Photo Flash: Daytime TV and B'Way Collide at Queen Bea: A Soapsical!
Stars of Daytime TV and Broadway came out in full force at last week's concert series of "Queen Bea: A Soapsical!" at the Laurie Beechman Theater in Manhattan, which ran Tuesday to Saturday. The hilarious new musical comedy, set backstage at a fictitious soap opera, lovingly parodied the ‘soap' world through a combination of witty industry references, a bouncy musical score, and a zany cast of characters played by real-life soap stars. Bethann Bonner (One Life to Live, Guiding Light, All My Children) led a brilliant cast that included Chris Stack (One Life to Live), Bree Williamson (One Life to Live), and Jason Tam (One Life to Live, and the recent Broadway revival of A Chorus Line).
The devilishly witty script was written by New York playwright Gena Oppenheim, who cited her experiences at One Life to Live as inspiration for the piece. The tuneful and sophisticated score was composed by Daniel Lincoln, who is also credited with the scores for the upcoming musical comedies Miss Humanity and Bebe vonBreckenburg's Beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Bridal Boutique. Lincoln also performed as the delightfully ruthless producer of the fictitious soap while accompanying the concert on the piano.
The atmosphere at Tuesday's opening night performance was one of unmitigated delight. The laughter and applause were nonstop as Bonner, Stack, Williamson, Tam, and Lincoln dazzled with surprising musical talent and spot-on comedic timing. They were supported by a hilarious trio comprised of Sasha Weiss, Amy Burgess, and Kevin Michael Murphy (creator of the YouTube theatrical cult icon Craig Stevens). Reviews of "Queen Bea: A Soapsical!" have been unanimously enthusiastic, and according to WeLoveSoaps.Net, "Anyone who enjoys off-camera antics on daytime soaps, clever song lyrics, and sophisticated satire, needs to pay ode to the Queen...Through rain, sleet, or hail, do NOT miss [Queen Bea]."
Stars who could be spotted in the audience included John Brotherton (OTLT), Mark Lawson (OTLT), Melissa Archer (OLTL), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Ally McBeal, OLTL, Broadway's The Color Purple and Rent), Emmy winner Heather Tom (The Young and the Restless, OTLT, All My Children), Emmy winner Ilene Kristen (original Broadway cast Grease, TV's Ryan's Hope, OLTL, Loving and Another World), January LaVoy (OLTL), and Broadway legend and Tony winner Patricia Elliott.
Photo credit: Steven Bergman
Chris Stack , Bethann Bonner, Jason Tam and Bree Williamson
Bethann Bonner and her composer
January LaVoy and Ilene Kristen
Patricia Elliott and Heather Tom
John Brotherton and Melissa Archer
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