|
New Musical, My Own Song
Directed by Vincent Marini
Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina
presents My Own Song starring four-time Las Vegas
Entertainer of the Year, Clint Holmes. Performances
began March 31 and ran through April 25. My Own Song is
directed by Vincent Marini who is the new Producing Artistic
Director for the Playhouse.
Under Marini’s leadership, the theatre is striving to become
an artistic haven for the development of new plays and
musicals that have national impact. Over the next few years,
the Playhouse will continue to forge relationships with
writers, composers and lyricists and assist them in bringing
their artistic vision to the stage. According to Marini, “We
believe that Flat Rock Playhouse is uniquely positioned to
develop into one of the most important regional theaters in
the southeastern United States. With in-house production
facilities, a dedicated board and a truly committed staff,
there is really no limit to what can be accomplished here.”
My Own Song first surfaced as a musical in 1996 when it had
its world premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse under the title
Comfortable Shoes. Roy Miller (producer of Broadway’s The
Drowsy Chaperone, West Side Story, etc.) was on staff at
Paper Mill during that initial production and is now guiding
the show towards a wider berth.
The show features a book by Clint Holmes and Vincent Marini,
music by Nelson Kole and Bill Fayne, and lyrics by Clint
Holmes. Greg Daniels choreographs.
In addition to Holmes, the show stars Reva Rice (Chicago,
The Color Purple); David Jennings (Once Upon a Mattress,
Ragtime); Mara Davi (The Drowsy Chaperone, A Chorus Line);
Jennifer Evans (Ragtime, Jersey Boys); Randy Glass (Les
Miserables, A Tale Of Two Cities); Heather Parcells (A
Chorus Line, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang); and Christopher
Lingner (Movin’ Out).
The creative team includes Sven Ortel, Projection Designer
(The Little Mermaid); Chris Lee, Lighting Designer (Martin
Short: Fame Becomes Me, Peep Show); Dennis Maulden, Flat
Rock’s resident Scenic Designer; Janine McCabe, Costume
Designer; Nick Kourtides, Sound Designer; and Jeff Neiman,
Musical Director.
The musical inspired by Clint's life-story, according to
press notes, “is a quintessential American story about one
man's journey to self-discovery and understanding. With an
original score that combines elements of Rock and Pop with
Jazz and Classical, My Own Song is a unique and personal
exploration of one universal human question, “How do I fit
in?”
The show is set on the Clint Holmes Stage at Harrah’s Las
Vegas in 2005 where Clint has been performing for five
years. Though he has performed his act over 1,500 times,
something life altering has occurred just before tonight’s
show that makes this performance special. As Clint begins
his nightclub act, the stories and songs he tells the
audience trigger memories that take us through the last
fifty years of his life, culminating in an emotional finale
that brings Clint’s life story and the nightclub act full
circle. “My Own Song is not just an autobiography,” says
director and co-author Vincent Marini. “In fact, I am
generally not drawn to autobiographical musicals unless they
reveal some kind of universal truth about the human
condition. In the case of this show, the story is really
about self-acceptance and understanding. It makes a strong
statement that you can never truly understand how you fit-in
until you come to terms with who you are, why you’re here,
and how you can leave the world just a little bit different
than how you found it. Clint is one of the most dynamic live
performers in the country and I can’t wait for audiences in
North Carolina to witness his performance in this remarkable
new work.”
IN THE PRESS
|
