"So whatever fortune you may hold...
all that matters is your Heart of Gold"
Listen to an excerpt of "
Heart of Gold"
Performed by Justin Guarini and Lee Ellis
"Ollie, the circus' newest Hobo Clown, seeks to capture the heart of fallen trapeze star Angel DeLuna. Ollie's
romantic illusions are shattered when a mysterious stranger arrives to dismantle Angel's beloved carousel, forcing her to face the tragic secrets of her past. As the carousel comes down, the lives of the
entire circus troupe are forever changed as together they discover what truly matters in life."
Set in the circus world during the Great Depression, this magical tale shares the triumph of love and laughter over heartbreak and deceit. Suitable for ages 8 and above.
"It pulls you in with its inherent warmth" - The Denver Post
"I was flabbergasted by the level of craftsmanship that has gone into this musical. For being a brand-new production, it already seems well polished beyond its short lifespan. The story, the music, the lyrics, all of them feel more Broadway than Boulder."
"The Awakening of Angel DeLuna is a surprising triumph. It is without a doubt the most successful, brand- spanking- new musical I have had the pleasure to witness. With some tweaks and some luck, it really could end up playing in Manhattan or in Denver by way of the traveling Broadway company. And you can say you saw it first, back when it was just opening its eyes and reaching out to the world for the very first time." - Boulder Weekly
"What you have here is a big old-fashioned musical that leaves the audience with a song in their heart and a tear in their eye."
- Jack Finlaw, Past Chair of Opera Colorado
"I believe deeply in the necessity of the new musical and this piece really does have great commercial appeal while still holding all the integrity of good art. This is a very worthy endeavor."
- Tracy Bersley, Professor of Drama at Princeton and Julliard
Judylynn Schmidt
Book & Lyrics
Ms. Schmidt originated
The Awakening of Angel DeLuna as a play which was workshopped thru The New Jersey Playwrights Workshop, and received staged readings throughout New Jersey.
The Awakening of Angel DeLuna was presented as a full musical with composer and co-lyricist Lee Ellis at a Staged Reading at the Dramatist Guild in 2007. Ms. Schmidt's play
The Last Laugh was performed at Amandla Theatre in Howell New Jersey. She is the author of the one-act play
In the Beginning Was the Carousel, and
Rattled (co-authored with Damion Kirk). Along with Kate Griffler, she is co-author of the story "Live Your Life," featured in the Best Selling book, "Chicken Soup for the Survivor's Soul."
Lee Ellis
Music & Lyrics
Mr. Ellis began performing professionally with the Light Opera of Manhattan, appearing in Theatre, Television, Film and entertaining audiences in cabarets worldwide - including two years as the singer/pianist on the Four-Masted Sailing Ship, "Sea Cloud." While working with Tony Award winning producer John Glines in the Stamp Out AIDS project, Mr. Ellis co-produced the first series of benefits for Broadway Cares with his writing partner Tug Wilson. Mr. Ellis has two CD's of his original music available – "Michael" and "Return to Love."
Kate Griffler
Co- Producer, Choreographer, Angel Wings NYC, LLC
Ms. Griffler is extremely excited to see Angel DeLuna on its feet. Kate has shown choreography at the Brooklyn Fashion Festival, the Baruch Performing Arts Center, The Rover Soho Gallery, Purchase College, the Akashi Arts Center, the Kobe Fashion Museum, The Gershwin Hotel, The Ailey Citigroup Theater 2008-2011, The Clemente Soto Theater, TANK, in short film Camilo Tranquilo and one man show The Lion and the Wasteland of Sound.
As a producer, Kate is credited with the Equity reading of The Awakening of Angel DeLuna, 4 Choreographers, 4 New Works at the Baruch Performing Arts Center, danscores by Ofelia Loret de Mola Presents: NYC-MEXICO Festival de la Ciudad Intl.Tour and was production manager of O! Balletto at the New York International Fringe Festival, ANTIGONES directed by LEIMAY at Joyce SoHo and International Dance Exchange & Performance in collaboration with CAVE. Kate has also been involved with Reverb Dance (www.reverbdance.org) since it's inception and has been a producing director/ curator since 2007.
For media inquiries, please contact
AngelDeLunaMusical@gmail.com