THE FOURTH MESSENGER

· by · in Musicals, Regional. ·
THE FOURTH MESSENGER
World Premier Musical by Vienna Teng and Tanya Shaffer
Produced by 100 Shades of Green, Ashby Stage, Berkeley CA
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Set Design- Joe Ragey
Costume Design- Fumiko Bielefeldt
Lighting Design- Steve Mannshardt
Choreogrpahy- Bridgette Lorieux
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San Francisco Chronicle
“The Fourth Messenger: Enlightened”
“An exciting and ambitious project, driven by Teng’s eclectic score, Shaffer’s inspired rewrites of the Buddha story, and their punchy, provocative lyrics…Hilarious and moving production numbers… imaginatively staged by Broadway’s Matt August… An absolute delight.”

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The Huffington Post
“Intelligent and skillfully crafted…A hugely ambitious and refreshingly original musical that demands the attention of any serious theatergoer…Above all, Fourth Messenger has been beautifully staged with grace, wit, and plenty of dramatic flair by Matt August who pulls exceptionally poignant performances from his two female leads…Driven by Teng’s propulsive score, Shaffer’s musical has the audience emotionally involved and on the edge of their seats…Teng is a fresh and exciting new theatrical talent with a distinctive voice of her own… Highly recommended.”
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NPR
“Don’t Miss the Messenger at Ashby Stage”
“A satisfying and remarkably entertaining new musical that takes on spiritual life with wit and emotional resonance… An impressively polished production helmed by Broadway director Matt August… Funny and touching in all the right places…[The Fourth Messenger] seems sure to catch fire if the outside world gets a chance to hear it.”

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Theater Dogs
“Spirited New Messenger Really Delivers”
“The Fourth Messenger is a triumph…Beautiful, ambitious and with the kind of depth we’ve come not to expect from musicals…Compelling from beginning to end… Shaffer’s book brims with intelligence and wit and Teng’s music feels rich in original ways, full of melody and intricacy… A smart producer will see the potential in this show – so abundantly displayed in this production – and help take it to the next level. It’s time for The Fourth Messenger to…share its own nirvana with a much wider audience.”