Our Country

Tony Asaro currently guest lectures at NYU in the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.  He teaches voice at Front and Center studio in Springfield, NJ, and teaches lyric writing workshops in New York City public schools through the Johnny Mercer Foundation.  Tony is the recent recipient of the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust Award for 2008 for songwriting.  Tony received his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University in 1998 in Theatre and Music.  At Santa Clara, Tony studied composition with Lynn Shurtleff. Tony served as Assistant Music Director for TheatreWorks' production of Pacific Overtures, and as Vocal Director for Santa Clara University’s production of Kiss Me Kate in 2004.  Tony’s new musical Our Country (with Dan Collins) received its world premiere in June of 2009 through the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.  Our Country won four Planet Connections awards, including Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, and Outstanding Book, Music & Lyrics of a Musical, and will be published in the “2010: Plays and Playwrights” anthology of new plays published by NYTE Small Press.  Tony wrote the libretto for Such Beautiful Things a new oratorio based on the Brothers Grimm fable The Travelling Musician (Jeff Parola, composer).  Such Beautiful Things was performed by the NYC based choir, Choral Chameleon in April, 2010.  Tony's first musical, Family, a collaboration with Dr. Barbara Means Fraser for which he wrote music and co-wrote lyrics, has enjoyed two productions–one at SCU in 1999 and one at the Ryan Repertory Theatre in New York City in 2000.  Tony’s other musicals include Women of Colors (various collaborators), and Broken (with Kevin Cummines) and Going Nowhere.  Tony’s songs have been heard in cabarets at Barrington Stages, Goodspeed Opera House, and various venues in New York City and across the country.  

Dan Collins.  M.F.A: Musical Theater Writing, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU. B.F.A: Playwriting, The Theater School of DePaul University. In collaboration with composer Julianne Wick Davis, Dan wrote Book and Lyrics for: WOOD (NYMF starring Tony Award © Winner Cady Huffman, S.C.A.N., New York Theatre Barn); OUR LADY OF THE VIADUCT and TIME TO KILL (both for The York Theatre Company’s 4@15 Series); and SOUTHERN COMFORT (adapted from the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winning documentary of the same name).  His book for OUR COUNTRY was the recipient of a Planet Connections Theater Festivity award and the show was also honored as the festival’s “Best Musical”.  He wrote lyrics for URBAN LEGENDS GONE VAUDEVILLE! and JOHNNY 15 both with composer Nick Sula of “The Serious Theater Collective.”  Dan's work has been featured at Birdland, Joe’s Pub, The D-Lounge, Don't Tell Mamma, The Duplex and the Laurie Beechman Theatre and has been published in Plays and Playwrights 2010 and Short Comedic Scenes for Kids & Young Adults.  

Diana Basmajian directed the critically acclaimed NYC premiere of Charles Mee’s Limonade Tous les Jours at the Cell featuring Austin Pendleton this past spring.  Recently, she directed and/or developed solo shows for Aaron Lazar, Lea Salonga, Hunter Ryan Herdlika, and Kate Baldwin. Selected NY credits include plays, musicals, and readings at Naked Angels, Old Vic/New Voices, Rattlestick, the Fringe, Midtown International Theatre Festival, Samuel French OOB Play Festival, The Laurie Beechman, Michael Weller Theatre, and The New School for Drama, among others. She was the assistant director (for Austin Pendleton) on Fifty Words at MCC (starring Norbert Leo Butz and Elizabeth Marvel) and Uncle Vanya at Classic Stage Company (starring Denis O’Hare, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Peter Saarsgard). Diana taught musical theatre on the faculty of Westminster Choir College, received her MFA from the New School for Drama and is a very proud Northwestern graduate. www.dianabasmajian.com

Eric Day, a versatile NYC composer and performer, holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Michigan, and an MFA from the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.  His NYU thesis project--"Hameko and Lulu,” a contemporary rock musical set in Tokyo, written with bookwriter/lyricist Rachel Jett--won NYU’s “First Look” grant, and has received readings at Playwrights Horizons and Barrington Stages.  Songs and music by Eric have been featured at Joe’s Pub, Birdland, the Laurie Beechman, and recently on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”  His song, “Bonjour Paris,” written for the web series “The Battery’s Down,” has been viewed on YouTube over 10,000 times.  Eric and his wife Lori released a theatrical concept album, “The Earth Beneath My Feet” under the moniker “The Day Family Band” in January.  (www.thedayfamilyband.com)  He can currently be seen on the Broadway stage as a regular bass guitar sub on “Memphis,” and “American Idiot.”

Debra Stunich (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to be living the dream in NYC after originally hailing from sunny Florida. After earning a BA in Theatre from Stetson University, she worked at SeaWorld, Orlando for 3 years, stage managing for a couple years with the dolphin show. FL credits:Joseph/Dreamcoat(Tuscawilla Methodist), Sweeney Todd (Stetson), The Fantasticks (Stetson). NYC credits: Songs for a New World (Chernuchin Theatre), The Vagina Monologues (at New World Stages), Two Spoons (Otherside Productions), Our Country (winner of 4 awards, including Best Musical, from the Planet Connections Festivity), and The Hole (at Off Broadway venue Theatre @ St. Clements).