08.11.2010

Osnes & Jordan Will Star in Revised 'Bonnie & Clyde' Musical, Taking Aim in FL; Cast Revealed

Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan have been picked out of a lineup to star as the title criminals in the upcoming Florida engagement of the new musical Bonnie & Clyde.

The next regional step of the musical by Frank Wildhorn, Don Black and Ivan Menchell will play Asolo Repertory Theatre's mainstage, the Mertz Theatre in Sarasota, FL, Nov. 16-Dec. 19. Opening night is Nov. 19.

Rehearsals begin Oct. 19 for a company of 20 that includes some members of the 2009 La Jolla Playhouse engagement. The creative team has revised the script, score and staging since 2009, when Osnes and Stark Sands played the title characters. 

The story of the real-life Depression-era American criminal couple has a book by Menchell (The Cemetery Club, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang); music by Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel); lyrics by Tony Award winner Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Song and Dance); and music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by John McDaniel.

Direction and musical staging are by Jeff Calhoun (Deaf West's Big River and Pippin, Broadway's Grease!).

As previously reported, composer Wildhorn flirts with rockabilly, blues and gospel to tell the tale of a waitress and a troubled Texas teen whose notorious exploits captured the country’s imagination.Osnes originated the role of Bonnie Parker in the world premiere at La Jolla, and won a San Diego Theater Critics Circle Award for her performance. She recently starred as Nellie Forbush in Lincoln Center's Broadway revival of South Pacific and made her Broadway debut as Sandy in Grease!, after winning the role on NBC's reality competition series "Grease: You're The One That I Want."

Jordan takes the role of Clyde Barrow following his Broadway performances in the revival of West Side Story (Tony) and Rock of Ages.

Osnes and Jordan are joined by Melissa van der Schyff (Deaf West’s Big River) as Blanche Barrow, Mimi Bessette (Little Shop of Horrors) as Emma Parker, Kevin Massey as Ted Hinton, Claybourne Elder as Buck Barrow, Wayne Duvall as the Sheriff, Leslie Becker as Cumie Barrow/Governor Ferguson, Zach Rand (Les Misérables and Mary Poppins) as Young Clyde, Kelsey Fowler (Mary Poppins) as Young Bonnie. Ensemble members include Daniel Cooney, FSU/Asolo Conservatory MFA student Dane Dandridge, Victor Hernandez, Laura Hodos, Heather Kopp, Michael Lanning, Kevin Rose, Casey Shea and Tim Shew; and local performer Holly Rizzo as the Young Bonnie understudy.

Director Calhoun said in a statement, "This may be the most true-to-life account of their story to date. Ivan's book is based on the factual accounts of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, their lives and circumstances, and their own words. Frank has written songs with beautiful melodies reminiscent of the times but with a current appeal. Don's lyrics speak to the heart of the piece and the emotion. I have tried to take all that and create a show that's as truthful as it is entertaining."

Menchell said, "We learned a great deal from the La Jolla production. That show was an intimate look at a fractured love story. But audiences and critics wanted to know more about Bonnie and Clyde. What made them who they were? We also needed a more dynamic point of view. Working with [Asolo Rep artistic director] Michael Donald Edwards, we discovered that the next step was to involve adding a new layer to the story — social context — to help us better understand why these two kids ended up on the path they did. And so a new point of view (and song) were born: 'Made in America.'"

The Bonnie & Clyde production team includes Tobin Ost (scenic and costume designer); Michael Gilliam (lighting designer); Kevin Kennedy (sound designer); Aaron Rhyne (projection designer); Carol Doran (wig and hair designer); Stepn Landau (music director/keyboards); Coy Middlebrook (associate director), Patricia Delorey (vocal coach); Steve Rankin (fight director); Paul J. Smith (production stage manager); Kelly Borgia (stage Manager); and Jeff Tanski (associate music director).

 

Tickets ($17-$65) on sale now at the box office, by calling (941) 351-8000, (800) 361- 8388 or visiting www.AsoloRep.org.

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TheDC Interview: P.J. O'Rourke talks Tea Parties and potheads

After 40 years of pantsing the powerful, “it was time for me to figure out what I was talking about,” satirist P.J. O’Rourke told The Daily Caller during a recent visit. Enter: “,” O’Rourke’s most serious foray into the world of political philosophy.

That’s right: Serious. “I don’t claim to be the kind of deep thinker that Michael Oakeshottљwas,” O’Rourke told TheDC. “But I came away from the experience of trying to formulate my political thought with more sympathy for Oakeshott’s crap prose style.”

In addition to dishing on Rolling Stone, parenting, his mailman, his favorite writers and the burden of influence, O’Rourke also shared his thoughts on midterms. You can read those below, and read the rest of the hour-long interview on Thursday.

The Daily Caller: What do you think of Prop 19 in California and marijuana legalization?

P.J. O’Rourke: I find myself torn between my conservatism — I’m a father with children and I don’t want them smoking pot —

TheDC: — ever?

O’Rourke: Well, yeah!

TheDC: Are you just saying that because you’re a dad and you’re on the record?

P.J.: Well, yes, I am saying that because I’m a dad and I’m on the record, but also because I’m a father, and I know that children are plenty stupid enough. They don’t need a drug to help them be more stupid.

On the other hand, here’s a drug that makes teenage boys drive slower. [Laughs] So, I’m torn.

Truly, I think it’s up to the people of California to decide this for themselves. What I want to know is how we’ll be able to tell whether it passed or not. How much more stoned can you get in California?

TheDC: Did you see that dispensary owners are fighting Prop 19?

O’Rourke: I heard that. And so are the pot growers, more quietly. Fortunately, now they’re able to donate huge sums with anonymous protection.

TheDC: Wait — did you say fortunately?

O’Rourke: Yes, I said fortunately. Otherwise, someone might wonder where $10 million came from in Mendocino County. [Laughs]

TheDC: Right, because they have all these vibrant and diverse industries in Mendocino!

O’Rourke: Sandal-making!

TheDC: Things with beads!

O’Rourke: Navajo sand-painting!

TheDC: So, we’re a few days out from the election. Do you have any high hopes? Are you looking to the Tea Parties to save us?

O’Rourke: Well, it would be very satisfying to see Obama and the Democrats get a good drubbing at the polls, but I have two caveats on that. One thing is that I was ready to let these people take the plane for another two years.

TheDC: Because 2012 would be so much worse for Democrats if they were still in charge then?

O’Rourke: Right. I didn’t want to see a repeat of Clinton’s election in 1996. I want this guy to be a one-term president. And I don’t want him to have some Republicans in Congress, or what looks like a bunch of Republicans in Congress, to blame everything on. It would give Obama something to run on much the way it gave Clinton something to run on.

My other problem here is that I don’t know what to believe because I don’t understand where polling organizations get their information now.

TheDC: How do you mean?

O’Rourke: Nobody under the age of 65 uses a landline, everybody’s got caller ID, and who the hell calls back a polling organization?

Who, other than a crazy person, does anything besides hang up on a robo-call? Any call, any person, anywher2C under any circumstances.

If you’re doing this over the Internet, you’re getting into the loony chains almost immediately.

So all polling information, as far as I can figure out, is coming from old people, crazy people, or both.

TheDC: Crazy old people!

O’Rourke: Exactly! Crazy old people are our entire source of polling information. Unless they’re randomly stopping people on the streets. And they’re always saying “likely voters.” What, do likely voters wear a special headband?

TheDC: Does that mean any poll that doesn’t survey “likely voters” is one you should ignore?

O’Rourke: Even then, how do you determine what a likely voter is?

It’s all bullshit. But what kind of bullshit is it? Is it Dem-leaning bullshit? Is it Tea Party-leaning bullshit? I really don’t know. But I would say that the mood of the nation is “Throw the bums out.” But then again, that might just be a reflection of who I hang out with.

Read more stories from The Daily Caller

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CMA entertainer of the year newcomers spur debate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Country Music Association's entertainer of the year is the group's highest honor, and voting for the trophy is conducted under strict confidentiality.

But we were able to find a voter who didn't think Miranda Lambert, who leads all CMA nominees with nine, was worthy of the top award.

Her name? Miranda Lambert. She had three chances to vote for herself, and said she passed.

"I just feel like it's such a big deal to be nominated for entertainer of the year," Lambert said. "I'm kind of weirded out that I got in there. Oh, I just can't believe it. But I feel like when you actually win it, it's something that you really have to earn. I have done two headlining tours and they were both this year. You know, I feel like I still have a ways to go before I deserve to take that home."

Lambert's not alone in her angst. The three members of Lady Antebellum — Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley — also declared that they did not vote for themselves. Scott called it "extremely premature."

Yet there they are, along with another newcomer, Zac Brown Band, former winner Keith Urban and Brad Paisley, probably the safest bet to win the CMA's most coveted award Wednesday night in Nashville.

The association's traditionally conservative membership has gone radical this year, sweeping away a number of longtime entertainer contenders in favor of something shiny and new. The move was an interesting one to longtime watchers of the awards.

"I have heard they are looking for a new regime, wanting to turn things around and to kind of mix up the shuffle," said Reba McEntire, the 1986 CMA entertainer of the year. "Well, they definitely did. This has sure gotten everybody to talk about it."

And generally what they're saying is, "Huh?" This year's nominations have led to a frank, open and honest conversation.

For those who support the new acts, it's simply a changing of the guard. It happens every so often, with newer, hipper acts muscling aside fading favorites. Then there are those who think longevity is also part of the award and that nominees should have a long history of hits.

"The only thing that I was disappointed in was the acts that have been headlining for so many years, they were not nominated," McEntire said. "In particular, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts. I would've assumed they would've been in that nomination before Zac Brown Band, Lady A and Miranda Lambert."

This sea change by voters has sparked a debate about the nature of the award. There is a perception that entertainer of the year requirements are laid out like commandments on a stone tablet, but the reality is everyone has a different definition.

And the rules don't help much. Look at the language closely and the word ambiguous comes to mind:

"This award is for the act displaying the greatest competence in all aspects of the entertainment field. Voter should give consideration not only to recorded performance, but also to the in-person performance, staging, public acceptance, attitude, leadership, and overall contribution to the Country Music image."

Jay DeMarcus, member of the perennially snubbed supergroup Rascal Flatts and the CMA's board of directors, says the criteria is confusing.

"I've been trying to get to the bottom of it for years," said DeMarcus, who is chairman of the artists relations committee. "I still don't understand it. I sit in those rooms and say, 'Can someone explain this to me?' ... There are certainly people who have been denied before and I think it's something that needs to be addressed and fixed."

Who's definition would you use, then?

For many the number of concert tickets sold is a big factor — perhaps the biggest. It's a great measure of just how popular an act is.

So are record sales.

Many also believe the act should haveome sort of television presence, should be a model citizen who donates time and money to charity, and should be a zealous missionary in country music's never-ending search for converts.

"When you figure it out let me know," Jason Aldean said.

Aldean is another singer who had a legitimate claim on an entertainer nomination, yet he was shut out of the awards completely. He's disappointed by the snub and thinks the debate over who gets nominated and how is pointless. He believes the whole thing's rigged.

As a singer on an independent label, he has few CMA members to back him when nominees are chosen. Same goes for McGraw, who records for Curb Records. And that might also explain why a year after winning entertainer and three other CMA Awards, Big Machine's Swift, the biggest name in country and pop, is up for just one.

"The average fan doesn't understand how all that stuff works and the industry probably doesn't want them to," Aldean said. "Fans watch a show and they get all up in arms because their favorite artist wasn't nominated or didn't win an award they were nominated for. Bottom line is it's not based on anything, man. It's based on who can rally the most troops for their guy, and sometimes this guy wins and sometimes that guy wins. It's just kind of the way it all shakes down."

Aldean says the torch will be passed eventually and thought this year's nominations were "kinda cool" for including the three new acts. Despite their protestations, Miranda Lambert and Lady A do have game.

Lady A's "Need You Now" is the No. 2 album of 2010 so far and they've been a fixture on the charts for more than a year. The trio launched its first headlining tour this fall and is country music's second-biggest crossover draw behind Swift.

They're nominated for five awards, trailing only Lambert, who is up for nine — the CMA record for a woman and the second most ever.

Lambert's album "Revolution" was widely hailed as the best album of 2009, has gone platinum and spawned the No. 1 country hits "White Liar" and "The House That Built Me."

"I thought it was just about ticket sales and the amount of people you play in front of, and it's not," said Lambert, who put out her first record five years ago but had her biggest success over the last year. "It's a very broad award. It's about everything you've done in the past year, and I've definitely worked my butt off, so I guess I'm just settling into the fact that I'll have to accept it."

For those who didn't make it, the sting will quickly pass. As DeMarcus notes, success isn't always measured by the number of awards you win.

"I'd rather be rich than have a trophy," he joked.

___

Associated Press reporter Caitlin R. King in Nashville contributed to this report.

___

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