Village Players Present Tony Award Nominee John Herrera

 
Chicago native and Tony-nominated Broadway performer John Herrera returns home for a special Father's Day concert to benefit Village Players Performing Arts Center.
 
John Herrera performed on the Village Players stage as John Dickinson in 1776 back in 1976 in a special bicentennial production, before embarking on a successful musical theatre career both on Broadway and across the United States. Coincidentally, he went on to play Roger Sherman in the last Broadway revival of 1776. As a special bonus at the concert, Herrera will perform a selection from 1776.
 
Regarding his last appearance for the Village Players, John says "I had seen the touring production of 1776 at the Shubert Theater when I was at Lane Tech High School. I had never seen a professional musical before. It was magical and life transforming in a very spiritual way. When I heard Gary Beach sing 'Molasses to Rum,' I knew what wanted to do: sing onstage. The theatre bug had bitten! So while a student at Loyola University, I heard about auditions for Oak Park Village Player's production. I took the 'El' all the way from Rogers Park. The late Laurel Cronin directed the production, and I was so young I thought she'd cast me as the courier. She totally surprised me and cast me as John Dickinson, the major antagonist who doesn't sign the declaration because of his strong beliefs. She felt although I was young I had the stage presence to play a much older man of such fervent convictions. It was a phenomenal experience. Most memorably, on opening night when John Adams was singing how the 4th of July would one day be celebrated with fireworks, the actual Bi Centennial fireworks could be heard in the distance. I get goose bumps just thinking about it."
 
John Herrera met Carl Occhipinti, now the Artistic Director of Village Players, when Carl interviewed him for an article on John when he was playing Che in Evita at the Shubert Theater. They became fast friends and Carl has helped John produce several other Chicago area Valentine's Day concerts including venues such as the Park West, the Apollo and Royal George Theaters. Carl also produced the Chicago premiere of March of the Falsettos at the Theater Building in which John starred as Marvin. They've been wanting to work together again for a while now and both are happy to have the chance to do so.
 
"Since the day I first heard John sing over 30 years ago, I've always felt he has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard.  It has a quality that's warm and powerful at the same time," praises Occhipinti.
 
'Songs for Fathers, Sons and Daughters' will feature John Herrera singing a mix of both pop and Broadway selections especially chosen for Father's Day, including songs written by Mr. Herrera as well as Amanda McBroom (composer of 'The Rose'), David Wilcox, The Beatles, Harry Chapin and Stephen Sondheim. He will be accompanied by pianist Rick Snyder and bass player Tom Mendel, both currently playing in the orchestra of Wicked in downtown Chicago.
 
John Herrera is perhaps best known in the Chicago area for playing Che in the original National tour of Evita at the Shubert Theater. He created the role of Neville in Drood on Broadway for which he was nominated for both the Tony and an Outer Critic's Circle awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Other Broadway credits include Che in Evita opposite Patti LuPone, the revival of 1776 playing Roger Sherman, Camelot with Richard Burton, standing by for Brian Stokes Mitchell's Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, The Threepenny Opera for the Roundabout Theater, Shogun, and  Grease. Off Broadway he appeared in the English translation of La Boheme with Linda Ronstadt at the Public Theater and in Harry Chapin: Lies & Legends (Village Gate Theater) singing Harry's most famous song Taxi. National tours include Anatoly in Chess (Carbonell Award), Les Miserables, Martin Guerre, Falsettos, Angels in America and singing the title song in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music of the Night.  Regional credits: Santiago in Anna in the Tropics at Seattle Repertory and Jupiter Maltz Theater (Carbonell Award), Fredrik in A Little Night Music at the Goodspeed Opera House and Signature Theater in Arlington, VA, Working (Long Wharf Theater/New Haven, CT.) A former Chicagoan, he is best is known for playing George in Sunday in the Park with George (Goodman Theatre/Jefferson Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical), Romance, Romance (Apple Tree Theater/Jefferson Award nomination), Tito in Lend me a Tenor (Royal George Theater), Marvin in March of the Falsettos (Theater Building) and later in Falsettoland (Wisdom Bridge Theater).  John was featured as the Governor in the recent New York Philharmonic staged concert version of Leonard Bernstein's Candide on PBS that is available on DVD. Film and television credits: The Mambo Kings, Romance, Romance on A&E, and "Law and Order SVU". Born in Havana, Cuba, John is now working on a new one man show called Tropic Illusion which recreates a performance at a nightclub in Havana in the 1950's. John appeared recently as Kevin in the off Broadway hit musical In The Heights, winning a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. His best work to date is his daughter Erin-Marie and his grandson Elias. They make it all worthwhile.
 
'John Herrera: Songs for Fathers, Sons and Daughters' will perform on Father's Day, Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 7 PM. Tickets are $30 and all proceeds will benefit Village Players Performing Arts Center.
                      
Presented in the Mainstage Theater of the newly renovated Village Players Performing Arts Center located at 1010 W. Madison St., Oak Park. Plenty of parking is available on the street. The theater is handicap accessible; please call ahead to arrange for special seating.   Tickets available at www.village-players.org or by calling 866-764-1010.
 
Village Players Theatre, Oak Park's Performing Arts Center offers an eclectic mix of entertainment that empowers and inspires while exploring the human condition.