Giving audiences an unbridled and candid look behind the scenes of the Broadway curtain, NCM® Fathom Events, Overnight Musicals and The Broadway League present “One Night Stand: Creating a Play in a Day,” a unique one-nightevent broadcast to movie theaters nationwide on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. local time. This fast-paced, hilarious and entertaining film follows some of New York’s top actors, including Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock, Glee), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) and Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), as well as teams of writers, composers and directors as they are given 24 hours to write, cast, compose, rehearse and perform four short musicals. At the end of the 24 hours, the musicals make their opening, and closing, night at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre. The event will also present exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the stars of “One Night Stand” as they share intimate stories of life on Broadway.
Tickets for “One Night Stand: Creating a Play in a Day” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.
- Goodrich Brownsburg 8, 1555 N Green St, Brownsburg, IN 46112
- Castleton Square 14, 6020 E 82Nd St Ofc 900, Indianapolis, IN 46250
- Indianapolis 17 with IMAX, 4325 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46217
- Galaxy 14, 8105 E 96Th St, Indianapolis, IN 46256
- Hamilton 16 with IMAX, 13825 Norell Rd, Noblesville, IN 46060
Likened to “’A Chorus Line’ meets ‘Project Runway’” (BroadwayWorld.com), “One Night Stand: Creating a Play in a Day,” directed by Elisabeth Sperling and Trish Dalton, captures the excitement, anxiety, camaraderie and sheer panic that leads to the final thrill of the finished performance. From the blank page to the live stage, “One Night Stand: Creating a Play in a Day” unveils the magic as these talented artists take the dare to create something from nothing.
Four teams consisting of composers, writers, directors and actors use props to inspire the musicals: a zoot suit worn by Richard Kind (Argo, Spin City, Mad About You) on a children’s show in the 1970s inspires the “Islands” musical; a phobia pop-up book is the premise for “Multiphobia” and an 80s prom dress prop is used in “Dr. Williams” featuring Jackson,Ferguson and Roger Bart (Revenge, Desperate Housewives). Dratch brings her comedic timing to the fourth musical, “Rachel said Sorry.”
“I love the whole process of birthing a new musical, from the first rehearsal until opening night, and ‘One Night Stand’ shows it all encapsulated in one day,” said Ferguson. “It’s just so exciting and really quite moving – a crazy birth in one night! You get to see some amazing New York talent on stage, me included.”
Actors featured in the musicals include the aforementioned Bart, Dratch, Ferguson, Jackson and Kind as well as Mandy Gonzalez (Wicked, In the Heights); Capathia Jenkins (Newsies, Chicago, Nine); Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys) Theresa McCarthy (Queen of the Mist, Saturn Returns, Titanic); Nellie McKay (Home Sweet Mobile Home, Rumor Has It); Marnie Schulenburg (As the World Turns); Scarlet Strallen (Mary Poppins, The Witches of Eastwick); Tracie Thoms (Cold Case, Rent); Tamara Tunie (Law and Order SVU, Flight) and Alicia Witt (Two Weeks Notice, Urban Legend).
Naptown Buzz’s Review
One Night Stand is an interesting documentary following four groups as they each put together a 15 minute musical, and perform it, over the course of 24 hours.
If you’re looking for insight into the creative process, One Night Stand will be right up your alley. There were a few laughs here and there, but if you’re looking for a hit comedy, I would look elsewhere. Overall my biggest criticism is that at the end, the film only includes portions of the completed musicals, and broken up at that. I would have preferred to see each one, in full, back-to-back, even if it did mean adding an additional 45 minutes to the film.
Not recommended for children due to course language and sexual innuendo.
~ Brian Groce
