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Brian Charles Rooney to Play 'Dr. Epic' in TARA TREMENDOUS THE MUSICAL Concert

By: Mar. 21, 2017
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Stop the presses! Alert the media! The search for an actor to play super villain and self-proclaimed "genius of the world" - Dr. Epic - has finally come to an end: Wonkybot Studios has announced Broadway actor and CT Critics Circle Award winner Brian Charles Rooney has joined the cast of the Tara Tremendous The Musical concert performance at Feinstein's/54 Below.

"We're over the moon to cast Brian as Dr. Epic," said Tara Tremendous creator Stewart St John, who originated the role in the #1 iTunes podcast series.

"Epic is the major villain of the Tara Tremendous franchise... he's an over-the-top egomaniac, and is inadvertently responsible for Tara getting all the super powers of every hero in the world. So finding the right person to capture the essence - and voice - of Dr. Epic was a major undertaking. Brian was recommended to us and when we saw him perform, we knew right away he was our villain!"

"Brian's voice is simply amazing," said Michael Plahuta, co-composer (with St John) of the songs and music. "We're excited to have him sing some of Dr Epic's iconic songs!"

Rooney made his Broadway debut as Lucy Brown in "The Threepenny Opera" (Roundabout Theatre Co.), and won the CT Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical as Candy Darling in "POP!" (Yale Repertory). He's won two NY Musical Theatre Festival Outstanding Performance Awards: ("Bedbugs!!!" - 2008 & "Bayonets of Angst" - 2014); and was recently lauded by The New York Times for his performance as Dionne Salon in the hit Off-Broadway musical, "Bedbugs!!!" He appeared with Kristin Chenoweth at Lincoln Center in Andrew Lippa's "I Am Harvey Milk," an oratorio celebrating the life of the famous activist; and with Nathan Lane & Megan Mullally in the Carnegie Hall Concert Production of "Guys & Dolls." He has appeared in sold out engagements at 54 Below & Joe's Pub, and as a soloist with the Oregon, Seattle, & Albany Symphony Orchestras.

In the musical concert, Dr. Epic concocts a plot to steal the DNA of every superhero in the world for himself, but something goes terribly awry when 11-year-old Tara Callahan steps in to stop him. As if that's not bad enough, he also has to content with his bitter, attention-starved mother - Epic Mama - who is jealous of his success as a super-villain and wants to topple her son's empire!

"She gives him major mommy issues," adds Todd Fisher, co-founder of Wonkybot Studios and producer of the concert, along with Grammy-winner and Broadway Records CEO Van Dean. "As much as this is Tara's origin story, it's also the story of Doctor Epic and his world of evil!"

Tara Tremendous The Musical tells the origin story of 11-year-old Tara Callahan who goes from ordinary to extraordinary overnight when she accidentally inherits the powers of every superhero in the world. The musical features songs by the musical team of Stewart St John and Michael Plahuta. It was adapted for the stage by St John, also a screenwriter and director, based on his #1 iTunes podcast series The Secret Diaries of Tara Tremendous. The musical concert performance at Feinstein's/54 Below is the first stop for Tara Tremendous.



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