Inspired by true events and based on the film by Ken Loach and Paul Laverty, BREAD AND ROSES is the story of 25-year old Maya, who risks her life making the terrifying cross into Los Angeles from Mexico with the help of her sister Rosa.
For as long as she can remember, Maya’s dreamed about reuniting with Rosa and working with her as a janitor in upscale Building 646 in downtown LA. Once there, Maya learns the truth about the corrupt and abusive manager Perez, who bullies and blackmails the workers, pitting them against each other and exploiting them for his own gain as he cozies up to the powerful building owners who hold everyone’s destiny in their hands.
With the help of the passionate and often reckless Sam from Justice For Janitors, Maya becomes a force for change in the building. Fighting for her fellow workers, Maya pushes her relationship with Rosa to the brink. Alliances are formed, backs are stabbed, and families are torn apart. Ultimately, Maya must give up what she holds dearest, but not before she changes the lives of the janitors of Building 646, and the world, forever.
A finalist in the National Alliance For Musical Theatre's 27th Annual Festival of New Musicals, BREAD AND ROSES was also featured in NAMT's "Other Shows You Should Know" Jukebox.
Under the direction of Melissa Crespo and music direction of Alex Gemignani, the show was selected for the 2016 New York Musical Festival's Developmental Reading series and made Playbill’s top ten shows to see at NYMF.
In 2017 Amas Musical Theatre presented three staged readings of BREAD AND ROSES, also directed by Melissa Crespo, with music direction by Meg Zervoulis and music supervision by Alex Gemignani.
Amas Musical Theatre • Staged Reading
Two-Minute Highlight Reel
Featuring:
Blanca Carmacho, Richard R. Henry, Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, Andrea Jones-Sojola, Michelle Lauto, Cedric Leiba, Jr., Travis Mitchell, Diomargy Nuñez, Nick Rehberger, Desiree Rodriguez, Jennifer Sanchez, Martín Solá, Forest Van Dyke and Jessica Vosk
Directed by Melissa Crespo
Music Direction by Meg Zervoulis
Music Supervision by Alexander Gemignani
Eric B. Davis on guitar
Listen Please
Performed by Jessica Vosk at Lincoln Center
Cello arrangement by Joy Son
Aron Accurso on piano
Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf on cello
Put Me To Work
Performed by Arielle Jacobs at 54 Below
Benjamin Rauhala on piano
Eric B. Davis on guitar
Ivan Bodley on bass
Grant Braddock on drums
Building 646
Performed by F. Michael Haynie at Lincoln Center
Aron Accurso on piano
Andrew Potenza on cajon
Jill Abramovitz (book and lyrics) A contributing lyricist on Broadway’s IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU, Jill is the English language translator of the award-winning Israeli musical BILLIE SCHWARTZ. She is the lyricist of TheatreworksUSA’s MARTHA SPEAKS (book by Kevin DelAguila, music by Brad Alexander), and the lyricist/co-bookwriter of THE PACK with composer Aron Accurso and co-bookwriter Leah Napolin (Weston Playhouse New Musical Award, Jerry Bock Award, NAMT 2011 and Goodspeed’s Festival of New Artists 2012). Jill is a past Dramatist Guild Fellow, a Harrington Award winner in the BMI Workshop, and a past member of the Musical Theatre Factory writer’s workshop as well as Goodspeed’s Mercer Grove, where she developed MISTY MAKES IT BETTER with Brad Alexander and playwright Erik Forrest Jackson. Jill is also a veteran performer, with five Broadway show credits and recurring roles on Chicago Med and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, among others. In Decemeber 2024 she'll be back on Broadway with the company of ALL IN, directed by Alex Timbers.
Brad Alexander (Music) wrote the music for DOG MAN: THE MUSICAL (book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila), a New York Times Crtiics' Pick that premiered Off-Broadway and is now touring the US, Canada and Australia through 2025. He and Kevin re-teamed for CAT KID COMIC CLUB: THE MUSICAL, also a New York Times Critics' Pick and currently touring the US and Canada. Brad wrote the music for SEE ROCK CITY & OTHER DESTINATIONS (book and lyrics by Adam Mathias), recipient of The Richard Rodgers Award, The BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and six Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Music. Additional theater credits: TheaterWorksUSA's CLICK CLACK MOO (Drama Desk, Lortel nom), MARTHA SPEAKS and WE THE PEOPLE (Lortel nom). Brad's TV credits include Lead Composer for CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG (Scholastic/Amazon/PBS Kids), five episodes of PBS’s Emmy Award-winning PEG + CAT, and an episode of the upcoming WONDER PETS: IN THE CITY on Apple TV+. Current projects include musicals BREAD & ROSES and MISTY MAKES IT BETTER (book by Erik Forrest Jackson, lyrics by Jill Abramoivtz). Brad is a member of SAG-AFTRA, The Dramatists Guild, National Alliance for Musical Theatre and The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Mark Sendroff
(212) 840-6400
Jill Abramovitz
Brad Alexander