SEWELL — Inspired by the short story by Washington Irving, The Real Legend of Sleepy Hollow will hit the stage for the very first time this fall. The musical masterpiece created by Clarksboro native Matthew Norcross, will premiere on Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2 at TD Bank Performing Arts Center in Sewell.
The Real Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the untold story of Ichabod Crane as he really was cunning, manipulative and rife with ambition. Ichabod’s travels take him to the village of Sleepy Hollow, where he sets his sights on his most ambitious conquest to date, the heiress to the Van Tassel fortune, Katrina.
He is, however, not alone. Also attempting to win the hand of the beautiful Katrina is Brom Bones. Ichabod must battle not only against the formidable Brom Bones, but also against the recurring, haunting vision of a Headless Horseman. Most significantly, Ichabod must, for the first time in his life, confront his own genuine feelings for someone else.
“I have been working on The Real Legend of Sleepy Hollow since studying at Rowan University, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to finally share this story of Ichabod Crane with the South Jersey and Greater Philadelphia communities,” says Norcross. “I am honored to have such a talented cast and crew by my side to help me debut my hard work, and cannot wait for the musical’s debut.”
Norcross has brought on a fantastic cast and crew with wonderful stage experience from the Greater Philadelphia, South Jersey and New York areas. David Leidholdt will be the director of the musical, coming from an impressive theater background working in and around the New York City area since 1993. Leidholdt has worked with the organizations such as the American Family Theatre in Philadelphia, ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, and The New York Musical Theatre Festival to name a few.
In addition to the musical’s impressive leadership, Brett Colby will play the lead role of Ichabod Crane. Colby has performed in leading roles in the New Jersey area such as Harold Hill in The Music Man of Algonquin Arts Theatre, as well as The Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show and Charlemagne in Pippin of ReVision Theatre. He is also a regular on Power 105.1 FM’s Dr. Dre in the Morning Show, singing operatic renditions of popular songs in the recurring segment called “Hip-Hopera” and the cult comedy film, The War on the War on Drugs.
Tickets to The Real Legend of Sleepy Hollow range from $10 to $30 and are on sale now. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit The Arc of Monmouth’s mission to improve the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
For more information about The Real Legend of Sleepy Hollow, please visit www.thereallegendofsleepyhollow.com. “Like” The Real Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheRealLegendOfSleepyHollow. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office of the TD Bank Performing Arts Center or through Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787 or www.ticketmaster.com.
