The Funkentine Rapture is an original funk fable with book by Lee Summers and Ben Blake and music and lyrics by Lee Summers. Set in a magically gritty and vibrant Harlem in 1977, the musical celebrates the sound, spirit, and cultural impact of the funk era, drawing inspiration from legends such as Bootsy Collins, Sly Stone, and George Clinton.
Originally developed at TheatreWorks (Palo Alto, California) and a past selectee of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) Festival of New Musicals, the piece most recently received a New York 29-hour industry reading directed by Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart with music direction by Broadway veteran Lon Hoyt (Hairspray).
The project is now entering its next phase: a fully staged professional workshop. This initial fundraising phase seeks to raise $100,000 toward a $225,000 workshop budget, supporting cast, creative team, rehearsal space, music preparation, and production resources necessary to position the musical for commercial and institutional partnership.
Lee Summers is an original cast member of the Broadway production of Dreamgirls, as well as an award-winning director, writer, and professor at NYU. He is also the creator of From My Hometown, licensed through Concord Theatricals, and Ella, First Lady of Song, which has received multiple regional productions. With a proven record of bringing new musical work to professional production, Summers is committed to developing The Funkentine Rapture at the highest artistic level.
Learn More: https://leesummersshows.com/