Composer-lyricist-librettist Fischoff's new concept for the piece about the modern artist Paul Gauguin is to have three young performers play all the roles. In the new Off-Off-Broadway staging, Gauguin is played by Dominic Scaglione, Jr., all the women by Kaylin Lee Clinton, and Van Gogh and other males by Adam Wright.
Fischoff, a tireless promoter of this work, will be at the piano for the non-Equity staging. He told Playbill.com that both he and the cast are directing the musical.
In addition to being a songwriter, Fischoff is a respected keyboard instrumentalist and recording artist. He wrote the pop hits "98.6" and "Lazy Day" with lyricist Tony Powers 40 years ago and still gets royalty checks, he said. Those who have recorded his work include Perry Como and Herb Alpert.
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All "scenic décor" will be reproductions of Gauguin's art. All seats for this latest incarnation of Gauguin/Savage Light are $25 and are available via smarttix.com at (212) 868-4444.
The Roy Arias venue is located at 300 West 43rd Street, Suite 507.
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The Gauguin show was on a shelf for years until Fischoff took another crack at it. It was seen in a reading at The York Theatre Company and had a second staged reading before getting an April 2006 workshop run, a modest affair with no sets. A second run began in November 2006 at the Abingdon's 50-seat space.
Fischoff said his goal with the 90-minute musical about the struggles of legendary painter Gauguin is "to inspire audiences to find what's special about them."
Paris, Tahiti, a teenage mistress and Gauguin's relationship with Vincent van Gogh are all elements in the musical.
Fischoff wrote music to the musical Sayonara, based on the James Michener novel and later film. Lyrics are by Hy Gilbert, and book is by William Luce. The work was seen regionally and is licensed through Samuel French. Its most visible staging was by the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey.
Fischoff also wrote music to Carole Bayer's lyrics for the flop Broadway musical, Georgy, based on "Georgy Girl," which played 11 performances in 1970. Two of its actresses were Tony Award nominated.
