THE YORK THEATRE Proudly Presents the World Premiere of THIS IS NOT A DRILL

Book by
​HOLLY DOUBET and JOSEPH MCDONOUGH

Music and Lyrics by HOLLY DOUBET, KATHY BABYLON, and JOHN VESTER

Starring

Music Supervision by PAUL BOGAEV

Music Direction by DAVID JOHN MADORE

Directed and Choreographed by GABRIEL BARRE

LIMITED OFF-BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT

SEPTEMBER 9 – OCTOBER 11, 2025 AT THE THEATRE AT ST. JEAN’S

OPENING NIGHT IS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 AT 7 P.M.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT YORKTHEATRE.ORG/THIS-IS-NOT-A-DRILL

THE YORK THEATRE is pleased to announce the world premiere production of the musical, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, with book by Holly Doubet and Joseph McDonough, music and lyrics by Holly Doubet, Kathy Babylon, and John Vester, music supervision by Paul Bogaev, arrangements by Ben Babylon, Paul Bogaev, David John Madore, music direction by David John Madore, and directed and choreographed by Gabriel Barre. THIS IS NOT A DRILL will play a five-week limited engagement at Off-Broadway’s Theatre at St. Jean’s (150 East 76th Street, New York City). Performances begin Tuesday, September 9, and continue through Saturday, October 11. Opening Night is Thursday, September 18 (7:00 p.m.). Tickets are $29-$54 and available at https://www.yorktheatre.org/this-is-not-a-drill. 

Based on terrifying true events that creator Holly Doubet experienced, THIS IS NOT A DRILL takes audiences inside the surreal chaos of a morning in 2018, when an emergency alert warned Hawaii residents and visitors of an incoming missile attack. As fear grips the island, strangers and loved ones alike are forced to confront their mortality and their humanity. Set to a soaring and heartfelt score, this powerful new musical tells the story of connection, compassion, and what truly matters when time stands still.

 “Luckily, one of the blessings that Doubet received from her life-changing 38 minutes of staring death in the face is that she now has a whole new perspective on ... basically everything.” - Dallas Observer

The production stars Cáitlín Burke (The Sound of Music) as Leilani, Victor E. Chan (Lempicka) as Ensemble, Bill Coyne (Greed: A Musical For Our Times) as Ensemble, Matthew Curiano (Ragtime) as Chris, Chris Doubet (vocal soloist and arranger) as Tony, Gary Edwards (The Voice) as Derek, Felicia Finley (Smokey Joe’s Café) as Jessica, Kelvin Moon Loh (Beetlejuice) as Kaleo, Sam Poon (Sing Street) as Ikaia, Lukas Poost (Shrek: The Musical) as Ensemble, Marianne Tatum (Barnum) as Laura, and Aurelia Williams (Once on this Island) as Sophie. The swings are Xavier Reyes and T. Shyvonne Stewart.

The production features scenic design by Edward Pierce, costume design by Johanna Pan, lighting design by Alan C. Edwards, projection design by Brad Peterson and Peter Brucker, and sound design by Shannon Slaton. Meg Meschino is the production stage manager, and Kyle Schuller is the production manager. Ben Babylon asst. music director/keys 2, Ashley Wren Collins is the associate director and associate choreographer. Casting is by Holly Buczek, HDB Casting. Publicity by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR. 

Tickets are $29-$54 and available at https://www.yorktheatre.org/this-is-not-a-drill or by calling 862-235-0938. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the theater an hour prior to the performance.

Running Time: 90 minutes

Website: https://www.yorktheatre.org/this-is-not-a-drill

Media Kit with Photos

BIOGRAPHIES

KATHY BABYLON (composer/lyricist)is a native of Los Angeles. Born into a musical family, Kathy has been a studio singer since the age of 12. Her parents, Sue Allen and Bill Brown, had credits ranging from “The Dinah Shore Show” to vocals on the iconic themes of “Batman” and “The Flintstones”. Kathy has continued her parents’ legacy, performing on recordings and TV appearances with The Carpenters, Frank Sinatra, Joe Sample, Nigel Olson, and numerous Disney projects. Kathy’s late husband, Guy Babylon, was the Grammy-winning arranger and keyboardist for Elton John for many years, and she remains very close to him and his band to this day. Kathy is proud to have three talented children who are now grown, as well as three grandchildren. We have been lucky enough to have Kathy’s youngest son, Ben Babylon, produce and arrange some of the music for THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Kathy and Holly have been teaming up for over 30 years and have been great friends for even longer. Kathy Babylon

GABRIEL BARRE (Director/Choreographer) directed and co-authored the original production of Here You Come Again, which toured the US, the UK, and is currently touring Australia. He is an internationally acclaimed director who directed AMAZING GRACE on Broadway. Off Broadway credits include the original productions of A SIGN OF THE TIMES, THE WILD PARTY (by Andrew Lippa), SUMMER OF ’42, JOHN & JEN, and ALMOST, MAINE. National Tours include AMAZING GRACE, PIPPIN, and CINDERELLA. US Regional theater credits include the original productions of Memphis in Boston and San Francisco, as well as revivals of BILLY ELLIOT, SWEENEY TODD, FINIAN’S RAINBOW, and many new musicals at Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut. Among the many countries he has directed productions in are: China (recent production Sound of the Silk Road), Mexico (Mexican premiere of Billy Elliot), Japan (Japanese premiere of The Scarlet Pimpernel), Korea (world premiere of the new musical, Tears of Heaven) Germany, and numerous shows in the Czech Republic at the Karlin Theater, including the recent hit, BEETLEJUICE, as well as the long running, CARMEN, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, AIDA, and HOLMES, THE LEGEND. Gabe is also busy preparing to direct the world premiere of the exciting new musical, REUNION, by Frank Wildhorn and Rinne Groff, about the reunion of a fictitious rock band. As an actor, Gabe has appeared frequently on television, film, and on stage and was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical.

PAUL BOGAEV (musical director) is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning music director, producer, and arranger whose film credits include the Oscar-winning CHICAGO, NINE, DREAMGIRLS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, MULAN, and THE LION KING. Among his many Broadway credits are AIDA, TARZAN, BOMBAY DREAMS, SUNSET BOULEVARD, LES MISERABLES, and most recently, SPIDER-MAN. For television, he served as the music director for “Cinderella”, “Annie”, and “South Pacific”. Among the artists he has worked with are Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Sting, Phil Collins, Keith Urban, Hugh Jackman, Glenn Close, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Kathy Bates, Toni Braxton, Richard Gere, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah, Catherine Zeta Jones, Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Evan Rachel Wood, Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and Fergie. ​ 

HOLLY DOUBET(conceptor/composer/lyricist/co-writer) is from Texas, a descendant of tenacious Native American ancestors who walked and canoed there from Florida as a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. She comes from a musical lineage; her great uncle played pedal steel and piano for The Light Crust Doughboys alongside Texas icon Bob Wills; her mother sang on the European opera stage; both parents lent their talents to the music department of the BBC in London; and her mom is now a sought-after vocal coach for rock star celebrities. While currently in Dallas, Holly has also lived in London, Munich, and Los Angeles. She studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and went on to double major in classical piano and voice back home in the U.S. After working in the Los Angeles music business for nearly two decades as a studio singer, songwriter, leader of her own band, and backup singer both in L.A. and Las Vegas, Holly returned to Dallas to raise her sons, and became the songwriter for the "Barney & Friends" children's TV show for a number of years. She had several pop songs picked up for recording and media projects while working from Dallas, including one that garnered a CableAce Award nomination. She most recently completed her first musical, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, and is now working on her second musical and an animated feature with a related prequel series. Holly Doubet

JOSEPH MCDONOUGH (book co-writer) is a playwright with a diverse range of experiences and interests, having written plays, adaptations, and books for musicals. His play ORDINARY AMERICANS (about blacklisted early television pioneers Gertrude Berg and Philip Loeb) received its world premiere in a co-production by Palm Beach Dramaworks in West Palm Beach and GableStage in Miami.. His short play SOLACE was produced in New York as part of the Wet Paint Festival. His plays have been developed and produced around the country, and he has twice received the Kaplan New American Play Prize at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. His new play, FEAR ITSELF, is about the struggles of the Roosevelts and Churchills during World War II. Several of the musicals he has written with composer/lyricist David Kisor are published by Playscripts and Theatrical Rights Worldwide. He is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and New River Dramatists, and he is represented by Bret Adam’s LTD Artists’ Agency Joe McDonough

JOHN VESTER (composer/lyricist) began writing songs in bands in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the early 1970s and signed with BMI in 1974. Living and working in LA since the late 70s, John has placed songs in records, films, TV, and stage productions, and continues to write every day. He has released four solo albums, in 1998, 2002, 2004, and 2008, and is currently working on his fifth. John has co-written songs with the band VENICE on all their albums over the past 20 years, including European Gold Record “VENICE: 2 Meter Sessions” (Universal 2000). ​ John Vester

THE YORK THEATRE, “Where Musicals Come to Life,” is the only theatre in New York City—and one of very few in the world—dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving notable shows from the past. For over five decades, York’s intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Since 1997, The York has focused on new musicals in its Mainstage Series—most of them world, American, or New York premieres—by some of the field’s most esteemed creators and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 45 cast recordings from York Theatre productions are now available, including its acclaimed revival of CLOSER THAN EVER (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival). Commercial transfers of such York premieres as THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS (THE MUSICAL!), SOUVENIR (Tony Award Nomination for actress Judy Kaye), and JOLSON & COMPANY, and revivals of PACIFIC OVERTURES and SWEENEY TODD (four Tony Nominations including Best Revival) have all showcased the importance of The York and its programs.

The York is the recipient of an Emmy Nomination, a special Drama Desk Award for “Developing and Producing New Musicals,” and a special Outer Critics Circle Award for “50 Years of Producing New and Classic Musicals.” The York is currently producing at The Theatre at St. Jean’s at 76^th Street and Lexington Avenue.

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