All Entries Tagged With: "Cast"

TWO MINUTES with…Hayley Podschun

Pal Joey’s Hayley Podschun (The Kid) is a beautiful and talented young woman who already has quite a diverse background in show business. She started out in the National Tour production of Hairspray, but before following that up with the role of Tammy on Broadway, Hayley played her in HAIRSPRAY the movie! Let’s take TWO MINUTES and get to know her better, shall we?

PJBlog: If we’ve learned anything from this production of Pal Joey, it’s the importance of the understudy! You understudy both Linda English and Val…have you had the opportunity to go on in either of these roles?

Hayley: I haven’t gone on for either, but it’s fine. Every Friday we have understudy rehearsal, so at least I get to play the roles once a week :~)

PJB: Before Pal Joey, you were in Sunday in the Park with George, where you understudied six different roles AND you were the dance captain. Can you tell us a little bit about how understudies rehearse and stay prepared for so many different roles?

Hayley: In “Sunday” it was really hard because we standbys came into the rehearsal process two weeks later than everyone else -we had a lot of catching up to do. I watched the show A LOT, took TONS of notes. Not only was I responsible for my “tracks”, I had to know everyone else’s parts because I was the dance captain. Once we were open, the standbys had rehearsal once a week.

PJB: At your very young age, you’ve had so many experiences – Hairpsray National Tour, HAIRSPRAY the movie, and Broadway. How do the experiences compare with each other? Is there one that’s your true “love”?

Hayley: They are all SO different but wonderful in their own way. Tour was great because I got to see the country and travel before I “settled down” anywhere. The movie was fun because I’ve never done a movie and I got to see what that world was like. Getting to finish my Hairspray life on Broadway was great. I made such wonderful friends. “Sunday” was spectacular because it was a show I never thought I’d do in my life. It was the most magical experience. Pal Joey has been great because I’m working with the best of the best in the business. Joe Mantello, Graciela Daniele, and Paul Gemignani are dreams and the cast is so talented. I just love it. I’ve been very lucky to have such diverse shows.

PJB: I guess Studio 54 has become like a second home to you now – “Sunday In The Park”, followed by Pal Joey… do you know what comes next?

Hayley: Yeah! I’m actually going to be doing “The First Wives Club” playing the role of Chris. We will be in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre this summer then open on broadway in October.

PJB: That is fantastic news! Thank you, Hayley, for sharing a few minutes with us, and we look forward to following your career, to First Wives Club and beyond.

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Hayley kept a movie diary while on the set of HAIRSPRAY. Following are excerpts from that diary.

Lisa Gajda, Gypsy of the Month for February

When Eric Sciotto was announced as Pal Joey’s Gypsy Robe recipient (see archives) it was mentioned that Lisa Gajda had previously won the honor three times. This made me wonder why it was Eric, and not Lisa, who received the honor for Pal Joey. Well, a recent article on Broadwayworld.com (GYPSY OF THE MONTH: Lisa Gajda of ‘Pal Joey’, by Adrienne Onofri) not only answers that question, but makes it clear what a “Pal” Lisa truly is:
“‘Pal Joey’ would have been Gajda’s fourth time receiving the Gypsy Robe - presented on opening night to the ensemble member with the most Broadway credits - but she decided to forgo the honor so it could go to her friend Eric Sciotto, who’d never received it in his previous seven shows. Gajda received the robe for her last two shows, Cry-Baby (which Sciotto was also in) and The Times They Are A-Changin’, as well as for 2003’s Taboo.”

Broadway was not always Gajda’s (pronounced Guy-da) life. When she was around 20, she and a friend took a road trip to California and she ended up staying for several years. She started getting work right away and danced in awards shows quite regularly. At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, she danced with Paula Abdul to “Vibeology”. She worked on videos, commercials, movies, AND the 1990 and 1991 Academy Awards. But New York is where she really wanted to be, and she moved back in the mid-90’s. Within six months, she was cast in the tour of Tommy, playing the Nurse and other ensemble roles. In the spring of 1995, she made her Broadway debut as a swing in Tommy (see archives).

By the time she auditioned for Pal Joey, Lisa had learned how to make herself into whatever type was needed. “My look is pretty contemporary,” she says, “so I went to the audition with big fake boobs and tried to make myslef look soft.” She obviously did something right!

In Pal Joey, Gajda is one of the two ladies who dance with Joey (Matthew Risch) in the opening ballet, and she is the lilac in the comic Act 1 song “The Flower Garden of My Heart.” And although she understudies for Martha Plimpton (Gladys Bumps), she isn’t yearning for speaking parts. “I’m a real dancer. It’s not very interesting to me to pursue doing roles. I grew up loving to dance, so that doesn’t mean that I wanted to act and sing.” And her sage advice for other gypsies? “If you’re dancing in the chorus, don’t spend you entire life waiting to do something else, because it’s an honor and a great gift to dance in the chorus.”

Click here to read Broadwayworld.com’s article.

Pal Joey Video Review

Broadway .com has a section titled “Word of Mouth” that allows real theatergoers the opportunity to give their opinions on what’s hot and what’s not on Broadway. In this segment, panelists Mark, Mary and Steven discuss their thoughts on Pal Joey. (The video also includes several clips from the show.)

Click here to watch the video in a new window.

Eric Sciotto; Pal Joey’s Gypsy Robe Recipient

Tradition has always been a huge part of the theatre. The Gypsy Robe is one of these traditions, and is reserved exclusively for the singing and dancing chorus in a Broadway musical. Members of the singing and dancing chorus, if they are lucky, go from one show to another, never staying in a show forever, reminiscent of the gypsies of old.

GYPSY ROBE HISTORY

The Gypsy Robe tradition started in 1950, when Bill Bradley, in the chorus of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (the long-running smash hit of the day), persuaded a chorus girl to let him have her dressing gown. As a lark, he sent it to a friend on opening night of Call Me Madam (starring Ethel Merman), telling him it had been worn by all the Ziegfeld beauties. The friend added a rose from Ethel Merman’s gown and sent it to a chorus member on the next opening night. It was then passed from show to show in a haphazard way and was often presented to a friend of the previous recipient, or awarded to a chorus member based on popularity. Through the years the passing of the Robe became a specific ceremony with official rules stating how it is presented, worn and paraded on stage.

The ritual begins appropriately, with a cue from the stage manager: “On stage for the Gypsy Robe.” All members of the production (although one story I read stated only members of the chorus – no principals in the “circle”) - some already in make-up and costume - take a place forming a circle on the fringes of the stage. In the center of the circle stand two people; one is a representative of Actors’ Equity, the other, a performer, an honored gypsy, from the previous musical that opened on

Broadway. Those on the fringe listen and watch; for some this is their first experience; for others, it is a ritual they have participated in many times before as they listen anxiously in the event they will be the night’s honoree.

Pal Joey Curtain Call - November 18

I’ve said it before, and find it true again - you can find anything on YouTube! Here is video footage of one of the few curtain calls that included Christian Hoff.

Stockard Channing “Bewitches” in ‘Pal Joey’

Jimmy Merrill Interviews Steven Skybell, Robert Clohessy and Daniel Marcus

In our fifth and final installment of interviews from the Opening Night Celebration, contributing correspondent Jimmy Merrill talks with the featured actors of Pal Joey — Steven Skybell (Ernest, Joey’s tailor), Robert Clohessy (nightclub manager Mike) and Daniel Marcus (Chez Joey tenor Ludlow Lowell).

Pal Joey’s Official Opening Night, December 18th

I’m just back from a fantastic trip to New York for the “official” opening night of Pal Joey at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Studio 54. In case you’re wondering, the difference between the show on December 11th, which was the original opening night, and December 18th, the “official” opening night is that now the press is allowed to write reviews. That’s right, all that stuff you’ve read in the press the last month wasn’t “reviews”, but just “opinions” - officially.

I am not by any means, a Broadway critic. So the thoughts you are about to read are just that - my random thoughts as I watched the show. And as always, I invite, even encourage you to share your thoughts.

This was not my first visit to Studio 54, but it certainly wasn’t the same place I remembered. Well, it was 25 years ago and a very different venue! The theatre is gorgeous, with old ornate woodwork and a very intimate feel to it. The orchestra was located in balconies on either side of the stage and sounded beautiful. I don’t imagine there was a bad seat in the house.

I forced myself to put all thoughts of Christian Hoff out of my mind…no comparisons, no what-could-have-beens…just watch the show and enjoy. I thought it would be hard to do, but when Joey (Matthew Risch) entered (or was thrown onto) the stage, I was captivated by him. He’s good looking, sexy, and he could really dance. I noticed I had a huge smile on my face at the end of “Chicago”. Off to a good start. I even found myself believing he was falling for Linda (Jenny Fellner), and really enjoyed their duet of “I Could Write A Book”. Jenny’s voice is flawless, and I could sense the innocence, as well as the desperation, in her character.

Stockard Channing’s portryal of Vera Simpson was harder for me to categorize. Yes, Vera is supposed to by cynical and hard, but I couldn’t decide if Ms. Channing was playing the part to perfection, or was just a little bored with the whole thing. Either way, the audience loved her, and Joey’s first encounter with Vera in the nightclub was quite entertaining. I didn’t totally buy into her passion for Joey, but her rendition of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” gave the audience a glimpse into her “troubled soul”. The talk-singing I had heard so much about fit beautifully with her voice and her character, and I thouroughly enjoyed it.

The audience favorite, by far, was Gladys Bumps, played superbly by Martha Plimpton. Her sultry, smoky voice and great comedic timing made for a terrific “Zip”. I only wish we could have had more Martha, as the second Act dragged a little bit for me. My husband was very entertained by the “chorus girls”, who I suspect were his favorite part of the show. And we both enjoyed the voice of Daniel Marcus (as Ludlow Lowell). Wish we could have had more Daniel Marcus. Besides “Zip”, my favorite song of the second act was “Take Him”, performed beautifully by Fellner and Channing.

The costumes by William Ivey Long were perfection. Linda English was suitable dowdy, the chorus girls were just tacky enough, Joey was smashingly handsome in his well tailored suits, and Vera’s gowns and pant suits were beautifully rich without going overboard.

The stage was dark and smoky, which I suppose was appropriate for the gritty Chicago setting, but was a bit disctracting to me. And I thought the cast managed the stairways with great agility - not an easy feat. And Chez Joey was just tacky enough!

The show is helped along by a very strong supporting cast. Robert Clohessy and Steven Skybell (Mike and Ernest, respectively) could have handled parts with a little more meat to them, but both actors got the most out of their characters, and gave terrific performances.

I give Matthew Risch a great deal of credit for coming as far as he has in such a short time. He wasn’t quite the “leading man” this show needed, but I can certainly see it in his future. I found myself singing several of the songs in my head the next day, which is a good sign. I suspect that Pal Joey will have a great run, despite (or perhaps because of) all the drama surrounding it.

Interviews from the Opening Night Celebration

Click here to see contributing correspondent Jimmy Merrill’s interviews with the Pal Joey stars and other celebrities–exclusively on the Pal Joey Blog. The five segments are listed in reverse chronological order based on when they were posted. The total running time is around 25 minutes.

Great Pal Joey Show Pictures!!

Thank you “mrmidwest” for posting these great photos on livejournal.com.

Jenny Fellner On Playbill Radio

From Playbill.com, Nov 27

In addition to round-the-clock show tunes and Broadway news at the top of each hour, Playbill Radio offers the following special programming. The schedule for the week of Dec. 2-9 follows:

Center Stage
Dec. 2: Special guest is Jenny Fellner, a real-life native of Deadwood, SD, who is playing her first Broadway lead in the new revival of Pal Joey alongside some high-power lady stars, including Stockard Channing and Martha Plimpton. She tells how she’s holding her own — and fulfilling her grandfather’s prophecy — in the Rodgers and Hart classic.

Hoff Advised To Rest Foot Through Weekend

Christian Hoff apparently sustained a minor foot injury during Friday night’s show, and has been advised by his doctor to rest through the weekend. The Saturday matinee was cancelled, and according to Playbill.com, understudy Matthew Risch was prepped to go on Saturday night and Sunday. I’m sure that Christian, being the true professional that he is, will follow doctors orders and hopefully return on Tuesday.

Here’s wishing Christian a speedy recovery!

The NY Times Shows Christian Some Love!

The following article appeared in the NY Times, and is just too good to summarize. I’d hate to leave anything out!

A Jersey Boy’s Moment as Broadway’s New Pal
By PATRICK HEALY
Published: November 20, 2008

It’s not every day that an actor is tapped to play a role immortalized by Gene Kelly onstage and Frank Sinatra on screen. It is not every day, either, that producers choose to revisit that role, Joey Evans in “Pal Joey,” given that it has a title character who uses and exploits women and has a legendarily uneven book that goes with the famous Rodgers and Hart score.

Given how risk-averse Broadway is, such a role might seem reserved for a bankable, household-name star who guarantees the extraordinary charisma that the rakish, antihero Joey must project — a Harry Connick Jr., say, or a Hugh Jackman, both rumored as potential Joeys in recent years.

So the weight of history and high expectations now sits on the shoulders of one Christian Hoff. He is not a household name; he is not a bankable star. What he is — besides the lead in Roundabout Theater Company’s revival of “Pal Joey,” now in previews at Studio 54 — is a Broadway classic himself: a determined, confident actor who found midcareer fame (and a featured-performance Tony) as Tommy DeVito in “Jersey Boys” and has his first shot at a major leading role.

For Mr. Hoff the role is one he said he was born to play after years as guys “you would not want your daughter to date.”

Share Your Pal Joey Experience

One of our blog readers made a second visit to see Pal Joey, and here are her observations:
** The choreography may have been tweeked a bit…although I cannot say all the dancing was spectacular, it was quite enjoyable - especially dancing on the stairs. (Although I feel Christian Hoff was better on the stairs!)
** Costume glitches were all taken care of.
** The major improvement I was keenly seeking was the chemistry between ‘Vera’ and ‘Joey’…I felt that Stockard Channing did not feel comfortable with Christian…if Vera is supposed to be infatuated with this young song and dance man, I want to see that exhibited throughout the show…now seeing Matthew Risch & Stockard was a completely different FEEL..Stockard seemed to sincerely enjoy touching, embracing and kissing ‘Joey’…my personal thought was that Stockard feels much more in control with a very young protege, sort of a boy-toy!
** Matt’s dancing in the beginning was right on, but he does sweat profusely. The singing was much the same for ‘Vera’ and ‘Joey’.
** Martha Plimpton’s performance throughout the show is still very enticing…and Jenny Fellner still mezmerizing. They are both key characters to the success of this run of Pal Joey.
** Daniel Marcus’s (Ludlow) solo in the second act was a shining star.
** Matthew has clearly captured the “JERK” attitude that ‘Joey” is supposed to exhibit.
** I must say that the whole cast was more than gracious to pose for photos and sign autographs after the show.

The Pal Joey Blog invites you to share your Pal Joey experience! Leave a comment and let us know how you enjoyed the show. If you have pictures you want to share, send them to  admin at paljoeyblog.com, and include captions if you like.

A big thank you to Charly O’Clarit. She combined her pictures with those of Lucy Rochetti and Lori Leone to create this great slide show. Thank you, ladies!

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Shawna, a self-proclaimed Stockard enthusiast, shared this photo from her fabulous evening at Pal Joey. See comments below to read about Shawna’s experience.

First Impressions of “Pal Joey”, November 14, 2008 Preview

By Howard Tucker ( howardtucker3 at aol.com)

The Production

This production of Pal Joey, featuring a new book by Richard Greenberg, musical direction by Paul Gemignani, choreography by Graciela Daniele, and direction by Joe Mantello, brought to light new undertones not seen in the original productions, which certainly enhanced this show.

The plot focuses upon depression-era nightclub emcee Joey Evans (Christian Hoff) being torn between his innocent, naive girlfriend Linda English (Jenny Fellner) and wealthy but married socialite Vera Simpson (Stockard Channing). Joey romances Vera, who sets him up in his own club, Chez Joey. Along the way, Joey runs into an old acquaintance, Gladys Bumps (Martha Plimpton), with whom he has a very unpleasant history.

While there is a similarity to the Frank Sinatra movie in Joey’s and Vera’s characters, Jenny Fellner’s Linda English (a haberdashery clerk) is less worldly than the curvy and sensual Kim Novak (who was a showgirl type), and the Gladys Bumps character adds some new intrigue to the entire plot. Gladys and Joey’s history comes to light in the first act, and as Joey tries to show his power in the second act, we see that Gladys isn’t one to roll over and play dead. The ending was not the “and then they lived happily-ever-after” typical Broadway/Hollywood one, and that was a refreshing change.