FRIENDS LIKE THESE WINS 7TH ANNUAL TRU MUSICALS READING SERIES AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL Friends Like These to be showcased December 4, 2006 The first annual Howard L. Blau Award for a promising new work of musical theater was presented to Friends Like These with music by John McMahon, lyrics by Jay Jeffries, and with book by Mr. Jeffries and Mr. McMahon. The musical was selected out of more than 50 entries. Friends Like These will be showcased on December 4, 2006 at the TRU VOICES 7th Annual TRU Musicals Reading Series at The Players Theater, 115 MacDougal Street. Mr. Blau is an attorney with Blau and Kayman, a philanthropist, and a special friend of the performing arts community. His award for Friends Like These will endow the December 4th reading, provide resources for producers and artistic directors, and help these professionals work on its next steps in development. Friends Like These is the story of four New York women—a young celebrity newswoman, a sensuous and free-spirited soap opera star, a wisecracking author, and an eccentric socialite—who prove that while men come and go, friends like these are forever. The December 4th reading of Friends Like These will feature Trisha Rapier (The NEWSical, understudy for the Liza Minelli character in The Boy from Oz, Forbidden Broadway), Raissa Katona Bennett (Christine in Phantom of the Opera, first national touring companies of CATS and Parade, under the direction of Hal Prince, Saving Aimee, book and lyrics by Kathie Lee Gifford), and Casey Clark (SHOUT! The Mod Musical, It Ain't Really My Birthday...in last May's TRU reading series), Jana Robbins (Good News, I Love My Wife, Crimes of the Heart, Romance/Romance, Gypsy and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife), and Eadie Scott (What in the World: The NEWSical Revue.) Jay Jeffries, an ASCAP songwriter, has written lyrics and sketches for countless Upstairs at the Downstairs revues. He also wrote lyrics for the off-Broadway revues Fun City at the Jan Hus and For Love or Money at the Circle Rep. On Broadway, with composer John Raitt, he wrote specialty material for Stardust. Composer, pianist, musical director and Bistro Award winner John McMahon's Broadway credits include Prince of Central Park and the revival of the Gershwin musical Oh! Kay!. He composed the music for Satan's School for Girls, which was nominated for a Jeffrey award for its Chicago run at the Circle Theater. His original revue "That's My New York!"--written with Friends Like These lyricist Jay Jeffries--opened at Judy's Chelsea in March of 2001, and won a 2002 Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) award for the song "Where's Shirley?" The December 4th reading of Friends Like These will be directed by Kelly Briggs (Cats, Les Miserables) and head of Kelly Briggs Casting. Previous recipients of TRU VOICES Musicals Reading Series include The Great American Trailer Park Musical, written by Betsy Kelso and David Nehls, which is planning a national tour right now; Nor'mal by Yvonna Adrian, Tom Kochan and Cheryl Stern, which played an off-Broadway limited run starring Tony nominee Barbara Walsh; and Saint Heaven by Marty Casella and Keith Gordon, which moved from last year's TRU series into a production at the Stamford Center for the Performing Arts starring former pop star Deborah Gibson and Tony winner Chuck Cooper. TRU (Theater Resources Unlimited), the organization sponsoring the Howard Blau Award and the 7th Annual Musicals Reading Series--was organized in March 1992. TRU's goal is to promote a spirit of cooperation and support within the general theater community by providing information and a variety of entertainment-related services and resources that strengthen the capacity of producers, artists and theater professionals.

Our last jam-packed, smash hit reading was on June 21, 2006 at The York Theater The Cast: Holly: Kelly Howe, Deedee: Karen Mason, Dana: Deborah Tranelli, and Meg: Joanna Glushak. The York Theatre Company is the only theatre in New York City - and one of very few in the world - dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. For over three decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both new and neglected classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim, multiple awards and nominations, and acclamation from artists and audiences alike. Founded by Janet Hayes Walker in 1969, the York has presented over sixty full-scale musical productions, including such classics as The Golden Apple, The Grass Harp, On the 20th Century, A Doll's Life, Lost in the Stars, Carnival and Merrily We Roll Along. York productions which have moved to extended runs both on and Off-Broadway include Sweeney Todd, Jolson & Company, Pacific Overtures, The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) and Souvenir. Under the guidance of Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused primarily on new musicals - most of them world, American, or New York premieres - by some of the field's most esteemed creators, and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Recent productions include Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, LingoLand, Souvenir, The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), The IT Girl, Suburb, Fermat's Last Tango, After the Fair, Taking a Chance on Love, Jolson & Company, No Way to Treat a Lady, Roadside, The Last Sweet Days, The Show Goes On, Prodigal, Porterphiles, Max Morath: Ragtime and Again, Exactly Like You. Many of these have recorded cast albums, making a total of over twenty York recordings to date. In addition, the York has presented over fifty concert revivals of musical theatre gems from the past in its "Musical in Mufti" series. Notable shows include Celebration, Beggar's Holiday, Carmelina, Fanny, Jumbo, The Good Companions, Lucky Stiff, Darling of the Day, Mata Hari, Carmen Jones, Weird Romance, Johnny Johnson, Rex, Billion Dollar Baby, 70, Girls, 70 and Mirette. TIME Magazine listed York's Mufti version of Darling of the Day as one of the Top Ten Theatrical Events of 2005. The company annually presents over forty readings of new musicals in its Developmental Reading Series, which has been the incubator for such shows as Avenue Q, Harold & Maude, Summer of '42, Children's Letters to God, Souvenir and The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!). The York also hosts workshops of new musicals, a number of which have been recipients of the prestigious Richard Rodgers Development Award, administered by The American Academy of Arts and Letters. York is also the proud administrator of the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre. The Developmental Reading Series presents around thirty readings and workshops of new musicals by emerging and established authors for one to five performances each, free of charge to the public. These readings are a vital part of the writing process. Post-performance discussions are occasionally held with audiences. This series also serves as an incubator for shows to be considered for Mainstage production, thus serving the York's unique mission of taking new musicals through the complete development process to full production. Since 1993, The York Theatre Company has been located on the lower level of Saint Peter's Church in Citigroup Center - Manhattan's Midtown East neighborhood. ********************************** Representation for "Friends Like These": Ron Gwiazda at ABRAMS ARTISTS AGENCY (646) 486-4600 fax (646) 486-0100 275 Seventh Ave. / 26th Floor NYC NY 10001

Kelly Briggs- (Director) Kelly is a performer, director and casting director. He has appeared in both the Broadway and National touring productions of Les Miserables and Cats. Kelly was also the host on the nationally syndicated program Debates/Debates. He directed the critically acclaimed McMahon/Jeffries revue That’s My New York as well as 5 productions of Broadway on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City featuring such names as Andrea McArdle, Gary Beach, Melba Moore, Julie Budd, Terri White, and Kate Shindle. As a casting director, Kelly casts for the Cohoes Music Hall and Tri-Arts at the Sharon Playhouse. Kelly also performs in concert and cabaret in his own act and with Jerry Christakos and John McMahon in the Nightlife Award winning show Lovely a musical comedy.

Henry Aronson- (Musical Direction) Henry has been heard (and sometimes seen) on Broadway as Music Director of “In My Life,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Rent,” “Rocky Horror Show” and “Starmites”; Associate Conductor of “Good Vibrations,” “Parade, “Saturday Night Fever, “Mail,” “Prince of Central Park” and conductor of “The Who’s Tommy”; Off-Broadway, Musical Director of “Once Around The Sun,” “3 Guys Naked From The Waist Down”; Associate M.D., Radio City Christmas Spectacular (NYC). He is Musical Director of the new Twyla Tharp show, “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” set to the songs of Bob Dylan.