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Broadway Twisted = Success

4/29/2013

Photo Credit: Nathaniel Claridad

On April 15, some of the most outstanding artists I have had the privilege to work with all performed on the same stage at the Local 506 for Broadway TWISTED!

The event was a HUGE success! I'm so thrilled I was able to be a part of it. Thank you so much to those who came out to see the show! We raised a lot amount of money for two great organizations and had an amazing time doing it.

The show was completely sold out and we even had to hold the show 30 minutes to allow everyone waiting outside in line to get it! That was almost my favorite part!

I really love the rush I get from helping to put something together with less than 24 hours of rehearsal! The fact that the event was such a success just blows my mind! It really made me understand the power of unity and group effort. Everyone held their own and the audience was going wild for more!

In the final tally we had 184 people in attendance! We raised approximately $1,280 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the NC AIDS Action Network.

The big rehearsal day! Photo Credit: Aisha Anwar

Photo Credit: Aisha Anwar

Rehearsing our songs with Mark Hartman Photo Credit: Nathaniel Claridad

Singing backup for "So Much Better" from Legally Blond the Musical. Photo Credit: Nathaniel Claridad

I was one of the featured artists at the event. I had the distinct pleasure of singing "I'm a Woman" from Smokey Joes Cafe with some of my incredibly talented classmates Kevin Spellman, Wesley Miller, and Will Hawkins! It was a completely fun and sexy number and I was told by several audience members that it stole the show! I really hope once I'm in New York that I get to be involved with stuff like this all of the time! It was a brilliant evening and we are all so incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish! Hopefully this will not be the last Broadway Twisted the town of Chapel Hill experiences!

Until Next time,
Jack

Singing "I'm a Woman" Photo Credit: Nathaniel Claridad

Power stance from behind... All of us killing it! :) Photo Credit: Rachel Ivy

Click on the YouTube links to catch some of the group performances! Enjoy!

Trolley Song
I'm a Woman
So Much Better

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"Broadway Twisted"

4/9/2013

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    Cabaret had a very successful opening weekend and has been very well received, but of course like most theater-lovers we just cannot stop entertaining, even on our night off! This upcoming Monday April 15th myself and many UNC undergrads, graduate students, Playmakers faculty and "Cabaret" cast members including Taylor Mac, Lisa Brescia, and Nathaniel Claridad will be performing in a benefit concert for NC AIDS Action Network and Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS with Jeff Meanza as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening! The event entitled "Broadway Twisted" is in the style of "Broadway Backwards" which involves women singing men's songs and men singing women's songs. "Broadway Backwards" started in 2006 and featured twenty Broadway performers united for the purpose of raising awareness and funds for at-risk gay youth, HIV prevention, and several other related causes. It is a chance to hear many of beloved Broadway hits in a new light. For an example, take a look at the latest Broadway Backwards event here: Broadway Backwards 8

    Thanks to the hard work of UNC MFA Candidate Nathaniel Claridad, Wagon Wheel Arts founder Tim Scales and UNC senior Zach Miecher-Buzzi as producers, this event will be happening in Chapel Hill at the Local 506 at 8pm on Monday! A $10 donation is required and 100% of proceeds will be going to the cause!

    The event is presented by PlayMakers Repertory Company's production of CABARET and Manbites Dog Theater's production of THE HOMOSEXUALS and it is a MUST-SEE! Come see us on our night off :)

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE: LOCAL 506

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Previews

4/4/2013

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photo by Jon Gardiner

Previews are well under way for the Playmakers Repertory production of Cabaret and it has been a wild ride thus far! When I got to the theater on Tuesday night for our invited final dress I found out that the cast was in for quite a rare evening. Very quickly things felt like an episode right out of something written by Aaron Sorkin. We were informed that some virus dubbed by us "The Plague" had taken down several members of our artistic team Tuesday morning and had left several actors quite unwell. In the final tally, I believe we had ten members of the team affected by the phantom virus. But of course in the theater the show must go on! And boy did it! You would never have known that anyone was sick by the way the audience responded to our performance! It felt amazing to finally have an audience and once it was over we all made sure to get plenty of rest (because little did we know, "The Plague" was not done making its rounds.) We had a photographer from The Daily Tar Heel, UNC Chapel Hill's Campus Paper, as well as Playmakers photographer Jon Gardiner snapping photos that evening.

Taylor Mac as the "Emcee." And yes, how did you know, that is my stripped shoulder down right! Front Page of the Daily Tar Heel on Wednesday April 3, 2013! Photo by Halle Sinnott

Lisa Brescia as "Sally Bowles" Photo by John Gardiner

Lisa Brescia and John Dreher (Cliff Bradshaw). Photo by Jon Gardiner

In the grand scheme of things, the little upset of sickness was not large enough to take anyone down or affect the show in any fashion. We had our first official preview last night in which we had our first curtain call. I had tried out some new makeup ideas but they turned out to be a bit much (what are previews for if not experimenting!)

Previews are an existing time because elements of the show keep changing as we find out what works and does not work for our audiences. So far there have been no large changes and as we get closer to opening on Saturday everything is feeling much more complete and ready. The show is a lot of fun! Of course, it is also quite serious, but you do get a fair share of flashy cabaret numbers and powerful vocals from both Lisa and Taylor.

If you're a performer in any fashion, you know that the audience brings a show to life. Having members of the community the last two nights has been such a treat. I believe the excitement of a show comes in stages. There is the initial read through when everyone gets together, there is the first run thru, then there is the first time performing with the set, with the costumes, with the band, and finally a paying audience. I was visited last night by a truly marvelous audience member, my wonderful friend Haley and she brought me flowers!

My buddies Zach Moon (Left) (who I shared the stage with in "Three Days of Rain") and Matthew Hager (Right) (who I shared the stage with in my first production at UNC "From Up Here") also came to see the show last night!

Come taste the wine. Come hear the band! Cabaret opens Saturday and we would all love nothing more than for you to come share this work with us! There is one fifteen minute intermission and there will be plenty of snacks! Until next time friends! Enjoy the show!

"WILKOMEN" (I am down right in the stripes in the midriff with the white pants.) Photo by Jon Gardiner

The cast striking a final pose! Photo by Jon Gardiner

Cabaret opens April 3 and runs thru April 21. Get your tickets today!!
Box Office Hours are 12pm-6pm Monday-Friday, and two hours prior to every performance. 919.962.PLAY (7529) Visit the Playmakers website for more information.

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Broadway Twisted = Success

"Broadway Twisted"

Previews

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