Edmund Bagnell's HE PLAYS THE VIOLIN Comes to Catskill's Bridge Street Theatre

Get ready to swoon! Catskill's adventurous Bridge Street Theatre launches its 2020 Season with a special Valentine's Day Weekend benefit performance of Edmund Bagnell's "He Plays the Violin". This wide-ranging autobiographical solo cabaret act will be presented on Saturday evening February 15, 2020 at 7:30 in the theatre's Mainstage, located at 44 West Bridge Street in the Village of Catskill.

Bagnell remains first violinist (and vocalist) for the internationally-acclaimed all-male singing string quartet Well-Strung. But a chance to step out on his own became the first act in Art House producer Mark Cortale's "New Works Provincetown" entertainment development plan last summer and the show went on to a highly successful debut at Feinstein's/54 Below, one of NYC's premier cabaret venues, last November.

The show's broad reach encompasses music by (among others) Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Justin Beiber, Stephen Sondheim, and even includes a new song written especially for Bagnell by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel, composer of Broadway's "Grey Gardens" and "War Paint". It also focusses on the performer's own story and on his roots as an actor, with credits that include the role of Tobias in the First National Tour of John Doyle's production of "Sweeney Todd". The idea for the show's title (which is also the name of a song from the musical "1776"), came from Cortale, but Bagnell says he immediately thought it was a perfect fit. While he sings, acts, and plays a little clarinet and piano, Bagnell says, "it feels like everybody's always known me as the kid who plays the violin."

Tickets for this special benefit performance of "He Plays the Violin" are $60, $50 for 2020 BST Season Subscribers, and include a post-show reception at the near-by Spring Street home of Edmund's parents, Gil and Mary Ann Bagnell. Reservations can be obtained at violin.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 800-838-3006. And further information on the show (and on how to become a 2020 BST Season Subscriber and receive substantial discounts on virtually every event held at the theatre throughout the year) can be found at BridgeStreetTheatre.org.