Drew Minard - Billy

[angelenroute]

I had no idea he was in a show! I'll definitely have to go and see it. Crazy that I missed that--or did we all?

EDIT: Never mind, I see I commented on it earlier in his thread. Geez, time's flying past and I forgot already!

Sean

[CJ-Rochester]

The announcement about The Beautiful Dark was posted here back in February and March (see page 11 of this thread). We probably all lost track of it with the excitement about his recent video. Looking forward to hearing some great reviews.

[Todd]

I read in his bio in that twitter picture that his brother posted that Drew is also slated to play the lead role of Evan in his school's musical "13." He attends the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City, which is coincidentally just a block or two away from The Imperial Theater - Billy's former Broadway home. I assume the school's musical productions are available to the public. I would imagine that Drew will do a fine job in that show.

[Eltonjohn]

Well, Oh Land's hair is blue, so you can draw your own conclusions from that, I suppose.

I just noticed that the ballet girls are all wearing matching red flats (which would have to be custom ordered.)
As this forum is open to kids of all ages, let's just say that while the lyrics say one thing, visually it seems to me that the storyline reflects a coming-of-age theme, it's pretty clear.

BE (film and musical) also touch on this theme, of course.

[kport]

Sounddessert.com has posted this interesting article about Oh Land's 'Cherry On Top' video, with a few interesting factoids:

http://www.sounddessert.com/oh-lands-ch ... ballerino/

[fifemajor]

Beautiful Dark - Review

I had the pleasure of seeing Drew in the off-Broadway play "The Beautiful Dark" this afternoon. Drew plays the role of Charlie, the 13 year old brother of 18 year old Jacob, the plays central character. The theater is very small, accommodating only about 35 people. In fact, my front row seat was actually on the stage. The set was a kitchen and living room of a typical suburban home.

Jacob has just been sent home from college, presumably because he was kicked out for his grades. Jacob has a number of hidden demons, and the theme of the play is how his divorced parents try to deal with him, and help him through his troubles. Jacob is very intelligent and a very gifted and creative writer. No one close to him, including his former teacher, recognize that his writings are signs of a very troubled teen. It is revealed that Jacob attempted suicide when he was around 14, and we discover that he was sent home because of a play that he wrote in college in which he threatens violence against his school.

The play is very intense, and the actors did a marvelous job. I was on the edge of my seat wondering when and if Jacob would attempt to carry out the threats. When his parents read his play and discover that he has a secret storage locker, they realize that he is indeed in need of help, and might pose a danger to himself and others.

The relationships between Charlie (Drew), Jacob, and the parents are very realistically portrayed. Charlie looks up to his brother, and attempts to help and protect him. However, he grows fearful of Jacob. Drew's acting is natural and convincing in his interactions with his mother and brother. There are times when he acts like a typical young teenager, rebelling against his mother's demands. While at other times he is sensitive and conflicted in his relations with his brother.

I have only seen Drew in Billy Elliot and in the recent music video, where his talents as a dancer, actor, and singer are featured. This play is a serious drama, and Drew's acting talents are spotlighted. He, and the entire cast, were amazing.

The show runs until May 18. For a synopsis of the play, go back to page 11 on this thread. There is a link to a NY Times article about the show when it played at Keane University.

Here is a link to the Broadway World website:
http://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadw ... 2b9eOBCbUM

I posted some stage door photos of Drew on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gvorwald/ ... 110205754/

Fifemajor

[kport]

Those are great photos! And a great review!. Many thanks for sharing them.

[CJ-Rochester]

I agree. Thanks for the review and great photos Gary!

[michaelJ]

Gary's review of The Beautiful Dark was right on the money. It is an engrossing drama with some laughs mixed in and highlighted by some excellent performances. The entire cast was good but three stood out the most for me - Jesse Turits (Jacob), Colleen Clinton (Mom), and Drew (Charlie). All three were completely natural, convincing, and seemed perfectly comfortable on stage. The stage, as mentioned, is literally a kitchen. I sat about three feet from the kitchen table, and many scenes were with the actors at the table. I think it would be easier to act on a large stage (less personal), than in a setting where part of the audience is practically in the scene with you! A big congratulations to Drew for taking this challenge and nailing it. You would never guess that this was his first purely dramatic role. I'm impressed!

[CJ-Rochester]

Drew has posted that he will be playing the role of Evan in his school's production of '13!'. Congratulations!
http://instagram.com/p/l0uJObQxxl/#/

Drew posted on his Instagram that the performances of his school's production of '13' will be May 29-31.

http://instagram.com/p/oCY2qmQx4x/#