NEW BOOK “WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT AGAIN” TO BE PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1

Press Contact:

Michael Jorgensen
michael@jorgensenpr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

THEATER COMMUNITY WRITES BOOK TOGETHER,
AMIDST THEIR INDUSTRY'S 17 MONTH SHUTDOWN

“WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT AGAIN”

THE NEW BOOK
SPOTLIGHTING THE THEATER SHUTDOWN

TO BE PUBLISHED BY
APPLAUSE THEATRE & CINEMA BOOKS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1

CREATED BY ANDREW NORLEN

FEATURING PORTRAITS BY
ACCLAIMED BROADWAY PHOTOGRAPHER
MATTHEW MURPHY

PRE-ORDERS NOW BEING ACCEPTED

PORTION OF PROCEEDS BENEFITING THE ACTORS FUND

BOOK COVER AVAILABLE HERE
BOOK TRAILER AVAILABLE HERE
AUTHOR HEADSHOTS AVAILABLE HERE

New York, NY (July 21, 2021) – When The Lights Are Bright Again, the new book created by Andrew Norlen spotlighting the 2020-2021 theater shutdown will be published on Monday, November 1 by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. The book features letters of loss, hope, and resilience from the theater community, paired with stunning portraiture from acclaimed Broadway photographer Matthew Murphy.

Pre-orders are now being accepted at www.WhenTheLightsAreBrightAgain.com and wherever books are sold, with a portion of the proceeds from each book going to The Actors Fund, the national human services organization for everyone in performing arts and entertainment.

Broadway notables such as Jerry Mitchell, Keala Settle, Ali Stroker, Sergio Trujillo, Eden Espinosa, Rob McClure, Robyn Hurder, Clint Ramos, Arian Moayed, Amber Iman, Andrew Barth Feldman, and more express their personal insights from the past year, alongside the desires and wishes of theater enthusiasts and other arts workers across the world, from Manila to Miami, Puerto Rico to Portland. When The Lights Are Bright Again is dedicated in loving memory to Nick Cordero.

The book cover image is available here, a book trailer is available here, and author headshots are available here.

For more information, please visit www.WhenTheLightsAreBrightAgain.com



BOOK DESCRIPTION

It began as an artist’s desperate desire to express himself inside a worldwide pandemic, but in one year’s time it has grown into a theater industry and country-wide outlet for healing, grief, justice, and hope in the theater community.


The Covid-19 pandemic revealed what a world without live performance looks and feels like. This book captures a small fraction of the powerful and transcendent internal heartbeat that never went away within the theater community. When The Lights Are Bright Again immortalizes the stories, struggles, and successes of an industry that was the first to be shut down and one of the last to return.


Andrew Norlen weaves more than 200 letters from Broadway theater veterans, devout theatergoers, teenage dreamers aching for their day in the spotlight, long-time ushers, designers, creatives, and countless other arts workers with a brand-new, breathtaking photo series by Broadway photographer Matthew Murphy.


Not only has the creation of this book allowed the theater community to grieve and express themselves in a new way, but for every copy purchased, a portion of the profits will directly benefit The Actors Fund. This book will continue to help support arts workers to thrive and maintain financial stability for decades to come with every copy sold.


When The Lights Are Bright Again is a love letter to the arts community and every theatergoer, but, above all else, it is a meditation on the human experience. There is something for every broken, tired, angry, and lost soul inside this book: hope.

There is light in all of us—there always has been!


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ANDREW NORLEN (Creator), originally from Troutdale, Oregon, is a New York City-based artist. With a BFA from The Boston Conservatory of Music, Norlen was most recently in the closing tour company of Broadway's Kinky Boots. His podcast, Everyday Heroes, is a space where he elevates female identifying voices. Norlen is the creator of When the Lights Are Bright Again and writer of Defining Brave, his memoir. Follow his journey @Anorlen and AndrewNorlen.com.

MATTHEW MURPHY (Photographer) is a New York City-based photographer specializing in theater, dance, and portrait photography. His work is featured in the books Hamilton: The Revolution, Come From Away: Welcome to the Rock, Dear Evan Hansen: Through the Window, and Jagged Little Pill: You Live, You Learn. He travels worldwide photographing productions and lives in New York with his husband and their two dogs.


ABOUT APPLAUSE THEATRE & CINEMA BOOKS

Now in its fourth decade, Applause Theatre & Cinema Books is America's foremost publisher of theatre, cinema, and TV books. Our books range from biographies of film and theatre luminaries to playscripts, librettos, monologue books, and explorations of film, TV, and theatre history. Applause is an imprint of Globe Pequot.

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