Nickelodeon Greenlights How To Rock, a New Live-Action Series Featuring Original Music Starring Cymphonique Miller

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon announced today a 20-episode pick-up of  How To Rock, a new live-action comedy series featuring original music and starring multi-talented recording artist, Cymphonique Miller. The series builds on the network's successful slate of original live-action programming, joining the stable of hit music-themed shows Victorious and Big Time Rush. Set to premiere in 2012, How To Rock centers on Kacey Simon (Cymphonique), a talented teenager who takes her pop/hip-hop band to new heights as their lead singer. How to Rock, produced by Nickelodeon in association with Alloy Entertainment, is slated to begin production this summer in Los Angeles.

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"Cymphonique is an extraordinarily talented 14-year-old who has already established herself as an actress, singer and dancer, while remaining an honor student," said Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon's President, Development and Original Programming.  "How To Rock is the perfect showcase for her comedic and musical skills, and we know our audience will love watching Kacey figure out how to temper her mad ambition and learn to become a good friend and bandmate."

After a fall from grace from the perfect and popular group at high school, Kacey Simon forges unlikely friendships with the members of the band Gravity featuring Stevie (Lulu Antariksa), Zander (Max Schneider) and Nelson (Noah Crawford). As lead singer, Kacey takes Gravity's musical success to new heights while igniting a musical rivalry with The Perfs featuring her former best friends and fellow performers, Molly (Samantha Boscarino) and Grace (Halston Sage).  

Based on a pilot script by Jim O'Doherty (Grounded for Life, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Tracy Morgan Show) and the proposal for the upcoming Alloy Entertainment book How to Rock Braces and Glasses by Meg Haston, How to Rock will be helmed by executive producer David M. Israel (Grounded for Life, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Tracy Morgan Show), who is also a contributing writer on the project.  Leslie Morgenstein (Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries) and Gina Girolamo (The Lying Game, Nine Lives of Chloe King) will also executive produce under the Alloy Entertainment production banner.

A singer/writer/actress and daughter of hip-hop mogul/entrepreneur and philanthropist Percy Miller (also known as Master P.), Cymphonique has performed with various artists including Romeo, JoJo, Wonder Girls, Raven-Simone, Ashley Tisdale and the College Boyys.  In film, Miller landed the leading role as Molly in the 2007 short film Scarecrow Joe and appeared in the feature film Opposite Day.  She has guest starred in Nickelodeon series Big Time Rush, True Jackson VP, The Troop and Just Jordan and also voices the character of Holly in the animated series, Phineas & Ferb. Adding to her resume, Miller has also appeared in numerous national commercials and PSA's.  

Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

Alloy Entertainment (AE) develops and produces original books, television shows, web series and feature films. More than 75 of AE's books have made The New York Times bestseller list, including Gossip Girl, The Clique, The A-List, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Private, The Luxe and Pretty Little Liars. Alloy is currently in production on the CW series Gossip Girl, which will begin its fifth season this Fall, and the third season of The Vampire Diaries, the network's highest rated program. Additionally, Pretty Little Liars, which performs to network-high ratings for ABC Family, will premiere its sophomore season in June 2011. Through Summer and Fall 2011, Alloy will launch three new series including The Nine Lives of Chloe King and The Lying Game, both for ABC Family, and Secret Circle on the CW. AE recently completed production on the Disney Channel original movie Frenemies, based on their book of the same name. Adding Nickelodeon's How to Rock to its slate, AE will have an impressive seven series on air. Alloy develops, produces and distributes web series including 2009's Private, 2010's First Day and Hollywood Is Like High School with Money, and 2011's Talent. AE will begin production on three additional digital series throughout 2011. Alloy produced the feature films Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its sequel, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Sex Drive and The Clique and is currently in active development on The Luxe.

SOURCE Nickelodeon