David McTiernan plays the New York Musical Theater Festival

Clive Davis Department student/dexterous pianist David McTiernan (pictured above, in the red striped flannel shirt on the far right) will take the helm as band director and arranger for a darkly comic Off-Broadway indie-rock musical called Open the Dark Door, playing at the upcoming New York Musical Theater Festival’s Next Link Series.

The plot sounds positively macabre: a love affair between the local executioner’s son, Skip, and the rebellious Luna, leads to a “crisis of faith” among the residents of fabled small town Mortland, USA. “Festive beheadings” ensue.

Book, music and lyrics are by Yale School of Drama graduate David Lefort Nugent.

David’s recruited his band, The Middle Eight (pictured above), to handle the musical duties. Performances at the American Theater of Actors start October 8th, and you can get tickets here.