TALENT SHOW By JP Carlsen To Open At The Hudson Theatres

Marcus Wells is returning to The Hudson Theatres and Hollywood Fringe in Talent Show. Talent Show is a new play from Hollywood Fringe Veteran, JP Carlsen, with a slight twist in its casting. The story unfolds over the bustling peak working hours for creatives: Friday's Night to Saturday's. Eight differently talented artists at eight different milestones in their careers maneuver their exciting opportunities and lament the pitfalls and heartache that their dedicated gifts have wrought while the audience watches through a 24 hour window into an honest "day" in the life. This play, however, is not your run of the mill reflection on a bunch of creatives' processes asking audiences to empathize with how hard it is to be a comedian... or a singer-songwriter... or a tech bro or any of the five other artists in the cast.

This play is about entertainment and Carlsen wants his audience to be entertained, which is why the troupe of actors he's assembled are not just playing the talented characters he's written but bringing them to life with their real world experience. Each of the actors on stage have dedicated experience in the specific talent their character possesses. Jade Tjin, the actor portraying the character of The Magician, is Jade the San Francisco based award-winning illusionist who has decades of fooling and mystifying audiences under her belt with decades more to come. Kristen Brown, the actor portraying The Lyricist, is Kristen Brown season 24 finalist on NBC's The Voice and a working singer-songwriter currently on her Coast to Country Tour. The Cellist is portrayed by a brilliant young composer, Joe Silvers. The Cartoonist is actually an actor and graphic artist, Michaela Ivey. The cast is filled with remarkable multi-hyphenates with varied levels of experience in their talent fields that are all preparing to give audience members of The Hudson Backstage a performance of a life time with never before seen artwork, magic tricks, songs and comedic acts from JP Carlsen himself as The Comic, who considers himself a novice stand-up as well as a student at LA's Groundlings School. Throughout the eight scenes that comprise the play's 24 hour narrative, these eight talents will take center stage to wow the audience with the genuine gifts that shape their characters' lives and choices. It truly is a Talent Show featuring eight acts in one play, that hopefully gives a little insight into the relationship between a person and their gifts.

Cast List: JP Carlsen (he/them) as The Comic, Marcus Wells (he/him) as The Inventor, Michaela Ivey (they/them) as The Cartoonist, Joe Silvers (he/him) as The Cellist, Jade Tjin (she/her) as The Magician, Caroline Hines (she/her) as The Designer, Jacob Martinez (he/him) as The Ecdysiast, and Kristen Brown (she/her) as The Lyricist.

Talent Show is written and led by JP Carlsen. Stage Managed by Stewart Wilson and Elena Maddy. Courtney Cummings is our production's Marketing Director and our set designer, Antonio Ferron, has teamed with our Prop Master, Manny Robertson, to build a vibrant stage for our talent acts. Projections directed by Fritz Davis.

Content Warning: Jacob Martinez, a skilled actor and dancer, will be portraying The Ecdysiast, a burlesque dancer. His performance will feature erotic dancing and semi-nudity. 18+

Los Angeles Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Hollywood Bowl)

5.9% of votes

2. HEATHERS (Backyard Playhouse: Treetop Production)

5.7% of votes

3. HAIR (Conundrum Theatre)

5.5% of votes

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