Guest Blogger: Eric Ulloa

There's a feeling unlike anything I've ever felt and it happened this past Sunday at 3:30pm. The final chords of our musical Passing Through played and I looked at our incredible cast through teary eyes as the lights faded to blackout. For the past two and a half hours, the musical that Brett Ryback and I had worked on for three years had its first reading in front of a paying audience that embraced and connected themselves to the story in exactly the way we had hoped an audience one day would.

525,600 snowflakes...525,000 inches of snoooow. Welcome back friends! Welcome back to the balmy summery weather of 30 degrees. I hope this finds you happy and thawing out as I sit here in jean shorts, sipping at Ros (a boy can dream, no?)

525,600 snowflakes...525,000 inches of snoooow. Welcome back friends! Welcome back to the balmy summery weather of 30 degrees. I hope this finds you happy and thawing out as I sit here in jean shorts, sipping at Ros (a boy can dream, no?)

Welcome Back BroadwayWorld Readers! We hope you had a happy holiday season and a great start to the New Year.

First off, huge thanks to BroadwayWorld for allowing us to bring you this backstage look at the very beginnings of a new original American musical. This process is so fascinating and intricate and we'll be able to share with you our passion for this art form.

So Long, Farewell

As promised, we finish getting to know each and every cast member of 'The Most Happy Fella' before we close up shop on December 1st.

Let's start off this week's installment with a simple math lesson, shall we? Goodspeed Musicals, celebrating their 50th Anniversary, had a reunion celebration in New York City at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. Knowing how many shows are put up between the main stage and Norma Terris season and how many actors/creative teams/technicians are used for each production, can anyone guess how many people took over LCT that exciting Monday night? Who said that?! Yes, you are right...over 500 people, representing 120 shows, spanning all 50 years, were in attendance to catch up and celebrate the greatness that Goodspeed Musicals has meant to the musical theatre world. If you grew up loving musicals, knew cast members from every Broadway show from 1990 on up and playing your cast recording CD's until they skipped, you would have been a pig in...well, you know what.

Now that we've gotten to know our principles, it is time to get down to the foundation of any great show…the ensemble.

Last installment, I left you with word of a surprise this week that I wouldn't tell you until today. Never in a million years did I think the week would end up the way it has and that I would have so so so so much to bring you…but alas, I do.

Ham and Cheese. Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil. Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Like a page straight out of a comic opera, 'The Most Happy Fella' utilizes a trio of comic relief to introduce us to the world of Tony's Vineyard and just how damn Italian it all is. This relief comes in the form of three chefs that work for Tony and when not cooking, they belt out their powerhouse voices (you have NO idea what you're in store for until you hear them!) that bring down the house eight shows a week. This week I give you the actors that bring Pasquale, Guiseppe and Ciccio to life - Martin Sola, Greg Roderick and Daniel Berryman. I hope you enjoy getting to know this tasty trio! (I promise that sounded a lot less creepy in my head)

For how quiet the town of East Haddam is, this cast has somehow found ways to pack a ton of excitement and activities into our brief time offstage. This past week saw an event that (in my opinion) is pretty rare during the run of a show...one of our cast members got hitched. No, I did not get wasted and end up in Vegas waking up to nuptials and regret, but our very own bossy Italian chef 'Pasquale', Martin Sola, got married to his beautiful fiance Michelle. And I am not exaggerating about her beauty, as I call her his 'Middle Earth Wife' as if she comes from some perfect elf world where everything on the person is flawless...and I suppose Martin is no slouch either

Okay, yes the title is a bit dramatic, but allow me to paint you a picture that may prove a worthy defense of this choice.

Every musical has to have their antagonist, and in our case we have two here in the Napa Valley. This week we feature our overbearing Italian sister hostess with the mostess our very own 'Marie', Ann Arvia.

There's no business, like show business, like no business I know...

There is a moment that all singers dread while auditioning. It doesn't happen too often, but when it comes, there is no stopping your pulse racing or the eventual formation of lower back/ butt crack sweat.