Hell’s Belles is a Montclair sister production.
Montclair natives, Eileen and Sharon Weiss, of Tweiss Productions are set to help kick off a new musical premiering in Times Square in October. Hell’s Belles is a new musical comedy that begins performances off-Broadway on Oct. 3. Hell’s Belles, presented by Tweiss Productions and Nicholas James Opalenik/Event Horizon Productions, has book and lyrics by Bryan D. Leys, music by Steve Liebman, direction by John Znidarsic and music direction by Mary Feinsinger. The full cast is soon to be announced.
Other New Jersey colleagues are involved in the show alongside the Weiss sisters; Nicholas James Opalenik/Event Horizon Productions is a co-producer and Josh Iacovelli is designing the Sets and Lighting. Many classmates of Eileen and Sharon from Montclair High have also helped them out behind the scenes and all along the rocky road to Hell.
Hell’s Belles is about a fallen pop star that lands in Hell and joins some of history’s most notorious ladies in a new musical comedy. See Salome shimmy, Lady Godiva let her hair down, Janis Joplin belt some wicked blues and an epic showdown between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. These are some of the hell-raising belles in the fast-paced, razor-sharp musical satire, Hell’s Belles.
According to Eileen and Sharon Weiss, their passion for theatre initially came from their parents who took them to many shows as kids. Eileen’s first job was working as an usher and in the box office of the Whole Theatre Company in Montclair, under the leadership of Olympia Dukakis. Eileen also played clarinet in the orchestra pit of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Montclair High School.
“Those were the seeds that inspired us to stay involved in theatre today,” said Eileen and Sharon. “There are so many artists and arts organizations in the Montclair area. It’s a great place to hone one’s craft.”
Prior to producing Hell’s Belles, the Weiss sisters produced the first New York City revival of Goodtime Charley; Between the Lines with Luna Stage when it was in Montclair, A Short Wake at New York’s first Irish Festival and off-Broadway’s Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking and Forbidden Broadway Come Out Swinging. Currently, they are currently developing new projects including How to Marry a Divorced Man by Bryan Leys and Clare Cooper and Inside Danny’s Box by Derek Murphy. Eileen also co-wrote and produced a post-9/11 project entitled Same Difference.
Tweiss Productions and Nicholas James Opalenik/Event Horizon Productions will present the original musical Hell’s Belles in Times Square this October, with book and lyrics by Bryan D. Leys and music by Steve Liebman. Hell’s Belles will begin performances at The Elektra Theatre at The Times Square Arts Center (located at 300 West 43rd Street) on Oct., opening Oct. 24 for a limited run through Dec. 27. Hell’s Belles begins performances on Oct. 3 with the official opening on Oct. 24.
Tickets are $39, $69, $99 and can be purchased by visiting HellsBellesTheMusical.com or by calling 866-811-4111.
Performances are on Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., as well as Sundays at 3 p.m. The show runs for 90 minutes with no intermission. The Elektra Theatre at The Times Square Arts Center is located at 300 West 43rd Street.
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