NUNSENSE, a Habit-Forming Musical

comes to Bannerman Island, 

Wednesday – Sunday, July 19-23!

The Bannerman Castle Trust Inc. (BCT) with offices at 150 Main Street in Beacon, NY will present “NUNSENSE” the Off-Broadway Smash Hit Musical that ran for over 10 years in NYC!  The show, which is an international phenomenon, will take place on historic Bannerman’s Island from Wednesday, July 19^th through Sunday, July 23^rd.  Produced by Executive Director, Neil Caplan, the show has been updated with new jokes, additional lyrics, and two new arrangements and is better than ever!

A “Dark Comedy Musical” Nunsense begins when a convent of nuns discover that their cook, Sister Julia, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters.  In dire need of funds for the burials, the sisters decide to raise money by putting on a variety show.  Theater goers meet Reverend Mother Regina (Nancy Auffarth), a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, a nun who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head. Featuring music, dancing, an audience quiz and comic surprises – attending this show is a delightful way to spend a summer evening!

Nunsense was conceived and written by Dan Goggin.  Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret show that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical.  The original Off-Broadway production opened in 1985, running for 3,672 performances, becoming the second-longest running Off-Broadway show in history! The show has since been adapted for television, spawning six sequels and three spin-offs.

Nunsense is directed by Award Winning Director DONALD BRENNER, of Rochester, NY.  Dan has directed over 120 productions.  In New York, he directed the Off-Broadway revivals of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, A Little Night Music, Do Re Mi, Louisiana Purchase and The Matchmaker. He has also directed March Madness (AB*IE AWARD – Outstanding Director), December Fools, Mallorica and New York Musical Theatre Festival productions of The Mapmaker’s Opera, Sasquatched! The Musical and The Most Ridiculous Thing you ever Hoid (NYMF Award of Excellence).  Other Off-Broadway credits include A Tale of Two Cities, the Lincoln Center production of Ali Baba, and the world premiere of Beyond Gravity.  Dan’s numerous regional theater credits include world premieres of Wilde Goes West, The Gym, The Light in the Piazza, Philadelphia, Here I Come! Corpse! and On the Twentieth Century.  His production of 1776 was named one of the “Top San Diego Productions of the Year” by PBS and earned him a “Best Direction of a Musical” Robby Award Nomination.   As a writer/director he has adapted The Miracle on 34^th Street, Kismet and Cinderella and directed the world premiere of On the Market at Rochester’s JCC Center Stage.

Musical Director TOM McCOY, of Fishkill, NY is an accomplished classical and jazz pianist, known within musical circles as a versatile soloist and accompanist, composer, arranger, and conductor.  He has backed up James Taylor, Judy Collins, Ray Charles, Natalie Merchant, Garth Hudson, Regis Philbin, Lea Salonga, Robert Goulett, as well as legendary comedians Joan Rivers, Henny Youngman and Phyllis Diller.  Tom’s performances and arrangements have been heard on national television and in far-flung locations around the world.  Locally, McCoy scored and music-directed the original musical The Battle of the Orphans in collaboration with writer and actor Brian McConnachie, at the Depot Theater in Garrison, NY.  He served as musical director for the original musical Adventures in the Great Beyond for the Harold Clurman 42nd Street Theater and many other regional productions.  Tom played in the pit of the Official Broadway National Tour of Grease! and for an international tour of Phantom of the Opera. He has taught Voice for Theatre as adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz and guest-lectured at the Juilliard School on the influence of early jazz on 20th century composers and has appeared in over 1,000 educational concerts with Associated Solo Artists, for whom he headed the recruitment and training of professional pianists to serve as teaching-artists. He currently serves as the band-leader, pianist and arranger for the renowned Jazz Vespers at First Presbyterian in Cold Spring, NY.

Actress Nancy Auffarth of LaGrangeveille, NY (Nunsense’s Mother Superior) appeared on Broadway and in National Tours of Back Country, On the Twentieth Century and Barnum.  She has appeared at the prestigious Papermill Playhouse (Jane Eyre), St. Louis Muni Opera (Promises, Promises), Actor’s Theatre of Louisville (In Fashion), The Vineyard Theatre (Juno), Indianapolis Starlight (Baby), Kenley Players (Barnum) and Pennsylvania Stage Co (The Club) and other Off-Broadway venues, dinner theaters, national commercials and soaps.  After the birth of her daughters, Nancy became a resident actor with the Queen City Stage Co, a former Equity company in Poughkeepsie, NY. Other credits include Taming of the Shrew, The Miracle Worker, My Fair Lady, She Loves Me, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Steel Magnolias and 110 in the Shade.  As an Artistic Director, she presented The Glass Menagerie and The Diary of Anne Frank and additionally appeared at Tri Arts and Half Moon.  She has also served as Artistic Director of River Valley Rep, an Equity company at Marist College where she appeared in The Light in the Piazza, Putting it Together, God of Carnage, and Eleemosynary. Currently, Nancy maintains a private vocal and acting studio where she has trained actors for many years. Nunsense also features amazing performances by Equity Actress Lisa Sabin of Cold Spring, NY and up-and-coming actresses Gianni Tucci of Brooklyn, NY; Melissa Goldberg of New York, NY and Kirby Sclafani of Poughquag, NY.

Nunsense will be held on Bannerman’s Island for five consecutive nights from Wednesday, July 19^th – Sunday, July 23^rd.  Each show includes a cruise to and from Bannerman Island on The Estuary Steward Tour Boat, departing from Beacon, NY at 6:00 and 7:00 pm for a performance that begins at 8:00 pm.  Attendees also have the opportunity of taking a short tour of Bannerman’s Island before the performance. Tickets are available at www.bannermancastle.org.  $80 Premium Seating, $75 General Seating.  As with all performances, proceeds help with restoration projects on Beautiful and Historic Bannerman’s Island in the Hudson River!

For more information on “Nunsense” and other BCT programming, please contact BCT Executive Director Neil Caplan at 845-831-6346 or at neilcaplan@aol.com.  THANK YOU!

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