WHAT'S NEW?
6/13/22: Well, that was a fun four years...
What the heck? It's been 50+ months and I'm only NOW getting around to updating my website? If this site wasn't completely free, I'd expect everyone to demand their money back!
First things first--I wrote a new musical! Pants! The Jimmy Pants Musical is a hilariously tongue-in-cheek parody of jukebox bios. And the most interesting thing about this one is, I wrote it with a friend who used to be a teacher! Joe Church, a man I used to refer to as Professor Church in my NYU days, provided the score and co-wrote the lyrics with me.
We were interrupted the pandemic (remember that?), but in March of this year, we received a workshop production produced by TONY winner Jim Kierstead in conjuction with the York Theatre. It was directed by Bill Castellino, and starred cool people like Jamie LaVerdiere, Lauren Marcus, Major Attaway, and Stuart Zagnit. Read about more about it in Playbill.com!
I have a few other projects underway as well, including a podcast that I'm still working on. More news to come, so keeping watching this space...
1/18/18: Recovering from 2017!
It's been a long time since I updated this page, for which I apologize to everyone including you. Personally, the most frustrating thing about curating a website is that when you fall behind, you get very self-conscious about the feeling you're not doing your job, so you try ignoring the problem, and then you get even further behind. It all becomes a vicious circle, and you know how I feel about circles...
First things first--Denmark was an absolute blast. Our hardworking Fredericia cast--headlined by the incredible Lars Mølsted--was a dream come true, and a brilliant crew brought the world of Legendale to full-color life on a LED screen-draped stage. Best of all, in between rehearsals, I had the opportunity to explore a truly beautiful and welcoming country. Seriously, the entire country! (As far as nations go, it's fairly compact.) A huge mange tak to everyone involved, especially superstar producer Søren Møller, who's staying aboard to help take our show to the next level. He's a lovely, generous man, and I just know he'll forgive me for not crossing the ø's in his name last time.
It's been a long time since I updated this page, for which I apologize to everyone including you. Personally, the most frustrating thing about curating a website is that when you fall behind, you get very self-conscious about the feeling you're not doing your job, so you try ignoring the problem, and then you get even further behind. It all becomes a vicious circle, and you know how I feel about circles...
First things first--Denmark was an absolute blast. Our hardworking Fredericia cast--headlined by the incredible Lars Mølsted--was a dream come true, and a brilliant crew brought the world of Legendale to full-color life on a LED screen-draped stage. Best of all, in between rehearsals, I had the opportunity to explore a truly beautiful and welcoming country. Seriously, the entire country! (As far as nations go, it's fairly compact.) A huge mange tak to everyone involved, especially superstar producer Søren Møller, who's staying aboard to help take our show to the next level. He's a lovely, generous man, and I just know he'll forgive me for not crossing the ø's in his name last time.
And then, a few months later, we got to do it all over again--this time stateside, in the picturesque town of Dayton, Ohio. Legendale's English-language debut at the Human Race Theatre went off without a hitch, thanks to the efforts of yet another dynamite cast featuring Broadway's own Max Crumm (Grease, Disaster! The Musical) and Abby Church (How to Succeed..., Irving Berlin's White Christmas). Plus, once again we were blessed with a superlative crew headed by producer Kevin Moore and director John Simpkins--the latter of whom also spearheaded the Danish production and has been an indispensable member of the team since NAMT. (Was that really only two years ago?)
You'd think that would be enough for one year, right? Well, you'd be dead wrong, mister (or mizz.) Thanks largely to the tireless efforts of my collaborator Andrea Daly, we closed out the year by producing nine fantastic studio recordings of our show's best songs, all of which you can listen to right here. For our sessions at Sear Sound Studios, we managed to assemble a Who's Who of Legendale casts past and present, including some major names (Betsy Wolfe! George Salazar! Tony-Winner James Monroe Iglehart!) who were only available for a few hours at a time. It was thrilling just to be in the same room as these heavy hitters, and the results speak for themselves.
So here's to a memorable, jam-packed 2017--and to a 2018 where I finally get the hang of this self-promotion thing. More updates will be coming soon--and that's a JBienstock.com guarantee!
So here's to a memorable, jam-packed 2017--and to a 2018 where I finally get the hang of this self-promotion thing. More updates will be coming soon--and that's a JBienstock.com guarantee!
8/28/17: Legendale comes to America!
Currently I am in Dayton, Ohio, preparing for Legendale's big English-language debut. More news to follow...
Currently I am in Dayton, Ohio, preparing for Legendale's big English-language debut. More news to follow...
3/7/17: More AMAZING Legendale Developments!
So here I am in Denmark. Whaaaaaaaaaat?
Yes, it's true. I'm at the Fredericia Teater in Fredericia, Denmark, where we're hard at work rehearsing the WORLD PREMIERE of Legendale! It's got a first-rate cast, top-notch theatrical effects, and a truly wonderful crew helmed by Danish superstar producer Soren Moller.
The premiere is March 23rd, so if you're in the neighborhood (of Northern Europe), feel free to buy a ticket and see what the fuss is all about! Or, if you're unable to swing by Scandinavia these days, check out our eye-popping new splash page at the theatre's website. In a way, it's totally representative of the production itself--technologically state of the art, yet very warm and accommodating. (The Danes are incredibly gracious hosts; I've been here for over two weeks, and have yet to meet a single unfriendly person.)
And if all this wasn't exciting enough, we have a date for our AMERICAN PREMIERE as well! After a successful workshop in December, we are proud to announce that Legendale will be opening the 2017-2018 season of the Human Race Theatre in Dayton, Ohio! Our production will run from September 7th through October 1st, and tickets will go on sale at the tail end of May. Check out Daytonian superstar producer Kevin Moore making the official announcement below!
So here I am in Denmark. Whaaaaaaaaaat?
Yes, it's true. I'm at the Fredericia Teater in Fredericia, Denmark, where we're hard at work rehearsing the WORLD PREMIERE of Legendale! It's got a first-rate cast, top-notch theatrical effects, and a truly wonderful crew helmed by Danish superstar producer Soren Moller.
The premiere is March 23rd, so if you're in the neighborhood (of Northern Europe), feel free to buy a ticket and see what the fuss is all about! Or, if you're unable to swing by Scandinavia these days, check out our eye-popping new splash page at the theatre's website. In a way, it's totally representative of the production itself--technologically state of the art, yet very warm and accommodating. (The Danes are incredibly gracious hosts; I've been here for over two weeks, and have yet to meet a single unfriendly person.)
And if all this wasn't exciting enough, we have a date for our AMERICAN PREMIERE as well! After a successful workshop in December, we are proud to announce that Legendale will be opening the 2017-2018 season of the Human Race Theatre in Dayton, Ohio! Our production will run from September 7th through October 1st, and tickets will go on sale at the tail end of May. Check out Daytonian superstar producer Kevin Moore making the official announcement below!
7/19/16: NAMT, ASCAP, Dayton, Denmark, and more!
So if you're following my career at all, you may have noticed that I haven't updated this site in about a year. Let me see if I can if summarize everything that's happened with Legendale in a few short paragraphs...
First of all, NAMT was a truly incredibly experience. Not only did we get to work with James Monroe Iglehart (Tony Winner for Aladdin), Emily Padgett (Bright Star, Side Show), Jake Epstein (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and other Broadway talent, but we were also introduced to brilliant director John Simpkins, who's since become a valuable member of our team.
All in all, we had a blast introducing our show to the industry! Our presentation was well-received and made us a few important new friends (more on them later...)
7/19/16: NAMT, ASCAP, Dayton, Denmark, and more!
So if you're following my career at all, you may have noticed that I haven't updated this site in about a year. Let me see if I can if summarize everything that's happened with Legendale in a few short paragraphs...
First of all, NAMT was a truly incredibly experience. Not only did we get to work with James Monroe Iglehart (Tony Winner for Aladdin), Emily Padgett (Bright Star, Side Show), Jake Epstein (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and other Broadway talent, but we were also introduced to brilliant director John Simpkins, who's since become a valuable member of our team.
All in all, we had a blast introducing our show to the industry! Our presentation was well-received and made us a few important new friends (more on them later...)
A few months later, we were thrilled to learn that our show had been accepted into yet another prestigious event--this time, it was the 2016 ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop in my hometown of Los Angeles. We performed roughly thirty minures of Legendale for moderators Karey Kirkpatrick (Something Rotten!), Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, etc. etc. etc.) and for a sold-out house at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. In fact, Stephen Schwartz enjoyed our presentation so much, we were invited to perform the complete second act at ASCAP's New York Workshop in April. He's become a Legendale fan--and needless to say, we're huge fans of his.
So what's next for us? We're pleased to announce that we'll be collaborating with not one but two theatre companies (and NAMT members) in the next year! First, Søren Møller and the Fredericia Teater in Fredericia, Denmark will present our World Premiere production in March 2017. Yes, you read that right--we're taking our act overseas! (Now we need to do is very quickly learn to fluently speak Danish...)
So what's next for us? We're pleased to announce that we'll be collaborating with not one but two theatre companies (and NAMT members) in the next year! First, Søren Møller and the Fredericia Teater in Fredericia, Denmark will present our World Premiere production in March 2017. Yes, you read that right--we're taking our act overseas! (Now we need to do is very quickly learn to fluently speak Danish...)
As for stateside development, Kevin Moore and the Human Race Theatre Company will be hosting us in December for a public reading in Dayton, Ohio this December. We have our sights set on an American premiere in the fall of 2017. Not bad for a show that's barely three years old!
6/7/15: Legendale is going to NAMT!
I'm excited to report that Legendale, the musical I've been writing with Andrea Daly since 2012, has been chosen as an official selection in the National Alliance of Musical Theater's annual festival of new musicals!
It joins a prestigious list of musicals that includes Thoroughly Modern Millie, Songs For a New World, The Drowsy Chaperone, It Should Have Been You, and other Broadway shows with fiendishly long titles. A special 45 minute version of Legendale will be performed at New World Stages on October 15th and 16th in front of an audience of producers and industry professionals from around the country!
You can check out festival information at NAMT's official site, or check out press releases in Variety, Playbill, and Broadwayworld.com!
I'm excited to report that Legendale, the musical I've been writing with Andrea Daly since 2012, has been chosen as an official selection in the National Alliance of Musical Theater's annual festival of new musicals!
It joins a prestigious list of musicals that includes Thoroughly Modern Millie, Songs For a New World, The Drowsy Chaperone, It Should Have Been You, and other Broadway shows with fiendishly long titles. A special 45 minute version of Legendale will be performed at New World Stages on October 15th and 16th in front of an audience of producers and industry professionals from around the country!
You can check out festival information at NAMT's official site, or check out press releases in Variety, Playbill, and Broadwayworld.com!
10/21/13: My very first SHOWCASE!
As seen on PLAYBILL!
Marcus Stevens and Natalie Charle Ellis, recently of Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking, are just two of the Broadway and Off-Broadway luminaries who will appear in Dorks, Drunks, and Dinosaurs: The Songs of Jeff Bienstock on October 21st at the Laurie Beechman Theater. Stevens will also be taking on directorial duties as he and his former co-star take part in an evening of music and lyrics by the multifaceted and award-winning Bienstock.
The show’s colorful title illustrates the composer's gift for creating and musicalizing offbeat characters. These include a geeky IT technician pining away for romance at his workstation, a lovably sleazy guitarist who considers monogamy a fate worse than death, a long-dead-but-still-crooning skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and more. Bienstock's songs run the gamut from soul-searching poignancy to sidesplitting hilarity, with plenty of surprises along the way.
Other performers in this One-Night-Only event include: Jed Resnick (Avenue Q), Jennifer Sanchez (Ghost, the upcoming Little Miss Sunshine), Grace McLean (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812), David Foley Jr. (NEWSical), Brian Charles Rooney (Threepenny Opera, 2006 Broadway Revival), Whit Baldwin (Merrily We Roll Along, 2012 Encores!), Jennifer Blood (Unlock’d). Also included are Aaron Phillips, Ian Lowe, and Stacey Scotte. Rachel Kaufman is the Music Director, and Caleb Hawley will be featured on guitar.
In addition to songs from these past projects, Bienstock will also be unveiling numbers from an upcoming show, Legendale. It is currently being co-written with composer Andrea Daly and promises to be the world’s first video game-themed musical.
Dorks, Drunks, and Dinosaurs: The Music of Jeff Bienstock will be performed on Monday, October 21st, 9:30 PM, at the Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 W. 42nd Street. Cover charge is $10, and there is a $15 food/beverage minimum for all audience members. To purchase tickets, go to www.westbankcafe.com.
As seen on PLAYBILL!
Marcus Stevens and Natalie Charle Ellis, recently of Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking, are just two of the Broadway and Off-Broadway luminaries who will appear in Dorks, Drunks, and Dinosaurs: The Songs of Jeff Bienstock on October 21st at the Laurie Beechman Theater. Stevens will also be taking on directorial duties as he and his former co-star take part in an evening of music and lyrics by the multifaceted and award-winning Bienstock.
The show’s colorful title illustrates the composer's gift for creating and musicalizing offbeat characters. These include a geeky IT technician pining away for romance at his workstation, a lovably sleazy guitarist who considers monogamy a fate worse than death, a long-dead-but-still-crooning skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and more. Bienstock's songs run the gamut from soul-searching poignancy to sidesplitting hilarity, with plenty of surprises along the way.
Other performers in this One-Night-Only event include: Jed Resnick (Avenue Q), Jennifer Sanchez (Ghost, the upcoming Little Miss Sunshine), Grace McLean (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812), David Foley Jr. (NEWSical), Brian Charles Rooney (Threepenny Opera, 2006 Broadway Revival), Whit Baldwin (Merrily We Roll Along, 2012 Encores!), Jennifer Blood (Unlock’d). Also included are Aaron Phillips, Ian Lowe, and Stacey Scotte. Rachel Kaufman is the Music Director, and Caleb Hawley will be featured on guitar.
In addition to songs from these past projects, Bienstock will also be unveiling numbers from an upcoming show, Legendale. It is currently being co-written with composer Andrea Daly and promises to be the world’s first video game-themed musical.
Dorks, Drunks, and Dinosaurs: The Music of Jeff Bienstock will be performed on Monday, October 21st, 9:30 PM, at the Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 W. 42nd Street. Cover charge is $10, and there is a $15 food/beverage minimum for all audience members. To purchase tickets, go to www.westbankcafe.com.