Zak Zooms in on Vampire Zeitgeist

Posted by Bruce Miller
Zak Resnick, who was recently nominated by the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle as Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Jimmy Smith in last summer’s Thoroughly Modern Millie at Barksdale, will be making his NYC theatre debut with the New York Musical Theatre Festival this month, playing a leading role in The Cure, described in blurb-speak as follows:

“In this rock ‘n’ roll fable, two friends stumble across the world’s last surviving vampires. Offered the chance to live forever, one man is seduced while the other barely escapes with his life, setting in motion an even greater fight for survival. At the crossroads of humanity and immortality, lies … THE CURE.”

Is it just me, or do vampires seem to be everywhere these days?


While earning his BFA in Acting and Musical Theatre from Carnegie Mellon University, Zak racked up some NYC concert credits as one of the Broadway Boys, a popular ensemble of tenors who deliver hip renditions of Broadway classics on the cabaret scene.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival marks a great step forward.

In 1983, actor Tim Jerome founded the National Music Theatre Network to produce and present staged readings of promising new musicals, providing NYC exposure and career-building opportunities to countless new composers and lyricists. Four Part Harmony, a new musical about the Vietnam prisoner-of-war experiences of Richmonders Paul and Phyllis Galanti which debuted at Theatre IV in the early 90s, was selected by the NMTN for an NYC reading shortly after its Richmond premiere.
In 2004, realizing that readings were now endemic in American theatre, the NMTN morphed into the New York Music Theatre Festival, presenting full-blown productions of new musicals. For the last five years, the Festival has presented more than 30 new musicals during a three-week fall marathon at venues throughout NYC’s midtown theatre district. Hit shows that have originated at the Festival include Altar Boys, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and [title of show].

In 2008, [title of show] (a particular favorite of mine) became the first Festival production to transfer to Broadway, complete with its Festival cast.

Many congratulations to Zak for landing this great opportunity so soon after his move to New York. We’ll follow his advancing career with best wishes and great interest.

--Bruce Miller

(All photos are of Zak and the cast of The Cure.)

RTP Announces Move to New Home

Posted by Bruce Miller
Three cheers and more for the Richmond Triangle Players. In the latest edition of their newsletter, Playergram, they announced that the rumors we’ve all been bandying about are true. RTP is acquiring a new home!

“A fabulous opportunity has been made available,” the article begins. “Following our Gala last September, Robb Moss came to us with the offer to make available a building for a new home. During the past eight months, the RTP Board has worked to make sure this would be the Next Stage for RTP. Architects, engineers, as well as legal and financial advisers studied the details to ensure a viable project. We have also received encouragement from some funding sources to help us get started.”

“We have now signed a lease for space that will become a 4,000 square foot performing arts facility. The plans call for a 90-seat theater, a graceful lobby, a generous bar, catering capability, and comfortable restrooms. The location is centrally located at 1300 Altamont Avenue, in historic Scott’s Addition, at the corner of W. Marshall Street, one block from Broad, and two blocks west of the Boulevard. The theatre will accommodate a stage that is double the area of the old one, with a high ceiling for proper lighting and technical equipment, backstage space and large dressing areas.”

“What we need now is to raise the necessary construction funds. Total cost is estimated at $500,000. In addition to capital costs, we hope to get commitments for $180,000 over the next three years to cover the additional costs of operating and maintaining the building.”

The first two shows in Triangle’s 2008-09 Season will be presented in a cabaret setting at Highwater Restaurant at Toad’s Place downtown on the Canal. The third production, Altar Boys, is searching for a “church setting in the Fan,” exact location TBA. Builders are telling the Triangle Board that their new facilities could be ready in “less than a year,” so the locations for the third show, opening in March, and the fourth show, opening in May, are yet to be determined.

Theatre IV purchased the historic Empire Theatre in 1986, a couple months into our 12th year of operations. Triangle has just celebrated its 15th season of successful operations. The time is right to move into a new home. Nothing energizes a Board of Directors more than an enthusiastic capital campaign, and nothing puts a nonprofit theatre company on the map more than new and improved facilities.

We wish our friends at RTP nothing but the best as they take this important and impressive step forward. Barksdale and Theatre IV will be happy to help out in any way we can.

--Bruce Miller