New Musical About the Empire State Building to Play Off-Broadway

Empire: The Musical, a new musical about the Empire State Building by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull, will begin preview performances at New World Stages on July 1 ahead of an official opening night July 11. Performances are scheduled through September 22. Tony winner Cady Huffman will direct.

An official description reads: “Told through the lens of three generations of dreamers and doers spanning New York City in the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the Bicentennial Year of 1976, this original story shines new light on one of history’s greatest feats of will and desire. With a desperate city pinning its hopes on this seemingly impossible project, only skyscraper-high levels of grit and determination could keep it climbing. In Empire, audiences will take the thrilling ride to the sky with the brave Mohawk Skywalkers, industrialist visionaries, and can-do immigrants, all of whom had the guts to go up when everyone else was down.”

The cast of Empire includes Danny Iktomi Bevins, Monique Candelaria, Devin Cortez, Morgan Cowling, Kaitlyn Davidson, Joel Douglas, Joseph Fierberg, Alexandra Frohlinger, Matt Gibson, Albert Guerzon, Julia Louise Hosack, Kiana Kabeary, Howard Kaye, TJ Newton, April Ortiz, Kennedy Perez, Paul Salvatoriello, J Savage, Robbie Serrano, and Ethan Saviet.

The show will feature choreography by Lorna Ventura, scenic design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Tina McCartney, lighting design by Jamie Roderick, sound design by Shannon Slaton, music supervision & orchestrations by Lena Gabrielle, arrangements by Robert Hull & Lena Gabrielle, music direction by Gillian Berkowitz, and props design by Brendan McCann.

Empire is produced by Gayla Merle Fossett & William G. Dean Theatricals and YuGu Productions, in association with The Rivet Gang (Lynne Walder, Esq., Katy Kinney Harris, J. Joanna Jung), and executive produced by Jennifer Dowd.