‘Million Dollar Quartet’ producer to open ‘Boy From New York City’

Continuing to mine a vein of musical nostalgia found in “Baby, It’s You!” and “Million Dollar Quartet” (now playing at the Pantages through Sunday), Floyd Mutrux’s American Pop Anthology production company has announced a new show, “Boy From New York City,” which is to premiere at the Coast Playhouse in West Hollywood this fall.

Shifting its focus from 1960s girl groups and Sun Records to street corner doo-wop, “Boy From New York City” is being written and directed by the Tony Award-nominated Mutrux, who co-wrote “Baby, It’s You” and “Million Dollar Quartet,” and co-directed “Baby It’s You” with Pasadena Playhouse artistic director Sheldon Epps. The other co-leader of APA, Birgitte Mutrux, is handling the choreography.

The musical is to star Vincent Spano as George Goldner, a music promoter and label head in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll who recorded doo-wop hits from the Flamingos, the Wrens, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and other groups on the East Coast through the 1950s.

The musical will feature favorites such as Lymon’s “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” and “Barbara Ann” (made famous by the Beach Boys) as well as other familiar songs that could have also been heard on the soundtrack of “American Grafitti.”

APA is no doubt banking on “Boy From New York City” to follow in the footsteps of its previous musicals, eventually making the leap to Broadway (and, in the case of “Million Dollar Quartet,” coming back again). “Baby It’s You!” was workshopped at the Coast Playhouse and had its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2009.

Performances of “Boy From New York City” are set to begin on Sept. 20 and are scheduled to run for eight weeks.

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