'Yank!' at the Beckett Theatre

The New York Musical Theatre Festival present Yank!, a musical by Joseph & David Zellnik, at Theatre Row 's Beckett Theatre from the 14 - 21 Sep 2005. Part of the Second New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Yank! is a WW2 buddy-movie-of-a-musical, a love song both to the Hollywood "it takes one of every kind" platoon flicks as well as the lyricism of 1940's Broadway. It tells the story of Stu (a war reporter) and Mitch (a private) who fall in love in Basic Training and then meet again when Stu is on assignment reporting on Mitch�s outfit.

In addition to being suffused with songs (swing, big band, boogie-woogie) it explores what stories get told in wartime, what gets remembered, and how WW2 became the great catalyst in bringing gay men and women together.

Directed by Igor Goldin and choreographed by Chase Brock, the musical features Doug Kreeger as Stu, a war photographer for Yank magazine � a real WWII-era publication, written by army servicemen themselves and distributed among the troops � and the central character of the musical Yank! (the character is in every scene and never leaves the stage!

The show takes the form of a memory play, as an elderly Stu in a nursing home remembers his experiences during the WW2 in the Pacific, most especially his romance with fellow soldier Mitch.

The design team for Yank! is Ray Klausen (Scenic Design), Wade Laboissonniere (Costume Design), Ken Lapham (Lighting Design) and Lawrence Manchester (Sound Design).

Dedicated to discovering new work and new artists, The New York Musical Theatre Festival celebrates the diversity, creativity, and future of musical theatre. NYMF is a flagship program of the National Music Theater Network, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and is America�s largest annual musical theatre event.