“Genuinely refreshing!”
The New York Times
“A musical celebration – truly a winner.”
BroadwayWorld
PLAYING AT THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY THROUGH MAY 27TH!
BOOK AND LYRICS BY BILL RUSSELL
MUSIC BY JANET HOOD
DIRECTED BY AMY ANDERS CORCORAN
UNEXPECTED JOY is the story of three generations of female singers, long-held family tensions, and a week together where change is in the air. In modern day Cape Cod, Joy, a baby boomer and proud hippie, is holding a memorial concert for the other half of her popular musical duo, Jump & Joy. When her tightly-wound conservative daughter and her sweet rebellious granddaughter arrive from Oklahoma, the sparks fly as one family seeks to find the common ground in their different values, dreams and goals. UNEXPECTED JOY is a heartfelt and hilarious story that weaves folk-rock, pop, and blues in uniting a family that hasn’t experienced true joy together for decades.
UNEXPECTED JOY received its world premiere in 2016 at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre in Massachusetts and was previously developed through readings at The York and the Hudson Guild Theatre.
Produced BY
The York Theatre Company
James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director
Evans Hale, Executive Director
in association with
Jim Kierstead, Aria Entertainment, Gabby Hanna & Marcy Feller, Riki Kane Larimer, Linda & Craig Wielkotz,
Drew Desky & Dane Levens/Michael Mills, and William Fernandez/Behzad Dabu.
STARRING
COURTNEY BALLAN - RACHEL
Original Broadway companies: Falsettos (2016 revival), Finding Neverland, [title of show], Cry-Baby, In My Life. Off-Broadway: I Love You Because, Rated P for Parenthood, The Extraordinary Ordinary, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, The Marvelous Wonderettes. Regional: The Humans (Aimee, Pittsburgh Public), Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife, Alliance Theatre), Funny Girl (Fanny, Riverside Theatre), The Music Man (Marian, CT Rep), Company (Amy, Pittsburgh Public), Urinetown (Pennywise, Theatre Raleigh). Graduate: UMich MT. @courtneybalan
ALLYSON KAYE DANIEL - LOU
York Theatre Debut. Originally from Washington, DC, Allyson attended the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts and went on to attain a BFA in Musical Theatre from Penn State. Favorite credits include Oda Mae Brown in Ghost, Miss Jones in How to Succeed..., Killer Queen in We Will Rock You, Church Soloist in The Color Purple, and Bird Girl in Seussical: The Musical.
LUBA MASON - JOY
Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Best Supporting Actress nominee for Pretty Filthy. Broadway credits include Chicago (Velma), Jekyll & Hyde (Lucy), The Capeman (Mrs. Krzesinski), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1st Revival, Hedy LaRue), Sunset Blvd., Sid Caesar & Co., The Will Rogers Follies (Z's Fav). Television includes “Forever,” “Person of Interest,” “Raines,” “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue.” Solo Recordings: Mixtura (Kobalt Music), Krazy Love (Sunnyside Records), Collage (PS Classics). Graduate from NYU's Tisch SOA (Drama) and Circle in the Square Theater School. Recipient of the 2013 NYMF Award for "Outstanding Individual Performance" for Julian Po. www.lubamason.com
CELESTE ROSE - TAMARA
York Theatre Debut! Recent credits: A Connecticut Christmas Carol (Jen Scrooge/Goodspeed Musicals), Bernice Bobs Her Hair (Bernice/Lyric Theatre Of Oklahoma), Sister Act (Sister Mary Robert/Ogunquit Playhouse & Gateway Playhouse), Titanic (Kate Mullins/Westchester Broadway Theatre), The Bad Years (Ali), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet/HSRT). BFA Ithaca College. Proud member of The BringAbout! Endless gratitude to my family and the ladies at Judy Boals Inc. www.CelesteRose.com @_celeste_rose