New Musical, My Own Song
Directed by Vincent Marini
Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina presents My Own Song starring four-time Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year, Clint Holmes. Performances began March 31 and ran through April 25. My Own Song is directed by Vincent Marini who is the new Producing Artistic Director for the Playhouse.
Under Marini’s leadership, the theatre is striving to become an artistic haven for the development of new plays and musicals that have national impact. Over the next few years, the Playhouse will continue to forge relationships with writers, composers and lyricists and assist them in bringing their artistic vision to the stage. According to Marini, “We believe that Flat Rock Playhouse is uniquely positioned to develop into one of the most important regional theaters in the southeastern United States. With in-house production facilities, a dedicated board and a truly committed staff, there is really no limit to what can be accomplished here.”
My Own Song first surfaced as a musical in 1996 when it had its world premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse under the title Comfortable Shoes. Roy Miller (producer of Broadway’s The Drowsy Chaperone, West Side Story, etc.) was on staff at Paper Mill during that initial production and is now guiding the show towards a wider berth.
The show features a book by Clint Holmes and Vincent Marini, music by Nelson Kole and Bill Fayne, and lyrics by Clint Holmes. Greg Daniels choreographs.
In addition to Holmes, the show stars Reva Rice (Chicago, The Color Purple); David Jennings (Once Upon a Mattress, Ragtime); Mara Davi (The Drowsy Chaperone, A Chorus Line); Jennifer Evans (Ragtime, Jersey Boys); Randy Glass (Les Miserables, A Tale Of Two Cities); Heather Parcells (A Chorus Line, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang); and Christopher Lingner (Movin’ Out).
The creative team includes Sven Ortel, Projection Designer (The Little Mermaid); Chris Lee, Lighting Designer (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Peep Show); Dennis Maulden, Flat Rock’s resident Scenic Designer; Janine McCabe, Costume Designer; Nick Kourtides, Sound Designer; and Jeff Neiman, Musical Director.
The musical inspired by Clint’s life-story, according to press notes, “is a quintessential American story about one man’s journey to self-discovery and understanding. With an original score that combines elements of Rock and Pop with Jazz and Classical, My Own Song is a unique and personal exploration of one universal human question, “How do I fit in?”
The show is set on the Clint Holmes Stage at Harrah’s Las Vegas in 2005 where Clint has been performing for five years. Though he has performed his act over 1,500 times, something life altering has occurred just before tonight’s show that makes this performance special. As Clint begins his nightclub act, the stories and songs he tells the audience trigger memories that take us through the last fifty years of his life, culminating in an emotional finale that brings Clint’s life story and the nightclub act full circle. “My Own Song is not just an autobiography,” says director and co-author Vincent Marini. “In fact, I am generally not drawn to autobiographical musicals unless they reveal some kind of universal truth about the human condition. In the case of this show, the story is really about self-acceptance and understanding. It makes a strong statement that you can never truly understand how you fit-in until you come to terms with who you are, why you’re here, and how you can leave the world just a little bit different than how you found it. Clint is one of the most dynamic live performers in the country and I can’t wait for audiences in North Carolina to witness his performance in this remarkable new work.”
IN THE PRESS