ArtsWest To Stage World Premiere Musical THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION

In its World Premiere, Justin Huertas' musical THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION will play at ArtsWest from June 20 through July 28, with ArtsWest Artistic Director Mathew Wright directing.

A brand new pop-rock musical from the imagination of musical mastermind Justin Huertas (LIZARD BOY), THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION weaves a legend and fantasy-infused tale inspired by Seattle folklore. The story follows a young girl setting off for college, whose discovery of her mother's old trophy throws open the locked doors of the past. Soon, she must reckon with a world turned upside down - and the arrival of strange new abilities that seem to hint at a destiny beyond her wildest imagination.

"Justin has created a thrilling modern myth of love, family, and transformation." said Artistic Director and THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION director Mathew Wright. "What he's made is so complex and beautiful. I think his music and lyric writing in this show is some of the absolute best I've heard."

"I wanted to write a musical about a mom who's also a superhero in her own right," said creator Justin Huertas. "It's just my luck that Corinna Lapid Munter is a musical theatre actress, a mother, and a real-life superhero. She knows karate, drives a motorcycle, and has one of the most incredible singing voices in Seattle. She's also Filipinx like me. So in a sense," said Huertas, "I get to write about my own mom, my own family, and my own cultural experience while I invent new Seattle-based mythology."

The cast features the return of Corinna Lapid Munter (SWEENEY TODD), Rachel Guyer-Mafune (M. BUTTERFLY), and Christian Quinto (OFFICE HOUR), alongside the ArtsWest debuts of Tyler Rogers (HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, Book-It Repertory Theatre) and Porscha Shaw (NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN, Seattle Repertory Theatre).

The Creative Team features creator Justin Huertas (LIZARD BOY), musical arrangements & orchestrations by Steven Tran (HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, Book-It Repertory Theatre), Music Director Claire Marx (WIND OF A THOUSAND TALES, Seattle Public Theatre), Properties Master Jessamyn Bateman-Lino (MY ANTONIA, Book-It Repertory Theatre), Choreographer Alyza DelPan-Monley (OFFICE HOUR), Costume Designer Jocelyne Fowler (OFFICE HOUR), Stage Manager Kaya Hubbard (A CIRCULAR PLAY, Sarah Lawrence College), Scenic Designer Lex Marcos (M. BUTTERFLY). Lighting Designer - Zanna King, Associate Sound Designer Brian Murphy (M. BUTTERFLY), and Sound Designer Haley Parcher (Green Day'S AMERICAN IDIOT).

THE LAST WORLD OCTOPUS WRESTLING CHAMPION plays June 20 - July 28, 2019 at ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave SW, Seattle WA 98116. Tickets ($20-$42) available online at www.artswest.org, by phone at 206-938-0339, or at the box office Thursday through Saturday, 2-7:30 p.m.

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