From here to Modernity...
Gavin
And
Me
Composer-guitarist
Robbie Roth
joins U-M-trained
Broadway star on
stage in Ann Arbor.
Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News
Ann Arbor
R
obbie Roth, who visited
Michigan as a young hockey
competitor, soon returns as a
musical performer.
The songwriter-guitarist will join
singer-pianist-actor Gavin Creel
Wednesday evening, April 13, at the
Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor.
"It's going to be an exciting show
because it's Gavin's return to his alma
mater," says Roth, 37, who records
with Creel. "Gavin graduated from the
University of Michigan's musical theater
program and spent a number of his
formative years in Ann Arbor. A lot of
what he brings to the stage he learned
by going to school there.
"We're doing a little something differ-
ent with this tour because it's just Gavin
and me. I play my acoustic guitar, and
Gavin sings. It's very bare bones, which
makes the show about the music, lyrics
and performance rather than a band.
"This challenges us to really get inside
the songs, some from our new record-
ing, Quiet. We'll likely do a few songs off
Gavin's first recording, Goodtimenation,
and Gavin may throw in a few surprises
from Broadway."
Creel, 34, who played Claude in the
Broadway revival of Hair before trav-
eling to London's West End with the
show last year, was nominated for a
Best Actor Tony Award for Hair and for
his Broadway debut as Jimmy Smith in
Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Roth, primarily a songwriter for pop
artists, met Creel through a record label
The Jewish Ensemble Theatre proudly presents the Midwest Premiere of
NEIA1ERUSALEM
The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27,1656
BY DAVID IVES
that represented lots of young Broadway
entertainers who wanted to break into
the pop world. Roth's job was to get
know what artists wanted to do and
produce their records.
"Gavin was the first performer I was
introduced to," Roth says. "We hit it off
beautifully. About a year after meeting,
we produced our first recording."
Roth's interest in music reaches back
to his mother's influence as a hobby pia-
nist. Before guitar, he played piano and
drums. After joining high school bands,
he started to write music in various
ways just for fun.
"In my first year of law school, I was
approached by a few record labels and
ultimately signed with one,' he says. "I
struggled three or four years as an artist,
making my own music, promoting it,
touring and doing a video.
"I started to write for television shows,
documentaries and films and moved
headlong into writing for pop artists.
"About five years ago, I came to fall
in love with musical theater. I've been
working on a stage adaptation of the
movie Flashdance, which is touring
Europe and coming back to North
America next summer."
Roth, who has done benefit concerts
for Jewish organizations and performed
at synagogues, has toured to Israel and
worked with the Israeli band Ethnics.
Although most of Roth's work is
outside of Toronto, he keeps his home
there because of family. He and his wife,
chiropractor and acupuncturist Michelle
Fagen, have a 2-year-old son, Oliver.
"I'm in the midst of slowly finishing a
recording of my own," he says. "It's taken
me about six years. I haven't had much
time to devote to it." I I
The Kerrytown Concert House presents Gavin Creel, with special guest
Robbie Roth, 8 and 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 13. Located at 415 N.
Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. $10-$30. (734) 769-2999;
www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com .
NOW PLAYING: MARCH 16 - APRIL 10, 2011
"Mitchell Koory as Spinoza is LUMINOUS!" — The Rogue Critic
"Magidson's direction is SUPERLATIVE!" — Ronelle Grier, The Jewish News
"Baruch de Spinoza was a DANGEROUS man. Thinkers usually are." — John Quinn, Encore Michigan
"Ushers in FRESH ways of THINKING!" — John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
"A familiar and TALENTED cast!"
—
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
CALL NOW! 248.788.2900 • WWW.JETTHEATRE.ORG
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