Have you ever listened to a familiar tune but the lyrics don’t quite match the song? That’s a common theme for Triumvirate Theatre’s production of “This Ain’t Broadway,” which opened last week.
The musical’s main character, Robert, gained theatrical fame after publishing a hit play his dead father wrote. Robert took credit for the play, and is now tasked at writing a much-anticipated sequel.
“Every time he comes up with an idea, it turns out to be a ripoff of something else like ‘Annie’ or ‘Sound of Music’ or something we all are very familiar with,” said Joe Rizzo, the play’s writer and director. “The characters in the play are all in his head, and they come out and perform these. And then they interact with him and try to help him solve this problem.”
Rizzo wrote “This Ain’t Broadway” 15 years ago alongside Nikiski Middle/High School music teacher Mim McKay. When he dusted off the script this year, Rizzo realized it didn’t contain lyrics. He had to find a video of the show’s original production and rewrite the parodied songs.
Rizzo says the show’s characters were written with specific youth actors in mind. Robert’s character takes after a former student who wasn’t fond of singing or dancing but excelled at acting. In the show, Robert doesn’t sing or dance — he sits at a desk and types what he hopes will be the next Broadway hit.
That character is now played by Kincaid Jenness, a student at Nikiski Middle/High. He hopes audiences will get a kick out of the show.
“I hope that they can tell that we’re friends, and I hope that they know that we love doing this," Jenness said. "I hope that they really enjoy the musical numbers, because they’re killing it, they’re doing great. As someone who doesn’t sing or dance in the show, they’re doing fantastic.”
The show also features Cecilia, Robert’s love interest. She’s a newspaper reporter, although she doesn’t want to be. Like Robert, Lizzie’s living in the shadow of her father, who’s the editor of the paper she works for.
“I hope that people see the love of everyone on stage and see our talent," said Lucia Micciche, who plays the role Cecilia. "And mostly, laugh their butts off.”
Oshie Broussard plays Lizzie. She says she’s worked with much of the show’s cast and crew throughout her theatrical career.
“It makes everything effortless to be around everybody," Broussard said. "I think also, being a part of an original production written by a director who’s been directing me for like 10 years has been a magical experience.”
The cast of 14 middle- and high-school students began rehearsing for “This Ain’t Broadway” about a month ago. The show features a number of parodied renditions of classic songs, including Queen’s multi-platinum “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Some cast members have also helped craft the show’s choreography.
Joe Rizzo says he’s been waiting to find a group of kids to resurrect “This Ain’t Broadway” for years. He believes they’ll do the show justice, which has only been performed once before.
“It’s mostly just entertainment — pure, unadulterated entertainment. It’s very broad, very splashy, very silly, but highly entertaining,” Rizzo said.
“This Ain’t Broadway” will run this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. at Nikiski/Middle High School. You can purchase tickets online.
