91 Old Town book & lyrics by Brett Neveu music by Mikhail Fiksel dir Kyle Hamman for Strawdog Theatre. Ever since True Ballad, Strawdog was interested in “The Next One” as we called it. The next original piece that we would world premiere. And Kyle said he wanted to direct it. That became Old Town. As opposed to True Ballad, which was developed through improvisation with the company, this was pretty much a straight commission. The story of the fictional Weltz family, generational political mainstay family on an election night, as the father (who you never see) faces the end of his political career, and his daughter Cindy, the heir apparent, with a troubled marriage, must decide if she is going to take her place or walk away from it all. And it was a musical! And you may not know this about me, but I CANNOT sing, I played Scotty Weltz, ne’er-do-well brother (lovable playboy lunkhead, as christened by Chris Piatt) who is in and out of trouble through his antics, but who actually gets a bit of redemption by blackmailing an investigative reporter which turns into an evening of kinky sex. A bit of a milestone show for me, This is the last time I knowingly auditioned for a musical. I finally decided I really CANNOT sing, I am not comfortable, I don’t know what I am doing, and until I take a class to help with these things, mentally I cannot do that to myself anymore and aurally I cannot do that to the paying theatre audience. Also, unbeknownst to me at the time, it would be my last Strawdog show. We had a highly competitive acting pool inside the ensemble, and 9 different guys who could play the same parts, and I just stopped getting cast. At the same time, I started getting more work outside the company, until one day I realized it had been three years and I hadn’t done a show and I was busy other places and I didn’t feel right calling myself an ensemble member anymore. The ten years of doing shows there defined who I am as an actor and a person, I often miss it, and I will always be grateful for it. #retrospective #2008 #oldtown #brettneveu #mikhailfiksel #kylehamman #strawdogtheatre #scottyweltz #thecitythatworks (at Strawdog Theatre Company) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Ybn4CJepM/?igshid=1vevqo87duxz3
