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Love Productions Records/Allan Harris Productions/Theodosia Publishing
212 862 3301
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www.crossthatriver.com
Cast from NYMF
CAST

 

Soara Joye Ross & Brandon Gill
Soara Joye and Brandon
Greetings!


You are invited to a reading of our musical Cross That River.  This show debuted at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2009 and received rave reviews (see below).  We hope you'll join us is to see this new version with a fantastic new book. 

 

 

 

CROSS THAT RIVER   

@ the Cabaret and Theatre Conference

in the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center

Thursday, August 11, 2011 @ 2 PM

 Rose Barn Theatre

Story by Allan and Pat Harris

Music and Lyrics by Allan Harris 

Book by Michael Aman

Directed by Michael Bush

Musical Director  Steven Ray Watkins

 

Cross That River is a musical about an escaped slave who heads west and becomes a black cowboy. 

 

 

 

 

BACKSTAGE   (Review)

"Devastatingly moving describes the theatrical experience of ... "Cross That River." Unafraid to take risks, songwriter Harris proves he has the talent to meld American musical styles-blues, folk, country, jazz, gospel, and rock-into a cohesive score. He also displays heart serving as the story's narrator and main character, Blue..."Cross That River" ranks as a highlight of the festival (NYMF).  Its accessible presentation of history combined with a tumultuous emotional experience achieves the highest level of musical theater storytelling. This vital fusion of American music styles and groundbreaking talent fosters the evolution of musical theater as an art form."

 

SHOWBUSINESS WEEKLY (Review)
"The opening of Cross That River, one of the most exciting offerings at the New York Musical Theatre Festival this year, will inevitably remind some of "Waiting for Guffman," as escaped-slave-turned-cowboy Blue (Allan Harris) invites us to gather 'round and listen to his tale. But hokeyness is no handicap at NYMF, especially when a production is as witty and spirited as Cross That River. The musical canvasses the Wild West, and all of our favorite stock characters are there, as well as a few we haven't met yet. There are saloon girls, fire and brimstone revival preachers, mad-eyed cattle-drivers, buffalo soldiers and mail-order brides. Music and lyrics by Allan Harris take us from angsty blues to belted gospel hymns to twangy waltzes that would do Dolly proud. Cross That River deserves to continue its run at a larger venue. The story is bigger - and the voices are certainly bigger - than the workshop space at NYMF. At the last performance in the festival run, Cross That River packed the house, and I don't know when I've seen more teenagers at the theater. Part of the Festival's mission is to revitalize the art form; Cross that River, then, was a shrewd choice."

WWW.CROSSTHATRIVER.COM

Allan Harris