It’s been since March that I have not written of the accounts of living with my life of teaching students and my theater journey.
After Living in the Wind by Michael Bradford, i embarked on a project that tested my will and patience. I survived by
grace and the very word patience. The Big Bank, By Daniel and Jacob Seligmann was a journey from beginning to end, and what a Journey it was!
Our meeting with Jacob (The composer) in March started with promise, until we realized that he has no score. Yes, that’s right no score!!!
We sat, we talked and deadlines were made to get the score in order. The process of auditions was always an interesting part of any project that we undertake.
We had casting calls locally and in NYC and finally made the choice to cast locally as far as New Haven. We found the perfect cast for the show!
Pulling together Technical crew was the easiest part of the process. They came from near and far to help us achieve and build an amazing set. Christine Poland our choreographer was just amazing and weeks of dancing and singing with our musical director Pawel Jura was a fun experience. Our rehearsals under the direction of Theresa Broach were extraordinary. Johnny on the spot (Assistant Stage Manager) Roy Bourque with his lighting and Vic Panciera, our Stage Manager and not to mention dressing our cast to perfection. Justin coming on board and running the sound, wow so many areas to tackle with such thing. Night after night we came together as a cast and crew creating our very first Original Musical Theater production. We enjoyed the process because it was a family musical with a voice and a message. Here is to the musical that no one believed in until the Emerson Theater Collaborative believe in it first. It now lives and is trying to make its way to Broadway with a whole new cast and crew. We were proud to have given it wings to fly!
Emerson Theater Collaborative’s Cast and Crew of The Big Bank
The Big Bank by Jacob and Daniel Seligmann
Cast
The Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Olson
Stuart Stevens . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . ..Paul James Lang
Mickey Starkes, Omar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nichelle Rollins
Clarence Underwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Reilly
Parsley Underwood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mackenzie Ackley, Morgan Heller
Iris Jablonski. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diane Foster
Edith Jablonski. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jane Moran
The Bankers:
Mabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Camilla Ross
Cartwright. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marta Rymer
Campbell, Man in Flower Shop, David. . . . . . . . Christopher Lee Williams
Fishman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aziza Clayton
Franky Gescondi, Director and Archbishop. . . .. . Mark Foster
Women in the Flower shop, Mover, Cameraman . . .. .Cynthia Brayman
Turkey Buzzard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Char Levo
Understudy, Mover. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . Christine Thompson
Zoo Creatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. Shayla Goode, Ciara Rollins
Band
Bass Players . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .James Hunter and Evan Duigo
Drums, Guitar, Mandolin. . . . . . . . . . . … . Dave McNamara
Piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pawel Jura
Crew
Producer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Camilla Ross
Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theresa Broach
Musical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pawel Jura
Piano Arrangements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Stuart Hemingway
Trio Arrangements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacob Seligmann and Dave McNamara
Assistant Director . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . Lisa Giordano
Choreographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Poland
Stage Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vic Panciera
Assistant Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon Capozzoli
Costume Designers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vic Panciera, Alex McCune, Gail DeCoteau
Scene Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeanette Drake
Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roy Bourque
Properties Master. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Justin Burgess
Scenic Painters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joseph Caruso, Jeanette Drake
Set Construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Bordne, Dan Mauro, Peter Strand
Publicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Lisa Giordano
Illustrator/Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Paolucci
Synopsis
The Big Bank is a fun, hopeful and moving musical comedy about foreclosure, greed, money,
life and love that couldn’t be more perfect for our time. The Big Bank is a mortgage lender in
Brooklyn that is furnished wall-to-wall with the loot from repossessed estates. Their philosophy
is, “We respossess and make you wish you’d never taken a loan…” One of the bankers, Stuart
Stevens, falls in love with a woman whose flower shop he must foreclose on…
Logo Image created by Sarah Paolucci
The Passages of Ross 