Epic Megalopsis Productions, Lyric Theatre Foundation and independent producer, Laurence Braun, announced recently that a six-week extension of JUNK: A Rock Opera, which previously sold out a showcase at the Steve Allen Theater, will be the first production in the Lyric Theatre’s inaugural fall season.
“While the work is compelling and tremendously new, it has already developed a pedigree of success shown in its previous incarnation,” says Laurence Braun, who is partially funding the project. “I was looking for a en edgy show that still appeals to a mass audience. A production that would fit into a 99-seat space but of the quality one would find in a much larger house. JUNK it is! Part concert, part drama and all rock opera!”
The initial production limited press that could attend – focusing only on alternative publications and received a “Go!” review in the LA Weekly. “We wanted to open to a small crowd initially, especially in the early development stages. Now with the show in a larger space and with an even more talented production team, we’re ready for a longer, bigger and better run!” says Director Shakina Nayfack.
The composing band, Sweden’s gold-record sellers, Brainpool, flew to Los Angeles for a V.I.P. sneak-peek at the work and expressed great enthusiasm for its future incarnations. “Our minds are officially blown!” says Christoffer Lundquist, lead singer and bassist for the band. An independent documentary, highlighting the making of the album as a response to the mainstream music industry’s tendency towards homogenizing artistic expression, positioned the work as a hopeless attempt to break what the band saw as a mindless consumer cycle fueled almost entirely by money. Lundquist continues, “Now that JUNK was showcased to sell-out crowds, we can see it has relevancy on an international scale.”
JUNK’s director, Shakina Nayfack, developed the book over several years in correspondence with Brainpool. The work will continue to grow as the rehearsal process continues and new songs have already been added to the rather taught 90-minute work. While the show will contain elements of a traditional concert (a live rock band and heavy lighting), Nayfack has a very specific vision of the show, “JUNK is the first piece of musical theatre to capture in story, sound and character, the zeitgeist of the 21st century. It is part social satire, part love story and part existential allegory, answering to our times with a fresh call for rock and revolution. The ticket price is a like a concert, but it’s so much more, and in a 99 seat space, the intimacy is breathtaking.” |
BRAINPOOL (Music and Lyrics) is Christoffer Lundquist, David Birde,
Jens Jansson. Started in the early '90s by four teenagers with a taste
for new wave and Small Faces, their debut, Soda, immediately became
one of the most successful records of the Swedish new pop wave. After
a couple of years of touring and recording (Painkiller, Stay Free)
they got tired of it and changed direction completely. They scaled
down and became a trio and released a very different album (You Are
Here) with influences like New Order, Harold Faltermeyer and Mr. Data.
The band started to produce (Ed Harcourt, Florian Horwath, Roxette)
and play with other acts (A Camp, Righteous Boy, Hideki Kaji, Viebeke
Saugestad). During this period they decided to make a rock opera since
it felt like the most stupid thing to do. Four years in the making,
Playground Records Scandinavia released Junk: A Rock Opera as a double
CD concept album (2004). In 2005, Sweden's Malmö Festival commissioned
Brainpool to do a concert version of Junk with the Malmö Symphonic
Orchestra. The one-time concert played on the main stage to an
audience of ten thousand people. From the beginning, Brainpool
envisioned that Junk: A Rock Opera should exist as a full-scale piece
of theatre. In May of 2007, after three years of development and
correspondence with director Shakina Nayfack, Brianpool flew out to
Los Angeles to see the world premiere workshop. Their minds were
officially blown. www.brainpool.nu
Brett J. Banakis (Scenic and Lighting Design): Brett is excited to have designed Scenery and Lighting for the world premiere of Junk: A Rock Opera at the Steve Allen Theatre and for its current run at the Lyric Theatre. Past Lyric Theatre productions include A Funny Thing Happened…. and Side by Side by Sondheim. Other scenic design credits include On Your Toes for REPRISE! Broadway’s Best, They’re Playing Our Song and Nuncrackers for Valley Musical Theatre, and Urinetown for UCLA’s Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program. As a Design Associate, Brett’s work includes productions of Wishful Drinking, A Picasso, Spee-the-Plow, Paint Your Wagon, You Can’t Take it With You, Take Me Out, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Quality of Life at the Geffen Playhouse; Cosí Fan Tutte at Seattle Opera; Camelot National Tour for McCoy-Rigby; Sunset Boulevard at the Hollywood Bowl; Gem of the Ocean at Seattle Repertory; James and the Giant Peach at South Coast Repertory; Over the River and Through the Woods at La Mirada Playhouse; and three productions of Plaid Tidings. Brett holds a BA in Theater Arts from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and is currently pursuing an MFA in Design for Stage and Film from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Miguel J. Barragan (Costume Designer) holds a B.A. from UC Riverside and is currently attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise. He has participated in several Art Performance projects and is a member of the international ensemble, MultiPac. He also worked with Two Triangles, Overlapping, A Mujeres of Juarez Project, and the world premiere of Junk: A Rock Opera at the Steve Allen Theater. This is his debut as a costume designer. He is excited and proud of the production. He gives thanks to his family and friends.
Ramie Becker (Dance Commander) received her bachelor's in Dance from the University of Kansas and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in dance history and theory at the University of California at Riverside. She has choreographed a number of productions including Pippin, The Wiz, Oliver, West Side Story, School House Rock, and Jesus Christ Superstar. She is currently choreographing and performing with the California-based musical/performance group, Department of Mental Technology. Ramie also founded the Random Acts of Irreverent Dance collective, a group that organizes guerilla dance performances around the greater Los Angeles area. Having collaborated with Shakina Nayfack on past projects, and having an irrational passion for rock operas, working on Junk is Ramie's dream come true.
Laurence Braun (Executive Producer) is the co-founder and executive director of the Lyric Theatre. He received degrees in Theater and English from Boston College and worked as a producer in New York (Lieutenant of Inishmore, Coram Boy) before moving back to his native California to produce Pterodactyls at the Lyric. While looking for an original, LA-born show to produce, Laurence stumbled upon a workshop of Junk at the Steve Allen and was immediately convinced that the ground-breaking and wildly original production would be perfect as the Lyric Foundation's first show.
 Cindy Burnett (Female Ensemble) is a recent graduate of the theater department at Loyola Marymount University. Cindy also studied at NYU's CAP 21 program and the British American Drama Academy in London. She is thrilled to be working on the show and feels very blessed to be a part of this amazing collaboration! She loves to see the magic of theater come alive!
Darby Cahill (Publicity/Marketing): holds degrees in both Theatre and Public Relations with a minor in Public Management from USC. After working in event planning and publicity at NBC Universal in 2006, Darby became the Managing Director of the Lyric Theatre and the resident publicist for productions at the theatre in 2007. She is extremely excited to be working on this production and can’t stop humming the songs!
 Niketa Calame (Martina): Niketa is most noted as the voice of Young
Nala in Disney's The Lion King. She received her M.F.A from the Actors
Studio Drama School in New York and her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz. Her
favorite roles: Lisa in Match Me, which was featured in the New York
International Fringe Festival and Martina in Junk. Niketa dedicates
this next chapter of Junk to Vivian, Theodora & Tone.
www.niketacalame.com
 Michele Cavallero (Ensemble): is thrilled to perform at the Lyric Theatre in JUNK: A Rock Opera. Michele has been an original cast member since it's first workshop at the Steve Allen Theatre, and feels honored to be part of such an amazing project. Graduate of Emerson College in Boston. Other credits include: NY/Off Broadway: 21 Stories(Workshop Theatre,) Los Angeles: Guys and Dolls(Downey Civic Light Opera,) Tip Toes(WhiteFire Theatre,) and numerous dance/fitness videos for Crunch Gym and Prevention Magazine . Michele would like to thank the entire production team for this wonderful opportunity. "Stop what you're doing and dance!"
 Kathleen Chen (Female Ensemble): is thrilled to join this very talented cast of “Junk!” A Los Angeles native, Kathleen has performed in plays/musicals for over ten years. Kathleen was last seen onstage at the International City Theatre in the musical, “Song of Singapore.” Kathleen is currently seeking representation. She thanks God, her family, friends and Jeremy.
 Jonathan Corps (Male Ensemble): Currently attends The University of California Los Angeles in the World Arts and Cultures department. He has performed with numerous esteemed faculty and graduate students with in the department as well as several modern dance festivals within Southern California. Jonathan would like to warmly welcome all of the new members to our circus family.
DeReau K. Farrar (Music Supervisor): Currently working with Santa Barbara Choral Society in Montecito as Section Leader, the Verdi Chorus in Santa Monica as Assistant Conductor, and the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers in Hollywood as member soloist, Farrar works primarily as an opera singer in addition to many other positions. He served as the Celebration Arts Minister and director of the a cappella worship team at the Pasadena Church of Christ, Section Leader and Cantor at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montrose, and the Choral Conductor of the Warehouse service of Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. Farrar was recently the Voice and Choir Teacher for the Harmony Project and has worked with West Covina High School Concert Choir, the Rejoyce youth gospel choir, the music department of Pasadena Waldorf School and all of the intermediate and high school choral music programs of California’s Duarte Unified School District. Before turning to vocal and choral music, DeReau taught mallet and auxiliary percussion for Arcadia High School and Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente. He has also been commissioned by both percussion ensembles and choirs throughout the greater Los Angeles area to arrange and compose music for various events. www.dereaukfarrar.com
 Booter Griffin (Ensemble, u/s Max, Ernie): is a graduate of the Second
City Conservatory. He has also worked extensively with Margie Haber
Studios and appeared in various short films in the L.A. area.
Thrilled to be part of Junk, he is grateful for the support and
encouragement of his family, friends and fellow performers and
artists. Booter also loves the word "capricious."
Clare Gmur (Stage Manager): knows that she is a lucky son-of-a-gun to be able to continue the magical journey that is Junk. She has worked in theatre for the past 10-11 years, depending on who’s counting, doing everything and anything. She studied stage management at Calarts, and holds a degree in Art History and Religious Studies from UC Riverside, which she uses every day. Junk is like nothing else Clare has ever worked on, and there is nothing else she would rather be doing, with the exception of sleeping more.
 Daniel Guzman (Max): is a graduate of LACC Theatre Academy, a three year conservatory where he studied all spectrums of theatre with a focus in acting. He then joined the Purgatory Players where he participated in experimental theatre. Daniel has been a musician for over a decade and is bubbling with excitement to be back with his Junk Mates!
 Jessie Lee (Female Ensemble): is in her senior year achieving a BA as a Music Industry Major at Cal State Northridge. She has been singing, dancing and acting since the age of 7 when she appeared in her first play, Big River. She has sung with “Epicenter” The Vocal Jazz Ensemble at CSUN as well as performed with the dance ensemble at Moorpark College for the past two years. Some of her credits include Bebe in A Chorus Line, The Vagina Monologues, Carousel, Heidi, performances at The Greek Theater and dance competitions such as The Los Angeles Dance Force and Showstoppers. She is currently a vocal and dance instructor/choreographer at Camarillo Academy of Performing Arts and a Kindermusik instructor at A Mother’s Haven in Encino. She is currently taking class at The Edge Performing Arts Center with aspirations to one day work with some of the amazingly innovative contemporary dance companies in L.A. You can catch her at some Hollywood hot spots like the Viper Room with her band “Jessie Lee” performing original tunes. When she is not performing, she enjoys sending outrageous text messages. She is so happy to be living in Hollywood and feels blessed to have such beautiful friends and family. Thank you!
Sofie Miller (Assistant Stage Manager): will be a freshman at UC Santa Cruz this fall majoring in Theater Arts. She is thrilled that JUNK: A Rock Opera is the first professional production that she gets to work on, having been avidly involved in the performing arts at Hamilton's Academy of Music as their stage manager for five productions, including Annie Get Your Gun, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Les Miserables.
Shakina Nayfack (Director): With a passion for new-works development, Nayfack directed the world premiere of "The Poor Players", written by off-Broadway vet Dan LeFrank; "Ragesties: Bodies in Crisis," which ran for the entire 2002 Edinburgh Fringe Festival; and a stark restaging of Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour," for which he was recognized nationally by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. He has been invited to create smaller pieces for the Performance Studies International conference at Brown University, and the first International Conference on Performance Art Theory at the Escuela Superior de los Artes Visuales in Baja California, Mexico. Shakina trains in Butoh Mexicano with founder Diego Pinón and holds an MFA in experimental choreography from UC Riverside, where he is also a Ph.D. candidate in Dance History and Theory. His work has been featured on MTV (Pop Culture Attacks) and in far-reaching publications including The Nation (New York), The Guardian (Manchester) and Culture Wars (London). Dot News Magazine (Los Angeles) describes Nayfack's aesthetic as one of "ambitious images … visceral and emotional, complex and obsessive." MetroActive Stage (Santa Cruz) praises his "crafty imagination and daring wit … dizzyingly but delightfully self-referential."
"Every moment working on JUNK is like a dream, as if my life up 'till now had been nothing but preparation for the thrilling task that is developing a truly epic Rock Opera. The songs and sentiment of the album won me from the beginning, and my charge is to give it life and story on stage...what could be more inspiring?"
Dan O’Brien (Artistic Director, Lyric Theatre): was born in Boston and now resides in Playa Del Rey. O’Brien is the Artistic Director of the Lyric Theatre and is responsible for overseeing all artistic aspects of the theatre including the 2007 season.
 Natalya Oliver (Anna): Natalya is a Los Angles based artist. She has appeared in numerous dance and vocal productions as well as musical performances such as Little Red, Closer and Echoes. This year she will appear in the independent Films My Suicide and Anna directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support and the cast of Junkfor being so awesome!
Zachary Provost (Musical Director): Zachary is happy to be involved in such an exciting and creative community and project. Grammy-winning producer David Foster places Zachary at the top of his list of talented musicians, saying "the depth of his musicianship is endless and his great songwriting, arranging and production skills make him a triple threat." Zachary's latest EP, "Heart of the Moment" is a shining example of these skills. Songs such as "The Time I Have", "Passage", "Running in the Rain" and the title track winning over new fans daily. In addition to recording and performing regularly throughout world and a 5-year stint as Josh Groban's musical director, Zachary has also performed alongside Elton John, Carlos Santana, Quincy Jones and Willie Nelson among many others. Signed copies of Zachary's critically acclaimed debut "Alive" and the "Heart of the Moment" EP are available exclusively at www.zacharyprovost.com.
 Aldo J. Puccini (Kioko): a Los Angeles native, discovered his passion for music and acting at a very young age. Throughout his youth, he participated in several choral and solo performances. Once in high school, he starred in well-known musicals such as, Godspell and Fiddler on the Roof. He recently completed his second year at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington, where he studied musical theatre/performing arts. In March 2007, he was awarded 1 st place in the adult musical theatre category for NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing). Aldo is now making his theatrical debut as Kioko, in Junk: A Rock Opera. He is enjoying his time working with a fantastic cast and crew as well as making new friends in the process.
 Kien Shimabukuro (Ensemble, Temp, Attendant, Junkyard Dancer, u/s Hannes, Kioko): Big Island of Hawaii native, Kien, was raised on the East Coast and developed an interest in the performing arts at an early age. After graduating from Rutgers University, he worked in Japan as an English teacher and professional singer. He appeared in commercials, music videos and sang back up for major Japanese artists, before moving to Los Angeles a year ago. While maintaining a full-time job, he has also managed to land various gigs, most recently appearing in Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" (Remix) music video and being cast in JUNK, which he is all smiles about. As a Japanese-American male artist, Kien is determined to pursue his dreams of being signed to a major U.S. record label.
 Lindsey Stakoe (Ensemble): Lindsey is native of West Bloomfield, MI. She graduated from Michigan State University with a theatre degree. She has studied acting at The Michael Howard Conservatory in New York as well as dance at The Broadway Dance Center. She is currently performing in A Faery Hunt, a children’s show in Franklyn Canyon. You can also see her around town performing with the Satin Dollz too. Along with a great deal of theatre, Lindsey also has extensive experience in film and commercials. She is very proud to be a part of this wonderful production and although it’s called “JUNK,” it is far from!!!!! She wants to thank everyone in the cast for being so professional and most of all FUN!!! Thank you Shakina, Ramie and Clare, you rock!
 Michael Edwin Stuart (Ernie): is an actor, writer, and photographer recently transplanted from New York City. He is thrilled to be able to originate the role of Ernie in such an amazing show, surrounded by so many talented people. He appeared at the Steve Allen Theater as Jesus in "The Beastly Bombing" and opposite Maureen Stapleton in the independent film "Living and Dining". Many thanks to Heather and Erich. www.MichaelEdwinStuart.com
Kam Talbert (Hannes): credits his influences to the first five years
of his life on the road with his mother singing with Smokey Robinson.
He then developed a strong interest in performance in many different
aspects, e.g. piano & violin and soon became interested in acting. At
the Hamilton High School Academy of Music, Kam appeared in Anything
Goes, Guys & Dolls, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying,
Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Great Expectations and A
Christmas Story. His most recent stage works include The Message Is
In The Music and Rejoice.
Joseph Yoshitomi has worked in theatre administration for over six years. He is currently the Associate Marketing Director for Pasadena Playhouse State Theatre of California and began his work as an arts administrator as in intern in the Los Angeles County/J. Paul Getty Trust Arts Administration Program. Joseph Yoshitomi holds a bachelor degree in Religious Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and is a Los Angeles County certified mediator and avid student of nonviolent conflict resolution. Joseph has presented at several arts marketing conferences as a part of Meaning Matters, LLC, an arts consultant group specializing in increasing audience participation and attendance using new and innovative strategies. |
