What started out as a misplaced note in 2000 turned into a magazine celebrating all things found: letters, notes, cards, ticket stubs and more. In 2014 a musical inspired by Found Magazine (and the idea of taking these found items and celebrating them) had its world premiere at the Atlantic Theatre Company. That musical, appropriately entitled Found, has its West Coast Premiere at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Found officially opens on February 20th and will run through March 23rd.
There are a lot of very talented people involved with this musical. Hunter Bell, who wrote the book for [title of show] collaborates with Lee Overtree (Story Pirates) on the book for Found. The music was written by Eli Bolin (composer of the songs for Original Cast Album: Co-op, part of Documentary Now! and inspired by the recording session for the original cast album of Company). Directing the show is Moritz von Stuelpnagel who helmed Broadway productions of Bernhardt/Hamlet and Hand to God.
The cast of Found includes Jonah Platt (Wicked and brother of Ben Platt), Jordan Kai Burnett (For the Record series), Sheila Carrasco (Jane the Virgin), Parvesh Cheena (Neil Simon’s Musical Fools at Open Fist), Desi Dennis-Dylan (Bridesmaids at Rockwell Table & Stage), Tom DeTrinis (Die, Mommie, Die), Zehra Fazal (Bars and Measures), Ryan W. Garcia (30 Minute Musicals), Mike Millan (Escape to Margaritaville) and Karla Mosley (Dreamgirls with Jennifer Holliday).
After three performances of the musical (February 22nd, March 2nd and March 21st) there will be late-night presentations of Davy Rothbart’s Found Magazine Show. If you have a ticket for that performance, admission to the late-night shows is included.
When the show opened in New York, Charles Isherwood in the New York Times made the show a “Critic’s Pick.” All the ingredients for a thoroughly entertaining show are present here.
The only question is will this show be Found by an audience?
Photo: Tom DeTrinis, Jordan Kai Burnett, Mike Millan and Jonah Platt in Found (Photo by Jeff Lorch/Courtesy of IAMA Theatre Company)