AND THE WORLD GOES ’ROUND   Role: Man 1   Production Info: April 26-May 20, 2001 @ Seven Angels Theatre Production Info: June 7-July 15, 2001 @ Polka Dot Playhouse (CT) Director/Choreographer: Stephen Nachamie Music Director: John Coffey

The World Goes ’Round is another one of those cast recordings that I’ve listened to since college, so when I found out that this great under-done Kander and Ebb show was being performed at two theatres in Connecticut, I jumped at the chance to audition! In this 5-person revue, I sang the role of Man 1 (the song and dance man). It was an interesting challenge to make every song into a separate “story” of its own, from fun vaudeville numbers like “Sara Lee” to serious thought-provoking songs like “Sometimes A Day Goes By.” We five cast-mates did it all: roller skating, Fosse dancing, and even creating our own little bluegrass band!     Click on this link to read more info about the Playhouse on the Green (formerly named the Polka Dot Playhouse).

Back to

Here are some preliminary Press Photos taken before opening. This is Coffee In a Cardboard Cup.

Cabaret: Billy Zavelson, Cynthia Gray, me, Tracey Lee, and Valerie Fagan.

The big Finale: New York, New York. Sell it, kids!!!

Performance photos from the the Seven Angels...Me and My Baby: with Valerie Fagan and me on banjo, Cynthia Gray on triangle, Billy Zavelson on washboard, and Tracey Lee on spoons!

There Goes the Ballgame: Tracey Lee, Valerie Fagan, and Cynthia Gray.

The Grass Is Always Greener: Tracey Lee and Valerie Fagan.

The chorus of All That Jazz: Billy Zavelson, Tracey Lee, Valerie Fagan, and me.

When It All Comes True: the “epic” dance number performed by Cynthia Gray and me.

These black-and-white shots were used for Publicity when we transferred the show to the Polka Dot Playhouse. Here’s me in a made-up-pose for Mr. Cellophane.

The whole gang in Coffee In A Cardboard Cup (with Tracey Lee standing in for Bambi Jones).

Billy Zavelson and I doing the intro to The Rink. This is another posed shot.

The kick line at the end of The Rink. It’s harder than it looks when you’re on skates!

The Seven Angels Theatre, located in Waterbury, Connecticut. It’s actually a historic park pavilion that dates from the turn-of-the-century.

Here’s a shot of our set, taken from Stage Left. You can see the black panels and the upstage band platform.

A detail of one of the panels . . . “Collaborators.”

One of the cast’s big recreational activites: eating dinner at the mall.

Another mall dinner . . . at Chili’s, I think.

We usually rehearsed the show onstage, but when we finally needed to spot-check ourselves in mirrors, we headed to the Sunshine Dance Center!

The cast gathers in the dressing room for our final day of shows at the Polka Dot Playhouse.

After our last show . . . saying goodbye at the Polka Dot.

Cynthia Gray hosted our wonderful closing night party! What a way to end this incredible adventure.

THE WESTPORT NEWS, 6/28/01 by Irene Backalenick   Best of all [the revues currently running in southwestern Connecticut], there’s And The World Goes Round, an elegant revue brought down to Bridgeport’s Polka Dot Playhouse from Waterbury’s Seven Angels . . . and a charmer it is!   [The production] has a [Karen] Ziemba look-alike, one Valerie Fagan, who can belt out or nurture a ballad with the best. Standing alone on stage for the title song, she sets the tone for the evening. Bambi Jones also brings a fine voice and emotional depth to her numbers, offering moving renditions of “Only Love” from Zorba and “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret.   Ron DeStefano and Cynthia Gray are two all-round performers who make the show go round. Gray comes into her own as a dancer in “All That Jazz,” and DeStefano tears out your heart with “Mr. Cellophane.”   Erin Kiernan’s handsome set, a bare stage with back panels and a platform for the three-piece combo (John Coffey-music director/piano, Stephen Gilewski-bass, and James Allen-drums), creates a sophisticated milieu without competing with the players. A word about Polka Dot itself: This gem of a theatre, lovingly carved out of an old bank, is worth a visit in itself.

WMNR: Fine Arts Radio, 6/11/01 by Rosalind Friedman   Directed and choreographed by Stephen Nachamie, the cast of five (three women and two men) . . . whip through 30 satirical, sad and upbeat songs with good spirit and good voices.   Black-haired with a sparkling smile, Valerie Fagan, who reminds us of Rosalind Russell, . . . charms with “Colored Lights” from The Rink, confidently plays a banjo in “Me and My Baby” from Chicago, and tries bravely to stay afloat on her roller skates with the rest of her cast in “The Rink.” Fagan’s duet with Bambi Jones in “The Grass Is Always Greener” from Woman of the Year is top notch. Ms. Jones displays a big warm voice in “Ring Them Bells” and “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret.   Dancing and romancing the audience, red-head, piquant Cynthia Gray is a knockout in “All That Jazz” from Chicago, and partnered by Billy Zavelson, seduces in “Arthur in the Afternoon” from The Act. She and Ron DeStefano give a touching performance in “When It All Comes True.” DeStefano has an affecting voice and an adorable way about him, which suits his solos as the invisible “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago, “Marry Me” from The Rink, and “Sara Lee,” a humorous tribute to the famed bakery company. Last, but not least, tall and attractive, Billy Zavelson, presents a strong, classically-trained baritone in “The Happy Time” and “I Don’t Remember You” from The Happy Time, and a great rendition of “Kiss of the Spider Woman”.   Kudos to James DeVivo for his Sound Design.

THE NORWALK HOUR, 6/17/01 by David A. Rosenberg   At Polka Dot, against background placards that define such words as “harmony,” “ballad,” “sing,” “jazz,” and “collaborators,” five performers percolate with rhythm. Each has a moment in the sun.   Valerie Fagan wraps her powerful pipes around “Colored Lights” and loads “How Lucky Can You Get” with sensuality. Bambi Jones has a high old time with the delightful “Ring Them Bells,” while the third distaff member, Cynthia Gray, sings a moving “Quiet Thing.”   Of the men, Billy Zavelson belts out a roaring “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” The versatile Ron DeStefano sings a poignant “Mr. Cellophane” and dances gracefully in several numbers. All risk neck and limb for the roller-skating first act finale from The Rink and combine to end the evening with a rousing “Money, Money.”   Kudos also to the superb band. John Coffey, Stephen Gilewski, and James Allen not only ably support the singers but jazz it up on their own at the beginning of Act Two.   Erin Kiernan’s sleek set design, David O’Connor’s cheerful lighting and Jessica D. Grover’s deft costumes add to the evening’s charms. The package is tied neatly together by director/choreographer Stephen Nachamie.

THE CONNECTICUT POST, 6/15/01 by Shirley Mathews   Bambi Jones [sings] with a power and restraint that makes “My Coloring Book” all the more poignant.   Dancer Cynthia Gray gets to show off her style in “All That Jazz,” and director-choreographer Stephen Nachamie puts all the Bob Fosse touches in the right place.   The best part about this production at the Polka Dot is that you really have the immediacy and intimacy of a cabaret audience, and nothing beats that kind of energy spilling off of the stage. The World Goes ’Round is a fun show.

THE STRATFORD STAR, 6/28/01 by Joanne Greco Rochman   [The cast] is dynamite. The multi-talented performers were superb in Waterbury, and are even more energized in Bridgeport. This very sophisticated revue is better than many others. What makes it stand out is that every musical number is like a mini one-act play.   The cast - young, talented and indefatigable - includes Ron DeStefano, Valerie Fagan, Cynthia Gray, Bambi Jones, and Billy Zavelson. They brew enough laughter to make [“Coffee In A Cardboard Cup”] good to the last drop. They do the same for “Sara Lee.” “Arthur in the Afternoon” is so well-performed that it plays like an entity in itself.   The actors take the audience into the emotional context of the story and engage them in the musical numbers.... The ensemble accomplishes what it sets out to do. It treats the audience to a full two-hour evening of Kander and Ebb in a way that goes beyond simply singing a song.

MINUTEMAN NEWSPAPERS, 6/28/01 by E. Kyle Minor   Director-choreographer Stephen Nachamie’s co-production with Waterbury’s Seven Angels is an agreeable diversion. Dressed in Jessica D. Grover’s modest yet stylish contemporary costumes, the performers tell the stories effectively. Though the entire ensemble is strong, Ron DeStefano and Cynthia Gray are the most memorable for their all-around talent.

RIDGELEAVES, 6/15/01 by Tom Nissley   A few numbers passed and I was hooked on each of [the performers]. I admired their costumes and thought that the stage direction made great use of their voices and bodies.   I especially liked Cynthia Gray and Ron DeStefano in “When It All Comes True,” and DeStefano’s “Mr. Cellophane.” Bambi Jones’ “Maybe This Time” was powerful, too. But more important is that each of these singers had good presence on stage and their connections with each other and the audience worked! Cynthia Gray had tremendous audience contact. It’s the magic that makes live theatre special. So if I were giving you a map this week, it would say Bridgeport as your destination.

ARTSWHIRL, 6/21/01 by Fran Sikorski   The summer musical series at the Polka Dot Playhouse in Bridgeport is off to a winning start with the charming Off-Broadway show, The World Goes ’Round, a nicely balanced musical featuring the words and music of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Five exceptionally talented performers . . . each have the opportunity to shine.   Bravo to all including director Stephen Nachamie; musical director John Coffey; scenic designer Erin Kiernan; costume designer Jessica D. Grover, and lighting designer David O’Connor.