News

April 16, 2013

The Last Five Years

I am beyond ecstatic to share that I will be playing "Cathy" in Jason Robert Brown's gorgeous musical, The Last Five Years. This contemporary musical tells the emotionally powerful story of a five year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hyatt, a struggling actress. The show uses a form of storytelling in which Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage), and Jamie's is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met). The characters do not directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle as their timelines intersect. You can read a more thorough synopsis here.

This role has been in the top three on my "Janine's Dream Roles" list for about 10 years now. The clock was ticking with it as the part requires an actress to play mid to late twenties and in a couple of years, I think I wouldn't be age appropriate anymore. So the fact that I was able to book this now is a true joy to me! I will be playing opposite the exquisite Carl Del Buono. This is a magical, heartbreaking, moving and powerful musical. Do not miss this exceptional piece of musical theatre! You can purchase your tickets directly from the JCC website or visit my events page for more information. Joy!

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March 22, 2013

Coming Soon(ish)

I am happy to share that I will be playing "Joanne" in RENT this summer. I have wanted to do this show since I was 16. Should be a blast! The production is being re-imagined to be done in the round. It will be very "in your face" and intimate. Seating is limited because of the way the show is being staged. We don't open until July but people are already buying their tickets. You can purchase your tickets here. For more information, please visit my events page.

Also, I will be performing in the Rochester Fringe Festival this year. More on that soon!

February 17, 2013

Just Fabulous

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our production of Encore! Broadway Favorites of the American Songbook. We closed today to a sold out house! My cast mates were a joy to work with and singing "Defying Gravity" night after night was a dream. We have received a lot of wonderful feedback from our audiences. Several letters, emails and phone calls have come in throughout the run of the show. The one below was sent to our director from a patron and I thought it was sweet. Take a look . . .

I think it says a lot nowadays when someone takes the time to write a letter and drop it in the mail. Thank you to the lady that wrote it!

I am officially on vacation but will be announcing my next gig(s) when I return. Stay tuned and stay warm!

February 4, 2013

Review: Encore!

We got a great review for Encore! Broadway Favorites of the American Songbook. Yes, there are some criticisms of the show but overall, it's a fabulous write-up. Lord knows that any review is only one person's opinion but it's nice when it goes your way. Check it out!

Review: Good performances, but JCC revue tries to pack in too much
By: Debbie Waltzer
Democrat and Chronicle Newspaper

Too much of a good thing simply can be too much.

Such is the case with Encore: Broadway Favorites of the American Songbook, currently playing at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester as part of the CenterStage series.

The show, nearly two hours in length, features more than 50 musical numbers by Jewish-American composers, ranging from Jerome Kern and George Gershwin to Marvin Hamlisch and Marc Shaiman. In solos, pairs, trios and full ensembles, six vocalists sing pieces such as “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” “Seasons of Love,” “There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.”

It is the 10th anniversary of this revue created by Linda and Sandy Foster, but the volume of work presented is excessive; program editing was insufficient.

That said, compliments must be paid to individual performers for their work as vocalists and actors. A huge shout-out goes to Janine Mercandetti, who nailed “Bali Ha’i” from South Pacific and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. The woman has a solid, strong voice and confident stage presence.

Kudos also goes to Linda Foster and Laura Jean Smillie-Diekmann. Foster’s rendition of “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret, and Smillie-Diekmann’s performance of “All That Jazz” from Chicago were particularly strong.

The male performers seemed to take a little longer to warm up. Early on, Jason Alexander Holmes lacked confidence during his duet of “I’ve Got a Crush on You” with Mercandetti. However, his Act Two solo of “Ol’ Man River” was powerful.

Matt Tappon’s energy level also seemed to fluctuate, likely due to the sheer volume of music he was performing. Still, he brought his all to “Isn’t It Romantic” and “If I Were a Rich Man.”

Carl Del Buono could be dubbed the show’s Energizer Bunny. A graduate of the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan, Del Buono knows how to sell a song, and most notably demonstrated that while singing “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story.

Full-ensemble pieces also were the high point of the program. The six-part harmonies employed during “This Nearly Was Mine” from South Pacific made for a dramatic capstone to Act One. Also, “Coffee Break”—recently featured on Broadway from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying—was energetic and fun.

Hats off to the hard-working crew that created this show. But next time, don’t pack as much in. Leave us wanting more.

January 31, 2013

Encore!

We have our first preview tonight for Encore! Broadway Favorites of the American Songbook! What a show this has turned out to be. The people performing in this have been a part of it on and off for the last 10 years. Some of them every year! I am the newbie of the group. (Actually, one of the other guys in the show is brand new too.) Everyone is amazing! I get to sing awesome songs like "Defying Gravity", "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "At The Ballet" to name a very few. There are only six of us in the show so we all sing about 25 songs each. No joke. It's a vocal marathon but I am loving it. You can learn more about the production on my events page or at the CenterStage website.

Switching gears, I wanted to share that I am taking a mini me-cation and will not be performing after I close Encore! for a couple of months. Fret not, the me-cation will be short. But it's quite necessary. I need it. I will be announcing my next gig when I return. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you!

Hope to see you at the theatre!

January 12, 2013

Hot Gigity

I booked a voice over gig for RIT. (RIT stands for Rochester Institute of Technology). I love this type of work and am thankful for the opportunity. It's great money and great fun! To check out my demo or other voice over's I have done, you can visit the voice-over page on this site! That's all for now!

January 1, 2013

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone had a wonderful close to 2012. I was blessed to finish out the year doing what I love to do most . . . performing! We had a sold out run for An Evening of Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was a great time. Most importantly, we accomplished what we set out to do. . . raise a lot of money for the theatre and make a difference through our art. Below is a picture from our production. It was a joy!

The company performs "Masquarade" from The Phantom of the Opera

I am now in rehearsals for Encore! Broadway Favorites from the American Songbook right. We open in February. You can learn more about that here. It promises to be a fun night at the theatre. I hope to see you there!

May you all be happy, healthy and creative in the New Year. Cheers!

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