Larry Daggett Interview

Bullet Points is a new work by Larry Daggett. 

A staged presentation of this powerful new musical will take place on:
June 10 @ 7:00 p.m. & June 11 @ 2:00 p.m.

Theatre Row Theatre
as part of the New York New Works Festival
410 West 42nd Street, NYC

Bullet Points tells the story of one woman’s attempt to navigate her thoughts and feelings on both sides of the gun control issue – with the hope that this subject will resonate long enough in the American consciousness that both sides of the debate might begin to find a path toward ending gun violence in schools.  This dark comedy focuses on Sarah, a Florida high school teacher who returns to work on the same day as a school shooting which sends her life spinning in wildly unpredictable directions – both tragic and comic.  “The theme of the show concerns the “us versus them” mentality that cuts our country in half,” says acclaimed composer Larry Daggett, “It’s about learning to listen to people on the opposite side of an issue even if they disagree with your point of view.”

Larry Daggett is a multi-hyphenate powerhouse of an artist.  He’s the whole package with the head of a businessman and the heart of an entertainer.  His vast credits include Broadway, Off-Broadway, Opera and a multitude of work in regional theatres as an actor, producer, composer-lyricist, orchestrator and musical director.  As a businessman he is the CEO for New Tune Entertainment, LLC.  His award-winning company is dedicated to the development and production of original musicals on stage and film.  He lives and breathes the arts.  For his latest work Bullet Points, he wears the hats of book writer, composer, lyricist and director!  It was a pleasure to chat with this talented individual about this work and his career.

When Larry Daggett was a small child, he took his bow in a community theatre production, said “see ya later alligator” and shed his reptile skin for the first and last time.  While he might secretly be hoping to don a gecko costume, he grew up and made his indelible mark in the entertainment industry.  “I grew up in Southern California where I started appearing in plays at the age of six. My first role was as an alligator in a community theatre production of the play “The Happiest Millionaire.” I’m sad to say that was my last appearance as a reptile, although hope springs eternal there might be another in my future! What inspires me most in the theatre is when a writer takes a risk. Musicals have the unique capacity to move an audience emotionally (through music) as well as intellectually (through lyrics). In an increasingly digitized world where we all communicate through texts, email, and cell phones, the theater is one of the last bastions of community engagement. Something magical can happen when everyone in the audience comes together to receive the message they see on stage as well as to feel the energy of everyone sitting around them. When an entire audience suddenly erupts in laughter or collectively chooses to become so silent that they can hear every word whispered by the actors on stage, they are no longer individuals watching a show, they have become a community focused upon a single goal.”

Mass shootings and gun control are unfortunately current hot button topics which Mr. Daggett was not afraid to tackle in this production for many reasons.   “There are multiple reasons I wrote this show, some obvious, others not so. Firstly, we should not live in a country where students are more concerned about coming home alive than they are about passing a math test. The right to bear arms and the right to survive school should not be at odds with each other, yet they have become so. I went to a high school with a long history of violence from guns and gangs. I know the effect that can have upon a person’s life and how it can alter your view of the world. Another reason I wrote the show is because our society and our politics have become so polarized that getting anything productive accomplished has become next to impossible. Today the idea of two sides of an argument meeting each other half way and coming to an agreement seems outside the realm of human possibility. We’ve become so determined to pull in opposite directions that having meaningful legislation passed In Congress has become a unique occurrence rather than the norm. A third reason I wrote this show happened by accident when I discovered that a person who I believed to be open minded and liberal was in fact as closed minded and rigid as this side she railed against. Without going into lengthy detail I saw that she was perfectly willing to forgive anyone on her side, even if they committed mass murder, than she was to allow someone on the opposite side to disagree with her point of view. When I heard that, my eyes were opened to the fact that proving your side is right and the other side is wrong has often become more important than saving students’ lives.”

Mr. Daggett’s creative process is meticulously detailed.  He recognized a paradigm shift in musical theatre which is reflected in his songwriting in service to the audience.  “Writing a musical is an extremely difficult task. It requires you to be at two locations simultaneously, which is physically impossible. As the book writer it requires you to see the story from 30,000 feet in the air, and by that I mean you must be able to see the direction in which the show is moving and to ensure that the plot does not get entangled in minutia or lose its focus. At the same time, you must also see the show from two inches off the ground, meaning when you are writing the lyrics and the music for a song you must be concerned with every detail: every syllable of a lyric, every note on the page. All these details matter enormously, but it is almost impossible not to become so engrossed by them that you lose sight of the direction in which the story should be traveling. I usually start out with an outline of the entire show and then I make an outline of each song. Each song should have an arc: by the end of the song the characters and the plot should be at a different place than where the song began. The days of songs being put in a show purely for the purposes of entertainment have pretty much vanished. Audiences nowadays don’t have the patience for big production numbers that have nothing whatever to do with the story. They can feel their cell phone buzzing in their pocket and are itching to pull it out to see who was trying to call them. If you don’t keep their attention by constantly moving the story forward, you’ve lost them. That wasn’t true 50 years ago when composers could insert songs simply because they were beautiful or clever. I think of shows like The Most Happy Fella, which has one of the most glorious musical theatre scores ever written with long sections of resplendent music, most of which would be cut if it was written today because it’s not necessary for the plot. These days, when many shows are 90 minutes long with no intermission, every second on stage counts.”

Being that Bullet Points addresses school shootings which is currently a big problem in the U.S., Mr. Daggett had some insights on the topic.  “For the past 30 years the side that would like to see stricter rules for gun ownership has met increasing resistance from the side that would like to see no rules for gun ownership. The side that would like to see logical legislation such as background checks, raising the minimum age to own a weapon, closing the gun fair loophole (where anyone at any age can buy a weapon without a background check) have all met increasing resistance from the side that believes in the “slippery slope” philosophy that if they give in, even an inch, to the most logical gun legislation, that their weapons will be confiscated by the federal government. While I agree that such measures as background checks and closing loopholes would be highly effective, I seriously doubt they will ever get passed. For one thing, they attack the problem head on, which only strengthens the resolve of resistance from the opposite side. More importantly, they don’t address the source of the problem, which, in my opinion, is how much money the gun lobby is able to funnel to candidates who support their cause. In my opinion, many of America’s problems could be improved if we changed the way our campaigns are financed so that lobbying groups would no longer able to contribute millions of dollars to their chosen candidates. Every contribution comes with access to the candidates and the understanding that if their candidate doesn’t vote the way the lobbyists want them to vote, that come the next election cycle the millions of dollars spent toward their campaign will go the candidate’s opponent. It’s obscene that TV pundits can proclaim without fear of contradiction that the candidate who has the biggest financial war chest is probably going to win, even if that candidate has no political knowledge or experience. This completely betrays the principles upon which this country was founded.”

 Mr. Daggett is hoping audiences walk away from this show with a collective impetus to take action against school shootings by engaging elected officials.  “We’ve gotten to the point in our country where there have been so many school shootings that many people think nothing can be done about them. This is not true. America is a country of great energy and great potential. If enough of us come together to insist that this problem be eradicated and make it clear to our elected officials that if they don’t take action to do so they will be voted out of office, then this problem could begin to be rectified.”

Bullet Points is a work in progress that has come far in its development.  Mr. Daggett will continue to adjust it as needed and is hoping that this reading will be the launching pad for a full theatrical production.  “This reading at Theatre Row will be the first time I’ll hear the show read out loud in front of a live audience. Although the show has already been rewritten more times than I can count and has had numerous virtual readings on Zoom, once I hear a live audience ‘s reaction I’ll go back and reevaluate those points in the show which need clarification or trimming. After that, the process begins of getting the show produced at a theatre which has a history of producing new works that address cutting edge issues. There’s certainly nothing wrong with a theater choosing to do some shows whose entire purpose is to leave the audience feeling cozy and comfortable. The problem with those shows is the audience often forgets about them by the time they reach the parking lot to drive home. The issue of gun violence in schools is not going away. In fact, it has only gotten worse as time progresses. Somewhere along the line we have to collectively face this problem and seek solutions to end it. So, if anyone reading this article knows of a theater which would be willing to take a risk on producing a new musical that deals with a topic so timely that barely a week goes by without it raising its head again, I hope they will contact me about producing the show at that theater.”

Mr. Daggett has some wise parting words that hold out hope for positive change.  “Americans have solved seemingly insolvable problems in the past. We have fought wars to end oppression overseas and a war to end slavery here at home. We have the energy and ability to address this problem. No parent, even the most ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, wants to hear that their child has been killed in a school shooting. I think if we all keep our eyes focused on the direction in which we want to move, namely zero school shootings, and put aside our need to proclaim that our side is right and the other side is wrong, I think we could finally find a way to solve this problem.”

Get to the point by getting your tickets to Bullet Points

June 10 @ 7:00 p.m. & June 11 @ 2:00 p.m.

Theatre Row Theatre
as part of the New York New Works Festival
410 West 42nd Street, NYC

James Jennings is theater royalty; there is no other way to say it. Since 1976, he has served as Founder, Owner/Operator, President & Chief Bottle Washer of the American Theater of Actors, an off-off Broadway venue, which has provided literally thousands of aspiring theater artists of all stripes–this humble scribe included–a place to hone their craft, to strut their art, and to make the world a slightly better place.

He also is an artist in his own right, as a playwright, and his latest effort–‘Written in the Stars’, a short one-act, is book-ended with the longer one-act ‘Suicide Bridge’, written by Emmy-Award Winner Charles Kipps.

In ‘…Stars’, Sondra (Ginger Kipps), a citizen of the world, is disheartened and a bit overwhelmed about the state of women throughout the planet; her roommate, Millie (Marie Laine), is not quite as upset at that current plight, and just longs for an easy, mindless evening at the local bar.

The obvious dichotomy is soon enhanced by the mention (in passing) of some nefarious ways these two ladies indulged in when they were younger. No doubt there was perhaps some occasional bombings of banks, and/or government buildings…and while Millie seems to have settled into ‘retirement’ from that lifestyle, Sondra is most determinedly not going to go quietly into that good night. The pre-show selection of 1960s rock/psychedelia music (Strawberry Alarm Clock!) sets the proper mood, and certainly sets the stage for some anticipated fireworks.

But just as suddenly as the groove, the pulse, of the play is set, it is suddenly over…and while we see a determined Sondra getting ready–walker and all–to board a plane to a foreign country, and to liberate women (not quite sure how) and free them from their bond, there is a sense of disappointment and frustration, if only because Mr. Jennings has composed the beginnings of a solid, compelling play ripe with dramatic possibilities.

Usually some ingredients of a theatrical experience get lost in the sauce when the playwright decides to direct his or her own work; happily, that is not the case here. Mr. Jennings kept his play moving at a brisk pace, and the repartee between the two actresses were handled with gentle, determined aplomb.

We hope the playwright will set a few moments aside for himself, and continue to work on this promising endeavor; the dramatic avenues are limitless We also hope that, when not banging away at the laptop, or possibly typewriter, Mr. Jennings will continue to provide a theatrical home for the next generation of theater artists, for the next 47 years.

‘Suicide Bridge’ is, in the overall, a better written play, but not as well directed. A young, pregnant woman (the excellent Isabel Van Natta, the gem of the evening) is about to hurl herself off of an unnamed New York City bridge, when–comically or not–she is interrupted by a middle-aged financial non-wizard (ably played by Alan Hasnas), who intends to do the same thing. While Mr Kipps has a good ear for dialogue, understands humor, exposition, dramatic tension, and varies the pulse of his play with an appropriate irregular heartbeat, the issue here is not the nuts and bolt of the art of playwriting; rather, it is how the writer wishes to convey, execute, and apply what he wishes to say. It is unclear–and remained so throughout the play–if Mr. Kipps is composing a comedy, a drama, a tragedy, or a allegorical tale.

The director, it would seem, failed the playwright. While the brief, simple set of a platform served as a launching pad into the river below (East?) quite easily, it felt as if the performers were doing their thing on a pier resting over the Mississippi River on a quiet night in August, rather than the bustling, frenetic energy of Manhattan at night. There is a specific reference to the couple being able to view the Empire State Building, adorned with its green and red lights–an obvious reference to Christmas, and probably in the evening, or even the wee-hours of the morning. However, the characters were not dressed for winter, and the set was strangely devoid of sound effects and other theatrical devices–fog horn, sirens, cars honking, construction, proper night lighting, the usual, low-lying fruit that enhances a theatrical experience and creates that wonderful thing we call Theater Magic. A miss.

The evening is earnest, heart-felt, and has its heart in the right place–an affirmation of life. Overall, a modestly successful evening in the theater.

Tuesday, June 6 @ 7:30 p.m., THE DRAMA BOOK SHOP, 266 West 39th Street, New York City. RSVP here

Produced by Jay Michaels Communications & Next Stage Press, DOUG DEVITA: FABLING will feature Mr. DeVita discussing his latest work, FABLE, a play about the creation of the legendary Broadway musical, GYPSY, as well as his canon of other works. Lane Bradbury, the original dainty June from the original Broadway production of Gypsy starring Ethel Merman will be in-hand to offer historical commentary and selections from the play will be read.

The event is free with purchase of one of Mr. DeVita’s playsfrom the Drama Book Shop.

FABLE is in development for an off-Broadway run this fal lproduced by Emilee Dupre and directed by Jay Michaels.

Doug DeVita has earned numerous accolades for his writing, including being a two-time O’Neill Semi-Finalist, a Finalist for the Davenport Theatrical Reading Series, and a Semi-Finalist for multiple prestigious awards, such as the Barrington Stage Company’s Burman New Play Award, the Normal Avenue’s New American Play Series, and the Campfire Theatre Festival. As a member of the Dramatists Guild, Doug has had work published by Next Stage Press and Smith & Kraus. This promises to be an exciting event, and we hope to see you there!

New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s The Stages Festival presents the Paterson Performing Arts Development Council and
True Colors Project presentation of
STORMÉ
A musical play written and directed by Carolyn M. Brown

Special Presentation: May 19 @ 7:00 p.m.
Art House Productions, 345 Marin Blvd., Jersey City, NJ

Based on a true story and real events, Carolyn M.Brown’s STORMÉ tells the story of Stormé DeLarverie – a big band singer going under the name of Stormy Dale – a male impersonator of Harlem’s famed Jewel Box Revue (America’s first racially integrated and gay-owned drag show) who became an icon of the historic 1969 Stonewall Rebellion. She has been called the “Rosa Parks of the Gay Rights Movement.”

Stormé’s scuffle with police on that fateful day in June of 1969 at the Stonewall Inn was as instrumental in igniting the modern-day Gay Rights Movement. While many accounts water down the actual incidents, Brown’s play pulls no punches in sharing rarely depicted details.

After a successful run in NYC in 2022, STORMÉ now returns for this special night with negotiations underway for another New York run. These special showings are setting the stage for a major New York revival next year in conjunction withthe 55th anniversary of Stonewall.

This event is part of the Alliance’s Stages Festival, the state’s largest annual theatre festival, which providesfree and discounted theatre events for all ages throughout the months of March,April, and May. This event is $5 when ordering online at http://www.njtheatrealliance.org/stages or $10 at the door.

The Stages Festival offers over 70 in-person and onlineperformances, workshops, classes, and events at theatres, libraries, and othercommunity venues throughout the state. The program was developed to encourage New Jersey’s residents to attend their local professional theatres by making the experience affordable, accessible, and fun.

For more informationabout the production, visit http://www.stormetheplay.com or http://www.mytruecolorsfestival.com

“The Alliance is proud to offer this powerful moment in history as part of the 2023 StagesFestival,” said John McEwen, Executive Director of the Alliance. “For more than 25 years, The Stages Festival has providedtheatrical experiences for more than 200,000 residentsacross New Jersey. We are thrilled that we can bring communities together through the power of theatre.”

The New Jersey Theatre Alliance 2023 Stages Festival is made possible by support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; Ocean First Foundation; Fund for the New Jersey Blind; New Jersey Manufacturers; and Customers Bank. A full calendar of events is available at http://www.njtheatrealliance.org/stages.

International cabaret and theatre artist, MARK NADLER, has been nominated for the Trophée de la Comédie Musicale, the French equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Award, for creating the role of Eugene in Gaby Deslys at the Theatre de Passy in Paris this past March.

Mark is now creating the role of Myles Bell in the upcoming production of Donald Steven Olson’s new musical TRANSFORMATION: The Christine Jorgensen Show – a featured event at this year’s Fresh Fruit Festival.

He co-stars with film and TV personality, Nicola Gorham, making her New York stage debut as the title character.

TRANSFORMATION opens at The Wild Project, 195 E. 3^rd Street, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side starting April 27 for a limited run. Visit freshfruitfestival.com for tickets.

The Trophée de la Comédie Musicale ceremony with be held on June 12 at Casino de Paris.

A duet of special presentations done in stage reading format will be presented on Friday, May 5 at 7pm, and Saturday, May 6 at 2pm at The Siggy Space at The Flea Theatre, 20 Thomas Street, New York City of EL BACALAO: The Catfish Man, a new, full-length play written by Latina playwright Desi Moreno-Penson. The readings will be directed by SDC Director KM Jones and will feature the acting talents of Jose Febus,* Michael Tyler Jennings, Laura E. Johnston’*, Desi Moreno-Penson, Susanne Pinedo, Yessenia Rivas, Kathy Tejada, and Fidel Vicioso. (*Appearing courtesy of AEA.)

Produced by Dramatic Question Theatre through their flagship new play development program, “DQT Presents,” a series featuring live readings of the works of BIPOC and women-identifying playwrights . https://www.thedqt.org

Loosely based on Euripides’ THE BACCHAE, and taking place in the small, backwater town of Thebes, Florida, EL BACALAO: The Catfish Man tells the story of a cantankerous Cuban family on the verge of losing everything. A storm is coming; a restaurant is closed, a young girl is dead. And a Yoruban demigod is hell bent on vengeance.

Director KM Jones says, “I have always been struck by the intelligence, depth, theatricality, and vibrancy of Desi’s voice. Greek drama, with its big, tragic themes of love, loss, pride, the abuse of power and the fraught, sometimes campy relationships between men and their gods, are the perfect backdrop for this contemporary tale of a dysfunctional family.”

Readings are $20, but currently, there is an Early Bird Special of $15 per ticket from April 3 thru April 17th. Get your tickets at this link: Click Here.

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT & THE DIRECTOR:

Desi Moreno-Penson (Playwright) is a playwright, actor, dramaturg, and independent theater producer based in NYC. She has an MFA in Dramaturgy and Theater Criticism from Brooklyn College. Her plays have been developed/produced at Ensemble Studio Theater (EST), INTAR, MultiStages, Perishable Theater (Providence, RI), SPF-Summer Play Festival, terraNOVA Collective, Downtown Urban Theater Festival (DUTF) @the Cherry Lane, Urban Theater Company (Chicago), Teatro Coribantes (San Juan, PR), among others. Her short play, DEAD WIVES DANCE THE MAMBO was featured as part of The Chain One-Act Festival at the Chain Theater, directed by KM Jones. Her new play, EL BACALAO: The Catfish Man, a Latinx retelling of THE BACCHAE by Euripedes, was part of the 2021 Fall Intensive Writers Group with Workshop Theater and selected for Lifeline Theater’s Second Annual BIPOC Adaptation Writers Lab in Chicago. Another play, SIN AGUA (Without Water) is part of the 2022-2023 Fighting Words New Script Development Program with Babes With Blades Theater Company in Chicago. Her play, BEIGE received a staged reading as part of the playwrights/directors unit (PDU) at The Actors Studio and is the winner of the 2016 National Latinx Playwriting Award sponsored by the Arizona Theater Company; a finalist for both the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival (San Francisco). She has twice won the MultiStages New Works Contest sponsored by MultiStages Theater Company for her plays, OMINOUS MEN and COMIDA DE PUTA (F%&king Lousy Food); has twice been a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and her work has received Honorable Mention on The Kilroys List. Her plays are published by Broadway Play Publishing; her short play, RECONCILE, BITCH is included in the short plays anthology “Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2020,” published by Applause Theater and Cinema Books; a ten-minute play, SPIRIT SEX: A PARANORMAL ROMANCE, was selected for the short plays anthology, “Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2010;” and a scene from her play, COMIDA DE PUTA (F%&king Lousy Food) is included in an anthology featuring plays written by Latinx playwrights, “Scenes for Latinx Actors: Voices of the New American Theater,” both published by Smith and Kraus. Desi lives in The Bronx with her wonderful partner, Anthony, and their cat, Choo-Choo.

KM Jones (Director) Co-Executive Vice President and Board Member, League of Professional Theatre Women, Member: AEA, SDC, Theatre Resources Unlimited (TRU), Workshop Theatre Company, Dramatic Question Theatre, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity (Former Associate Artistic Director), and The Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Unit (PDU). KM is an alumni of St. John’s University and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts/NY. (AADA). @KM Jones (FB); @KM.JONES.52493 (IG); kmjdirector.com

David McDermott steps into the pivotal role of “Scott” in OBSESSED

Theater For The New City, Crystal Field, Executive Producer

Presents The Windowpane Theatre Company’s take on a little bit Hitchcock, a little bit Orson Welles with their production of

OBSESSED

written and directed by David McDermott
written and featuring Andy Halliday
with Eme’ Esquivel, Andrew Glaszek, and Alexa Renee

Halliday & McDermott’s twisted thriller brings us ample helpings of murder & money … and love gone terribly wrong.

Performing thru April 22 (Wednesday – Saturday @ 8:00 p.m. and Sunday @ 3:00 p.m.)
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue, between 9th & 10th Streets, NYC

Contact https://theaterforthenewcity.net/ for reservations.

After scoring kudos as Scott, the wealthy “mark” in OBSEESED (“He certainly captures the spoiled elegance and the sadness of the man,” Bart Greenberg, Nitelife Exchange) Andy Halliday will be moving on to other commitments opening the door for director, David McDermott, to step into the role.

“I’m excited about this new challenge,” says multihyphenate artist McDermott. “Andy and I wrote this together, so we are in total sync as to the character’s arch.”

Ample portions of 1950s film noir are doled out as a pair of grifters – on the run from a double-cross they perpetrated on their boss back in Kansas City – find themselves on New York’s Lower East Side in need of cash. They think they have it made when they target an older gay man (McDermott)… until they discover he has secrets of his own … dangerous ones. Twists & turns and the appearance of a femme fatale turn this into a wild ride for all involved – especially the audience!

Bart Greenberg commented on the production in his review, “The playwrights effectively create an out-of-time world where same-sex relationships are unquestioned, where cell phones don’t exist (but rotary phones have an ability to take messages) and where everyone lacks morals but are overflowing with passion;” also commenting on Halliday’s acumen in this genre: “[Halliday] has an extensive background and connection with genre-specialist and camp drag artist, Charles Busch.”

Windowpane Theatre Company’s Mission is to develop new plays for the queer community in New York City. Focusing on exploring issues surrounding sexuality, gender and the individual in society. The company embraces wit, humor, irony and satire. WTC provides queer theatre artists a safe and collaborative environment where they can thrive. Their desire is to inspire a sense of joy and imagination in creating vibrant new work. By linking the past with the present, WTC explores alternative methods of theatrical storytelling and develops new ideas through workshops and public readings.

The production continues through April 22.

Dream on, Baransky! Review by JEN BUSH

                Dreams are a series of ideas, images and sensations that occur in a person’s mind during sleep.  They are involuntary unless your name is Jonathan Baransky.  Jonathan has been experiencing serious bouts of anxiety.  When you’re juggling an old flame, a new flame and your best friend’s wife, it’s no wonder that psychiatric assistance is needed.  Jonathan attends sessions with Dr. Smithson who prescribes an experimental groundbreaking treatment in the form of a pill called Dreamasil.  When a serious anxiety attack hits, Jonathan is supposed to take a pill.  The pill will kick in immediately causing Jonathan to have a dream.  He is directed to pay careful attention to the dreams because each one of them will have an important message for him.  All three women in Jonathan’s life are making commitment demands on him which he vehemently resists.  Just about every time he gets together with these women, he is highly stressed out prompting a dream sequence after he ingests a pill.

Dream on, Baransky! has a lot going for it.  A strong cast, a unique story, fabulous song and dance numbers, gorgeous costumes and inventive lighting by Shani Colleen Murfin all add up to a quality theatrical experience.  At its core, it’s a show about an immature player who is poorly navigating relationships.  Thanks to the creative playwrighting skills of Dale Baron and Rich Baron, the story is told in a wildly inventive way.  Every well-crafted character has a colorful personality.  Several characters use multiple accents in the show to make things more interesting.  The cleverly written dream engineers were a nice touch that added to the surreal quality of the show.  They were the characters behind the scenes of every dream sequence.  It was like a play within a play because they were directing the action, setting out the props and acting in the dreams while having stories of their own to tell.  Even the talented Musical Director/Accompanist (Michael Raftery) participates in the show as a silent character with an animated face.  It’s a fun fanciful story that serves up themes of dating, friendship and mental health.

                The cast made up of talented actors from all over the globe was a dream!  You might not like the character of Jonathan Baransky but you will love his portrayal by Joseph Monseur.  He carried the show like Atlas carries the world.  He can act, sing, dance and has a knack for physical comedy.  The three leading ladies, Jennifer, Lyla and Suzie played by Alisa Mironova, Marie-Louise Boisnier and Sky Spallone all stunned in their portrayals of the bamboozled love interests.  Sometimes being over the top works and it worked for Jeffrey Jaafar Laraichi who was hilarious as Suzie’s husband Frank.  Anita Moreno gave a fun zany spin to her overzealous character of Dr. Smithson.   Kudos to Amber Brookes for taking on SEVEN different characters with a range of accents.  She made every character she played unique and fun.  Reagen O’Reilly played by Elizah Hill was the most likeable character in the play.  Ms. Hill gave Reagen such a caring spirit with a side of spunk.  Dustin Pazar delighted as the quirky Commander Ted.  You’ll cheer for Quinn Nguyen when you see her wonderful portrayal of cheerleader Patsy Purity.  It’s hard to stand out among such a skilled cast but Isaias Badilla managed to do it in his role of Kazz-Nova.  He’s funny, charismatic and has a very flexible and expressive face.  Not only did Karolina Larion give a dazzling performance of Starlet Darlene Winters but she choreographed the show as well.  The dance numbers were exquisite.  David Allard took on three roles of Boss, Sebastian and Jules and did a fine job with each.  Billy Gillen was memorable as an imaginative Genie. 

                Costume designer Cole Hurley took great care to outfit the cast in a stylish and funky assortment of dazzling colorful threads.  Under the keen direction of Jake Minter, the cast utilized the two level play space of the well-appointed set.

There were a few things that I felt could have been different to make the play even better.  I would suggest trying to shorten the play.  The story could easily have been told in less than three hours without compromising any aspect of the production.  Though this play is all about dreams, the audience was saturated with dream sequences.   I also envisioned a different ending.  I think the main character received a generous conclusion considering his indiscretions.  Overall, Dream on, Baransky! is a whimsically entertaining energetic show.  The audience loved it as evidenced by their enthusiastic cheers and well-deserved standing ovation. 

The landmark American Theatre of Actors has been bringing quality productions to the stage for 47 years.  They give new artists a voice and a venue to develop their work in a supportive and creative environment.  They chose wisely with Dream on, Baransky!

JEN BUSH EXPLORES THE ICONIC LIFE AND CAREER OF DAVID SABELLA part 1

A countertenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to a female contralto or mezzosoprano.  It is the rarest of all voice types and David Sabella happens to be one!  According to his bio, he is cited as one of the “originators of the American countertenor sound” and the only one working in the popular music genres of Broadway and the Great American Songbook.  His wildly impressive 4-octave range affords him the ability to sing in a traditional male breadth as well. 

            Mr. Sabella’s biography is vast and impressive to say the least.  Here are some highlights.  He originated the starring role of “Mary Sunshine in the 1996 revival of Chicago and remained in that role on Broadway and with the touring company for a decade.  He won the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition.  He’s performed throughout the world in opera companies, has done voiceover work and has performed in extensive cabarets.  Just to drop a few names, he’s worked with Ann Reinking, Joel Grey, Patrick Swayze, Chita Rivera and countless others. 

            Mr. Sabella has built a successful international cabaret act around his alter ego, Amanda Reckonwith.  She was once a lyric soprano who graced famous Broadway, concert and opera stages all around the world.  She settled down to have some children and now that they’re grown and finding their own way in the world, she’s back to entertain the masses after a hiatus of several decades.  She is now known to the world as her generations’ most famous “Spento” soprano.   She does transformative versions of the songs of Broadway, The Great American Songbook and other popular favorites.  Mr. Sabella has had multiple residencies with this show and will be in residence at New York hotspot, Pangea from April through December. It was a pleasure to chat with this incredibly talented performer to learn more about him and his thrilling career.

Mr. Sabella’s art is far from static.  “What a massive question! How to talk about myself as an artist? I don’t ever think of myself in those terms. I just do what I do and I’ve been very lucky that it seems to resonate with people in a certain way. I have certainly evolved in my art. I think that’s key to it all. We are never done. We are constantly evolving. My concept of my own art now is much different than what it was 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago. And I’ve only been able to grasp what the nature of my art is by looking back with hindsight. In the moment you’re just a performing artist trying to eek out a living. That all of a sudden you look back and you realize “oh, that’s what all of that was about.””

Mr. Sabella has undertaken some major health and lifestyle changes that have positively impacted his life.  “You’re right. It’s been a major change in my psyche and my gender expression and my comfort level with all of that. And it dovetails into your first question very nicely.”

“Looking back with hindsight over my career, I realized that the greatest success and artistic fulfillment I’ve ever had in my career always had something to do with my ability to blur the lines of gender with both my voice and my look. Whether I was playing Mary Sunshine in Chicago on Broadway, or singing as a Countertenor at Carnegie Hall, there has always been this unique aspect to my career. And until very recently, I kept that locked away in a small corner of my life that I reserved for “my career.” I thought “this is a thing that I do“ I didn’t realize “this is who I am.“”