Allan Nicholls Will Celebrate 70s Rock Musicals in Concert at Joe's Pub

On Monday, March 18, fans of Broadway rock musicals have an extraordinary opportunity to hear their favorite songs as veteran Broadway star Allan Nicholls takes audiences along on his personal musical journey with CHASING THE THRILL. Accompanied by Not Your Parents' Pit Band, the concert will be performed at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, NYC) for one show only at 7:00 PM. Tickets are on sale now ($25).

Nicholls will reprise his Broadway leading roles in such landmark shows as HAIR, INNER CITY/MOTHER GOOSE, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND ON THE ROAD and more bringing a fresh perspective to the music that rocked a generation and beyond.

“This concert at Joe's Pub is a real full-circle moment for me,” Nicholls says, “as HAIR was the inaugural production of The Public Theatre when Joe Papp opened this now revered venue in October 1967.”  

Along with the Not Your Parents' Pit Band, featuring acclaimed music director Ben Covello on keyboards, Nate Repasz on drums and vocals, Gene Taylor on bass and vocals, and Eitan Prouser on guitar, Allan performs songs from his years on Broadway – from his first HAIR performance through the closing night of SGT PEPPER and more. 

“The show offers musical nostalgia with a new twist on the songs and a very personal take on the stories happening behind the stage,” says Nicholls, who is the only actor to have played both the lead roles of Claude and Berger in HAIR.  “We hope audiences will look back fondly on a time when their own hair was “shoulder length or longer” and leave with a renewed sense of possibility about life's “long and winding road.”

Allan Nicholls first arrived in New York City in 1969 from his hometown of Montreal, Canada, where he had been the lead singer in JB and The Playboys, a popular touring and recording rock band. That year, he performed as Claude in HAIR. In 1970, he took over the role of Berger. Later, he played King Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, the Pusher and the Cop in INNER CITY, “33” in DUDE, Adam in UP FROM PARADISE, and Maxwell Hammer in SGT. PEPPER. Since then, Allan continues to work as an actor, assistant director, music supervisor, and screenwriter in Hollywood. He collaborated with legendary director Robert Altman on such films as Nashville, Short Cuts, and The Player, and many more.

JOE'S PUB, a program of The Public Theater, was named for Public Theater founder Joseph Papp. Since it opened in 1998, Joe's Pub has played a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting artists at all stages of their career with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. Joe's Pub presents the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community, and artistic freedom. In addition to one-night only concerts and multi-night engagements, Joe's Pub is home to the annual Habibi Festival, which hosts artists representing contemporary and traditional music of the SWANA (Southwest Asia/North Africa) region, and The Vanguard Award & Residency, a yearlong curation series that celebrates the career, and community, of a prolific and influential artist, including Nona Hendryx, Judy Collins, Laurie Anderson, Barbara Maier Gustern, and Angelique Kidjo.

With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents over 700 shows featuring artists based in New York City and touring performers from all over the world, and hosts over 100,000 audience members annually. Beyond public performances, Joe's Pub also leads artist development programs like New York Voices, a commissioning program that helps musicians develop new performance projects, and Joe's Pub Working Group, an artist-led development and collaboration cohort. Current commissioned artists include Dan Fishback, Omar Offendum, and Sarah Elizabeth Charles.

Photo Credit: Luke Awtry

To post a comment, you must register and login.