Hosted by Lesli Margherita (Matilda), the late night #SOBLESSED Live! at 54 Below on February 7th featured performances by Adam Kaplan (Newsies), Joey Taranto (Kinky Boots), Michael James Scott (Something Rotten), Megan Sikora (Like a Million Broadway Shows), Mo Brady (The Addams Family), Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Ellyn Marie Marsh (Kinky Boots), with special guest appearance by Julia Murney as Jeremy Jordan and musical direction by Drew Wutke. Scroll down for photos!
#SOBLESSED Live! is a review style staging of Annoying Actor Friend's best selling book, #SOBLESSED: the Annoying Actor Friend's Guide to Werking in Show Business, where performers recount their experiences from college to Broadway to unemployment, and everything in-between.
The evening benefited Broadway Cares/Equty Fights AIDS.
Photo Credit: Sarah Marie Jenkins (www.facebook.com/sarahjenkinsphoto)
Lesli Margherita (Matilda) opens the show with musical director, Drew Wutke
Lesli Margherita explains how the evening will run, and the one rule: DRINK.
Joey Taranto (Kinky Boots) explains when he first new he was "soblessed" (wanted to be an actor) and sings 'I'm the Greatest Star.'
During 'I'm the Greatest Star,' Joey Taranto reenacts how he used to pretend he had long hair when he was a child.
Adam Kaplan (Newsies) sings his fairly inappropriate college audition song from when he was seventeen, 'It's Hard to Speak My Heart' from Parade.
Michael James Scott (Aladdin) recounts understudying Ben Vereen in Fosse on the road by singing 'Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries.'
Megan Sikora shares stories from understudying in The Nance, Promises, Promises, Dracula, and Wicked.
After explaining that she had to go on for Galinda in Wicked after a night of drinking, only to discover while up in the bubble she was still drunk, Megan Sikora reenacts her booze-brave rendition of 'Popular.'
Lesli Margherita can't handle Megan Sikora's drunk 'Popular.'
Neither can the audience.
Mo Brady (The Addams Family) gets 'pulled' up from running the projections to cover for a sick Wesley Taylor, whom he understudied on Broadway.
Mo Brady, understudying for Wesley Taylor, sings 'Pulled' from The Addams Family.
Representing unemployment, Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) sings 'Nothing Compares 2U' in homage to 2011, when she was gainfully employed.
Ellyn Marie Marsh recounts when her survival job was at Ellen's Star Dust Diner, by singing 'C'mon Everybody,' complete with original karaoke track. She also bussed the tables during it.
Lesli interviews Julia Murney as Jeremy Jordan. Questions included, 'What is your favorite cookie at Schmackary's?' 'How did you get your Equity card?' 'Discuss being naked in the bathtub during Bonnie & Clyde,' and 'How did you propose to Ashley Spencer?'
Julia Murney brings down the house with 'They Just Keep Moving the Line.'
Lesli Margherita, Joey Taranto, Mo Brady, Drew Wutke, Adam Kaplan, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Julia Murney and Megan Sikora
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