I spent the afternoon with Broadway vet Jose Llana at Carroll Music who was rehearsing for his Lincoln Center “American Songbook” debut set. The concert is on Thursday, March 12, 2015, in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, 165 West 65th Street, Rose Building, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10023. Showtime: 8:00 pm. Call CenterCharge at 212.721.6500 (10:00 am–9:00 pm) for ticket availability. $100 tickets include an afterparty.
Jose Llana and Jaygee Macapugay as Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos in HERE LIES LOVE. Photo by Lia Chang
Llana’s recent star turn as Marcos in David Byrne & Fat Boy Slim’s Here Lies Love at The Public Theater (dir. Alex Timbers), was his most charismatic and seductive to date, and garnered him a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.
I photographed Jose and company in rehearsal – check out the photos below.
Llana’s concert will be a virtual Here Lies Love reunion onstage with musical direction by Kimberly Grigsby (HLL musical director); musical arrangements and orchestrations by Matt Stine (HLL musical editor) and Cody Owen Stine; and HLL cast members Jaygee Macapugay (Imelda), Jeigh Madjus and Enrico Rodriguez as his background singers.
1st Row- Erico Rodriguez, Jaygee Macapugay, Jeigh Madjus. 2nd Row- Jack Bashkow, Simon Kafka, Kimberly Grigsby, Jose Llana, Matt Stine, Pete Donovan, Kevin Garcia. Photo by Lia Chang
The musicians include Kimberly Grigsby (Piano), Kevin Garcia (Drums), Pete Donovan (Bass), Simon Kafka (Guitar) and Jack Bashkow (Reeds).
Jack Bashkow, Simon Kafka, Kimberly Grigsby, Pete Donovan and Kevin Garcia. Photo by Lia Chang
The program will be a celebration of Llana’s 19 year career that will include R&H, Adam Guettel, Leonard Bernstein, William Finn and, of course, David Byrne. There will also be a Tagalog song from his Filipino album along with some pop music for fun.
Jaygee Macapugay, Jeigh Madjus, Enrico Rodriguez, Simon Kafka and Jose Llana. Photo by Lia Chang
Jose Llana with Ann Harada, who made her Lincoln Center American Songbook Concert debut last February. Photo by Lia Chang
Jose Llana’s Broadway credits include Chip Tolentino in William Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee (Drama Desk Award, dir. James Lapine), El Gato in Wonderland, Wang Ta in David Henry Hwang’s adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, Angel in RENT (dir. Michael Greif), Jessie-Lee in Streetcorner Symphony and his debut as Lun Tha in the 1996 Revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King & I opposite Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Phillips. Off-Broadway appearances include Adam in Falling For Eve (York), Gabey in On the Town (dir. George C. Wolfe, Delacorte) and Adam Guettel’s Saturn Returns (dir. Tina Landau, Public Theater). Regional appearances include Bill Sikes in Oliver! (Papermill), Guillaume in Cameron Mackintosh’s Martin Guerre (Guthrie Theater), Tin Man in Ballad of Little Jo (Steppenwolf Theater, dir. Tina Landau, Jefferson Nomination – Best Supporting Actor) and Candide in Candide (Prince Theater, Barrymore Nomination – Best Actor). TV/Film appearances include HBO’s “Sex and the City“ opposite Margaret Cho and Hitch with Will Smith. Appearing on numerous cast albums Jose is also a best-selling recording artist on the VIVA Philippines label. Training from Manhattan School of Music. Jose is a constant advocate for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and serves on the Advisory Committee for Broadway Impact for Marriage Equality. www.josellana.com
Kimberly Grigsby, Jose Llana and Matt Stine. Photo by Lia Chang
KIM GRIGSBY – Musical Director/Piano
Music directing/conducting credits include, on Broadway: Spider- Man: Turn Off The Dark (music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge); Spring Awakening (music by Duncan Sheik); The Light in the Piazza (lyrics & music by Adam Guettel); Caroline, or Change (music by Jeanine Tesori); The Full Monty (lyrics & music by David Yazbek); You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; and Twelfth Night (music by Jeanine Tesori); and Off-Broadway, Brooklynite! (music and lyrics by Peter Lerman); The Fortress of Solitude (music and lyrics by Michael Friedman); Here Lies Love (music and lyrics by David Byrne); Coraline (lyrics & music by Stephin Merritt); Mother Courage and Her Children (music by Jeanine Tesori); Two Gentlemen of Verona; Songs From an Unmade Bed (various composers, lyrics by Mark Campbell); The Immigrant (music by Steven Alper); Radiant Baby (music by Debra Barsha); and Twelfth Night (music by Duncan Sheik). For the Lincoln Center Songbook Series, Kimberly has appeared with Michael Winther, Duncan Sheik, Michael Friedman and the 2005 concert of Spring Awakening. Other collaborations include My Life Is A Fairy Tale and Orphan of Zhao, both with lyrics & music by Stephin Merritt for Lincoln Center Festival; Telaio: Desdemona (by Susan Botti); and the premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s The Lion, The Unicorn and Me for Washington National Opera. Ms. Grigsby holds degrees from Southern Methodist University and Manhattan School of Music.
Directions
The Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse is on the 10th floor of the Rose Building, between Broadway and Amsterdam. The building may be reached via stairs, elevator, and escalator to the west of the entrance to The Juilliard School. If coming from Lincoln Center’s main plazas, take the pedestrian bridge across 65th Street and turn left past the escalator to enter the building.
To reach the Kaplan Penthouse by subway, take the uptown 1 local service to 66th Street–Lincoln Center. The M5, M7, M10, M11, M66 and M104 bus lines also stop within one block of Lincoln Center.
Related articles:
Jose Llana Set for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Debut on March 12
Up Close and Personal with Jose Llana; HERE LIES LOVE Star Set for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Debut on March 12, 2015
Photos: Late Night at HERE LIES LOVE with Jaygee Macapugay, David Byrne, Jose Llana, Conrad Ricamora, Melody Butiu and More
Photos: Harriet Harris, John Tartaglia, Christine Toy Johnson, Alan Muraoka, James Saito and More celebrate Ann Harada’s Debut at Lincoln Center in the American Songbook Series
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Apple Video Podcast: New York Post Writer Michael Riedel Interviews David Byrne, Jaygee Macapugay, Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora of Here Lies Love
Lucille Lortel Awards for Here Lies Love, Fun Home, The Open House, Good Person of Szechwan
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NYMF: Prison Dancer starring Jose Llana, Jeigh Madjus, Marc delaCruz, Catherine Ricafort, Moses Villarama, Cosmo Clemens, Enrico Rodriguez, Albert Guerzon, Andrew Eisenman and Nathan Ramos at Theatre at St. Clement’s, July 20-28, 2012
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The Making of the Flower Drum Song Cast Album
Flower Drum Song, An American Story
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