Interview: Neyla Pekarek Brings VAUDEVILLIAN EXTRAVAGANZA to The Green Room 42
The 8/13 show features singers and a magic act to celebrate the release of Pekarek's new EP of a brand-new musical about a pioneering female magician
Neyla Pekarek – the singer-songwriter formerly of The Lumineers – will celebrate new EP The Queen of Magic, based her new musical, with a special “Vaudevillian Extravaganza,” featuring curiosities and amusements from special guests, in New York on Thursday, August 13 and Los Angeles on Thursday, August 27. Many surprises await in this evening of unmatched spectacle. Pekarek will also perform a solo concert at Theatre SilCo in Silverthorne, Colorado on Sunday, August 23. The full itinerary is at neylapekarek.com.
The New York show, taking place at The Green Room 42 on Thursday, August 13, will feature magic from Linda Hung and the harmonies of the acclaimed barbershop quartet, Smoke Ring.
The Queen of Magic, available through Joy Machine Records, features five tunes from her new musical, painting a picture of magician Adelaide Herrmann, who made a name for herself in a male-dominated art form. The story is told by way of big, earnest vocals, lush strings, intricate piano lines, and a rock band, bringing this vintage vibe into the 21st century. The EP is produced by Loren Dorland.
The Queen of Magic is the untold story of Adelaide Hermann, world famous magician, artistic visionary, and fierce businesswoman. A contemporary of magical greats such as Harry Houdini, Adelaide not only excelled in her field, she reshaped it entirely, taking the old 19th century magic show standard and creating the theatrical spectacle we know and love today. Adelaide’s legacy lives on for the next generation of magic lovers and makers in this heart-warming, humorous, and at times harrowing musical tale.
The Queen of Magic features music and lyrics by Pekarek, with additional writing by Gabrielle Mirabella on the tracks “Get to Work” and “Feed the Flame.” The EP features guest vocalists Brian Cronan (“Dream with Me”) and Mary-Kate Morrissey of Broadway’s Wicked (“Never Enough”). The vocal choir features Jadyn Diaz, Siobhan Drown, Ashley Wiggington, Bailey Hinkley-Grogan, and Heather Wiegert.
Read a conversation with Pekarek about the new EP and upcoming NYC show this Thursday.
What first sparked you to write this musical about Adelaide Hermann?
Adelaide was introduced to me through Ken Travis, who was the sound designer on the first musical I wrote, Rattlesnake Kate. During our production in 2022, he passed her memoir along to me, hoping it might inspire something for me, and indeed it did. I am always enamored with ambitious women, who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want and to be who they are. Adelaide was ambitious as they get, and as I read her memoir, full of stories of reinventing herself, bursting with creativity, and her bold ways, songs started pouring out of me.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming show at the Green Room 42? Can you tell us a little about the variety acts you have planned?
My show at The Green Room 42 is very much an homage to the way Adelaide might have performed, gathering creative folks and creating space for them to bring their unique flair to audiences in this “Vaudevillian Extravaganza,” as I’m calling it. It felt super important to feature a magician, and I am so excited to have Linda Hung joining me. She says, as a young person discovering magic, “That feeling of pure astonishment never left me. It wasn't just about watching a spectacle; it was about experiencing the impossible up close. That is the exact feeling I now recreate for my clients as a female illusionist in NYC.” I also have an absolutely spectacular barbershop quartet called Smoke Ring performing—this is NOT your grandfather’s classic, straw-hat-donning-barbershop quartet—they are sultry, magnetic, and their singing is just jaw dropping. Speaking of singing, I have some ALL-STARS joining me on stage, including Mia Gerachis of Broadway’s Beaches, Sweeney Todd and Pretty Woman, Michelle Rocqet, who has been taking TikTok by storm with her viral videos, and my best friend and favorite singing companion, Brian Cronan—who I’ve featured on all of my records, and who has the voice of an angel.
What does recording a musical like this as an EP look like?
I took five songs that I thought could exist sonically, without a whole lot of context of character and script from the show, but that still embody the themes of the show—femininity, ambition, a love letter to craft, and of course, MAGIC. I then assembled a whole bunch of my favorite musicians in Denver: Annie Booth, Kim Bird, Shawn King, and Tim Wendel, and alongside the genius that is Loren Dorland, our producer, brought this to life. Vocals are always at the center of my music, especially with my addiction to tight-harmony singing and barbershop style harmonies, so I brought in friends, most of whom I know through the barbershop community, to add their voices to the record as well. And it couldn’t complete the record without featuring my favorite singer on the planet, MK Morrissey. She did the very first reading of my Rattlesnake Kate musical, and because she is gracious and generous, she took my phone call and was willing to add her incredible gift to this EP on my track “Never Enough.”
Aside from this, are you working on any other projects you’d like to share with us?
My amazing writing partner Gabrielle Mirabella and I are full steam ahead in bringing Queen of Magic to the stage as a big, bonafide musical. This EP is just a glimpse into something spectacular that we’re cooking up, and we are hoping to have it produced in the near future.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
The industry is tough right now. It’s hard to get people out to live theatre and music, and trust me, I’m guilty of it too. So often it sounds better to stay cozy at home, and to watch our guilty pleasure shows, and so many people are struggling financially. But it’s just so important to support our creatives right now so this doesn’t go away, and because seeing live performances is fundamental to our own joy and mental health. I never regret it when I do go out and see something that someone has put hard work and dedication into. I hope we can find a way to keep our industry alive.
Header photo credit: Ryan Schude
Learn more about the artist and this project at neylapekarek.com
To stream or download The Queen of Magic, please visit Joy Machine Records here.
Tickets to the New York show on August 13 are available here
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