Annika can currently be seen as Helena in Commonwealth Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the Boston Common (soon to be available for streaming).
Rep: Act One Management. annikaburley.com | @annikaburley
RIVERBENDJALYN CROSBY
Jalyn is thrilled to be back performing at 54 Below! She is from Montgomery, AL and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre at The University of Alabama. Previous professional credits include Ragtime (Ensemble/Sarah u/s), Norwegian Cruise Lines (Vocalist), Memphis (Felecia Farrell), Once on This Island (Ti Moune), Cinderella (Ensemble, Charlotte u/s), and Four Little Girls (Addie Mae Collins). Jalyn is incredibly grateful for this opportunity! IG: @jalynncrosbyy
RIVERBENDTAYLOR MARIE DANIEL
Taylor is so excited to be here at 54 Below. Her credits include Six (Parr), The Heart of Rock and Roll (Cassandra, Roz u/s) and Once Upon A Mattress: Broadway. Regional/Tour: Frozen (Bulda), Dreamgirls (Deena) University of Michigan (‘22) BFA. She thanks her family, friends, and agents at HCKR! Exist Loudly @taylor.marie.daniel.
BLUEBIRDSROSIE DUNPHY
Rosie Dunphy (she/her) is an NYC based actress and singer (and proud NJ native). She is a recent graduate of DeSales University, receiving her BA in Musical Theatre and shortly after performing in the Off-Broadway premiere of Falling Fast as a vocalist and swing. Other recent credits: Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Ella). Catch her otherwise watching a BBC documentary, listening to Ariana Grande, or sipping a sugar free red bull (or if you’re lucky—all three at once). Rosie is incredibly grateful to bring the beautiful music and story of Bluebirds to life.
RIVERBENDAUDREY FISHER
Audrey Fisher is a NYC based actress, and this is her 54 Below debut! She recently played Sophie in Mamma Mia on Royal Caribbean, and covered Boleyn/Seymour/Howard in Six The Musical on Norwegian Cruise Line. She is so excited that she gets to perform with Riverbend tonight, and she is incredibly grateful to The Table Read Co. for making this possible. @aujeee
BROOKLYN'S BRIDGELAUREL HATFIELD
Laurel Hatfield most recently starred as Emily Roebling in the World Premiere of Brooklyn’s Bridge at the Dr. Phillips Center. Other Orlando credits include Evelyn Williams in American Psycho the Musical (Theater West End - Southeast Premiere - Orlando Sentinel Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical), Mrs. Van Buren in Intimate Apparel (Orlando Shakespeare Theatre - Orlando Sentinel Outstanding Featured Actor in a Drama), Snow White in Disenchanted (Theater West End - Directed by original Off-Broadway cast member Michelle Knight), and Jovie in Elf (Orlando Rep). Other credits include La Mirada Theatre, Musical Theatre West, Performance Riverside, and Disney Cruise Line. On screen, she has appeared in Gilmore Girls, Passions, Being Vincent, Stratos 4, and national commercials (Ritz Crackers with Trevor Lawrence, Addition Financial, Auto-Owners Insurance, and more). In 2024 the Orlando Sentinel named her one of the year’s outstanding directors for Steel Magnolias at Theater West End. She is the lead singer of Laurel Hatfield and the La La Band, performing across Orlando including Judson’s Live, and can currently be seen in Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond at Disney World. @la.hatfield
BROKEN MADONNASTEPHANIE HAWKINS
Stephanie is a New York based actor and photographer and is about to celebrate 14 years of living and thriving in NYC. This happens to be her 54 below debut! New works have a very special place in Steph’s heart. Most of her performances have been in new works and workshops/readings Off Broadway and around the city. Otherwise, some favorite regional roles include Mary Poppins and Meredith from BAT BOY.
Very happy to be here with these folks and celebrating creativity and new stories to share.
BROKEN MADONNADIVA LAMARR
They are a proud non-binary award-winning NYC headliner. You can catch them every Monday night at Madame George hosting BROADWAY NIGHT OFF. Follow our insta: @broadwaynightoff
BROOKLYN'S BRIDGEBRIAN LOVE
Brian M. Love is an actor, singer, puppeteer, and martial artist. He is best known for his stage roles as Simba (Understudy) in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway and as E.F. (Frank) Farrington in the world premiere of Brooklyn”s Bridge at The Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando.
On television, Love has appeared in multiple national commercials including National Football League (NFL) Fantasy Football, and the United States Golf Association (USGA). Love has also worked with entertainment icon Jerry Lewis, performing as a singer on his annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.
As a recording artist, Love has sung for and worked with Motown trailblazers Berry Gordy and Stevie Wonder. With Wonder, he was part of his ensemble arrangement recording of Jonathan Larson”s “Seasons of Love” from the musical RENT. Love also was a member of the South African singing ensemble that recorded the 2010 FIFA World Cup Theme for ESPN.
His stage appearances include the Broadway cast of The Lion King, as an original member of The Gazelle Tour of The Lion King, the 1st and 2nd National Tours of Jonathan Larson’s RENT (Angel and Benny Tours, respectively), and the Sister Act National Tour - produced by Whoopi Goldberg. In 2022, Love also had the opportunity to play the role of Sebastian in Hale Centre Theatre’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, a performance that earned him a 2023 Broadway World Award Nomination for Best Performer in A Musical.
Brian can currently be seen appearing on Broadway in Buena Vista Social Club.
IG: @brianloveofficial
Website: www.brianloveactor.com
JAMES BENJAMIN RODGERS
BROOKLYN'S BRIDGEJames Benjamin Rodgers has appeared at The MDR Sinfonieorchester, The Kurt Weill Festival, The Ravinia Festival, The Argento Ensemble, The Merola Opera Program, Toledo Opera, Opera Omaha, The Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, The Little Orchestra Society of New York, The Mac-Haydn Theatre, La Mama, The Auckland Festival, The Beijing Modern Music Festival, Queensland Opera and New Zealand Opera. Roles include: Candide, Kudrjash: Kátya Kabanová, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tamino: Die Zauberflöte, Camille: The Merry Widow, Anthony Hope: Sweeney Todd, Marco Polo: Invisible Cities, Albert Herring, Jean Valjean: Les Misérables, Captain Von Trapp: Sound of Music, Frank Butler: Annie Get Your Gun, Young Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, Curly: Oklahoma!, Mr Wormwood: Matilda, Harold: The Full Monty.
James has won both the Lotte Lenya and the Joy in Singing competitions and released his debut album - Exiled: The Evolution of Kurt Weill in 2014. Based in New York, James is the President and General Director of the Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab, a teacher at the Circle in the Square School, the General Manager of the Ciompi String Quartet and the Founder of Hemis, an arts services organization. He holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Victoria University of Wellington. www.jamesbenjaminrodgers.com
BROKEN MADONNAMONICA ROSENBLATT
Monica is a Baltimore-area native, has lived in the city going on 8 years now and appeared on SNL as Lil Wayne’s backup dancer, booked national modeling campaigns with Macy’s, Reebok, Nike, Wrangler, and more, and hosts regular shows in New York for herself and friends to perform. Some professional theater credits include Audrey II, Little Shop of Horrors; Woman 1, World Goes Round; Sarah, Cadillac Crew, and Julie, Showboat. @monicarosenblatt
BLUEBIRDSDUNCAN SMITH
Duncan is New York-based artist and performer. Off-Broadway: Love in Idleness. Regional: West Side Story (Sacramento Music Circus, Houston Grand Opera); La Cage Aux Folles, Dreamgirls (The Muny); White Christmas (Gulfshore Playhouse); Ragtime, Cats, Rock of Ages (MT Wichita); Kinky Boots, Carousel (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma). TV: SNL. BFA from The University of Oklahoma.
RIVERBENDAMAYA WHITE
Amaya White previous credits include the national tour of SIX the Musical, An Officer and a Gentleman, Once On This Island at Theatre Raleigh, Beautiful at Ogunquit Playhouse, and Jelly’s Last Jam at Long Wharf Theatre. IG: @yourstrulyamaya
PLAYWRIGHTS + COMPOSERS
COMPOSER, BROOKLYN'S BRIDGEJOSEPH BAKER
Joseph is thrilled to be a part of BROOKLYN’S BRIDGE A New Musical!
He has been performing as a Keyboardist/Conductor/ Music Director on and around Broadway for over 35 years, shows include: WICKED, SHREK, THE LION KING, BLOOD BROTHERS, THE LIFE, GRAND HOTEL, STARLIGHT EXPRESS, THE TAP DANCE KID, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, CATSKILLS ON BROADWAY, FOOTLOOSE, BELLS ARE RINGING, and LAUGHING ROOM ONLY. He has also done duties as Orchestrator, Vocal Arranger or Dance Arranger on shows as: BUBBLY BLACK GIRL,THE GREEN HEART, PLAY IT COOL and FOOTLOOSE. He has conducted for Artists such as Carole King, Petula Clarke, Art Garfunkel, David and Shaun Cassidy, Helen Reddy, Chita Rivera, Leslie Uggams, and other Broadway Notables.
As a Theater Composer, Joseph created the Arrangements and Original Material for the Hit Show THE BIKINIS, and is currently working on a musical about the rivalry between Sarah Bernhardt and Eleanora Duse. Mister B. also composed and arranged the score for the smash hit documentary MAD HOT BALLROOM, and is Composer Arranger – Producer for DITTYDOODLE WORKS, an exciting children’s TV series on Public Television WLIW.
PLAYWRIGHT/COMPOSER, TWO WEEKS AND A DAYSCOTT BRONS
Scott Brons is a Nashville-based artist thrilled to be partnering with Table Read Co. at 54 Below! He makes his lunch money as a musical director, pianist, vocalist, and composer-lyricist. ‘Two Weeks and a Day’ had a workshop in 2024 in collaboration with UNCSA drama and music students. He is grateful to continue sharing this fable.
MUSIC + LYRICS, BLUEBIRDSJOSEPH COLANERI
Joseph is a composer, copyist, and music educator based in New York City, whose work bridges classical and contemporary styles with a deep focus on storytelling. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Belmont University and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Music Education at CUNY Hunter College.
LIBRETTIST/LYRICIST, RIVERBENDCAROLINE GAME
Caroline Game (she/her) is a librettist/lyricist, and actor/singer with a passion for telling complicated, compassionate stories. Her current projects include Riverbend (Write Out Loud 2025 Finalist, Emerging Artists Theatre’s Sparkfest 2023, Drama Club Camp 2024) and Hourglass (Drama Club Camp 2025, Sandbox Musicals ‘Playspace’). Her work has been featured in EAT’s Sparkfest, the New York Theatre Festival, and the Druid City Pride Festival. Professional performing credits include Ghost (Molly), Significant Other (Laura), and Mamma Mia (Lisa, u/s Sophie). She is originally from Atlanta, GA, and is now based in New York City. She received her M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
BOOK + ADDITIONAL LYRICS, BLUEBIRDSJacqueline Birgitte Hennessy
Jacqueline Birgette Hennessy is a NJ based writer/performer/comedian. Currently she is a part of the House Musical Sketch Team at the Peoples Improv Theater in NYC as a writer/performer. In 2024 her piece, “The Drifters Gallery” was featured in the New York Theater Festival. For her writing, she has also been awarded an NJ Governors Award in Arts Education as well as an NJ Thespian Award for best short play. As far as performing Jacqueline currently tours with Tony and Tina’s Wedding regionally and has been featured in several films such as Mean Girls the Musical Movie, The 4:30 Movie, Northern Borders, and more.
COMPOSER/LYRICIST, RIVERBENDMICHAEL LIGHT OOSTERHOUT
Michael Light Oosterhout (he/him) is a composer/lyricist, music director, and playwright. Passionate about genre-bending and blending myriad styles into contemporary musical theatre, he is chiefly interested in exploring the relationship between the ancient and modern worlds, as well as highlighting issues affecting queer youth. Michael's current projects include Evelyn Evans (play), The Lonely Girl’s Guide to Friendship or… Love? (musical), The Right Reasons (song cycle), and Riverbend (musical). Past projects include Ariadne: A New Musical, Sparta! The Musical, Euripides' Medea (arrangements), Judith Walsh White's Winnie the Pooh (arrangements), 15-minute opera Windy, and 20-minute musical The Advice Column. Music direction credits include Fly By Night, Mr. Burns, Formerly Known (arrangements), and The Cherry Orchard. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Michael is a graduate of Vassar College (B.A., Music and Greek & Roman Studies) and recently received his M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from N.Y.U. Tisch.
BOOK + LYRICS, BROOKLYN'S BRIDGEray roderick
Ray is privileged to be creating a musical that celebrates the American spirit and the remarkable Emily Roebling through the story of building of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Ray was the Director and Script Adaptor for CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG, BANG, US National, UK/Australian tours (publisher MTI). Writer/Director ‘S WONDERFUL! THE NEW GERSHWIN MUSICAL, US Tour. Co-Writer/Director/Choreographer Irving Berlin’s I LOVE A PIANO (publisher R&H) 3-year National Tour US, Japan.
Co-Writer/Director THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER Off-Broadway (publisher Samuel French). Co-writer/ Director/Choreographer THE RAT PACK LOUNGE (Carbonell nomination), A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL GUIDE (publisher Samuel French) and I LOVE NEW YORK (Bistro Award). Creator/Co-writer ARE WE THERE YET?, COMING TO AMERICA, THE BIKINIS.
Writer/Director CHUN YI, THE LEGEND OF KUNG FU Beijing, London West End, Russia, Japan.
Creative director USTA US Open Writer/Director Arthur Ashe Kids Day on ABC, Creator/Director live events/ceremonies on ESPN.
As Broadway actor: BARNUM, GRIND, CATS, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, CRAZY FOR YOU, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM.
PLAYWRIGHT + COMPOSER, BROKEN MADONNAJosefin Silèn
Josefin Silén (she/her) is a Finnish-born writer and performer currently based in New York City. She holds a Master’s degree in Writing and Design for Musical Theater from Berklee College of Music and a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Before relocating to the U.S., Josefin built a successful career in Finland and Sweden as a performer, writer, and educator. She is a recipient of the Victor Borge Scholarship and has appeared on national television, played multiple leading roles (Mary Poppins, Esmeralda, Rizzo, among others), and currently serves as the artistic director of the musical theatre summer program at the Martin Wegelius Institute. Josefin is passionate about female-driven stories and works that amplify women’s voices on stage. She strives to live by the mantra: “Be the change you want to see in the world