NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day at Off-Broadway's Murder for Two With Brett RybackBrett Ryback stars as the ambitious, musically-inclined detective at the heart of the madcap Off-Broadway musical Murder for Two. He shares a recent two-show day at New World Stages.
By
Matthew Blank
January 01, 2014
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day at Off-Broadway's Murder for Two With Brett Ryback
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day at Off-Broadway's Murder for Two With Brett Ryback
Brett Ryback stars as the ambitious, musically-inclined detective at the heart of the madcap Off-Broadway musical Murder for Two. He shares a recent two-show day at New World Stages.
32 PHOTOS
It's a two-show Saturday at Murder for Two! Which means I need an early start. 9 AM sharp.
Brett Ryback
The first thing I do is belt a High-C#. Bam. Warmed up.
Brett Ryback
With that out of the way, I jump right out of bed to get started on the day!
Brett Ryback
Wait a minute - WHO THE HELL IS TAKING THESE PICTURES!?!?
Brett Ryback
Okay, coffee is a MUST for me. Two-Shows, One-Show, No-shows. Brain no worky without coffee.
Second to that is breakfast. Because I live in Los Angeles, I'm required to eat Kale at every meal. Mmm. People think actors are starving because they're poor. Turns out it's because they only eat egg whites and kale.
Brett Ryback
I have to get to the city as quickly as possible, and it's a long train ride from Brooklyn, so I multitask my morning routine. Shower, shaving AND brushing teeth all at once.
Brett Ryback
2 minutes later - Ready to go! And nary a scratch.
Brett Ryback
Now for the secret touch to looking young and healthy, and this is real. Dab a little bit of 100% organic virgin coconut oil under your eyes to combat dry skin. Seriously folks - I'm not making this up. Google it. I'm actually 104 years old.
Brett Ryback
Again - because I live in LA - anything below 65 and sunny is basically nuclear winter to me.
Brett Ryback
So I put on as MUCH clothing as I possibly can.
Brett Ryback
Because of my loooong commute from Brooklyn, I always bring along some light reading for the train ride.
Brett Ryback
Are we in Manhattan? Nope. Not yet.
Brett Ryback
Oh, look! Finally going over the bridge!
Brett Ryback
6 hours later, I get to our lovely theatre at New World Stages, and of course I have to take a selfie with myself. (Photo Bomb Credit: Jeff Blumenkrantz.)
Brett Ryback
One of our INCREDIBLE producers, Barbara Whitman has stopped by this morning.
Brett Ryback
And look, she brought us a fun Thanksgivnukkah treat. Home-baked Pumpkin Bread. Thanks, Barbara! You're the best.
Brett Ryback
Woah! Two-Show Day Twist! An entire half of our two-person cast is out sick, which means Jeremiah Ginn is on for Jeff Blumenkrantz!
Brett Ryback
It's his first time going on! Congrats, Jeremiah. (Does he have a nervous smile? I can't tell.)
Brett Ryback
Okay - show number one. Here we go!
Brett Ryback
A rare picture of me not on stage. I get a total of about 15 seconds spread out between two moments where I leave stage and get a hit of coconut water. Gotta get those electrolytes!
Brett Ryback
With the first show done, it's time to grab a quick work out. Er. At Crunch, not Cabaret.
Brett Ryback
Back to the theatre for a yummy salad. (More Kale. Duh.)
Brett Ryback
And then I do some AMAZING composing. (See how my hair is standing on end with amazement?)
Brett Ryback
Adam Overett, my very dedicated understudy, is apparently also composing. That's how committed he is to learning my EVERY move. Our assistant stage manager Libby Unsworth is very pleased.
Brett Ryback
Jeremiah is on again for the second show, so we go over some of the things that didn't go so smoothly the first show. Here we are rehearsing the scary exorcism scene where I bend my hand backwards and he looks up in terror as two orbs hover above us. (No
Brett Ryback
Time to get ready! Jeremiah was instructed to use hair product for the second show, so he's got quite the decision to make. I, meanwhile, am an old pro when it comes to doing my hair (but have quite a bit to learn about buttoning my pants.)
Brett Ryback
Libby attempts to get us to places, but we just want to spread world peace, man!
Brett Ryback
Oh look! Lyricist and Co-Bookwriter Kellen Blair stopped by with his girlfriend Sarah Ziegler after seeing the show. Instead of flowers, Kellen brought a coat and scarf as a gift. That's so thoughtful, Kellen!
Brett Ryback
Finally, no two-show day would be complete without a glass of wine with my BFF, Lesli Margherita.
Brett Ryback
Well...TWO glasses of wine...
Brett Ryback
Or the entire bottle. Why not? It's a loooong train ride back to Brooklyn. Bye!!
The production, which was originally scheduled to play a limited engagement through Jan. 5, 2014, continues through March 16, 2014. Murder For Two features book and music by Kinosian, book and lyrics by Kellen Blair and direction by Scott Schwartz.
The physical Off-Broadway cast album will hit shelves Feb. 11, 2014, and is produced by Joel Moss, with Kurt Deutsch serving as executive producer. To pre-order, click here. For other theatrical merchandise, visit the Playbill Store. Producers Jayson Raitt, Barbara Whitman, Steven Chaikelson and Second Stage Theatre present the production, which began performances Oct. 23, prior to an official opening Nov. 6, at New World's Stage 5.
Here's how the musical is billed: "Everyone is a suspect in Murder For Two, a hilarious musical murder mystery with a twist: one actor (Ryback) investigates the crime, the other plays all of the suspects (Blumenkrantz) and they both play the piano! A zany blend of classic musical comedy and madcap mystery, this 90-minute whodunit is a highly theatrical duet loaded with killer laughs."
Kinosian and Blair are the recipients of the 2011 Joseph Jefferson Award, recognizing Murder for Two as the Best New Musical Work in Chicago following its seven-month run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Prior to Chicago, developmental productions took place at the Adirondack Theater Festival, the Hangar Theater and 42nd Street Moon. Their work has been showcased at the York Theater's 2012 NEO Concert, The Kennedy Center's Broadway Today and Tomorrow series, The Kauffman Center's Bound for Broadway concert and a November 2012 New York Theatre Barn Concert. Past work includes Pirates Don't Change Diapers for TheatreWorks USA.
Other members of the creative team include scenic designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Andrea Lauer, lighting designer Jason Lyons and sound designer Jill BC DuBoff.
The production will include Bernstein’s incidental music for Lillian Hellman’s adaptation of The Lark, and Menotti’s The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and The Manticore.
Based on the novel and film by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the new musical will reunite Guettel with Tony-winning Light in the Piazza director Bartlett Sher.
