SCKBSTD
BEGINS PERFORMANCES AT VIRGINIA STAGE COMPANY TONIGHT
JANUARY 18, 2011
PRODUCTION RECENTLY FEATURED IN THE LOCAL VIRGINIA PRESS
NORFOLK, VA – SCKBSTD – A New Musical by Bruce Hornsby takes the stage at The Wells Theatre beginning tonight – Tuesday, January 18. This world premiere production features music and lyrics by Williamsburg native and Grammy Winner Bruce Hornsby, lyrics by Chip deMatteo and book by Clay McLeod Chapman. The show is based on an original story by Bruce Hornsby.
The production’s official opening is Friday, January 21 and it will run through February 6, 2011. SCKBSTD is produced by VSC by special arrangement with Michael Rafael and David Riemer of Spiral Staircase LLC, New York. BB&T is the sponsoring presenter of SCKBSTD.
Hornsby’s piano-based melodies and rousing dance tell the story of a close-knit small town rocked with rumor and paranoia when a stranger moves in and cruises the streets in his Dodge.
“SCKBSTD is a very relatable story about a family — a couple running a business together, sandwiched between caring for their children and an aging parent. Then a stranger comes to town and the resulting fears and rumors turn their daily lives upside down. Most rock musicals are about teenage angst. This is a rock musical about middle-age angst. There are light-hearted, funny moments, touching moments… ultimately it’s a story of redemption and love,” said co-producer Mike Rafael.
“I’ve enjoyed pushing the boundaries with the music. There’s a broad range of styles here, musically and vocally… it took a lot of colors to paint this story,” said Hornsby. “The whole reason for being here is in creating something that moves people, something soulful that makes a connection.”
SCKBSTD’s cast of Broadway veterans includes Robert Cuccioli, William Parry, Marcus Lovett, Jill Paice, Kevin Mambo, Eugene Barry-Hill, Kenneth Cavett, Riley Costello, Rosa Curry, Charles Franklin, Garrett Long, Jayne Paterson, Karl Warden and Brynn Williams. The SCKBSTD creative team is led by Director John Rando (Tony Award-winning director of Broadway’s Urinetown) and Choreographer Scott Wise (Tony Award winner for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway).
The production has recently been featured in the local Virginia press.
Bruce Hornsby’s Broadway-bound Musical Debuts at Wells Theater
By Jim Newsom
VEER MAGAZINE
January 17, 2011
When SCKBSTD opens its three-week run at the Virginia Stage Company, much of the buzz will focus on the production being Bruce Hornsby’s first theatrical foray. In fact, he and co-creator Chip deMatteo began their career as playwrights in high school in the early ‘70s.
“We were co-presidents of Zappo Productions from 8th grade to 12th grade,” Hornsby told me a couple of weeks before Christmas, “kids just trying to see what we could get away with. We sold worthless stock; we booked terrible bands for dances and changed their names. We wrote a couple of plays back then, when it was popular to name bands after cities. We named our first play Schenectady and finagled our way into having it produced as the Drama Club production at Hampton Roads Academy, where Chip went to school. Then we wrote a sequel called Son of Schenectady that was produced once at the local youth center here where they used to have sock hops.”
It’s a long road from the Williamsburg youth center to the Virginia Stage Company. In the intervening years, Bruce Hornsby became one of the biggest stars in popular music, winning three Grammy awards and selling millions of recordings. Chip deMatteo followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, becoming a silversmith (his dad was the Master Silversmith for Colonial Williamsburg), owning Hand & Hammer Silversmiths in Woodbridge since 1979.
The play itself has been several years in development and has gone through numerous permutations. The idea for Bruce to create a Broadway-style musical actually came from Broadway.
Click here to read the full feature.
For new musical, Bruce Hornsby pushes actors to drop the glee, boost the soul
By Sam McDonald
DAILY PRESS
January 14, 2011
Bruce Hornsby, Williamsburg’s own pop music champion, gave himself a tough assignment when he stepped into the unfamiliar world of big-time theater music.
He wanted to create a Broadway-style musical that doesn’t sound too much like a Broadway-style musical. The result of five years of effort, “SCKBSTD,” debuts Tuesday at Wells Theatre in Norfolk.
Hornsby and his childhood friend and co-lyricist Chip deMatteo penned songs covering a range of emotions as well as musical styles. Gospel, rock, New Orleans boogie-woogie — even polka — show up in the 19 tunes featured in the play, whose title is pronounced “Sick Bastard.”
While the range of music is somewhat unusual for Broadway, Hornsby said the singing style he wants has little to do with what’s expected on the Great White Way.
Click here to read the full feature.
Television interview with Author Clay McLeod Chapman and Robert Cuccioli.
Click here to watch the interview.
Tickets for SCKBSTD may be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 800-982-2787 or at any Ticketmaster outlet, at the VSC box office, or online at www.vastage.com. Group discounts are available by calling 757-627-6988 ext. 358. Regular performances run Tuesdays at 7:00pm, Wed./Thur./Fri. at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 4:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm through February 6. Tickets range from $15 to $50. A special event with VSC’s Young Professionals, EnterAct, will take place on January 28, featuring two show tickets and a catered reception for $45.
An Electronic Press Kit featuring interviews with Composer Bruce Hornsby, Author Clay McLeod Chapman and Director John Rando video is available at http://www.vastage.com/news/video. Additional broadcast-quality video is also available.
Now in its 32nd season, Virginia Stage Company is Hampton Roads’ only fully professional resident theater company, serving an annual audience close to 90,000. Since its founding, Virginia Stage Company has made significant contributions to the quality of life in Hampton Roads: presenting more than 185 plays through more than 3,700 performances; revitalizing and renovating the historic Wells Theatre; providing educational programs for students of all ages; and preserving the legacy of live theatre for future generations. Seasonal support for VSC’s 32nd Season is provided by Norfolk Southern.
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