Javier Munoz, Sydney James Harcourt & More to Lead CUBAMOR Reading at TheatreWorks' 2013 New Works Festival, Begin. Tomorrow

Casting is complete for CUBAMOR, a new musical romance by James D. Sasser and Charles Vincent Burwell which will receive staged readings August 10, 14, and 17 as part of TheatreWorks' 2013 New Works Festival. In this saucy new musical, diverse paths meet in modern-day Havana, where love erupts to an irresistible Latin beat. Here mystical forces scheme and cross-cultural romance fills the American-Cuban divide with the provocative promise of change. In addition to staged readings of CUBAMOR, TheatreWorks' twelfth annual Festival will feature multiple staged readings of four other new plays and musicals, a panel discussion, live outdoor music from local musicians, and food trucks offering gourmet dining al fresco, August 10-18 at TheatreWorks at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. Festival goers can catch every show with a Festival Pass ($65, or $49 for subscribers) or can purchase tickets for individual readings ($19). For tickets and a full schedule of live music and food trucks, the public may visit theatreworks.org or call (650) 463-1960.

Directed by Kent Nicholson, with music direction by William Liberatore, the cast is comprised of Javier Muñoz (In the Heights) as Lazaro, Sydney James Harcourt (Unlocked) as Renato, Marinda Anderson as Maria, Michelle Cabinian (TheatreWorks' Somewhere) as Zoe, Dawn Troupe (TheatreWorks' Big River) as Oshun, and Omari Tau as Elegua. CUBAMOR is based on Sundance Jury Award-winner Joshua Bee Alafia's film of the same name. Creators James D. Sasser and Charles Vincent Burwell were recently named 2013 Uncharted Artists in Residency at Ars Nova, where they are working on their latest musical Bottle Shock based on the 2008 movie about Napa and the famous game-changing 1976 wine tasting in Paris. Their songs have been heard at Lincoln Center, 54 Below at Studio 54, and other venues around New York City.

The 2013 New Works Festival is presented by TheatreWorks' New Works Initiative, which seeks out new material and serves as a collaborative matchmaker for writers and composers. The smash Broadway hit Memphis, which claimed the Tony Awards for "Best Musical," "Best Score," "Best Book," and "Best Orchestrations" and played on Broadway for three years before embarking on a 19 month national tour, was first workshopped as a part of the 2002 New Works Festival and made its World Premiere at TheatreWorks in 2004.

With nearly 8,500 subscribers and over 100,000 patrons per year, TheatreWorks has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatergoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast from across the country.

Photo by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd