If you would like to have one of our shows in your community, you can license a script and prepare a production of your own. Or you could have us do a production. We have a core group of terrific performers (with Broadway, film, and TV credits) who have workshopped and performed these shows in New York.
Jon Peterson (standing) with music director Richard Danley at the piano
Michael T. Wright, Catherine Remmert, Jon Peterson, Joan Jaffe
Our collective personnel includes such fine performers as Jon Peterson, Hal Blankenship, Joan Jaffe, Michael Townsend Wright, Dawne Swearingen, Catherine Remmert, Seth Sikes, Dave Warren, Lynelle Johnson Lena Gilbert, Robert Micheli, Ryan Swearingen, Suzanne Dressler, Jackie Comisar, Daniel Sullivan, and Jennie Cohan Ross (who happens to be George M.'s great-granddaughter!).
We have some performers who have been in the business for decades--like Michael Townsend Wright--who learned from veterans in their youth, and are now passing on their knowledge to the youngest cast-members of our shows. The derby Wright is wearing in the photo below, incidentally, was given to him by the late comic Joey Faye; Wright was Faye's last burlesque sketch partner. And some of Wright's impeccable comic timing, we trust, is rubbing off on kids who've worked with him in "The Seven Little Foys."
Chris Campochiaro and Peter Charney with recording engineer Jason Steffan, working on demo recordings for "The Seven Little Foys"
Gathering for a "Seven Little Foys" demo-recording session: Chris Campochiaro, Alyssa Campochiaro, Peter Charney, Dea Julien, Michael T. Wright
Dea Julien, Michael Townsend Wright, and company in a scene from "The Seven Little Foys"
Many of our performers wear more than one hat. For example, Kirby Ward (who played Eddie Foy in our Connecticut production of "The Seven Little Foys") is not just a respected song-and-dance man, with Broadway, Hollywood, and West End credits, he also directs and choreographs shows, in the US and abroad.
We've worked with some of the best musical directors around, including Brett Kristofferson (seen in the photo above, rehearsing with John Kultgen, Matt Weaver, and Eric Stevens), Richard Danley (in the photos at right, working with Tyler Watkins and Danny Kingston), Broc Hempel (in the photo below, with Beth Bartley), Richard DeRosa, Sterling Price-McKinney, D. Jay Bradley, Matt Gallagher, Ross Patterson, Gary Mattison, Michael Lavine. Vince Giordano, our bassist in George M. Cohan Tonight!, is well-known in jazz circles as leader of the Nighthawks Orchestra; our drummer, Rob Garcia, works regularly with Woody Allen.
We're always happy when Annie LeBaux (pictured at right), a respected composer in her own right, is able to pitch in as a rehearsal pianist for us. She's also served as a rehearsal pianist for the late Jonathan Larson, composer of "Rent," among others.
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Regional theaters often like to use the artists who've worked with us in New York. For example, when the Stoneham, Massachusetts, Theatre (pictured below), presented "George M. Cohan Tonight!," Sterling Price-McKinney (below, right) served as music director, just as he had in our original Off-Broadway production.
Annie LeBeaux (at piano) with Tyler Watkins and Tyler Etheridge
The marquee of the Stoneham Theater. "George M. Cohan Tonight!" played at this former vaudeville house, just outside of Boston, in June 2007.
Drummer Mick Lewander, bassist Mike Leggio, music director/pianist Sterling Price-McKinney at the stage door of the Stoneham Theatre
Michael Townsend Wright and Company in "The Seven Little Foys"
Justin Boccitto rehearses kids (including Brandon Reid, Jacob Burlas, and Eric Stevens) for "The Seven Little Foys."
Justin Boccitto, Dawne Swearingen, Cristina Marie, and Jon Peterson have choreographed our shows. Maryann Lopinto has often served as our stage manager (and resident photographer).
Jon Peterson as George M. Cohan
Catherine Remmert, Jon Peterson
Many of our actors continue working with us on projects year after year. Jon Peterson and Cathy Remmert, for example, have been stalwarts since 2002.
Most actors are chosen for our projects through auditions, usually held at Ripley-Grier Studios (or similar facilities) in New York City. Actors may be asked to sing, and dance, and read scenes with playwright/director Chip Deffaa and others--often trying different scenes, as different characters. Actors selected for one show frequenty wind up, over time, doing other shows as part of an informal repertory company of talented players. Suzanne Dressler, for example, was first cast to appear in "George M. Cohan: In His Own Words," but since then has contributed to assorted shows, readings, and demo recordings with Deffaa.
Suzanne Dressler, Chip Deffaa
Seth Sikes
Our music copyists include Donald Brown, D. Jay Bradley, Richard Danley, Broc Hempel, Chase Baird, Peter McMurray, Shawn Stanley, Seth Sikes.
Our gratitude to production associates C. Brock, J. Peterson, J. Eisbrenner. The Cohan Project has been made possible with support from Chashama (Anita Durst, director); they're good people at Chashama, check 'em out some time. Artist-on-call: Kale Teter. (We found him before he became famous, and suggest you do likewise.)
Michael T. Wright, Cathy Remmert, Jon Peterson
Brandon Tyler Reid
While most of the dedicated actors who've worked in our productions are based in the New Yok area, some travel considerable distances to work with us. For example, talented young Brandon Tyler Reid, who's performed in the national tour of "Peter Pan" and has gotten good notices for his work in our "Seven Little Foys," hails from Florida. Eric Stevens, who's impressed mightily in both our "Theater Boys" and "Seven Little Foys," is based in Boston; he's appeared in shows at North Shore Music Theatre, Massachusetts' most prominent regional theater. And gifted Rayna Hirt, of "The Seven Little Foys," has won competitions as the outstanding dancer in her age group, in her native Florida.
Eric Stevens
Rayna Hirt, Eric Stevens, Dea Julien (standing), with Alex Craven and Brandon Reid (seated) in a scene from "The Seven Little Foys" at the Fringe Festival
Alexander Craven
While most of our actors are found through auditions, we've had luck finding some excellent actors outside of the regular audition process, as well. For example, we first saw Alexander Craven--who wound up playing young Irving Foy in "The Seven Little Foys"--when we went to check out a production of "Yankee Doodle Boy" being done at a school, and he was a standout.
Ryan Foy (standing in front) rehearses for "The Seven Little Foys." (In the back row, from left to right: Beth Bartley, Dea Julien, Eddy Francisco, and Eric Stevens.)
Eddy Francisco, Ryan Foy
The terrific Ryan Foy--who happens to be the real-life grandson of the late Irving Foy--was recommended to us, and he turned out to be a wonderful addition ("truly magical," as the Village Voice put it) to the cast of the New York production of "The Seven Little Foys." (For more on that production, go to the page on this website that's titled "Foys at the Fringe.")
You can sometimes catch our performers in appearances of their own around town. For example, Beth Bartley, from our "Seven Little Foys" and "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree," often appears in downtown NYC clubs with her band, "Ulrafine." And the photo at left catches Eric Stevens from "The Seven Little Foys" singing at the noted jazz supper club Birdland.
Our thanks to Marq Stankowski, Danny Walker, Dave Collins, Philip Chevron, Don Schaffer, and Big Head Productions for help in providing music, memorabilia, and more.
Jon Peterson, Joan Jaffe
Rehearsing the musical number "Struttin,'" for "The Seven Little Foys"
A note on our photographer.... The multi-talented Maryann Lopinto, who took most of the production photos and rehearsal photos on this website, has been involved as a stage manager, photographer, and general assistant with many of Chip Deffaa’s shows from the first tryouts of "George M. Cohan Tonight!" to the latest production of "The Seven Little Foys." She has also created, produced and directed a dozen all-star “Cabaret on the Record” benefit concerts for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, featuring performances by more than 90 Broadway and cabaret artists. She is the photographer for shows at Town Hall; in addition, her photos will be included in a biography of composer Stephen Schwartz, which is due out in December. There 's no one quite like Maryann Lopinto, and we're grateful to have her help on our various productions.
Chip Deffaa, Okey Chenoweth
Actor/writer/director Okey Chenoweth (at left with Chip Deffaa) has long been a good mentor. And our thanks to Tommy Tune and Carol Channing for their unique contributions of stardust and inspiration. As Miss Channing advised Chip Deffaa before this project got rolling: "Be careful what you set your heart upon, for you shall surely get it." Wise, wise woman.
David Cronin
We've been blessed to have some wonderfully talented and enthusiastic people work with us on our various projects. David Cronin (at left) was a standout, singing and dancing in various Tada Theatre Company productions. We've enjoyed Jamie LaVerdiere (with music director Sterling Price-McKinney, below) in shows ranging from Theatreworks' "Young Thomas Edison" to Mel Brooks' "The Producers."
Sterling Price-McKinney, Jamie LaVerdiere
Sophie Howes, David Cronin, Michael Townsend Wright, Paul Iacono
Paul Iacono (making a demo recording for us in the photo at left) may be seen playing "Neil" in the new motion picture, "Fame." Paul's added life to our demo's for both "The Seven Little Foys" and "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree."
Brett Kristofferson, Eric Stevens, David Cronin
Eric Anthony
Seth Sikes, Jon Peterson
"Whatever you do, kid, serve it up with a little dressing."
--George M. Cohan, to Spencer Tracy
Seth Sikes, Jon Peterson
"Life will hand you just a few laughs.
A little dialogue, then somebody sings....
Life's just a great big musical show."
--George M. Cohan (lines from an unfinished musical he was working on at the time of his death)
"And so he snuck off, all alone by himself, and nobody didn't see him no more."
--a line from Peck's Bad Boy (which gave Cohan his first great success starring in a show, at the age of 13).
Need more info? Contact Chip Deffaa Productions, 50 Quartz Lane, Paterson, NJ 07501-3345; telephone: (973) 684-3340; Email: OriginalCast1@aol.com.
We'd love to hear from you!
Chip Deffaa, Ellery Bakaitis, Jon Peterson
Jon Peterson in "George M. Cohan Tonight!"
(Graphic design of the above image: Peter Sellers Jr.)
