Bandstand

Bandstand is playing at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre located at 242 West 45th Street. It runs two hours thirty minutes with one intermission. The show was opened ended.

The show premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey on October 8, 2015.

Andy Blankenbuehler is the director and choreographer. He won a Tony Award for Hamilton (2016 ) and In the Heights (2008) and was nominated for a Tony Award for Bring it On (2013) and 9 to 5 (2009). All the Tony Awards and nominations were for choreographer.

David Korins is the scenic designer. He was nominated for a Toy Award for Hamilton (2016) and a Drama Desk Award for Lombardi (2011).

Paloma Young is the costume designer. He won a Tony Award for Peter and the Starcatcher (201).

Laura Osnes was nominated for a Tony Award for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2013), Bonnie and Clyde (2012). She was nominated for three Drama Desk Awards for The Three Penny Opera (2014), Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2013) and Anything Goes (2011).

Beth Leavel won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) and was nominated for a tony Award for Baby It’s You (2011).

The setting is August thru December 1945, Cleveland, Ohio and New York City.

We see soldiers in battle and life back home. A messenger brings bad news to one family.

When Donny Novitski (Corey Cott) returns home his job as a piano player is gone. There are no jobs for him. You can hear in the background when you come home things will be the same. Well they weren’t. No jobs, your life will not be the same. Some take to drinking, others cannot deal with family life.

Donny promise his friend Michael if anything would happened he would look after his wife. But he is afraid to face her. When does, Julia Trojan (Laura Osnes) is a little withdrawn. Her mother Mrs. June Adams (Beth Leavel) encourages her to talk to him.

Donny hears on the radio that there is a contest of bands that are made up of soldiers. A band from each state will be chosen to audition in New York City, the one that wins will appear in a movie. They have to make up an original song. Donny starts asking around for different soldiers who play instruments. The band is made up of Donny, piano, Johnny Simpson, drummer (Joe Carroll), Davy Zlatic, bass (Brandon J. Ellis), Jimmy Campell, saxophone (James Nathan Hopkins), Wayne Wright, trombone (Geoff Packard) and Nick Radel, trumpet ( Alex Bender).

Donny finds out Julia can sing. He asks her to join the band as lead singer. Julia writes poetry. They both turn them into songs for the band.

They win the contest in Ohio to and can go to New York City. But there is a catch, they have to pay to get there and have a place to stay. They manage to get the money to go. They win the semifinals in New York City.

What happens, well you will have to see the show.

It is a touching of men who put there life on the line and they are forgotten for what the sacrificed.

The cast does a breath taking performance. The dance routines are wonderful.

The actors in the band play their own instruments. Talk about multi-tasking. Wow hats off to all six of them. They shined.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on a photo, then click on back to album and finally back to gallery for this and other shows.