NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Welcome to Amsterdam!" Backstage at the Arden Theatre's Tulipomania With Billy BustamanteCast member Billy Bustamante takes Playbill.com readers behind the scenes (and on a walking tour of Philly) at the new musical Tulipomania: The Musical, playing its world premiere at the Arden Theatre Company.
By
Matthew Blank
June 25, 2012
Bustamante shows off some of the city's famous sights before heading to the theatre and introducing the world of Tulipomania.
0
of
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Welcome to Amsterdam!" Backstage at the Arden Theatre's Tulipomania With Billy Bustamante
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Welcome to Amsterdam!" Backstage at the Arden Theatre's Tulipomania With Billy Bustamante
Cast member Billy Bustamante takes Playbill.com readers behind the scenes (and on a walking tour of Philly) at the new musical Tulipomania: The Musical, playing its world premiere at the Arden Theatre Company. Read the Playbill.com story.
52 PHOTOS
I'm having an awesome time working on this great show at the Arden Theatre and am excited to give you all a taste of Philly, the Arden, and our wonderful cast!
Billy Bustamante
Taking a stroll through Philly on the way to the theatre. This is Broad St. A.K.A. the "Avenue Of The Arts".
Billy Bustamante
Quick shout out to my alma mater, The University of the Arts. Half of the Tulipomania company are U. Arts grads!
Billy Bustamante
Philly is filled with art on every corner. Here is my favorite mural. It's in a parking lot!
Billy Bustamante
I finally reach the Arden Theatre which is in the heart of Old City. It's a neighborhood filled with history, great bars, restaurants and art galleries. It's always an entertaining stroll down these streets.
You'll always find a tour guide in period dress showing tourists the historic sites in the area.
Billy Bustamante
Like Betsy Ross's house! Located steps from the Arden!
Billy Bustamante
People here love their pets...And who wouldn't love that green cutie pie?!
Billy Bustamante
Quick stop by my favorite coffee shop to fuel up before the show...
Billy Bustamante
Outside the theatre I run into Alan, one of the Arden's Professional Apprentices advertising the Arden's two shows: Robin Hood and TULIPOMANIA!
Billy Bustamante
Quick stop to check out the gorgeous lobby where people are just getting out or an early showing of Robin Hood.
Billy Bustamante
The headshot board. I took a couple of these!
Billy Bustamante
A peek at the plans for the Arden's new space to be opened a few doors down the street. Very exciting!
Billy Bustamante
And now for the behind the scenes stuff...
Billy Bustamante
I run into the lovely Madalyn (who plays the "Daughter" in our show) signing in at the call board.
Billy Bustamante
Our lovely crew members chilling out in the green room.
Billy Bustamante
It's jam session day in the green room! Here are cast members, Ben Dibble and Jeff Coon going over some music.
Billy Bustamante
Here's our genius Music Director, Dan Kazemi and cast member, Alex Keiper jamming out.
Billy Bustamante
Alex decided to let it rip at the end...And it was amazing.
Billy Bustamante
Now to get ready! Here's cast member, Joilet Harris putting the finishing touches on her show face.
Billy Bustamante
Madalyn getting some work done at her station.
Billy Bustamante
Alex curling her hair to match the picture that gets drawn of her in the show.
Billy Bustamante
The resemblance is uncanny!
Billy Bustamante
Alex channeling her inner Chorus Line dancer.
Billy Bustamante
In the men's dressing room, Jeff is all dressed and squeezes in a quick game before heading out to do his pre-show.
Billy Bustamante
Ben showing us what happened to his slipper on his way to work.
Billy Bustamante
And enter cast member, Adam Heller. Adam has the coolest folding bike on the planet. Here's the BEFORE...
Billy Bustamante
And AFTER! It amazes me every time!
Billy Bustamante
Here I am showing off the hand made cigar boxes we got for opening night from our awesome author/ composer, Michael Ogborn.
Billy Bustamante
Here's the view from the wing as I hop into the house for some pre-show pics!
Billy Bustamante
Here's our wonderful Stage Manager, John making sure everything is set before opening the house.
Billy Bustamante
I have to say it. Our theatre rocks. Gotta love the hanging lanterns. They almost look like upside down tulips!
Billy Bustamante
And Set Designer, James Kronzer did an amazing job creating our Amsterdam hash bar. The audience gets this awesome view but there are so many details that make this set so special...
Billy Bustamante
Our menu board which shows our selection of "herbal refreshments".
Billy Bustamante
Our side tables that double as chess boards. Jeff plays a bit during the pre-show.
Billy Bustamante
Here's our hand painted tile that get referenced in the show.
Billy Bustamante
Our bathroom complete with old postcards, and disco ball.
Billy Bustamante
Our Asst. Stage Manager, Sam and our Stage Manager, John doing a final check.
Billy Bustamante
Here's Jeff all dressed and ready to do his pre-show.
Billy Bustamante
Jeff gets to be in the bar working as the audience comes in. First he portions out the pot. Fake, of course.
Billy Bustamante
Then he rolls the joints we all smoke throughout the show.
Billy Bustamante
Almost done...
Billy Bustamante
I grab a quick shot of the back of the set before the house opens. Could we have a more perfect address?
Billy Bustamante
Adam, Ben and I are all dressed and ready to start the show. We are all on stage the entire time so I'll see you at the finish line.
Billy Bustamante
As a special treat, Tulipomania's writer, Michael hosted a piano bar-style sing along after the show!
Billy Bustamante
Here's Michael and one of our musicians, Andrew rocking out for everyone.
Billy Bustamante
Robin Hood cast member, Steve Pacek takes the mic and offers a little ditty.
Billy Bustamante
As does Robin Hood cast member, Carl Clemons-Hopkins. The man can scat!
Billy Bustamante
Next up, Alex belting out one of her old favorites.
Billy Bustamante
Then Joilet finishes the show with some R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Billy Bustamante
The lady can sing!
Billy Bustamante
And that concludes our day at the Adren Theatre and Tulipomania! Come down to Philly and check us out! Show runs through July 1.
The show features book, music and lyrics by Barrymore Award winner Michael Ogborn.
Arden previously gave voice to Ogborn's Baby Case, his provocative musical fantasia about the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, which won the native-son songwriter a Barrymore; that show is getting its New York premiere this summer in the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
For the 17th century-set Tulipomania: The Musical, playing to July 1 on the F. Otto Haas Stage, director Terrence J. Nolen has collected a cast of Arden veterans, including Jeff Coon (Arden's Sunday in the Park with George, Assassins), Ben Dibble (Candide, Assassins), Adam Heller (My Name Is Asher Lev; Caroline, or Change, Off-Broadway's Make Me a Song, Merrily We Roll Along), Joilet F. Harris (Barrymore Award for Caroline, or Change; Violet), Alex Keiper (The Flea and the Professor) and Billy Bustamante (Pacific Overtures). Here's how Arden bills the musical: "Before we had the subprime mortgage crisis or the dot com bust, Holland had the Tulip craze of 1636, the first recorded financial bubble. Six strangers in an Amsterdam hash bar recall this seedy story of love, sex, money, and power, as the story shifts seamlessly between both time periods."
Ogborn said in production notes, "The score is contemporary in sound, structure and arrangement with harmonic underpinnings of 17th-century music and folk ballad forms, along with influences from Turkey and Afghanistan where the tulip was first discovered. This story gives me the opportunity to return to the themes I began exploring as a young composer: greed, forgiveness, redemption — and how one man's actions profoundly affect those around him and history itself."
Tulipomania is Arden's third Ogborn premiere following 2001's Baby Case (Barrymore Award for Outstanding Original Music) and 2003's Café Puttanesca.
The production team creating the "smoky production" includes set designer James Kronzer (Barrymore Award winner for Something Intangible), costume designer Rosemarie McKelvey (Barrymore Award winner for Something Intangible and Caroline, or Change), lighting designer John Stephen Hoey and sound designer Jorge Cousineau. Music director Dan Kazemi leads "the live band of six onstage musicians who are incorporated into the action of the on-stage hash bar."
Arden is at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City, Philadelphia. Visit ardentheatre.org for more information.
The queer-themed short plays will be made available for free to non-profit theatres, schools, and community organizations to support fundraising for LGBTQIA+ groups.
