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National Tour

Rapid Fire Q&A with ‘Miss Saigon’ cast members Anthony Festa and Stacie Bono; at TPAC’s Jackson Hall thru Sunday, June 9

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Earlier this week as the National Tour of Miss Saigon prepared for their current stint in Nashville at TPAC’s Jackson Hall Tuesday, June 4 through Sunday, June 9, I had the chance to pose a few questions to two of the show’s lead actors for the latest installment of my recurring interview segment, Rapid Fire Q&A. Up first is my conversation with Anthony Festa, who plays fresh-faced U.S. soldier, Chris, who, while stationed in Vietnam, meets and falls in love with a local Vietnamese teenager name Kim. Following my conversation with Festa, I had the opportunity to chat with Stacie Bono who plays Ellen. Ellen is the young American woman Chris marries following his return to the U.S. after the war.

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RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH MISS SAIGON’S ANTHONY FESTA

 JHP:  What can you tell me about Chris, the character you play in the current National Tour of Miss Saigon?

ANTHONY FESTA: Chris is an American G.I during the fall of the Vietnam war who falls in love with Kim a young girl orphaned by the war. The story of our show takes you through his life leading up to the evacuation and the impact of the war’s trauma after.

JHP: While researching to chat with you, I ran across a promo clip in which you say Miss Saigon taught you musical theatre. What do you recall about your first knowledge of this piece?

ANTHONY FESTA: The first time I ever saw this show I was 14 and my father, who has since passed away, pointed up on stage and said “this is a role for you, Anthony”. I find it full circle to be playing it now. In high school I had a CD (remember those?) that I played in my car that had half Rent songs and half Miss Saigon songs on it. I sang the songs on my way to school every day.

JHP: For those who may or may not be familiar with the show, what’s new and different about this production?

ANTHONY FESTA: Our director, Laurence Connor has re-imagined this production completely. From minor script changes to a new helicopter design that really blows the audience away ever single night. Working directly with the entire creative team and Cameron Mackintosh (the show’s original creator) himself has been an amazing experience. The entire team has brought nuance to the piece and really allowed our cast to breath a whole new life into it.

JHP: From what I know, this isn’t your first National Tour, having been part of 2016’s Wicked tour, but this is your first visit to Nashville, right? Is there anything you hope to visit and share with your current cast while here in Music City?

ANTHONY FESTA: The Wicked tour launched in 2009 and just celebrated its 10th year on the road, I wasn’t a part of it until 2016! I didn’t experience Nashville but I’m extremely excited to for the first time now. I enjoy the food and culture in all the cities we visit and I hear Nashville has quite a lot of both!

JHP: If there were a ‘Seven Wonders of Musical Theatre’ list, alongside the chandelier from Phantom, surely the helicopter from Miss Saigon would take its rightful place among the top marvels. You mentioned it above, but I’m curious…it’s  always a thrilling scene for the audience, what’s it like to play that scene night after night from city to city?

ANTHONY FESTA: It’s in a word “iconic”. The helicopter is a multi-million dollar set piece that moves on many different axis points and shutter effects. I marvel at how brilliant the design is every single night and yes it’s right up there with Elphaba flying and the chandelier falling. The audience will feel the wind of this chopper blowing their hair back and the evacuation scene, most commonly, will result in them picking their jaws up off the floor.

JHP: As Chris, you get the joy of not one, but two on-stage romances, first there’s Emily Bautista as Kim, the young local girl Chris falls in love with while stationed in Vietnam. Then there’s Stacie Bono as Ellen, the American girl Chris marries stateside. What’s your favorite aspect of sharing the stage with these two beautiful and talented actresses?

ANTHONY FESTA: Ahh man, I mean you sum it up right there. Beautiful and talented. Emily and Stacie are two amazing and empowering women in a time that I think we need that the most. The strength and journey of their characters is truly beautiful. As Kim, Emily takes on motherhood at such a young age and as Ellen, Stacie cares for an American GI with nothing but complete empathy for his war torn past and trauma.

RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH MISS SAIGON’S STACIE BONO

JHP: Having just chased with Anthony, I asked his favorite aspect of sharing the stage with you, so I’ll start our conversation by asking you…what do you enjoy most about sharing scenes with Anthony?

STACIE BONO: Anthony is so open onstage and we have built strong trust together. I’m confident that whichever direction I go in a scene, he will follow me and have my back. He’s also a super silly, lovable guy offstage and that helps to lighten up all the drama we have to endure onstage.

JHP: While Ellen is central to the action of the story of Miss Saigon, the audience doesn’t really get much backstory on her. I always find it interesting to ask actors what backstory they’ve created for their character that helps them bring a depth to the role. With that in mind…who is Ellen?

STACIE BONO: It is true that there is very little text about Ellen in the script, so I’ve had to use a lot of imagination to flush her out. It fascinated me how this woman was so tolerant of her husband’s outbursts and lack of communication – and she was dealing with this before the discovery of PTSD in 1980. My instinct was that Ellen had experienced this kind of trauma before with someone else she had loved deeply, her father, which gave her understanding and patience for her husband’s suffering. Ellen was very much against the war and went to several protests while in college and so when she falls in love with Chris, she feels it is almost her duty to heal him from what the Vietnam war did to him. Her immense compassion, warmth and empathy in dealing with Kim and Tam leads me to believe she has a career in social work or psychology. She knows how to handle people in stressful situations and keep her own emotions out of it… for the most part.

JHP: Even though the action of the piece takes place in the 1970s, there are so many elements of the story that are relevant today. What’s one aspect of the plot that you find most rewarding to shine a light to?

STACIE BONO: I fear we’ve reached a dangerous place of tribalism and isolationism in our country. We are obsessed with “Us vs. Them” and there is a lack of compassion for humans of other races and cultures. The central story of Miss Saigon is a mother’s sacrifice for her child. That is truly a binding commonality of the human condition that anyone can understand. My hope is that this story can open people’s hearts and inspire a little more tolerance and compassion for others.

JHP:  With so many gorgeous sets, costumes and scenes, what’s among your favorites? Whether you’re part of those scenes of simply admiring from side-stage?

STACIE BONO: My favorite scene is the nightmare. Now you may think it’s because of the awesome 3 ton helicopter in that scene – which is super cool – but it’s really my favorite scene because every single cast member is so committed to transporting the audience to this heartbreaking and epic moment in history. The music, lyrics and our company’s passion and devotion makes the scene so palpable. It makes me weep every time I watch it.

JHP: How’s life on the road been thus far during this tour?

STACIE BONO: Technology has definitely changed the touring life. It’s much easier to explore new cities with google maps and Uber in your back pocket and to stay in touch with your loved ones via FaceTime.

JHP: What’s the most rewarding aspect of being part of the newest chapter of such a beloved piece of musical theatre history?

STACIE BONO: It has been a dream come true to work and collaborate with the creatives of this show. These men are musical theater gods! I remember at one point in the rehearsal room, Claude-Michel Schönberg rewriting the opening of Maybe for me. That was pretty spectacular. It’s been an honor to put my little stamp on a character who has largely been maligned and misunderstood in the past. I hope my portrayal of Ellen has helped show that she is not a villain at all, but another victim of this story.

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With that my conversations with Festa and Bono came to a close, but it’s just the beginning of Miss Saigon’s Nashville tour stop as the famed helicopter lands on TPAC’s Jackson Hall stage in just a few short hours as the National Tour calls Music City home thru Sunday, June 9.

Showtimes are Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. with matinees Saturday at 2p.m. and Sunday at 1p.m. with a final performances Sunday evening at 6:30p.m. Tickets range in price from $40 to $100. CLICK HERE to Purchase tickets or for more information.

Earlier today, TPAC announced the limited availability of $30 rush tickets for all performances. For a chance to purchase select seats at this special price, you must arrive at TPAC’s lobby box office 90 minutes prior to showtime, where you can enter to a ticket lottery drawing. Limit two per person while supplies last. 

If you’ve enjoyed this Rapid Fire Q&A, CLICK HERE to peruse previous conversations. Be sure and check back for my review of the show after tonight’s Nashville opening night performance.

Not in Nashville? CLICK HERE to see where Miss Saigon plays as the tour continues across the U.S. with dates announced through June of next year. For more from the National Tour of Miss Saigon, follow the company of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To keep up with what’s happening at TPAC, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Theatre Review: ‘Anastasia’, a visually stunning, historically based, albeit fictionalized fairytale; at TPAC thru Sunday, March 24

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Anastasia, the musical, is currently on stage at TPAC’s Jackson Hall through Sunday, March 24, as the first National Tour continues. With book by Terrence McNally (known for everything from Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune and Love! Valor! Compassion! to Ragtime, The Full Monty and Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life), lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Lucky Stiff, Seussical, Ragtime, the aforementioned Chita Rivera musical and more) and music by Aherns’ frequent musical theatre partner, Stephen Flaherty, Anastasia premiered on Broadway spring of 2017, with its first national tour having launched October of last year. Interestingly, the show’s Music City performances come just weeks before the original Broadway run is set to close later this month.

Adapted from both the 1956 Cinemascope spectacle starring Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brenner, and Helen Hayes, as well as the 1997 feature of the same name from animation legend, Don Bluth (An American Tale, The Land Before Time, and my personal favorite, The Rescuers–when he was still with the House of Mouse), Anastasia tells the tale of an amnesiac orphaned girl known as Anya, who resembles The Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas II. Although Anastasia was thought to have perished alongside the rest of her immediate family during a hostile takeover, rumors–or perhaps simply false hope by their loyal subjects–persisted that the young duchess somehow survived. Those rumors lend themselves perfect to a storyline that seemingly combines elements from Cinderella and My Fair Lady as two con men meet Anya by chance and immediately take note of her resemblance to the presumed dead heir to the royal lineage. They quickly began teaching her how to act like a duchess with a plan to present her to the only surviving member of the royal family, The Dowager Empress, in hopes of earning a reward for her safe return.

From the snowfall of one of the show easiest scenes, the visually stunning piece presents true fairytale moment after moment, courtesy of Alexander Dodge‘s sets, Aaron Rhyne‘s incredibly realistic  projections, Donald Holder’s mood-enhancing lighting design–he inclusion of illuminated streetlamps within the projected images was absolutely mind-blowingly realistic. Simply regal costuming from Linda Cho and wig/hair creations by way of Charles G. LaPointe all add up to a remarkably beautiful show. The majesty of the look of Anastasia truly rivals any show I’ve ever seen.

Completely unfamiliar with the story, having never seen the aforementioned Bergman mid-century drama, nor the Bluth animated entry (I KNOW, I KNOW), I felt at a bit of a disadvantage going into the show, especially when I spotted more than a couple FAnastasias dressed to the nines in their best attempts at recreating Anastasia’s look. From the enthusiastic applause that greeted the rise of the curtain, I knew I was among appreciative fans.

Directed by Darko Tresnjak, Anastasia presents a grand epic of a story that also cleverly contains smaller, more intimate subplots as it invites the audience to journey from the glory of Nicholas II’s palacial House of Romanov to the horrors of the Bolshevik revolution, then the journey continues across the European continent on to the glory of Paris 1920s.

Among the more visually stunning moments, snow falling outside the palace windows and the opulence of the ballroom sequence are absolutely breathtaking. On the other end of the spectrum, when the peacefulness of the snowfall dramatically morphs into sparks of fire during the attack upon the palace, you can’t help but marvel at the creative team’s talent. Then there’s the cleverness of the train trip to Paris. The train car is constructed in such a way that there are no walls or ceiling to it, alowing the audience full access to the action on-stage. Coupled with the projection of the track and the sweeping landscape passing by as the train continues on it’s journey…sheer genius.   

With themes of revolution, rising up and reclaiming one’s lost or forgotten heritage, comparisons to the sweeping epic that is Les Mis are inevitable. Anastasia does have the advantage in the alluded-to spectacular set and projection accomplishments, but the soundtrack is sadly lacking the grandeur of Les Mis.

While a handful of songs: Once Upon a December, A Rumor in St. Petersburg, Learn to Do It, Journey to the Past, Paris Holds the Key and Meant to Be–all originally featured in the musical’s animated counterpart–are in deed audience-pleasing, the majority of the remaining tunes aren’t exactly going to make it onto your playlist after leaving the theatre.

Of the musical highlights, Joy Franz and young Victoria Bingham as The Dowager Empress and Young Anastasia get this off on a high note with the above-referenced show-opening Once Upon A December. It’s such a touching moment and completely serves to set up the relationship between Anastasia and her elder relative, a vital point within the tale’s featured plotline.

Then, when Lila Coogan appears as Anya—the young woman who may or may not be Anastasia—she provides a pleasing performance, especially during her big solo numbers like In My Dreams and the animated film’s FAnastasia favorites.

Another bright, undeniable high point comes in Act Two when Vlad and Lily (one of the conmen and the Dowager Empress’ Lady in Waiting) duet on The Countess and The Common Man. The comedic timing and hilarious physicallity of Tari Kelly as The Countess Lily and Edward Staudenmayer as Vlad during this number evokes memories of Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman during their heyday on The Carol Burnette Show, spoofing many an overly melodramatic film classic. A scene perfectly suited for this show that oftentimes gets a bit bogged down in its own grand airs.

Also worth mentioning are Jason Michael Evans and Stephen Brower as Gleb and Dmitry, two young men, both interested in Anya, but for very different reasons. Every wannabe princess should be so lucky as to have these two handsome, taleneted young men in pursuit.

Also of note, the entire ensemble’s beautiful execution of Peggy Hickey’s magnificent choreography. The previously mentioned ballroom sequence, Act 1’s literally and figuratively hauntingly beautiful ‘ghost’ dance during the Once Upon A December redo featuring Anya and the ensemble, as well as segments featuring traditional Russian dance, and even a snippet of Swan Lake…all performed to perfection.

While Anastasia may lack some of the magic of a certain Mouse’s princess lineup, the sets, costumes and several standout performances are indeed each jewels in the would-be Duchess’ tiara. Anastasia wraps the Music City tour dates with matinee and evening performances Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24 with Saturday matinee at 2p.m., Saturday Evening at 8p.m., Sunday matinee at 1p.m. and a final Sunday evening performance at 6:30p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets, or call the TPAC Box Office at 615.2.782.4040.

Not in Nashville, but interested in seeing Anastasia as the National Tour continues with dates current scheduled through August? CLICK HERE for more information or to purchase tickets. You can also follow Anastasia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Following Anastasia, TPAC’s Broadway Season continues next with a special 10th Anniversary Tour engagement of Rock of Ages for two days (three performances only), Friday, April 12 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 13 at 2p.m. and 8 p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. You can also discover all the latest from TPAC by checking them out online on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

Theatre Review: ‘Book of Mormon’ still on a decidedly non-pc mission of inappropriate laughter: National Tour continues at TPAC thru Sunday

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When you think about it, 2011 doesn’t seem like such a long time ago. After all, how different could the world be in just eight years, right? Oh, wait…In that time, we’ve gone from our first black president to, well, the current administration. Some would also argue that we’ve gone from a society of speaking our minds to holding out tongues for fear of upsetting someone’s sensitivities. While kindness and forethought are indeed a good thing, I’m frequently of the opinion that it’s ok to laugh, as long as you’re laughing with, and not completely laughing at. Thankfully, The Book of Mormon—on stage in Nashville at TPAC’s Jackson Hall thru Sunday, March 17—seems to agree as it is just as bawdy, offensive, riotous and, yes, thought-provoking as when it debuted on Broadway some eight years ago.

Nine-time Tony-award winning musical, The Book of Mormon comes courtesy the genius, if not slightly twisted minds of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q). The Book of Mormon (for those who’ve must have been hiding under golden plates buried on a hill in Manchester, New York) is the tale of a group of young Latter Day Saints missionaries assigned to a small village in Africa plagued by AIDS and a drug lord with a name I can’t bring myself to put into print.

Often described as ungodly, profane, crude…it is certainly all of those things, but at its core, The Book of Mormon is a story about friendship, growth and belief. Belief in the unknown (and let’s face it, the unproven), belief in the good of your fellow man, and most importantly, belief in yourself…all set to bawdily lyrical tunes and some fabulous choreography.

Earlier this week, as I attended media night and enjoyed the show for a third time—having had the great fortune of seeing it during both of its previous tours through Music City, I was finally able to find a balance between the oft shocking humor and the sweeter aspects noted above. Part of this newfound enjoyment came courtesy the chanced proximity to the slightly inebriated, but undeniably enthusiastic foursome who hadn’t yet bore witness to the glory that is The Book of Mormon, who just so happened to be seated next to me. Their exclamations of “Oh My God!” and “I can’t believe they just said that” reminded me of the first time I saw The Book of Mormon, or for that matter, the South Park movie. Both times, I thought to myself, “If the world ends right now, you’re going straight to hell right alongside everyone in this theatre.” Remember, I told you it’s THAT ballsy.

While the show is exactly the same, save a few updated references to Nikki Minaj and Neil Patrick Harris, this time around, something different clicked for me. The Book of Mormon is the All in the Family of this generation. For those old enough to remember, when Archie Bunker ruled the television airwaves, audiences were shocked week after week at what came out of the bigoted New York character’s mouth, courtesy the remarkable acting of Carroll O’Connor and the show’s creator, Norman Lear, but it was that mirror to society that somehow magically educated the masses through humor. If you’ll let it, The Book of Mormon does the exact same thing.

While the show—nor the wildly inappropriate humor—hasn’t changed, the cast has, allowing even the most jaded BOM fans like myself yet another chance to see it for the first time, as the current cast simultaneously embody the expected aspects of their respective characters, while breathing new life into them with their own talent and presence.

Tobin as Elder Price (photo courtesy Tobin’s Instagram)

This time around, Elder Price is being played by Liam Tobin, who originally joined the tour a year ago understudying the lead. Nashville audiences might remember Tobin from his stint as Gerry Goffin in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which played TPAC two seasons ago. As Elder Price, Tobin brings the charm and wholesomeness. HIs boy-next-door looks matched only by his Broadway-belting vocal skills. Tobin’s enigmatic presence, even when the character’s faith and friendship is tested, shines through. You gotta love a missionary who dreams of being assigned to Orlando who instead ends up in the wilds of Africa.

Pierson as Elder Cunningham

Mandated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, of course Elder Price has a companion. Enter Elder Cunningham, blissfully, nerdily, enthusiastically played by Conner Peirson. Peirson’s comedic timing and knock-em-outta-the-park vocal skills harken images of a young Jack Black. Among his finer moments, Peirson as a relationship developed with Kayla Pecchioni’s Nabulugi, a young African villager who’s name is bastardized throughout to hilarious result.

Other notable members of the cast include Ron Bohmer (who, if you check out my Rapid Fire 20 Q, you’ll see also has ties to Nashville), as Elder Price’s Dad, as well as Mormon founding father, Joseph Smith. Every member of the cast, from Monica L. Patton’s brief but unforgettable turn as Mrs. Brown and Corey Jones as The General to the entire ensemble bring energy, talent and humor coming forth so seamlessly that it keeps the show moving so quickly that you barely have time to recover from one uproarious moment to the next.

While there’s always been resistance to The Book of Mormon and those who’s cast it out as vile and unredeemable, let’s not forget…Broadway has always had a history of pushing buttons while opening eyes. From Shakespeare’s violent Titus Andronicus to the nudity and free-love of Hair, and in more recent years, the heart wrenching truths of Angels in America, theatre has frequently shocked to inform, to entertain and educate. BOM is just one of the latest to brilliantly do all of the above.

The best part…it does all this while presenting all the elements of a traditional theatre. While the laughs are often nervous with embarrassment, they’re genuine guttural guffaws. Then there’s the musical numbers. From the start, the appropriately titled Hello, arguably the show’s most well-known number, performed by our two leads and the ensemble of Mormon missionaries, starts things off on a hilariously high note. (This seems as good a time to mention a brief aside. When I chatted with Tobin recently for the latest of my recurring Rapid Fire 20 Q interview segments, I asked if actual Mormon missionaries still showed up outside the theatres handing out the real Book of Mormon. He confirmed and noted that it was more unusual if they didn’t. Much to my delight, as I got out of my car in front of TPAC earlier this week, there were indeed two mormon missionaries, dressed in black slacks, with short-sleeve white dress shirts, black ties and name plates above their left pocket handing out their religious materials. As I passed by I made eye contact with the Elder closest to me and said a quick “Hi”. To my amusement, rather that the expected “Hello”, he smiled and kindly replied, “Howdy”…well, we ARE in Nashville after all.)

Back to the show, in addition to the show’s opening Hello, The Book of Mormon is packed with by the book…the Broadway book that is…showtunes, musical numbers and some fabulous choreography. You and Me (But Mostly Me) checks off the comical duet box, Hasa Diga Eebowai, the OMG, they’re actually singing a song about this? shock value box. Then there’s Turn it Off, the show’s tap-tactic all-in mid-Act 1 wowser.

Among Act 2’s most memorable….Spooky Mormon Hell Dream, pretty much self-explanatory, complete with prerequisite effects and puppetry, not to mention nods to pop culture evils such as Hitler, Dammer and even Jonnie Cochran. I Believe follows and is the show’s unlikely anthemic entry showcasing once again Tobin’s leading man vocals and charisma. Not to be outdone, Peirson and Pechioni shine during Baptise Me, a song about Elder Cunningham baptizing Nabulungi with so much sexual innuendo you just might need a cold shower afterwards. Midway through Act 2, I Am Africa is yet another showstopper with the entire company of missionaries embracing their newfound, albeit totally appropriated, heritage. Simply, awkwardly, hilariously brilliant.

The Book of Mormon continues its Nashville tour dates at TPAC’s Jackson Hall through Sunday, March 17 with Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m., matinee performances on Saturday at 2p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. with a final evening performance Sunday at 6:30p.m. Tickets range in price from $45 to $115. CLICK HERE for tickets.

Just last week, TPAC announced a special ticket lottery for all Nashville performances. For each performance, a limited number of tickets will be available for only $25. To enter the ticket lottery, patrons must arrive at the box office (just inside TPAC street level entrance under the marquee at Deaderick and 6th Ave) two and a half hours before showtime of the performance they hope to attend. Upon arrival at the box office, patrons will write their name and the number of tickets (one or two tickets per entrant). Two hours before curtain, a limited number of names will be drawn for tickets in the first two rows of the Orchestra, thus allowing the winning lottery participants to purchase those tickets at the special $25 price!

Following the Nashville dates, The Book of Mormon continues across the country with stops from Grand Rapids to Salt Lake City through August. For tickets or more information about the tour, CLICK HERE. You can also follow the tour on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Next up at TPAC, as their Broadway series continues is the national tour of Anastasia, on stage at Jackson Hall, March 19-24 CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. You can also discover all the latest from TPAC by checking them out online or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Theatre Review: ‘A Bronx Tale: The Musical’; at TPAC’s Jackson Hall through Sunday, February 17

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Joe Barbara as Sonny and Frankie Leoni as Young Calogero in “A Bronx Tale” (All Photos: Joan Marcus)

The Broadway musical, A Bronx Tale continues its first National Tour as it stops in  Music City this week with shows at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday, February 17.

Based on the 1993 Robert De Niro-directed film of the same name, A Bronx Tale’s origins go back a few years prior to the film, having its genesis as a one-man stage play created and performed by actor/writer Chazz Palminteri, based on his own childhood memories of growing up in a predominantly Italian neighborhood in the famed NY borough.

In addition to Palminteri’s book, A Bronx Tale boasts music by modern musical theatre icon Alan Menken with lyrics by his frequent partner, Glenn Slater (the duo behind Disney’s Tangled and Broadway’s The Little Mermaid). The technical spectacle doesn’t end with the spoken words and tunes of A Bronx Tale, for scenic designer Beowulf Boritt has created a gorgeous set perfectly transporting the action to an Italian-American neighborhood in 1950s New York. Also aiding in the step back in time are William Ivey Long’s costumes and Paul Huntley’s wig and makeup styling. Coupled with Howell Binkley’s lighting design, A Bronx Tale is a visually any audibly stunning recreation of a mid-century New York brownstone neighborhood.

Even before the curtain rises, a decidedly authoritarian voice cracks wise warning audience members that the use of recording devises of the taking of pictures might result in a bat over the head, giving a not-so-subtle clue of the heavy-handed, but humorous story to come.

From the beginning, A Bronx Tale evokes familiarity as it presents a classic doo-wop opening number, Belmont Avenue, reminiscent of everything from Jersey Boys and Memphis to Hairspray and Little Shop Of Horrors. Positioned under a lamppost (aren’t they always?) the Doo-Wop Guys (Sean Bell, Joshua Michael Burrage, Giovanni DiGabriele and Alex Dorf) offer up some smooth postmodern harmonies while Joey Barreiro, who’s starring as Calogero (Palminteri’s birth name, in case you’re curious) joins the guys for a  tune-filled plot exposition. During the tune we learn through lyrics that Calogero was only nine years old when he first laid eyes on neighborhood mobster, Sonny, sneeringly played to perfection by Joe Barbara. Being a soap opera aficionado, I immediately recognized Barbara for his mid-90s work as Joseph Carlino on the now defunct sudser, Another World. On stage, Barbara was a member of the Broadway company of A Bronx Tale and he also appeared in the Las Vegas mounting of Jersey Boys. Seeming destined to play mobster Sonny, Barbara also shares his name with legendary real-life mobster, Joseph Barbara but that’s probably all I should say about that.

Giovanni DiGabriele, Sean Bell, Joseph Sammour, Frankie Leoni and Joshua Michael Burrage

The opening also introduces us to nine-year-old Calogero (played at alternate performances by Frankie Leoni and Shane Pry). Opening night in Nashville featured Leoni in the role and I have to say, he absolutely stole the show. The young actor’s stage presence, timing, delivery and his ability to belt a tune and keep up with the rest of the cast as they perform Sergio Trujillo’s blissful choreography was mind-blowingly entertaining.

Richard H. Blake as Lorenzo, Frankie Leoni as Young Calogero and Michelle Aravena as Rosina

Barreiro’s teenage Calogero, nicknamed simply “C” by Sonny, narrates the action as young Calogero is joined on stage by Richard H. Blake and Michelle Araveno as his parents, Lorenzo and Rosina after Calogero witnesses Sonny shoot a man near the boy’s front stoop. In spite of his dad’s musical warning with Look to Your Heart, young Calogero decides not to rat Sonny out when the cops question the young witness, setting up a truly unique friendship between the boy and the boss that weaves together the rest of the tale.

One of my favorite scenes comes when Sonny introduces C to Sonny’s familia, as he introduces each member of his crew, he calls their names like a class roll-call. There’s Rudy the Voice (John Gardiner), then Eddie Mush (Mike Backes), JoJo the Whale (Michael Barra), Frankie Coffeecake (Robert Pieranunzi) and finally Tony 10 to 2 (Paul Salvatoreillo). When each name is called, that associate steps forward facing font, with a click of the spotlight, they then turn to profile with another click of the spotlight, a visual wink mimicking every mug-shot sequence from every gangster movie ever made. Well played, lighting designer Binkley, well played.

Joe Barbara, Frankie Leoni and the Company of “A Bronx Tale”

Young Calogero becomes integrated into Sonny’s outlet (that’s mob-speak for Mafia family), initially throwing dice for Sonny in a craps game during the musical number, Roll Em, garnering more and more trust from Sonny and the organization, and reaping their financial gratitude, C stows away handfuls of money while further driving a wedge between himself and his family.

Joey Barreiro and Frankie Leoni

I Like It, another stellar moment midway through Act 1 features both Calogero, his younger self, Sonny and members of the ensemble. Then Giving Back the Money fully illustrates the growing divide between father and son as well as a bit of unspoken history between Sonny and Lorenzo.

Focus then shifts to teenage Calogero for the remainder of the show. I have to admit, I kept waiting for the full switch and inevitable exit of Leoni as young Calogero, but was pleasantly surprised the talented young actor remained a central part of the story as long as he did.

That said, once Barreiro’s late-teen Calogero becomes the primary focus, we are also introduced to Calogero’s wannabe gang, Handsome Nick and Crazy Mario, played by previously mentioned Doo-Wop Guys DiGabriele and Dorf. Both DiGabrielle and Dorf play up their character’s names to the fullest, DiGabrielle strutting around the stage like a banty rooster while Dorf twitches and jerks like a teenage tweeker. They once again show off their harmonizing skills during the finger-poppin’,  Ain’t it the Truth, a shoo-wop lesson in street life.

Then there’s Brianna-Marie Bell as Jane, the black high school girl with whom Calogero becomes smitten. Having made her Broadway debut as Jane during the show’s recent NY run, it’s obvious she’s found her comfort zone with the sweet but forthright Jane. While they only live a few blocks away, Calogero on Belmont Ave, Jane on Webster, their relationship seems a bit of a modern nod to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Bell’s vocal skills and perfectly executed dance moves quickly shift the mood to that of hope and vitality.

Brianna-Marie Bell (center) with Brandi Porter and Ashley McManus

With Jane’s appearance comes the arrival of her friends Denise (Ashley McManus) and Frieda (Brandi Porter) providing some much-needed female presence to this oft-male dominated piece. Much like the guys playing Calogero’s crew, McManus and Porter also make the most of their limited time on stage with expected, but thoroughly enjoyed  moments of sass and disdain.

Out of Your Head features Calogero, Jane and company as the young lovers contemplate the pursuit of love in spite of what their backgrounds warn against. Trite as it may be, at the capable hands of Barreiro and Bell, it’s truly one of the show’s best moments.

Then it’s Barbara’s time to shine with the hilarious Nicky Machiavelli as Sonny Rudy and Eddie explain the Italian philosopher’s views in a musical number that’s firmly seated between Mac the Knife and The Rat Pack.

Act 1 wraps with another all-in for the thoughtfully poignant These Streets which features Blake’s Lorenzo reminiscing about Calogero’s youth and Lorenzo’s promise as a father to assure his son won’t be a victim of the street.

The remainder of the piece kicks off on a literal high note with Bell leading Webster Avenue, a cultural flip of the show’s opening tune showcasing Bell’s Jane, Antonio Beverly as Tyrone, Jane’s brother, her aforementioned girlfriends and Barreiro’s Calogero.

When the plot touches on tensions, both racial and cultural, Act 2 offers reprisals of Out of Your Head, this time from Jane’s perspective; Ain’t It the Truth, featuring Tyrone and his friend Jesse (Jason Williams), offering a Webster Ave version of the tune’s original take and Look to Your Heart, as performed by Calogero’s Mom, Rosina in what is easily one of the show’s best vocal performances.

Brianna-Marie Bell and Joey Barreiro

Other musical moments during the second act include One of the Great Ones, in which Sonny advises Calogero to go for it with Jane, so as not to miss out on what could be one of the great loves of his life. Later, we’re treated to a reprise of One of the Great Ones.

As the action mounts and decisions must be made regarding Calogero’s romance, his potential future with the organization and the actions of his friends regarding protecting their territory from their fellow man, Hurt Someone gets at the crux of the piece…fear and misguided perceptions of power and violence have the ability to empower/destroy us all.

After the drama of Hurt Someone, interestingly, A Bronx Tale ends, at least musically speaking, not terribly far from where it began with the uplifting doo-wopish In a World Like This and the anthemic The Choices We Make.

A Bronx Tale may present Palminteri’s story, swayed perhaps by his years in Hollywood, with its amped up tried-and-true cinematic clichés, from forbidden love to a plethora of wise-crackin/bone-crackin wiseguys. That said, if a few modern mafia stereotypes would keep you from seeing this show…fuggedaboutit and go see it anyway. At its best, A Bronx Tale is a surprisingly sweet tale, not just of a young boy who finds favor with a neighborhood heavy, but of unlikely friendship, an understanding between father and son that is only possible with growth and maturity and knowing when to follow your heart, not your head.

A Bronx Tale continues this leg of its first National Tour in Nashville at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall with performances through Sunday, February 17. CLICK HERE for showtimes and tickets. Following the show’s Nashville dates, the tour continues through the summer with dates in Minneapolis, Fayetteville, Oklahoma City, Chicago, D.C., Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Madision, Fort Lauderdale, New Haven, Fort Worth and Kansas City. For more information about the show, CLICK HERE or check out A Bronx Tale on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Company of “A Bronx Tale”

Next up at TPAC, as their Broadway series continues is the national tour of The Book of Mormon on stage at Jackson Hall, March 12-17. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. You can also discover all the latest from TPAC by checking them out online on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Theatre Review: Gloria and Emilio Estefan musical ‘On Your Feet’ at TPAC thru Sunday

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On Your Feet opened the Nashville leg of its current National Tour on Tuesday, January 15 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. The high-octane biographical jukebox musical—whose subheading is The Emilio and Gloria Estefan Broadway Musical—continues in Nashville with performances through Sunday, January 20.

Directed by Jerry Mitchell, On Your Feet begins even before the curtain rises, giving the feel of a attending an electrifying concert full of laser lights swirling, spotlights bouncing and the familiar beat of Gloria Estefan’s 1987 mega-hit, Rhythm is Gonna Get You, informing the audience of just that. With a story that’s true, albeit conveniently told through a slightly contrived book by Alexander Dinelaris, it’s the soundtrack of hit after hit after hit produced and recorded originally by Gloria, her husband Emilio Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine that’s the guiding force behind this musical extravaganza.

“On Your Feet” stars Christie Prades and Eddie Noel flanked by young co-stars Ana-Sofia Rodriguez and Jeanpaul Medina Solano (Image via prpop.org)

Christie Prades stars as Gloria, and, as of Tuesday’s Nashville debut, co-stars Eddie Noel as Emilio. Noel having previously been featured in the show as Gloria’s father, Jose Fajardo. Prior to headlining the current touring company, Prades was part of the show’s Broadway run as understudy for the lead and a member of the swing cast. In the spotlight, Prades not only embodies the physicality of the real Gloria Estefan, but she also perfectly matches the seven-time Grammy-winner’s deeply soulful vocal skills and that unmistakable way the beloved singer often switches octaves within a single note. As for her newest co-star, Noel’s handsome features are only surpassed by the equally impressive richness of his vocals, making the audiences quickly forget that Nashville marks his debut performance as the male lead.

Other stand-out performances amongst the cast include Nancy Ticotin as Gloria’s mother and Alma Cuervo as Consuelo, Gloria’s grandmother. Cuervo, who originated the role of Gloria’s grandmother when the show debuted on Broadway steals every single moment she’s onstage.

Speaking of scene-stealers, the younger members of the cast include Jeanpaul Medina Solano and Jordan Vergara sharing responsibilities as Young Emilio (and various other young boys throughout the show) and Ana-Sofia Rodriguez and Carmen Sanchez alternating as Little Gloria.

While the story of On Your Feet is a bit predictable, especially for anyone who grew up in the era of Miami Sound Machine and the rise of Gloria Estefan’s career from Latin sensation of cross-over legend, it’s absolutely the Rhythm that’s Gonna Get You. To that end, rather than musicians being hidden away in the orchestra pit, as is standard practice for a touring musical, On Your Feet showcases the musicians on stage and what a group of musicians they are!

This show band isn’t just any show band, for the National Tour of On Your Feet features multi-Grammy-winning musicians from actual Miami Sound Machine roster, including Music Director Clay Ostwald (keyboards), who is Assistant Music Director of Miami Sound Machine, Teddy Mulet (trombone), Mike Scaglione(reeds), Jorge Casas (bass), who is Music Director of Miami Sound Machine, and Edwin Bonilla (percussion). Other members of the orchestra include Emmanuel Schvartzman (Associate Music Director/keyboards), Jose Ruiz (trumpet), Stephen Flakus (guitar), Jean-Christophe Leroy(percussion) and Colin Taylor (drums), keyboard programmer Randy Cohen, associate keyboard programmers Jeremy King and Taylor Williams and music coordinator, Patrick Vaccariello.

As for the story itself, through flashback, On Your Feet takes the audience back to Gloria’s youth in Cuba singing and dancing for her beloved grandfather, we also see a scene in Vietnam where her father listens to a cassette recording of his daughter singing traditional Cuban songs while his fellow soldiers tease him that she should sing some Diana Ross next time. Gloria’s Tradición (a single from Gloria’s 1993 all-Spanish album) is featured during this sequence. As the story unfolds, we learn that her family fled to Miami as Batista was overthrown. Not spending too much time on Gloria’s youth in Miami, a clever scene quickly ages Gloria into an adult pursuing her dreams of performing. This portion of the narrative reveals that as an adult, Gloria was responsible for the care of her invalid father and her younger sister while her mother provided for the family. Perhaps it was her mother’s own dashed dreams of stardom—we later learn that prior to feeling Cuba she was on the verge of signing a Hollywood contract to provide the Spanish-language voiceover for Shirley Temple—or her mother’s unavoidable forced reality, whatever the cause, it’s quickly evident that Gloria’s mother isn’t 100% behind her daughter’s musical aspirations. Luckily for Gloria, her Grandmother felt differently and encouraged her. In a wink of dialogue between Gloria and her Grandmother, her abuela tells her she’d do Anything For You, nicely leading into Gloria performing a stripped-down version of the song.

Gloria quickly catches the eye of Emilio Estefan, who at the time was leader of the regionally popular Miami Latin Boys.  I See Your Smile and Here We Are nicely pair with the action of their budding romance.

Proving formulaic, the musical then switches gears to the typical girl meets boy scenario, even interjecting a few humorous jabs at Emilio’s accent reminiscent of quips frequently used strictly for laughs on I Love Lucy when Lucy would poke fun at Ricky’s heavy accent.

Dr. Beat, which cracked the Top 20 charts in nearly a dozen countries worldwide, cranks up the action and sets the pace for the rise of Gloria’s star.

One of the show’s most memorable moments comes at the end of Act 1 when, in an effort to self-promote, Gloria, Emilio and company play everything from Italian weddings and Jewish bar mitzvahs to Shriner’s conventions in Las Vegas. All set the the infectious blockbuster hit tune, Conga.

Act 2 kicks off with the high-energy Get on Your Feet and just as quickly gets to the drama of the story with strain between Gloria and her mother, and the inevitable retelling of the tragic bus accident that nearly caused Gloria’s life, ability to walk and her career. These plot lines are highlighted by musical interludes as varied as 1991’s Live for Loving You, Oye Mi Canto (from Gloria’s first solo project in 1990) and If I Never Get to Tell You, a song with lyrics by Gloria and music by her and Emilio’s daughter, Emily Estefan, that was written specifically for the musical.

An interesting choice to be sure, when Gloria is taken in for spinal surgery, the audience is privy to a strange dream-sequence akin to the oddly placed Dream Ballet from Oklahoma. Aesthetically beautiful and expertly danced by the ensemble, as choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, it’s just an odd moment in the show, especially at number’s end when Little Gloria joins her deceased relatives…perhaps a metaphor for Gloria’s growth an rebirth after the accident. Nonetheless, it’s just an odd moment.

Speaking of the show’s choreography, whether the sequences call for celebrating in the streets of Cuba, rehearsals for the up-and-coming Miami Sound Machine, full-on Concert scenes, or intimate nights between Gloria and Emilio, Trujillo and the show’s ensemble hit every mark. There’s even a scene in the second act where the ensemble, wearing wooden-heeled sandals perform a sort of tap dance to a traditional-sounding Cuban tune. Pure joy!

Thanks to a talented ensemble, scene-stealing supporting cast and leads who perfectly capture the passions and talents of Gloria and Emilio, as the National Touring company of On Your Feet continues its run in Music City and across the country, audiences are sure to heed the show’s title and get on their feet!

On Your Feet continues at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with performances Thursday, January 17-Sunday, January 20. Thursday evening’s performances begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday & Saturday evening curtain is at 8 p.m. Saturday matinee begins at 2 p.m. and on Sunday, January 20 there will be a 1:00 p.m. matinee and a final 6:30 p.m. performance. Tickets range in price from $50 to $95. Click Here to purchase tickets.

Following the Nashville dates, On Your Feet continues across the country with stops in Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Grand Rapids, Omaha, Dayton, Louisville, Cincinnati, Worchester, Hershey and Ft. Worth through April. For tickets or more information about the tour, CLICK HERE. You can also follow the tour on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Next up at TPAC, as their Broadway series continues is the national tour of A Bronx Tale, on stage at Jackson Hall, February 12-17 CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. You can also discover all the latest from TPAC by checking them out online or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Theatre Review: Dreaming of a White Christmas? Look no further than the high-energy stage version of Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ tapping its way across the country and into audiences’ hearts this holiday season

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Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ stars Kelly Sheehan, Jeremy Benton, Sean Montgomery and Kerry Conte, onstage in Nashville at TPAC’s Jackson Hall as holiday tour continues

With it’s lavish sets, gorgeous costumes and top-drawer cast, the 1954 film Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, which starred Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney, has been a holiday tradition for…well…64 years. Moving the magic from screen to stage more than a decade ago, playwrights David Ives and Paul Blake adapted the story into an equally resplendent stage musical. The show is currently in Nashville at TPAC’s Jackson Hall through Sunday, November 18 as the national tour makes its way across the country guaranteeing audiences everywhere a glistening, gleaming, smiling, singing, happy, tapping, merry-making White Christmas.

While I wasn’t around in 1954 for the initial release of the film, an annual viewing has become somewhat of a holiday tradition since first discovering it by way of a late-night TV broadcast some forty years ago on Christmas Eve while staying up late to help my mom wrap those last few gifts. Fast forward to a few years back when the national tour of the stage musical played TPAC. I was in heaven, after all, what could be better than a glorious new musical featuring a soundtrack jam-packed with Irving Berlin tunes, lovingly based on a classic movie? Mind Blown.

So, how do you replicate the on-screen chemistry of Crosby and Kaye playing ‘odd couple’ best pals, let alone Clooney and Ellen as squabbling sisters? The simple answer, you cast Sean Montgomery, Nashville’s own Jeremy Benton (back for his fifth time with the tour), Kerry Conte and Kelly Sheehan. Montgomery smoothy fills the Crosby bill while Benton eases into the goofiness of Kaye while elevating the role with some of the most impressive dance moves I’ve ever seen onstage. As for the ladies, Sheehan’s Judy might look more like Clooney than Vera-Ellen, but her dance moves rival those of her character’s creator. At times Conte’s singing voice is blissfully similar to that of Rosemary Clooney, but there’s also times, especially in her line delivery, that she possesses a more regal intonation reminiscent the equally talented chanteuse, Peggy Lee. Just another interesting fun fact…when the film was released, Clooney was under contract with Columbia Records and was therefore prohibited from appearing on the film’s official soundtrack record album release. Instead, Decca Records brought in Lee to record vocals for the vinyl. (I warned you it’s my favorite).

Just as the film, White Christmas begins in 1944 near the action of a WWII battlefront at a drab army camp as besties Phil Davis (Benton) and Bob Wallace (Montgomery) attempt to bring holiday cheer to their fellow soldiers. Amidst the wartime setting, Benton and Montgomery perform heartwarming versions of composer Berlin’s classics, Happy Holiday and the title tune, White Christmas.

Conrad John Schuck and Karen Ziembra as General Waverly and Martha Watson in Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’

As the boys wrap their battlefront performance, their gruff commanding officer, General Henry Waverly (Conrad John Schuck) emerges initially seeming to break up the fun, when in truth, he thanks them for their little Christmas show and wishes his men well with a speech about his hopes for them ten years in the future. Shuck, who now calls nearby Franklin, TN home, has enjoyed a prolific career in TV, film and on stage. Among his many memorable roles, he appeared in several Robert Altman films including M*A*S*H, played Sergeant Enright on TV’s McMillan & Wife, brought Herman Munster back to life in the 90s starring as the bolt-necked patriarch in the updated series Musters Today, played a comedic robot cop in one of my cherished childhood favorites, Holmes and Yoyo. Oh, and did I mention he costarred as Col. Wm F. Cody alongside Reba in her Broadway debut as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun? But I digress.

Ten years in the future it is, as action then fast-forwards to Christmastime1954. This finds Wallace and Davis, now a hugely successful performing duo, about to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. The stark contrast from the show’s more somber setting to the vivid set and costumes of the reprise of Happy Holiday and the toe-tapping, mood-lifting Let Yourself Go put me in mind of Dorothy’s arrival in Oz as she emerges from the black and white emotionless Kansas to the vibrant wide-eyed extravaganza that is Munchkinland. This also reminded me of a bit of useless trivia. White Christmas, the film, wasn’t just shot in spectacular Technicolor. It was also the first Paramount Pictures movie to be released in VistaVision, a then-new wide-screen format that enhanced the projection area of standard 35-mm film. Think of it as mid-50s version of 4K.

Benton and Montgomery bring 50s technicolor to life onstage in ‘White Christmas’

That said, the musical’s scenic designer, Anna Louizos and costumer, Carrie Robbins brilliantly pay homage to the beautifully dreamlike, overly saturated full spectrum of colors presented in the original as they dip their respective pallets into nearly every color in the rainbow helping to create a living technicolor spectacular.

Colors aren’t the only thing saturating White Christmas. It’s also full of Berlin tunes, so much so that even the incidental musical will have Berlin-philes beaming as they hear bits and bars from several of the legendary composer other notable tunes. While the show is indeed tune-full, it’s also satiated with patented boy-meet-girl (with complications) saccharine plots. As mentioned above, this time we’ve got army buddies Bob Wallace (Montgomery) and Davis (Benton) and their chance/fateful meeting with Betty and Judy Haynes (Conte and Sheehan, respectively).

From the beginning there’s not just sparks, there’s fireworks as Montgomery’s Wallace and Conte’s Betty lock horns while Benton’s Davis and Sheehan’s Judy see through the resistance and set their sights on matchmaking. This leads to a clever duet between Montgomery and Conte. Clever because they’re each in their own dressing rooms, he, backstage at The Ed Sullivan Show and she, in her dressing room at a local nightspot while both contemplate the shared unpredictability of  Love and the Weather (one of many Irving Berlin tunes not originally featured in the film, but added for the stage musical adaptation).

Conte and Sheehan recreate the iconic ‘Sisters’

Next up is a spot-on recreation of one of the film’s most iconic scenes, Sisters in which Sheehan and Conte, twinning in gorgeous heaven-blue dresses with matching feather fans wax lovingly on the bond of sisterhood, a bond so strong that only one thing can come between the two…when one sister attempts to even think of going after the other sister’s man. Bravo to Randy Skinner, the show’s director and choreographer, for finding the perfect balance between honoring the iconic moments like this, while breathing revived life into other segments of the show. Not gonna lie. I may or may not have teared-up during this number…and a few others throughout the show.

The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing offers Benton and Sheehan a chance to sway lovingly across the floor. The staging of this number is beautiful as the set and ensemble disappear while Benton and Sheehan’s Phil and Judy escape their surrounding in a dreamlike stage induced by the peacefulness of dancing cheek to cheek.

Any time I talk about White Christmas—you’d be surprised how often that is—I inevitably mention my hands-down favorite moment in the film in which Phil has hoodwinked Bob into a train trip to Vermont to unknowingly join the Haynes Sisters as they perform a Christmas Eve show at an inn (which just so happens to be owned by their former General). In the film, clever cinematography transforms a table napkin, an advert and pine needles into a snow-scene all atop a table in a boxcar as the quartet ride the rails. The scene is sweet as they sing of Snow, but the whole sequence only lasts about two minutes. For the stage musical, it’s an all-in as the ensemble packs the boxcar for an expanded version of the song. It’s as if Skinner is giving me my own special holiday gift every time I see this show.

On the subject of gifts to the audience, enter Tony-winner Karen Ziembra as Martha Watson. Played by Mary Wickes in the film, Martha is The General’s right-hand-woman as she oversees the day to day running of the lodge and, at least for the holidays, helps him care for his visiting granddaughter, Susan (a role shared during the tour by Emma Grace Berardelli and Kayla Carter). Ziembra, like her film-version predecessor, lights up the stage and steals the spotlight with every snide remark, every double-take and every movement, but when she belts out the opening note of her sole solo Let Me Sing and I’m Happy…DAMN! That’s how you do it, folks. Not to be too outdone by a Tony-winner, later in the show, young Susan gets her chance at the tune, to audience-cheering results.

Act 1 ends with what is easily the moral of the show, Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep and the optimistic and gorgeous Blue Skies.

While Act 1 contains enough punch to be a show all its own, Act 2 somehow amps up the thrill of it all as it opens with a no-holds-barred I Love a Piano. A mind-boggling number than clocks in somewhere around a full nine minutes of tap triumph featuring Benton, Sheehan and a dozen ensemble members in perfect step. And YES, on opening night of the Nashville leg of the tour, several audience members leapt to their feet for a spontaneous mid-show ovation in appreciation.

Other Act 2 highlights include a hilarious gender-bending Sisters reprise courtesy Montgomery and Benton, Sheehan’s breathy, bluesy ballad, Love You Didn’t do Right By Me that morphs into a duet with Montgomery on How Deep is the Ocean, and of course the magnificent film-tactic finale. Spoiler Alert…YES, it snows on stage!

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas continues in Music City at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with five more performances thru Sunday, November 18, with a Friday evening performance at 8p.m., Saturday matinee at 2p.m. and a Saturday evening performance at 8p.m., a Sunday matinee at 1p.m. and a final Sunday evening performance at 6:30p.m.. For more information, CLICK HERE. TPAC is offering two ticketing specials for the remainder of the run. Rush Tickets are available for $30. Simply visit the box office 90 minutes prior to curtain and inquire about availability. There’s also a special on groups of four tickets, just give the promo code JOLLY.

Following the Nashville leg of the tour, White Christmas heads to Tulsa, OK from November 20-25, Atlanta, GA from November 27-December 2, Denver, CO from December 5-15, Orlando, FL from December 18-23 and finishes out the holiday season in Miami, FL, December 20-30. CLICK HERE for ticket links to all remaining cities. To keep up with all things White Christmas, CLICK HERE or follow the tour on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In addition to White Christmas, TPAC’s holidays are in full swing as they host a wide variety of Christmas-themed shows including: Broadway Princess Party, Nashville Rep’s 10th and final year of A Christmas Story, The Hip Hop Nutcracker, A Drag Queen Christmas, Nashville Ballet’s annual presentation of Nashville’s Nutcracker and Peter Pan and Tinkerbell: A Pirate Christmas. CLICK HERE for the full calendar, dates and ticketing information. Follow TPAC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Review: Three decades later, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ still mesmerizing audiences as latest national tour plays TPAC thru November 4

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Quentin Oliver Lee and Eva Tavares starring in “The Phantom of The Opera” (photo by Matthew Murphy)

When I attended opening weekend of the Nashville leg of the current national tour of The Phantom of the Opera at TPAC’s Jackson Hall, it marked the half-dozen mark for me, having originally seen the show nearly thirty years ago during its original Broadway run, as well as a handful of touring productions over the years, including at least two previous tours in the very theatre in which I sat last week. In spite of my familiarity with the story, and dare I say it, my own phandom, even before the drapery fell to reveal THAT chandelier, something was different—special even—about this show. Perhaps it was because my companion for the evening, in spite of growing up with a father who worked in New York’s theatre district, had never seen the show. That’s right, a Phantom virgin.

As we settled into our seats and the all-too-familiar prelude began to swell from the orchestra pit, I found myself surprisingly being overcome with chills. At first waving it off to me admittedly being a bit neurotic and simply loving the art of live theatre, I soon realized it was much more than that. Here I was, sitting in a near-sold-out theatre about to watch a show I’d seen time and time again, a show I knew was somewhat weak on book and character development, but a show that is simply gorgeous. Gorgeous in fantasy-inducing score, gorgeous in breathtakingly iconic costume, gorgeous in opulent set design, and thanks to Quentin Oliver Lee, Eva Tavares, Jordan Craig et al, gorgeous in breathing new life into characters as recognizable and beloved as any to have ever grace the theatrical stage.

While the beginning of the musical sets up the story, we still have to wait three scenes in before the action truly starts when the Phantom first appears…and yes, even after seeing it as many times as I have, I sill gasp a little when he first shows up.From his first appearance, Lee’s Phantom is menacing, commanding and powerful, his voice in fine condition to assume the titular role. From a physical standpoint, he’s also perfect for the role, towering above most of the cast. When he solos on Music of the Night, it is indeed enchanting.

While Richard Stilgoe and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber have endured three decades of critics lamenting the lack of a believable story, character development and reasoning behind the tale of a masked man who lurks in the shadows of a Parisian Opera House in the early 20th century, Webber certainly knew what he was doing when he composed the accompanying score with lyrical help from Charles Hart, for it’s the show’s soundtrack that outshines even the regal opera house setting.

To that end, more gooseflesh moments occur when Lee’s Phantom is joined onstage by his Christine, Eva Tavares. Diminutive in stature, raven-haired, porcelain-skinned, Tavares is the polar opposite to her Phantom. While this could easily detract from their shared scenes, instead, it enhances the idea of why she would fall under his spell, for you have to admit, as un-PC as it is to say, a woman of her slight physical presence would have no choice but to succumb to the Phantom’s domineering ways. Here’s the thing though, what Tavares’ Christine lacks in assertive physicality, she more than makes up for in voice. Whether duetting with Emily Ramirez’s Meg near the top of the show with Angel of Music, with Lee on the show’s majestic title tune, or solo in Act 2’s hauntingly beautiful Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, Tavares IS Christine, as beautiful as she is talented. No wonder the Phantom would be obsessed.

With a cast and orchestra totaling more than 50 company members, there’s plenty of stand-out performers. Among them, the aforementioned Craig as Raoul. Possessing perhaps the most skilled voice in the company, the night I saw him, he was perfection. It should be noted that the playbill indicates that Herb Porter and Constantine Pappas also step into the role during certain performances.

Having recently seen the national tour of Love Never Dies, at TPAC just a few months ago, I had forgotten that Madame Giry is actually likable in the original story, considering the character is a bit of a baddie in the redo. Kristie Dale Sanders is delightful as Madame Giry in this production of Phantom, especially in one of the show’s rare comedic moments in which she and several members of the Opera House’s staff have been receiving notes from the Phantom.

Also turning in fine comedic performances are David Benoit and Rob Lindley as Monsieurs Firmin and Andre, the opera house’s business associates and Trista Moldovan as Carlotta Giudicelli, the opera diva Christine is about to replace if the Phantom has any say in the matter.

Speaking of, perhaps realizing the story is less-than-believable, this current incarnation seems to have added a bit more humor. A welcomed change indeed.

Billed as producer Cameron Mackintosh’s New Production, there are other differences between this and previous incarnations. The slowly revolving tower that ascends to the Phantom’s underground lair is spell-binding. When the stairs seemingly magically appear from the flat surface of the tower as the Phantom descends them, accompanied by lighting designer Paule Constable’s perfectly-timed lighting effects illuminating each emerging step, I couldn’t help but feel anxious at the thought of a technical glitch. On the subject of the lighting, throughout the show, I found my eye wandering from the actors to their shadows cast along the walls of the set, adding yet another spooky layer to the story.

Perhaps my favorite change from the original version is the top of Act 2 with Masquerade. While the grand staircase from the original was indeed a powerful visual, the newly added mirrored ceiling piece that allows the audience a true bird’s eye view of the ballroom choreography is quite enjoyable.

Thirty years after its Broadway debut, The Phantom of the Opera— story missteps aside–is still as majestic and hypnotic a spectacle as ever.

The Phantom of the Opera continues at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with performances Friday, November 2 at 8p.m., Saturday, November 3 at 2p.m. and 8p.m. and Sunday, November 4 at 1p.m. and 6:30p.m. Tickets range in price from $55 to $105. Earlier this week, TPAC announced the limited availability of special $40 rush tickets to each remaining performance. To take advantage of that, show up 90 minutes prior to showtime and inquire at the box office. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

Not in Nashville, but hoping to see Phantom on tour? Following its Music City engagement, Phantom continues through Fall of 2019 with performances in Houston, November 7-18, Omaha, November 21-December 2, San Antonio, December 7-17, Dallas, December 18-January 6, Oklahoma City, January 9-20, Detroit, January 24-February 3, Kalamazoo, February 6-17, Pittsburgh, February 20-March 3, Milwaukee, March 6-17, Providence, March 21-31, Cleveland, April 3-20, Schenectady, April 24-May 5, Los Angeles, June 6-July 7, Costa Mesa, July 10-21 and Honolulu, August 7-September 1. CLICK HERE for tickets. Follow Phantom on Tour at the show’s official site HERE, on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Next up at TPAC, the national tour of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas returns to the stage. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. You can also discover all the latest from TPAC by checking them out online or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Theatre Review: There’s something so right about ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’; National Tour onstage at TPAC’s Jackson Hall thru Sunday

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Members of the cast of ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ (All Photos: Jeremy Daniel)

Described as “Monty Python meets Sherlock Holmes”, The Play That Goes Wrong is a guffaw-inducing, laugh-a-minute, play-within-a-play joy-ride of a farce that centers ‘round a fictional polytechnic school’s drama society as they present the whodunnit mystery, The Murder at Haversham Manor. Having taken London’s West End by storm, The Play That Goes Wrong is currently enjoying its Broadway debut run in New York while the touring company bumbles and stumbles across America on the show’s first US National Tour, Nashville and TPAC’s Jackson Hall being the tour’s current stop with shows thru Sunday, October 14.

From the moment patrons are handed their playbill as they enter the theatre to see a performance of The Play That Goes Wrong, it’s evident they aren’t in for an average run-of-the-mill night of theatre, for you see, even the program book seems to have had a bit of a printing mishap resulting in the cover graphic being printed slightly off-register. Then, as the audience settles into their seats, there’s a bit of a kerfuffle onstage as what appears to be tech crew members appear to be making last-minute adjustments to set pieces. Meanwhile, one of the stars of the show walks out into the audience introducing himself as the director and star while still others bustle about in search of a Duran Duran cd box set…and a dog named Winston. All this before the show technically starts.

From there, it’s two and a half-hours of pratfalls, missed cues, forgotten lines and face-hurting laughter. It’s like those clips of old Carol Burnett Show sketches in which one slight snicker amongst the actors results in an all-out uncontrollable laugh-riot for both the actors and the audience.

Reinforcing the show-within-a-show idea, a quick look at the playbill reveals two sets of information, one for The Murder at Haversham Manor, and one for The Play That Goes Wrong. The fictional bios for the drama society members, all in their touring debut, coincidentally, are hilarious and worth a read in their own right. Meanwhile, the actual cast bios reveal some very impressive credits, including at least two cast members making their return to Nashville, having previously starred in touring productions of other shows, as well as one cast member who previously appeared in the Broadway production of The Play That Goes Wrong.

Leading the cast as the aforementioned director and star of the the whodunnit is Evan Alexander Smith, who plays Chris Bean. In additional to Smith’s Bean being listed in the Murder program as director, he’s also credited as the show-within-a-show’s producer, prop maker, box office manager and about ten other behind-the-scenes crew titles. Oh, and Bean also plays Inspector Carter, who is called to Haversham to investigate a murder. As is the case when a director casts himself in a show (yes, it’s one of my actual theatrical pet peeves), wearing too many hats usually results in disaster. Smith seriousness as Bean is evident from the beginning, when Bean addresses the audience and in doing so, reveals some rather humorous facts about the company, including the budget-necessitating previous presentation of Cat (the obvious joke being they didn’t have the funds to present the better-known Cats). It them follows that Bean’s seriousness as Inspector Carter and the show’s director as the show goes wrong time and time again from the get, sets the hilarious pace for the inevitable unraveling of the show…and the cast.

Evan Alexander Smith

With initial misplaced props and missed cues, Smith’s Bean barely flinches as the powers through, but when a later scene calls for him to find ledger tucked in the cushions of a chaise lounge…or should I say…chaise longue…but I digress….anyway, the ledger isn’t where it’s supposed to be and Bean’s boiling-point is reached, to hilarious result. As if they knew exactly what to do, an audience member shouts out, “It’s under the chaise lounge”. Smith’s Bean breaks the fourth wall, chastises the audience for laughing and suggests perhaps they’d be better suited to be at a Honky Tonk, or perhaps, The Grand Ole Opry– – -two Nashville-centric entertainment options – – -which, of course, only results in more laughter and thunderous applause from the audience for the clever inclusion of a bit of local flavor from the touring company. One joke, about Hamilton, however, might not play as well in Nashville as it does across the country, seeing as how Nashville audiences will have to wait another season for tickets to that hot item.

Smith as Bean is just the tip of the iceberg…YES, I use that reference purposely, because the show, with it’s cleverly choreographed and write mishaps appears to sink quicker than the Titanic, but to blissfully, purposeful results.

Scott Cote, last seen by TPAC audiences as Brother Jeremiah in last year’s national tour of Something Rotten, is hilarious as Dennis Tyde. His fictitious Murder cast bio indicates he’s new to acting, having only joined the Drama Society after failing tryouts in a number of sports. In Murder, Cote’s Dennis is cast as Perkins, the butler. I know what you’re thinking…and while I did indeed as Cote is the butler did it when I interviewed him for my most recent Rapid Fire 20 Q, I cannot include his response as a Spoiler Alert here. What I can tell you is Cote’s Dennis is the epitome of the newbie thespian. He garners his biggest laughs from the audience when he no-so-casually glances at his hands where he’s evidently scribbled certain words of dialogue he has trouble pronouncing, then proceeds to mispronounce them anyway.

Ned Noyes and Scott Cote in ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’

Ned Noyes , who was part of Broadway’s The Play That Goes Wrong prior to being cast in the touring company, is scene-stealing as Max Bennett who plays Cecil Haversham, owner of the manor house in which the murder occurs. Early on, when Cecil goofs a line and gets a bigger response from the audience that had he executed the line perfectly, Noyes’ Bennett begins to over exaggerate his delivery as Cecil, thus receiving even bigger laughs. Being a huge fan of Lucille Ball (no secret to anyone who knows me), this reminded me of the classic comedy legend whenever her Lucy Ricardo character would goof onstage at Ricky’s nightclub. The bigger the audience response, the bigger the delivery of each subsequent line. My face truly began to hurt from laughing so much whoever Noyes was onstage opening night.

Peyton Crim portrays Robert Grove. His fictional bio references such roles as Lame Horse in Black Beauty and Dopey in Show White and The Tall Broad Gentleman. Crim’s Grove sees himself as one of the show’s more serious actors. in Murder, Grove is cast as Thomas Colleymoore, prime suspect in the murder of his sister’s intended, who’s got a bit of a secret himself. In spite of Grove’s serious nature, or perhaps because of it, the physical comedy his character endures as the set literally begins to fall apart, is all the more enjoyable for the audience. My companion for opening night in Nashville commented during one of Crim’s more physically demanding scenes that insurance for The Play That Goes Wrong must be astronomical. I suspect she’s right.

Brandon J. Ellis is subtly wonderful as sound tech, Trevor Watson. His fictional bio reveals he’s only part of The Murder at Haversham Manor to fulfill a requirement for an engineering course. During the entire show, Ellis’ Watson is seen to the left of the stage at his light and sound board. Frequently nodding off or otherwise distracted by his cellphone, Watson misses light and sound cues, only adding to the hilarity onstage, but nothing’s funnier than when Ellis’ Watson is forced on-stage to step into the role of Murder’s female lead when both she and the stage manager-unplanned understudy are knocked out cold.

Jamie Ann Romero being hoisted out the window by members of the cast of ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’

Speaking of the female lead and the stage manger, Jamie Ann Romero and Angela Grovey portray those roles respectively. Romero plays Sandra Wilkinson. Wilkinson’s Murder bio indicates she’s the company’s most experienced member, having been with the company eleven seasons. Romero, as Wilkinson, plays Florence Colleymoore, the above-mentioned fiancee to the murder victim. Romero’s Wilkinson is played with diva-like disdain for her fellow cast mates, but when things go awry, Romero shines as she exhibits simply astonishing physicality.

Part of that physicality comes courtesy a bit of rivalry between Murder’s leading lady and the only other female in the company, Angela Grovey as Annie Twilloil, the company’s stage manager. Grovey, like her co-star, Cote, is also making a return to TPAC’s stage, having previously played Medda in the first national tour of Disney’s Newsies. As stage manger Annie, Grovey seems to be the glue that holds the company together. Annie’s fictional Murder bio backs this up, siting that after Murder, she’ll leave the company to intern with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Throughout the show Annie can be seen—much to her horror—racing onstage to grab a falling piece of the set or place a forgotten prop, but when the show’s leading lady gets knocked out, Annie gets a taste of the spotlight and even though she’s reading her lines from a binder, it’s obvious she’s enjoying her time in the spotlight, for when the leading lady reemerges its a battle of the Florences with both actresses reciting their lines in unison until they literally push each other out the set’s window. While these two have limited stage time, compared to some of the show’s other cast members, when they’re on…THEY ARE ON. When I chatted with Grovey for my recent Rapid Fire 20 Q, I asked her about her on-stage rivalry with Romero, and their backstage friendship. For her response, check out the interview via the hyperlink above.

Rounding out the cast is Yaegel T. Welch, as Jonathan Harris as murder victim, Charles Haversham. His fictitious bio reveals a recent career switch from model to actor, perfect for a character who’s dead to begin with. As the curtain rises on the show, Welch’s Harris isn’t quite on his mark, making it even funnier that the corpse is moving. When cast members step on his hand, he moves, eliciting uproarious laughter form the audience. Offering a bit of unintentional foreshadowing to Charles’ undead state, he frequently shows up throughout the play uttering a line whose time has not yet come and whenever he realizes his mistake, he quickly folds his arms across his chest a la Lily Munster and backs his way off the stage. Simply hilarious. Besides, he’s playing a character named Jonathan Harris, so you KNOW I gotta love that (what else did you think the JH in JHPEntertainment stood for?)

To say that’s the entire cast is a bit inaccurate, for you see, Nigel Hook’s set, which won the Tony Award for the show’s current Broadway run, is as much a character and integral part of the show as any of the actors.  The ridiculously clever and technically intricate set mishaps—what with it’s falling wall sconces, crashing portraits, broken mantlepieces, combusting elevator and a collapsing second story study—enhance the slapstick, pratfalls and goofs throughout. While the dialogue and mishaps themselves would indeed be humorous to witness, thanks to a more-than clever story written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, as directed by Matt DiCarlo, the added visual of the deterioration of the set as the cast themselves descend into disaster is amplified a thousand times by Hook’s brilliant set design and this company of actors who are secure enough in their comedic craft to make playing a troupe of inept thespians seem effortless.

While this review can only attempt to convey the unbridled hilarity, you truly must see it to fully appreciate the true brilliance of the show, its physical humor and the impeccably timed delivery. For a real testament to the show’s creative genius, just go up to anyone who’s seen The Show That Goes Wrong, and repeat lines like “I’m taking the stairs”, “She’s having an episode” or the simple words “ledger” and ‘cyanide”. The resulting grins, snickers and spontaneous laughter are proof positive The Show That Goes Wrong is indeed the show that goes oh so right as far as a great time enjoying a night out at the theatre is concerned.

The National Touring company of The Play That Goes Wrong continues at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with shows thru Sunday, October 14. Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m. There’s also a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. and Sunday performances at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets to The Play That Goes Wrong range in price from $30 to $90. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

Not in Nashville, but interested in seeing The Play That Goes Wrong? Follow the show on social media at the official The Play That Goes Wrong site HERE, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Following The Play That Goes Wrong, TPAC’s current Broadway Season continues with a return engagement of The Phantom of The Opera, playing Jackson Hall October 24-November 4. CLICK HERE for tickets or for more information.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Rapid Fire 20 Q with cast members from ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’; National Tour at TPAC October 9-14

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The cast of ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’; National Tour at TPAC’s Jackson Hall beginning Tuesday (photo: Jeremy Daniel)

Typically, in order to see a Broadway show during its debut run, audiences must make the trek to New York City, but that’s not exactly the case with Broadway’s current farcical hit, The Play That Goes Wrong. While the Broadway production continues its premiere run through January of next year, a concurrent production of the show recently set out on a National Tour. As the touring company prepared to head to TPAC’s Jackson Hall for the Nashville leg of the tour, I recently had an opportunity to chat with two members of the cast for the latest installment of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q. While researching to chat with stars Scott Cote and Angela Grovey, I discovered they each had ties to Music City, both having played Nashville while part of previous national touring companies, and one having even co-starred with country music’s favorite daughter. So, while the Play might go wrong, I knew the interviews would go just right.

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Angela Grovey and Scott Cote during one of many side-splitting scenes in ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

RAPID FIRE 20 Q WITH THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG STARS SCOTT COTE AND ANGELA GROVEY

RAPID FIRE WITH ANGELA GROVEY, ANNIE IN THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

Angela Grovey

JONATHAN H. PINKERTON: Alright, I just have to start by asking about your recent Broadway stint in Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville since you shared the stage with Eric Petersen in that show. I met Eric when he toured with Shrek. What’s your favorite memory of being on Broadway in that show?

 ANGELA GROVEY: I had a blast doing Escape to Margaritaville and singing some of Jimmy’s music. Occasionally Jimmy would join us during bows and we’d watch the crowd go NUTS. On our closing night Jimmy joined us for bows and sang to the crowd and then did Lovely Cruise for the company of Escape to Margaritaville. It was very special because that moment reflected the love and respect we each shared for each other and the show. It’s something I will cherish always.

JHP: You know, we have a Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant in Nashville, located on our Broadway (instead of theatres, we have honky-tonks, go figure!)…if time permits, do you plan to sight-see while in Music City?

ANGELA GROVEY: I am a HUGE fan of the music scene in Nashville and I’m a southern girl so I will, without question, be visiting some places down Broadway and Music Row. One of the gifts that comes with touring is we get to be a working tourist for a week. I’m looking forward to my week in Nashville.

JHP: Speaking of Broadway, The Play That Goes Wrong is simultaneously playing the other Broadway and on tour. How exciting to be offering folks across the country the chance to see a show that’s still enjoying its initial Broadway run?

ANGELA GROVEY: I’m thrilled that a PLAY is touring and we get to be the “first” play for people.
This play is HILARIOUS and to be able to be spreading laughter around this country warms my heart. 

Angela Grovey as Annie in ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

JHP: What can you tell me about Annie?

ANGELA GROVEY: Annie is the American stage manager of the Drama Society. It’s her 3rd year working with the company and looks forward to her time with this particular company. Annie is in charge of all things that happen on the stage and takes great joy is being the best at any job she does.

JHP: I understand there’s a little All About Eve element between Annie and Sandra, the female lead. How much fun is that rivalry to play?

ANGELA GROVEY: It’s great fun!!! We as actors are always looking for the “conflict” and Annie’s “conflict” switches mid show to Sandra.

JHP: Jamie Ann Romero plays Sandra. While you’ve only just started the tour, how have you ladies bonded offstage thus far?

ANGELA GROVEY: Jamie and I happen to have the same agents in New York City so we have had many opportunities to get to know each other professionally and on a personal level. We recently got manicures and pedicures together in Greenville and decided that we MUST make this a tradition. I know we just started the tour but it was very apparent while rehearsing that we have an AMAZING group of humans on this tour.

JHP: Has playing a stage manager given you a deeper appreciation for The Play That Goes Wrong’s actual crew?

ANGELA GROVEY: My first tour with Disney’s Newsies reminded me that the actors are only one part of the puzzle that must come together to put on a show. Fun fact- my production stage manager from Newsies is my production stage manager for The Play That Goes Wrong. I have carried that respect with me into my life practices. The Play That Goes Wrong Tour is top notch. And—especially with this show—we as actors could not do what we do without our crew.

JHP: Seeing as how The Play That Goes Wrong is a farce, and a theatrical show within a show farce at that, you and the rest of the cast are tasked with intentionally over-acting and basically playing bad actors. How fun/challenging is that?

ANGELA GROVEY: I have a very fun challenge with Annie because i am an actor playing a stage manager, forced into a stage managers WORST nightmare.

JHP: The set for The Play That Goes Wrong, designed by Nigel Hook, is Tony-winning. What’s your favorite aspect of the set?

ANGELA GROVEY: I can’t say I have just one favorite. The design is well deserving of  the Tony Award. When I first saw the show in NYC I was shocked at the set, now I get to see how it all works and I’m still amazed.

JHP: Because I’m a total dork, when I saw the cast list for The Play That Goes Wrong, I recognized you from your appearance in the 2012 film, Joyful Noise, which starred Queen Latifah and Dolly…so beloved here in Music City, she needs no last name. Gonna see Dolly while you’re in Nashville?

ANGELA GROVEY: I will definitely reach out and say ‘Hello’ while I’m in Nashville, but Dolly is one of the hardest working women, so I don’t know if I’ll see her. But if I do see her I’ll try not to gasp as loudly as I did when I first met her.

RAPID FIRE WITH SCOTT COTE, DENNIS IN THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

Scott Cote

JONATHAN H. PINKERTON: If memory serves me, weren’t you just in Nashville about a year ago while touring with Something Rotten?
SCOTT COTE: Yes, that is correct. I played Brother Jeremiah in that production.

JHP: Since you’ve been in Nashville before, anything you plan to revisit and share about Music City with your fellow The Play That Goes Wrong cast mates?
SCOTT COTE: I plan to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame again. I also loved strolling down Broadway and hearing the music from all the different honky tonks.

JHP: From what I know about The Play That Goes Wrong, it’s a bit of a mashup between Monty Python-esque outrageous humor, with a good dose of Sherlock Holmes mystery thrown in. How else would you describe the show?
SCOTT COTE: That is exactly how I describe the show to people so you hit the nail right on the head. People should just plan on laughing for 2 hours from start to finish.

JHP: I’ve also heard comparisons (at least the intended mystery aspect of the play within the play, to a good ole Agatha Christie. Just so happens, I just returned from being on holiday in Portugal. While away, I re-read Christie’s Hercule Poirot mystery, Death in The Clouds as I was composing questions for this interview. Were you ever a fan of books or film adaptations by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Christie?
SCOTT COTE: Oh yes. In high school we read Sherlock Holmes and And Then There Were None. I enjoy a good mystery novel from time to time.

Ned Noyes and Scott Cote in ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

JHP: Seeming to draw inspiration from, or—pay homage to—Noises Off, The Play That Goes Wrong is a play within a play. Given that, you’re cast not only as Dennis, a bit of an amateur thespian, but, in the murder mystery, the butler. What are your favorite characteristics of Dennis…and his portrayal of the butler?
SCOTT COTE: I love his earnestness and his wanting to do a good job so the rest of the cast will like him. When he does fail at something, it really bothers him and he thinks he’s ruined the play. It’s fun to try and play that on stage every night.

JHP: Simultaneously on Broadway and on tour, among the show’s producers is JJ Abrams…so, how are you plotting to parlay that into future acting roles for the popular producer?
SCOTT COTE: I’m just going to keep doing my job and hopefully JJ will have one of his many friends in the business come to see the show and want to use me in one of their future productions. I’ll gladly play a Storm Trooper in the next installment of Star Wars!!

JHP: The National Tour only just launched in September. What’s the energy like being part of a brand new touring company?
SCOTT COTE: The energy level is pretty high right now. We are all having a great time. For a few people in the cast this is their first time touring so it’s been fun teaching them the ropes of touring. Where to eat, what to do, what hotel to stay in. etc.

JHP: Based in what you remember from having played Nashville’s TPAC last year, do you think Music City audiences will embrace The Play That Goes Wrong?
SCOTT COTE: I sure hope they do. If they loved Something Rotten last year, I think they will equally love this play. Its 2 hours of non stop laughter!! Who wouldn’t like that?

JHP: Matt DiCarlo is directing the touring production. What he like as a director?
SCOTT COTE: He’s a great collaborator! He knows this show like that back of his hand, but he is so willing and open to our ideas for our characters. He would let us play and find things and then would just tighten moments that needed tightening. He trusts us all.

JHP: Dang…One last question…OK, so you play the butler in a murder mystery…just between us…did the butler do it?
SCOTT COTE: Well you’ll just have to come see the show to found that out. 🙂

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‘The Play That Goes Wrong’; at TPAC October 9-14 (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

While Scott remained mum about whodunnit, Nashville audiences will have eight chances to figure  it out—and have a hilarious time doing so—when The Play That Goes Wrong sets up shop at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with shows from Tuesday, October 9-Sunday, October 14. Evening performances Tuesday-Thursday begin at 7:30 p.m. with Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m. There’s also a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. and Sunday performances at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets to The Play That Goes Wrong range in price from $30 to $90. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

Not in Nashville, but interested in seeing The Play That Goes Wrong? Follow the show on social media at the official The Play That Goes Wrong site HERE, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Following The Play That Goes Wrong, TPAC’s current Broadway Season continues with a return engagement of The Phantom of The Opera, playing Jackson Hall October 24-November 4. CLICK HERE for tickets or for more information.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Music City is getting schooled by a talented band of pre-teens; Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘School of Rock’ at TPAC thru Sunday, September 16

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Members of the cast of “School of Rock”, National Tour at TPAC thru Sunday, September 16

Just days after a win at this year’s Creative Arts Emmy ceremony for last year’s NBC live musical presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar secured Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s much-deserved place as an EGOT winner (artists, performers and creatives who’ve been awarded each of the four major awards—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), the legendary Broadway composter’s School of Rock began the Nashville leg of their current national tour as the show opened to an enthusiastic crowd of all ages Tuesday, September 11 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. The show continues at TPAC with shows through Sunday, September 16.

As the show’s title implies, School or Rock is exactly that, a musical laced with rockin’ tunes. Based on the 2003 comedy film starring Jack Black, School of Rock tells the story of a wannabe rock star who, as my late father would have said, is “living the life or Riley”. (google it, kids) Scraping by by way of the kindness of his best friend as he continues to pursue his rock n roll pipe dream, Dewey Finn unexpectedly finds himself substitute teaching a group of kids at a prestigious school. When he discovers they all posses heretofore unnurtured musical skills, Dewey sets out to cultivate a new rock band, developing a genuine concern for the kids, as well as his own true purpose, in the process. Played by former 2014 Book of Mormon Broadway star, Rob Coletti presents Dewey with a familiarity and ease that has the audience rooting from the slacker from the get. Attempting to steal the spotlight from his fellow hair-metal bandmate in the show’s concert-esque, albeit hilariously titled opening number, I’m Too Hot for You immediately reveals Dewey’s irreverent demeanor.

Easily one of the most joy-filled Lloyd Webber musical to hit the stage. A major part of that joy comes courtesy the show’s aforementioned younger cast members, mostly pre-teen, the dozen or show kids featured in the show play their own instruments, and they do so with confidence and talent far exceeding their young ages.

Among the talented youth band are: guitarist Mystic Inscho as Zack, bassist Leanne Parks as Katie, drummer Cameron Trueblood as Freddy and keyboardist Theo Michell-Penneron as Lawrence. Among the all-in musical highlights are Act 1’s You’re in the Band, Stick it to the Man and In the End of Time, as well as Act 2’s high-energy eponymous tune, School of Rock.

Borrowing a phrase from Dewey, himself, who may or may not have heard it in a Witney Houston song, after seeing these mega-musically gifted kids rock out during the entire show, I, too believe the children are our future.

In addition to Lloyd Webber’s genius score, School of Rock also features the work of lyricist Glenn Slater (Sister Act: The Musical, The Little Mermaid, and Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies) and book by Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellows. , adding even more of an unexpected pedigree to the show.

While School or Rock isn’t exactly high-brow musical theatre, after all, our hero scams his way into a teaching job, and the plot features some major stereotypes like one girl’s two gay dads flitting around in overly-dramatic exasperation, and a staunch, career-driven female school principal who only has time for work. Nonetheless, Fellows’ clever and funny book presents these now seemingly un-PC characters with humor and heart, allowing the audience to not only laugh at the absurdity of the stereotypes, but to perhaps embrace them. After all, it’s easier to accept and understand things if they are presented with a wink.

Rob Colletti and Lexie Dorsett Sharp in “School or Rock”

In the role of Rosalie Mullins, the above-referenced school principal is Lexie Dorsett Sharp. Initially portrayed as a strict, but caring administrator, once she literally and figuratively lets her hair down in Act 2’s Where Did the Rock Go?, it’s evident why she was cast. Equally introspective and all-out show-stopping, it’s the most Lloyd Webber moment of the entire show and Dorsett Sharp not only rises to the occasion, she surpasses it giving Rosalie true diva status joining the ranks of Lloyd Webber’s best, including Eva, Grizabella and Christine.

It’s more than just the principle actors who attribute to the show’s rockstar quality, but also the entire ensemble. In adult roles, Layne Roate and Emily Borromeo are perfectly cast as Dewey’s put-upon roommate Ned and Ned’s overbearing, but well-meaning girlfriend, Patty.

As for the kids, in addition to the aforementioned band-mates, Sami Bray as Summer, the precocious and persnickety band manager, Grier Burke as Tomika, the seemingly shy new girl at school who not-so-surprisingly wow the audience with killer vocal skills as the lead singer, and Sammy Dell as Billy, the band’s flamboyant young stylist (draw your own conclusions about that one) are all equally charming, and as equally adept as scene-stealing as the rest of their co-stars, young or old.

On the subject of charm, anyone who’s ever felt like they weren’t measuring up to their parent’s ideals is gonna love Act 1’s bittersweet If Only You Would Listen, in which the kids give voice to…well, finding their own voice amidst their parent’s expectations and constant displeasure in the kids expressing who they are instead of who their parents want them to be. It’s the show’s most charming and heart-tugging tune.

With a rockin’ soundtrack, a charming and ridiculously talented cast and more than a few life lesson to be learned, School of Rock is a two-hour electric eclectic elective everyone in Music City should audit, because when Head Master Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber offers to teach musical theatre, you better sit up, take notes and…at least in this case…ROCK OUT!

School of Rock continues at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with performances through Sunday, September 16 with evening performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, September 14 & 15, a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m., a Sunday matinee on the 16th at 1p.m. and a final Sunday evening performance at 6:30. Tickets to School of Rock range in price from $40 to $95. Earlier this week, TPAC announced special Rush Ticket availability for each performance at a discounted rate of $25. To take advantage of the Rush Ticket price, show up at the venue’s box office just inside the lobby at TPAC 90 minutes before showtime. Click Here for tickets or more information.

Not in Nashville, but interested in seeing School of Rock? Follow the show on social media at the official School of Rock site HERE, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

While School or Rock is the first show of TPAC’s 2018/2019 Broadway season, it’s only the beginning. Next up is The Play That Goes Wrong with performances October 9-14. CLICK HERE for tickets, or more information about TPAC’s full upcoming 2018-2019 Broadway season. You can also keep up with the latest from TPAC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.