CT Singers Shine on 'An Irving Berlin Travelogue'

Pictured above: Ellis Gage of NYC

CONNECTICUT SINGERS SHINE ON NEW CD “AN IRVING BERLIN TRAVEDLOGUE”

The cover of the new CD “Chip Deffaa’s An Irving Berlin Travelogue” proudly proclaims: “...with an All-Star New York Cast.” But Connecticut residents can take pride in the fact that six key singers heard on the album–Emily Bordonaro of Avon, Michael Kasper of Hebron, Mathew Nardozzi of Fairfield, Clark Kinkade of Litchfield, Tyler DuBoys of Milford, and Ellis Gage of NYC--plus others who’ve assisted behind the scenes--have deep Connecticut theatrical roots. Deffaa acknowledges: “They first impressed me as kids. And I've watched them mature into seasoned, highly promising performers. These young singing actors are featured on the new album—available from Amazon, CDBaby, Footlight Records, iTunes, etc.--alongside some of Broadway's most-respected men and women, and they their own brilliantly. I also like that they're enthusiastic-they're always up for any good new project of mine.”

Deffaa, an award-winning New York-based playwright, director, and producer, reflects: “Many of the best singing actors I’ve worked with over the years–performers who’ve become invaluable members of my theatrical family—got their start in productions in Connecticut. I’ve spotted them in shows at the Thomaston Opera House in Thomaston, the Warner Theater in Torrington, the Godspeed Opera House in East Haddam, and the Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury; and in secondary schools that present first-rate theatrical productions, like the Waterbury Arts Magnet School and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts; and at Connecticut colleges noted for theater, like the University of Hartford/Hartt School and Yale University. Or they’ve been recommended by Connecticut theater folk I like and respect, such as Sharon Wilcox, Agnes Duggan Dann, Ed Bassett, Renee Purdy. Connecticutt has a tremendously vibrant theatrical scene.

“I’m proud to feature some of Connecticut’s best performers on this CD, which focuses on rare–and in many cases, never-before-recorded--songs by Irving Berlin, celebrating all different spots on the globe, from Alabam' to Araby, from China to Germany, from Argentina to Japan. This CD is part of an ongoing series celebrating Berlin. My goal is to eventually record all of Berlin's never-before-recorded songs.

“You’ll hear more from these performers, and others--who got so much of their training in Connecticut theater–on subsequent albums in the series. And they’re getting a chance to make history now–by being, in many cases, the first people to ever record some of these rare Berlin songs. Berlin was the most successful single songwriter in history. He wrote more hits and made more money than any of his contemporaries. Berlin’s songs were introduced and popularized by some of the greatest performers of all time–Judy Garland, Al Jolson, Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong..... And now, some of the notable talents from Connecticut can say on their resumes something that very few artists can say–that they introduced on record songs by Irving Berlin.”

For this ongoing project, Deffaa–perhaps the foremost living expert on Berlin’s music and the author of six plays about Berlin–has gone through every song in the Berlin archive, more than 1,200 in all. He searched for high-quality lost, forgotten, and unknown songs of Berlin’s. Deffaa notes: “Berlin was extraordinarily prolific. And he used to do something few songwriters would do. He'd sometimes continue and adding and removing songs from the scores of Broadway shows, months after the shows opened. Some of the never-before-recorded songs on this album were added to Broadway productions long after opening night. And then eventually put back into Berlin's trunk.” Deffaa took care to find just the right singer for each song.

Deffaa first spotted Emily Bordonaro, 21, from Avon, in a production at Thomaston Opera House, “Les Miserables,” when she was just 11, and he invited her to work with him. She appeared in Deffaa’s “Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue” at the 13th Street Theater in New York City. She’s sung on the cast album of that show, and on many other albums of Deffaa’s. A protégé of Tony Award-winning actress Betty Buckley and winner of the Betty Buckley Award, she's become Deffaa's most-recorded artist. “Emily can do it all,” Deffaa notes. “She sings these vintage theater songs and classic pop songs as if she grew up in that era. And yet she also writes and records her own original contemporary songs and tours with the rock band 'Uprooted,' under the stage name of Emily Victoria. She's as talented a singing actress as anyone her age I know. And she's in high demand these days.”

Michael Kasper, of Hebron, first caught Deffaa's attention when he was doing shows at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. He's currently studying theater at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. On this album, Kasper duets with Bordonaro on a Berlin number Deffaa first taught them almost a decade ago, which they've performed in shows of his in New York, “The International Rag.”

As for Matt Nardozzi, of Fairfield, Deffaa recalls: “Matt got his start in Connecticut theater, doing shows like ‘Stuart Little’ with Sharon Wilcox, at the Thomaston Opera House, when he was a very little kid. I saw him on Broadway, in shows like ‘Inherit the Wind’ and ‘Dracula.’ And he’s got assorted film credits, too. He’s appeared in my ‘Seven Little Foys’ and ‘Irving Berlin’s America’–and may be heard on the cast album of the latter. And he’s won the national ‘Young Entertainer Award’ for his work in my ‘Irving Berlin’s America.’ He’s not just highly talented, he’s as reliable as anyone I know; and we created the ‘Matt Nardozzi Ard’ at the 13th Street Theater to honor reliability, as well as talent, in the theater. Benjamin Grier won the award last year; Kate Solomon-Tilley won it this year. Matt’s so reliable, I let him record for this album while I was out of the country–directing a show of mine in Korea. Normally, as producer, I’m in the studio with the all of recording artists, trying to offer guidance. Matt’s the only one I let record, even though I couldn’t be there in the studio that day; I had total confidence he’d do just fine, whether I was able to be there or not. I've known him a decade. I'd trust him with my life. On this album Matt sings a song that has only been recorded by one other person before—Irving Berlin himself!

Wonderful Clark Kinkade so impressed me as an aspiring teen actor, appearing in shows at Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury and at the Greater Academy of the Arts in Hartford, that I wrote the part of 'Bryan Foy'--which he originated at Seven Angels when he was just 16--specifically with him in mind, tailoring it to his strengths. Today he's one of the best younger singers in New York. When he's not recording with me--and he's enlivened a bunch of my albums and I hope will be on many more--he appears in musicals and is a key member of the vocal group 'RANGE a Capella. They've performed everywhere from the Red Carpet at the Emmies to Radio City Music Hall, and their recent 'Hamilton' video has garnered a whopping 5.7 MILLION views thus far on YouTube. You trying getting 5.7 million viewers to watch a YouTube video; it's not easy.... Clark's always been a very fine singer. But he's matured into an increasingly individualistic song stylist. He puts his own stamp on whatever I give him. And I really like that. A terrific singer. And very busy. It's not always easy finding a time when he can record. We recorded him one night when he had just flown in from doing a musical on the West Coast. I had to grab him fast, before he was off again.

"Tyler DuBoys--a graduate of NYU/Tisch School of the Arts--works a lot as a dancer and choreographer, traveling widely in his career. He performs and tours with the Streb dance company. And he's helped choreograph shows of mine in New York. But he's also a very fine singer. And I like to showcase his singing--and sometimes his tap-dancing, too--on my albums, because it's from the heart. He's been recording with me for a half-dozen years.

"Ellis Gage, who's quickly putting down roots in the world of New York Theater, is right at home in New York. But he originally made a name for himself performing in Connecticut. I first became aware of him when he starred-playing the title role-in the world-premiere production of Pasek & Paul's musical, "James and the Giant Peach," up at my favorite regional theater, the celebrated Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Not many youths can say they have originated a role in a Pasek & Paul musical. Or have starred in a show at Goodspeed! And on this album, he makes the first-ever recording of a Berlin rarity, 'The Land of the Argentine.' I'm quite sure he's the only person in the world to have helped introduce material by both Irving Berlin and Pasek & Paul! Ellis is the newest member of my theatrical family. But he really shines. And I want to feature him prominently on the new album, to more fully display what he's capable of.

You'll spot the names of other alumni of Connecticut's theater scene—like Max Galassi of Newtown and Peter Charney, of Bethany—in the acknowledgments. “They're all part of this ongoing project and I appreciate all of the help they've given me over the years,” Deffaa notes.
Most of Deffaa's Connecticut performers have worked with one another in Connecticut productions, one place or another, over the years. learning from directors and music directors like Foster Reese Evans, Sharon Wilcox, Marianna Vagnini-Dadamo, Eric Larivee. Deffaa notes: “They’ve been very well-trained, and I’m glad to include them on recordings when I can.”

For more info on the album, or to order a copy, please visit: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ch...