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Black Tie International:
Broadway Under the
Stars
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Jeremiah James, Cherie King, Jessica & Matt Bogart
Photo by Edward Callaghan
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The Development Wing Hosts “Broadway Under the
Stars”
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The Development Wing which
has dedicated itself to nurturing new musicals via
partnerships with regional not for profit theaters held an
exclusive, intimate one-night-only benefit concert on Sunday
July 24 featuring Broadway stars singing songs from three
new musicals at the historic Tewksbury, New Jersey home of
Cherie King. Composer, lyricist and book
writer, Jonathan Brielle, Artistic Director
of The Development Wing served as both master of ceremonies
and performer as he authored the three musicals presented
that evening.
The late afternoon
fundraiser began with cocktails and delectable hors
d’oeuvres from Patricia Lindridge-Ingber’s
elegant Food Company Catering. Guests strolled around the
bucolic grounds and toured the main house which was in the
1850s a schoolhouse. Brielle and King purchased the property
in 2005 and converted the schoolhouse into a state of the
art digital facility, with two control rooms, each complete
with pro-tools and digital performer, and tied into the live
room with a Baldwin Grand Piano, The studio can easily
accommodate up to 15 players.
With cocktails in hand, the
crowd eagerly proceeded to the open sided tent for the main
event and a rare treat of selections from three new
musicals. Fresh from his matinee performance Matt
Bogart star of “Jersey Boys” and his wife
Jessica Bogart of “Les Miserables”, “Rent” and “In
My Life” fame opened the show and performed several smashing
numbers from Brielle’s “Himself & Norah” based on the
travels of James Joyce which recently had a
successful run in Dublin and is gearing up for a New York
presentation. Matt did the haunting “River Liffey”, and
“Always” while Jessica performed “Kiss” The pair joined
together for a lovely duet of “Stand Fast” Young Broadway
and West End veteran Jeremiah James a
member of the Sony Records recording group TEATRO took on
material from Brielle’s musical adaptation of the film noir
“Nightmare Alley” which recently was presented at the Geffen
Playhouse in Los Angeles. With the back up of there divine
divas – Sheila Coyle, Nikki Switzer and
Tonya Thompson and one of the most
awesome bands, the powerful tenor almost blew away the tent
with his rendition of Brielle’s “I Surrender”.
Following an intermission
during which guests schmoozed and replenished their
cocktails, Brielle took over the stage and gave the audience
a sneak preview of his latest creation, the
semi-autobiographical “40 Naked women, a Monkey and Me” his
newest original score and book which will be featured
this summer at the Tony Award winning Eugene O’Neill Cabaret
and Performance Conference in Connecticut with Conference
Director Michael Bush directing. Brielle
one of the few composers who can REALLY sing delivered a
knockout performance with the help of the extraordinary
ensemble he assembled who have worked for everyone form Paul
Simon to Tony Bennett to Jay z including vocalist
Vivian Sessoms; trombonist Michael Davis;
trumpeter, Jim Hynes; bassist
Conrad Korsch; keyboard master Ken Levinsky,
reed player Charles Pillow, guitarist
Larry Saltzman; drummer Terry
Silverlight and saxophonist Andy Snitzer.
The audience, a mix of
theatrical producers and the couples’ neighbors in the tony
enclave, greeted each number with cheers and thundering
applause. Michael Bush, with partner
Michael Aman, just returned from Albany
where he directed Leslie Uggams in Uptown
Downtown at the Capitol rep, could be seen grinning with
pleasure.
Among the appreciative
crowd were producers Barbara Ligeti, Pat Addiss,
Bill Suter and Jono Gero; actress
Christine De Lisle; Silvana Sertus, Vin & Bobbi Godleski,
Carol Miller, Xlaoyi & Kenneth Hari and scores
more.
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