Post by LJ on Mar 11, 2009 9:09:45 GMT -6
"Toxic Avenger" is ready to take on the Big Apple
By CHRIS JORDAN • Staff Writer • March 11, 2009
David Bryan has one play headed to off-Broadway next week and another to Broadway later in the year.
All of a sudden the Edison native has morphed into Andrew Lloyd Rocker.
"My mother couldn't have planned it better for me," quipped Bryan. "It's wild — kismet — putting out good vibes in world comes back to you. I'm taking everything I've learned with the band and I used it to my advantage."
The band is Bon Jovi, of which Bryan is a founding member and keyboard player. The upcoming Broadway play is "Memphis," about rock 'n' roll's early days and a cross-racial love affair, and the off-Broadway play is "The Toxic Avenger," which in the fall set attendance records at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick and now heads to the New World Stages theater starting Wednesday, March 18.
Opening night is Monday, April 6.
Bryan wrote music for Toxie and collaborator Joe DiPietro ("I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change") wrote the book and lyrics. Bryan is Richard Rodgers to DiPietro's Oscar Hammerstein II.
"I know how to work with people and collaborate," said Bryan of his working in theater. "I love it. It's the ultimate Rubik's Cube. It's a puzzle and you have to fix it to make it work."
"The Toxic Avenger" is based on the 1985 Lloyd Kaufman cult-classic B movie and takes place in the mythical town of Tromaville, located off Exit 13B on the New Jersey Turnpike. In it, Melvin Ferd the Third wants to clean up town's toxic dump, but then he's thrown into a vat of toxic waste and turns into the mightly — and mightily deformed — Toxic Avenger.
The play, which earned rave reviews all around, is full of campiness, off-color humor and rocking beats.
A cast album, recorded recently at Avatar Studios in New York City, will be available by opening night.
"The cast were like "I'm amazed — this his how you make a record?' " Bryan said. "This is what I do. I've sold 130 million — I know how to make a record. They're looking at me like I know what I'm doing. I'm bringing something new and fresh, bringing something to another world to me that's something old to them."
Nick Cordero as the Toxic Avenger, Nancy Opel and Demond Green move from the George Street run to the New World while Sara Chase, as Toxie's love interest, and Matt Saldivar, are new additions.
Tony Award-winner John Rando directs, as he did in New Brunswick, and there are some minor tune-ups.
"We looked at the two lead characters," Bryan said. "We wanted to make the love story a little more intense and we did that."
New World Stages will have a "Tox Box" instead of a VIP area, where they'll serve "Toxictinis," Bryan said.
"You can bring drinks down to your seats," said Bryan, who now lives in Colts Neck. "It's definitely more of a party atmosphere."
In the upcoming weeks we'll know where "Memphis" — book and lyrics by DiPietro, music and lyrics by Bryan, directed by Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo ("Jersey Boys") — will land. Memphis started out off-Broadway in 2002.
Also, Bryon and the Bon Jovi guys are already working on their next album. He can't make a wrong move if he tried.
"My mom's really proud," Bryan said.
"The Toxic Avenger" plays at 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays.
By CHRIS JORDAN • Staff Writer • March 11, 2009
David Bryan has one play headed to off-Broadway next week and another to Broadway later in the year.
All of a sudden the Edison native has morphed into Andrew Lloyd Rocker.
"My mother couldn't have planned it better for me," quipped Bryan. "It's wild — kismet — putting out good vibes in world comes back to you. I'm taking everything I've learned with the band and I used it to my advantage."
The band is Bon Jovi, of which Bryan is a founding member and keyboard player. The upcoming Broadway play is "Memphis," about rock 'n' roll's early days and a cross-racial love affair, and the off-Broadway play is "The Toxic Avenger," which in the fall set attendance records at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick and now heads to the New World Stages theater starting Wednesday, March 18.
Opening night is Monday, April 6.
Bryan wrote music for Toxie and collaborator Joe DiPietro ("I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change") wrote the book and lyrics. Bryan is Richard Rodgers to DiPietro's Oscar Hammerstein II.
"I know how to work with people and collaborate," said Bryan of his working in theater. "I love it. It's the ultimate Rubik's Cube. It's a puzzle and you have to fix it to make it work."
"The Toxic Avenger" is based on the 1985 Lloyd Kaufman cult-classic B movie and takes place in the mythical town of Tromaville, located off Exit 13B on the New Jersey Turnpike. In it, Melvin Ferd the Third wants to clean up town's toxic dump, but then he's thrown into a vat of toxic waste and turns into the mightly — and mightily deformed — Toxic Avenger.
The play, which earned rave reviews all around, is full of campiness, off-color humor and rocking beats.
A cast album, recorded recently at Avatar Studios in New York City, will be available by opening night.
"The cast were like "I'm amazed — this his how you make a record?' " Bryan said. "This is what I do. I've sold 130 million — I know how to make a record. They're looking at me like I know what I'm doing. I'm bringing something new and fresh, bringing something to another world to me that's something old to them."
Nick Cordero as the Toxic Avenger, Nancy Opel and Demond Green move from the George Street run to the New World while Sara Chase, as Toxie's love interest, and Matt Saldivar, are new additions.
Tony Award-winner John Rando directs, as he did in New Brunswick, and there are some minor tune-ups.
"We looked at the two lead characters," Bryan said. "We wanted to make the love story a little more intense and we did that."
New World Stages will have a "Tox Box" instead of a VIP area, where they'll serve "Toxictinis," Bryan said.
"You can bring drinks down to your seats," said Bryan, who now lives in Colts Neck. "It's definitely more of a party atmosphere."
In the upcoming weeks we'll know where "Memphis" — book and lyrics by DiPietro, music and lyrics by Bryan, directed by Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo ("Jersey Boys") — will land. Memphis started out off-Broadway in 2002.
Also, Bryon and the Bon Jovi guys are already working on their next album. He can't make a wrong move if he tried.
"My mom's really proud," Bryan said.
"The Toxic Avenger" plays at 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays.
