Every day is opening night.

Press Contacts:
Rick Miramontez / Michael Jorgensen
rick@omdkc.com / michael@omdkc.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

“THE APPLE BOYS”
TO PREMIERE OFF-BROADWAY
AT THE DUKE ON 42^ND STREET
THIS WINTER

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

New York, NY (September 30, 2026) – Today, producers Johnnie Hawkins and LaChanze announced that the new musical The Apple Boys, with book by Jonothon Lyons (Little Shop of Horrors) and music & lyrics by Ben Bonnema (One Way), will premiere off-Broadway this winter at The Duke on 42^nd Street (229 West 42^nd Street). Directed by David Alpert (If/Then) and choreographed by Marc Kimelman (Masquerade), performances begin on Tuesday, February 16, 2027 with an opening night set for Thursday, February 25, and is set to play through Friday, June 18, 2027.

In Gilded Age New York, Coney Island is exploding with colorful characters, sideshow acts, and brand new hotdog recipes. But when Johnny Appleseed’s grandson Jack, and his working-class pals, discover that an unscrupulous landlord has designs on the family orchard, they’ll have to band together to raise the money in time. Their foolproof get-rich-quick scheme? Taking top prize in the turn-of-the-century’s biggest singing competition, of course. The Apple Boys is a pitch-perfect New York story about harmony, friendship, and the little dreams that live in the Big Apple.

“The Apple Boys has all the elements that make for a deeply satisfying musical comedy, from its lovable characters to its glorious score. I’m thrilled to be joining the producing team alongside Johnnie Hawkins. These songs will leave you wanting to sing for joy!” said LaChanze.

The creative team for The Apple Boys also includes Adam Koch (scenic design), Johanna Pann (costume design), Rui Rita (lighting designer), Alex Neumann (sound design), Rona Siddiqui (music supervisor), Matt Gallagher (vocal arrangements), and Jason Styres (casting director). Evan Bernardin Productions serves as general manager.

The Apple Boys features key art by Scott Stowell (Open) and typeface design by renown artist Tobias Frere-Jones. A special video was released showcasing the design and fabrication of this art, available here.

Additional information, including casting, will be announced soon.

Tickets for The Apple Boys are on sale now and available at TheAppleBoysMusical.com.

The Apple Boys is produced by Johnnie Hawkins, LaChanze, Larry Bomback, and AJ Epstein.

BIOGRAPHIES

David Alpert (Director) won the Wilde Award for his direction of Fully Committed, and was nominated for Best Director for A Scythe of Time at the New York Musical Festival. Off-Broadway: Our Brother’s Son (The Linney). Broadway/Off Associate: If/Then, The Trip to Bountiful, The Best Man, Talley’s Folly, Old Friends, Flashdance, Guys & Dolls. Founding Artistic Director of BroadwayCon, Creator of “E-Ticket to Broadway” podcast, producer of the “Living for Today” concert benefiting Gilana’s Fund, Creative Director for Idina Menzel (Carnegie Hall, Radio City, Bridges Tour, “Which Way to the Stage” on Disney+). David was named a Distinguished Alum of Western Michigan University, is a member of SDC, and on faculty at NYU.

Ben Bonnema (Music & Lyrics) has received a Jonathan Larson Grant, the Fred Ebb Award, and the Harold Adamson Lyric Award. Theatre: One Way with Christopher Staskel (NAMT, Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed), Boys Who Tricked Me (Musical Theatre Factory, “heart-healing musical theatre” -Joshua Barone of the New York Times), The Lost Girl with Arianna Rose. New Media: Peter Panic with James Marion (Adult Swim Games, two million downloads). His debut novel The Gravity of Us will be published by Harper-Collins in 2027. Ben holds an M.F.A. from NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. He helped form unions at Vital Climbing Gym and Patagonia SoHo.

Matt Gallagher (Vocal Arrangements) is currently the Associate Music Supervisor for all North American companies of Hamilton. Other Broadway credits: How to Dance in Ohio, Doctor Zhivago, Hands on a Hardbody, Jesus Christ Superstar, 9 to 5, Pal Joey, Legally Blonde, High Fidelity. Off-Broadway, Music Director: Cymbeline (The Public), Tick, Tick… Boom! (Encores!), The Last Five Years (Second Stage), Zanna, Don’t! (Houseman). Matt is a 37-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and has provided custom arrangements for dozens of quartets and choruses, including Voices of Gotham and 2022 Int’l Champions, Quorum.

Marc Kimelman (Choreographer) is the Associate Director/Choreographer for Masquerade, NYC’s award-winning, immersive production of Phantom of the Opera. He was Associate Choreographer for Broadway’s Tony-winning Jagged Little Pill, A Bronx Tale, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Marc choreographed the National Tour of Saturday Night Fever, Billy Elliot (Goodspeed), RENT, Man of La Mancha (Stratford Shakespeare Festival), Newsies, and Come From Away. TV/Film credits include: “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” Meatballs (upcoming), World’s Best (Disney Plus), Don’t Talk to Irene (starring Geena Davis). Marc was movement consultant for Vogue Magazine (Annie Leibovitz, Charlize Theron, September Issue). He has worked with Katy Perry, NYC Ballet, Queen, and Neil Young. Upcoming: Life On Mars, featuring the music of David Bowie. @kimelman

Adam Koch (Scenic Design). Broadway: A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical. Multiple Off-Broadway productions, currently: Slam Frank, as well as national tours, and projects around the world, including: Dreamgirls (Seoul); Sister Act (Tokyo); Pretty Woman, Mean Girls (São Paulo). Hundreds of regional productions, with multiple awards and nominations, including the original Million Dollar Quartet which ran for over 3,000 performances in Chicago, and productions at The Goodman Theatre, The Old Globe, Paper Mill Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Asolo Repertory. Additional projects for Disney Live Entertainment, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Virgin Voyages. Education: Carnegie Mellon University. @instadamkoch

Jonothon Lyons (Book) is an Independent Theater Award winning writer (Outstanding Original Short Script The Tenement 2010) and a recipient of the Jim Henson Foundation Seed Grant (Ensō 2013). He has performed Off-Broadway in Little Shop of Horrors, Blue Man Group, and Sleep No More. And at The Metropolitan Opera in Simon McBurney’s Die Zauberflöte, Lileana Blain-Cruz’s El Niño, and Anthony Minghella’s Madama Butterfly. He’s received over 2 billion views and 5 million followers for his viral internet creation Buddy the Rat @jonothonlyons. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity, AGMA, The Dramatists Guild, and the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Alex Neumann (Sound Design) is a Tony nominated, Drama Desk winning sound designer, based in NYC. Credits include: Broadway: Into the Woods, over two dozen shows as associate designer. City Center Encores!: In the Heights, Wild Party, Oliver!, Into the Woods. Tours: Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I. Off-Broadway: We’ve Been Here Before, Death Let Me Do My Show, Walk on Through, The Atheist. Regional: Windows (Arizona Theater Company), She Loves Me (Long Wharf), Sense and Sensibility (American Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage), Bus Stop, Curious Incident (Naples Players), Cabaret, Million Dollar Quartet (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). www.soundsneu.com

Johanna Pann (Costume Design) is a Costume and sometimes Scenic designer for Theatre, Film, Dance and Opera, a textile and visual artist. They first discovered theatrical design while competing in the creative thinking competition Odyssey of the Mind and has never looked back. Johanna’s artistic practice is centered around decolonizing the imagination, breaking down the notions of feminized labor, and anti-racism. They continue to harbor hope for a more sustainable humankind in the face of adversity.MFA: NYU/TISCH, @jpandesign

Rui Rita (Lighting Designer). Selected Broadway: Skeleton Crew; Velocity of Autumn; Trip to Bountiful; Present Laughter; Dividing the Estate; Enchanted April. Off-Broadway premieres: A Sherlock Carol (New World Stages), Paradise Blue (Signature), Horton Foote’s Old Friends & Orphans’ Home Cycle (Hewes Award, Signature), Happiest Song Plays Last (Second Stage), Just Jim Dale (Roundabout), Nightingale, Moonlight and Magnolias (Manhattan Theatre Club), Carpetbagger’s Children, Far East (Lincoln Center Theater). Off Broadway revivals: Seven Guitars (Lincoln Center Theater), The Piano Lesson (Signature), Talley’s Folly (Roundabout), and Engaged (Obie Award, TFANA). Recent regional credits include Alley, Bucks County, Center Theatre Group, Ford’s, Guthrie, Huntington, Oregon Shakespeare, Old Globe, Pasadena Playhouse, Signature DC. www.designbyrui.com

Rona Siddiqui (Music Supervisor) is a Grammy nominated composer/lyricist and recipient of the Kleban Award, Jonathan Larson Grant, Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award, ASCAP Harold Adamson Lyric Award, and ASCAP Foundation Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award. She was also named one of Broadway Women’s Fund’s Women to Watch. Her musicals include Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan (an autobiographical comedy about growing up bi-ethnic in America), One Good Day, Hip Hop Cinderella, and Treasure in NYC. She was the Music Supervisor of the Tony Award-winning A Strange Loop on Broadway. She teaches at NYU and BerkleeNYC and is a Dramatists Guild Council Member.

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