(NEW YORK, NY) -- The Rock Musical Soul Searching will play "in concert" at The Center at West Park's Evolution Festival later this month. This special performance -- featuring a stellar cast from Broadway and national tours as well as a live rock band -- will be held on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater. Showtime is 7:30pm.
The Rock Musical Soul Searching, an entirely sung-through burst of pop rock energy, follows a successful attorney living on New York's Upper West Side as she embarks on a comedic and ultimately poignant search for her elusive soulmate with the help of her married friends, all engulfed in relationship challenges of their own.
The cast includes Emily Schuletheis (Brenda), JP Qualters (Michael & The Date Shifter), Keith Weiss (Rabbi), Kaitlyn Davis (Rachel), Wesley Carpenter (Sara), and Hannah Bonnett (Becky). The swings are English Bernhardt and James Oblak.
Tickets are available for purchase online. Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater is located at 250 West 95th Street in New York City.
Soul Searching features Music & Lyrics by Avi Kunstler; Book, Additional Music & Lyrics & Director: Matt Okin; New Arrangements & Music Supervisor/Guitar: Ben Shanblatt. The production team includes Musical Director: Paolo Perez; Musical Consultant: Collin Couvillion; Assistant Director/Producer: Haia R'nana Bchiri; Dramaturg/Producer: Michael Gurin; Production Consultant: Joey Liberti; Production Assistant: Perla Brodchandel; and Original Bandleader/Associate Producer: Jon Taub.
Cast Bios
Hannah Bonnett is an actress, singer and dancer based in New York City. Hannah is best known for touring as Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde National Tour. Off-Broadway: FIVE: The Parody Musical (Ivanka), Big Bang Theory (Bernadette). Recent Credits: Television’s FBI (co-star), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Yitzhak), and the NYC premiere of Dandelion: A New Musical. Hannah is currently a Swing in Exorcistic: The Rock Musical Off-Broadway. All thanks to Brian at HKA, Mom and Taylor.
Wesley Carpenter: Broadway: Six the Musical, Regional: Swing/Dance Captain in the world premiere of Regency Girls (The Old Globe), Lorraine in Jersey Boys (Arts Center), Ellen in Miss Saigon (WPPAC), Mamma Mia (ACT of Connecticut). Other: Sandy in Grease (RCCL). Education: B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Belmont University.
Kaitlyn Davis: National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera (Christine Daaé), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. She is a recent Joseph Jefferson Award winner for her performance as Carole King in Beautiful at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago, where she played the entire piano accompaniment live on stage. Other regional credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), and Carole King in Beautiful at Broadway at Music Circus and The Gateway Playhouse. TV: Law&Order: SVU.
Emily Schulethseis: Favorite theater credits include: Almost Famous (OBC), Wicked (Elphaba Standby), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Moaning Myrtle), Bat Out of Hell the Musical (Raven).
JP Qualters: First National Tours: Mrs. Doubtfire, School of Rock, Kinky Boots! Regional Favorites: Pioneer Theatre Co, PCLO, Ford's Theatre, NSMT, Fulton, MSMT! Special thanks: Take 3 Talent and love to his family for all the support! JP is also a proud type 1 diabetic.
Keith Weiss will be starring in the world premiere of THE SPRINGVALE ARMADILLO by Donald Loftus up at The Open Eye Theater in the Catskills. He will be returning in "The Summer Stalkers: For Good: A Night of Wickedly Wonderful Dream Roles!” Part Two (Act 2 as told through anything but material from actual Wicked tbd) on 11/15 at 9:30PM. Other credits include The Lightning Thief (National Tour), Eelpout: A Queer Fantasia (The Wild Project; AllOutArts Award Winner — Outstanding Supporting Actor), Esperaré (Columbia MFA), Secret Identity (TOSOS), Tidwell, or the Plantation Play (Winner: Samuel French Festival ‘19), One Man, Two Guvnors (Westchester Sandbox Theater). Film: Tahara (Apple TV), Pledge (IFCMIDNIGHT/Hulu). Cast Recordings: EPIC: THE TROY SAGA and EPIC: THE CYCLOPS SAGA on Spotify.
English Bernhardt was last seen starring as Cady Heron in the Mean Girls 1st National Tour, after standing by for Cady, Regina and Janis! Other 1st National Tours include IF/THEN starring Idina Menzel. Some of her favorite regional roles have been: Eponine in Les Misérables, Natalie in Next to Normal and the Mistress in Evita. Proud AEA member. Special thanks to her WAM fam!
Originally from Cleveland, James Oblak currently resides in NYC. Credits include National Tours: Legally Blonde (Warner- Nat’l Tour), Broadway Christmas Wonderland, Million Dollar Quartet (Jerry Lee Lewis – NCCL). Favorite Regional Credits: Mamma Mia! (Fulton Theatre) (ACT of CT) Pippin (North Coast Repertory San Diego) Footloose (Theatre by the Sea) Avenue Q (Princeton/Rod – Human Race Theatre), and Life Could Be a Dream (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati) When not on stage James can be found entertaining on the piano in the NYC/tri-state area. His original debut Album is available on iTunes and Spotify!
Creative Team Bios
Avi Kunstler (Music & Lyrics) has composed the music and lyrics to many Black Box productions, including the original Twist of Faith (currently being revived in NYC), Second Chances, Destinations, and A Match Made In Manhattan: The Interactive Jewish Wedding Experience. At times, he has joined the band in performance of select shows. Avi has performed across the United States as well as in London and Israel. He and his wife Mimi split their time between their homes in New York and Jerusalem.
Matt Okin (Book, Additional Music & Lyrics, Director) is currently directing Annabel’s Sister by George Kolber, the writer/producer of the 2023 feature film Miranda's Victim. Recent theatrical directing credits include Sam Shepard's Action, the U.S. Premiere of Little Ocean, and The Unseen Hand, 1+1, by Eric Bogosian; Imaginary Comforts by Daniel Handler a.k.a. Lemony Snicket; The Cleopatra Club, by Paul Schrader; Exposed, by Beth Henley; and Edward Albee’s The Play About the Baby. His original plays showcased in NYC, NJ, and on tours include Cherry Hill; Beltsville/Rockville, Part One: Rise of the Goatman; #OneInnocentWoman; and Walter Liked to Sit in His Big Backyard.
Original musicals include The Rock Musical Soul Searching -- which is currently being redeveloped and revived for NYC – and the long-running A Match Made in Manhattan. Matt received a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University's Tisch School of The Arts where he studied with the likes of Maria Irene Fornes, Len Jenkin, Martin Epstein, Jan Hartman, Leslie Lee, Charlie Purpura, and Gary Garrison; he is the founder of Black Box and a long-time Teaching Artist for select theater programs for teens and adults in Bergen County, NJ. Matt's new comedy screenplay, Issues, is in active development.
Ben Shanblatt (New Vocal & Musical Arrangements/Music Supervisor) is a guitarist, composer, arranger, and educator based in NYC. Quickly becoming a sought-after musician in New York, he has served as a sideman, session musician, and bandleader in virtually all styles of contemporary music. Venues Ben has played include Smalls Jazz Club, The Knitting Factory, The Cutting Room, and The Bitter End among many others. In May 2022 Ben graduated with honors from The New School for Jazz with a BFA in jazz guitar. Outside of performing, he has been a music educator in the New York Metro area since 2014, working with students aged 5 up to 70. Ben has also worked frequently as a composer, being nominated for two awards on broadwayworld.com for his work on BBPAC’s productions of 12th Night and Romeo and Juliet.
Ben has composed incidental music for BBPAC productions of Neil Labute’s Woyzeck and Matt Okin’s Cherry Hill. Most recently, Ben’s compositions have been featured on the off-broadway run of Eric Bogosian’s 1+1 at Soho Playhouse. Ben continues to maintain a busy touring, performing, and teaching schedule. To stay connected, follow Ben on Instagram.
Haia R'nana Bchiri (Assistant Director/Producer) is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist and educator. Once a student at Black Box Studios, she subsequently joined the BBS team as the professional theatre branch of the company was established. Selected credits: The Pillowman, Sweeney Todd (AD/fight and SFX), The Curious Savage (Director/Producer) with Black Box; Dramaturg and Associate Fight/Intimacy Director for Cancelina, Romeo and Juliet, The Promise, Boxed, Winter's Tale, Trojan Women, Uncle Vanya at UCSD; Chagall, Variations on Crossing the Alps, and Hereville (Dramaturg) at the Old Globe; These and Those (Ayala/Dramaturg), In Every Generation (Dramaturg/Costume Designer), and Women of Valor (Rabbi Yael Ridberg/Translator) with SD JFest; Jewish Weddings: A Field Guide and Family Therapy (Playwright) at the REGENERATE new playfestival; Eurydice (Director), Fefu and Her Friends (Emma), Circle Mirror Transformation (Theresa), Peer Gynt (Solveig/Aase) at Brandeis; interactive Hamlet (Director), Midsummer (Puck/Director), Taming of the Shrew (Kate), and more with CYSAP. As she develops her dissertation and associated Megillah Cycle of adaptations, she has been engaged to speak in schools and conferences on history, theatre, and the importance of Jewish dramaturgy.
Michael Gurin (Dramaturg) is the author of Twist Of Faith, Second Chances and Destinations, sequels to Twist of Faith, produced by New York's Landmark Theater for the New City; the writer of Black Box's long-running A Match Made In Manhattan. He is currently working with the Isaac Bashevis Singer Literary Trust on an original play based on selected works by the Nobel Laureate entitled Life After Warsaw. Michael's short stories have appeared in Midstream: A Monthly Jewish Journal, The Journal of African Travel Writing, Paris Transcontinental, and The Cimarron Review. He is a Professor of English at Lander College in Queens.
Paolo Perez (Musical Director). Following in the footsteps of the long haired rockers that came before them, Paolo has been performing and teaching in musical theater and rock n roll for the last 15 years. From playing around the world on board Celebrity cruise ships, to teaching at schools such as the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, and Brooklyn Children’s Theater, they have always brought a certain level of energy to the musical stories they lend their talents to. A frequent collaborator with Second City Improv, recent credits include Keys Sub on Real Women Have Curves, Music Direction for Last Coffee in Rockville, Urinetown at RTC, and various TheaterWorks shows.
Collin Couvillion (Musical Consultant) served as both music supervisor and performer in the long-running Off-Broadway shows De La Guarda and Fuerza Bruta (as well as the Las Vegas and European tour productions of De La Guarda). Collin was also the co-composer for the Times Square attraction The Ride. His credits include work with the creators of Blue Man Group and some film scores. Alongside performing, Collin is a full-time music teacher at SAR Academy in the Bronx.
Joseph Liberti (Production Consultant) is honored to be working once again with Black Box. A current student at Marymount Manhattan College, he has previously assisted on numerous productions including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Hamlet, The Pillowman and 1+1, and Twist Of Faith.
The Center at West Park is an essential part of the arts community in New York City. The Center is an inclusive multi-generational community arts center committed to community, collaboration, diversity, affordability, and accessibility. CWP is dedicated to saving the landmark historic home where it was founded -- the West Park Presbyterian Church -- preventing its demolition, and to growing CWP programs to serve Upper Manhattan and the five boroughs as a hub for community, arts & culture, social responsibility, sacred space, community workshops, and accessible rentals for the community and artists of all ages and experience levels. This Landmark Building has seven performing arts and community spaces under one roof. This singular multi-purpose space enables programming that advances artists at all career stages, while ensuring that audiences and aspiring creators interact with renowned artists, community leaders, and programs which are committed to growing community and ensuring the heart and soul of NYC.
The CWP EVOLUTION FESTIVAL presents original works of theater, dance, music, comedy, and interdisciplinary performance by NYC-based artists in September and October 2025 at venues across Upper Manhattan! The fourth annual festival runs now through October 3, and features nineteen one-night-only evenings of performance at five venues.
