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Interview: Michael Pearce Donley of TRIPLE ESPRESSO at 30th Anniversary Tour

Performances run December 26, 2025 - January 11, 2026. 

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Interview: Michael Pearce Donley of TRIPLE ESPRESSO at 30th Anniversary Tour

Described as a “highly caffeinated comedy,” Triple Espresso centers around three friends whose attempt to break into the spotlight comes crashing down in four minutes on live television. The family-friendly show incorporates music, magic and offers something for all ages.

BroadwayWorld caught up with one of the original creatives, Michael Pearce Donley, to chat about their 30th Anniversary Tour that will be brewing up laughs a minute from December 26, 2025 - January 11, 2026. 

BW: 30 Years is a momentous anniversary to mark. How does it feel to return to this role after so many years?

MPD: One word: Joy. And another word: Gratitude. Nobody gets to do this in theater, and I feel so grateful.

BW: What has changed since the original production? Besides obviously aging (haha).

MPD: We like to say we wrote the show in 5 weeks and a lifetime. Many things have been tightened up, cut and added, but the majority is still the same. The Paper Dance (the finale of the show) is now just as it was when we first did it for my wife in our basement and she peed her pants.

BW: Do you find that the show is more or less relevant now than when it was originally produced? 

MPD: The need to forget your troubles for 90 minutes, to laugh from your gut, to hear your kid or your mom laugh beside you, has never been more relevant. 

BW: The world can definitely use some joy right now, besides the laughs, what do you hope that audience will take away from this new revival?

MPD: We crave connection with the people we love, even those who share different ideologies. Theater is not a movie, it’s an interaction with other breathing human beings on and off stage. If we can share joy together, maybe we’re not so different. 

BW: The world has changed so much in regard to social media and how word travels, have there been any updates to the script to reflect that?

MPD: The world has certainly changed, and there are a few jokes that didn’t age well, and we've paid attention to that and adjusted. But we don’t riff on the latest headline or pop culture trend, we let the show do what it does which is make people laugh and walk away feeling better.



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