City Theatre/Pittsburgh CLO premiere invokes pop superstar Justin Timberlake

The play title invokes the name of Justin Timberlake — but will the pop superstar actually be there on stage?

Playwright Matt Schatz isn’t telling.

Audiences will find out as City Theatre premieres Schatz’s “An Untitled New Play by Justin Timberlake,” in a co-production with Pittsburgh CLO. The piece will be staged Nov. 27-Dec. 19 at the City Theatre Main Stage in Pittsburgh’s South Side.

“Justin Timberlake as a character may or may not appear, let’s leave it at that,” Schatz said.

And it’s doubtful that he knows his name is being used.

“There’s a lot of precedent for using the names of public figures,” Schatz said. “There were some title changes and CLO was a little nervous about it, but finally (City Theatre co-artistic director) Mark Masterson said, ‘Let’s do it.’

“It’s obviously satire. I’d like to think (Timberlake) has a good sense of humor.”

“New Play” follows the literary manager of a nonprofit theater who wants to change the world by producing serious plays by unsung writers. Instead, her money-minded boss taps a pop star to write a hit that will keep the theater solvent.

A comedic, musical rumination on the conflict between art and commerce then unfolds.

“There is some adult language and it’s a little edgier than what CLO typically does,” Schatz said.

‘Do Good Work’

Julianne Avolio plays the literary manager, Beth. In her position, also known as dramaturg, she solicits scripts, gets to know the writers and pushes for “plays that really matter,” Schatz said.

Her mantra, and the play’s opening number, is “Do Good Work, Do Good Plays.”

Craig MacDonald is her boss, Todd-Michael Smythe, who has to balance offering “things that are really interesting, that matter and are artistic, but still put butts in the seats,” Schatz said.

“There’s a fine line between art and commerce and who gets to say what’s what,” he said. “Take the Marvel movies — Martin Scorsese says they’re not art, but who gets to be the arbiter, who gets the final say?”

Schatz said the play — for which he wrote book, music and lyrics — also explores the dilemma of having to “do bad things to do the right thing.”

And then there’s a little grinding of a personal ax. In New York City, Schatz said he saw an advertisement for a celebrity’s new, untitled play.

“In a good year, a playwright like me maybe makes minimum wage, and then there’s the idea that a celebrity can write a play and they don’t even have to come up with a title. But then, what if they’re a genius?

“Playwrights are more interested in asking questions than in giving answers,” he said. “But this is an actual comedy, even though I do try to get at deeper things.”

The cast also includes Melessie Clark as Liz Cohen and Lara Hayhurst as El Yamasaki Brooks. Reginald L. Douglas directs, while Douglas Levine is music director.

Common goal

“New Play” is the second show in City Theatre’s 2021-22 subscription season and a first-time collaboration with Pittsburgh CLO, although the groups partnered on its early development and workshops.

The CLO featured the musical as part of its SPARK Festival 2019 for new works, but its premiere – originally scheduled for April 2020 at the CLO Cabaret in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District – was delayed due to the pandemic.

Los Angeles resident Schatz has a master of fine arts in dramatic writing from Carnegie Mellon University.

The writer and composer of numerous musicals, his awards include The Kleban Prize in Musical Theatre, The ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Musical Theater Award, The Reva Shiner Comedy Award, the New York Musical Festival Outstanding Lyrics Award and Broadway World Pittsburgh’s Original Script of the Decade Award.

Schatz was a writer for Taika Waititi’s upcoming “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” adaptation for Netflix Animation.

He said he actually workshopped two plays at SPARK, but “‘Justin Timberlake’ was the hit.”

“I will always be honored to work with City Theatre, one of my theatrical homes and the first place I ever really saw new plays,” he said. “In the case of ‘An Untitled New Play by Justin Timberlake,’ the piece would simply not exist in its current form without the ideas, support and guidance of the staff of City Theatre. Along the way, Pittsburgh CLO has also been crucial to developing this new musical, so it makes me doubly happy for these two great Pittsburgh institutions to team up to bring it to life.”

“After almost three years of development in partnership with the Pittsburgh CLO, it feels wonderful to share in bringing the world premiere … to both our audiences and especially fitting to have not one, but two dramaturgs supporting the creative team,” said Clare Drobot, City Theatre co-artistic director.

“Great things happen when people come together and work towards a common goal,” said Mark Fleischer, Pittsburgh CLO executive producer. “Working individually and now in partnership, our two companies continue to place Pittsburgh at the forefront of creating new American theatre.”

“New Play” will be staged Tuesday through Sunday evenings, with Wednesday and weekend matinees. A series of three accessible performances also are planned.

Attendees over the age of 12 will need to show proof of vaccination or negative covid test, with exceptions for medical conditions or religious beliefs. Masks will be required.

Tickets start at $29. For complete list of show times, more information and ticket purchase, call 412-431-2489 or visit citytheatrecompany.org.