Photos courtesy of Choices: A Rock Opera, LLC
John Krupa’s breakout musical is set for a second showing at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in November.
Following a thunderous debut back in April, which rocked Armonk to the tune of three oversold shows, Choices: A Rock Opera has set its sights on Chappaqua. The musical’s second performances are set to premiere at 8 p.m. on both Friday, November 11 and Saturday, November 12 at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. There will also be a matinee on Sunday, November 13 at 2 p.m.
The rock opera follows the young and driven lead singer of a spandex-wearing, big-haired ’80s rock band called Choices. Despite relative success in the music industry, the singer’s singular focus on the band has left him emotionally stunted and exhausted. The singer is given a new lease on life in the form of a beautiful woman he meets after a show, one who introduces him to the vast and vibrant world outside of the band. This is undercut by his wild bandmates and mysterious manager – who promises the singer a one-way ticket to super-stardom – to continue his rock-and-roll lifestyle. With two potential paths before him, the singer finds himself at a crossroads. Should he abandon the only life he’s ever known for a chance at true happiness, or should he double-down on his hard lifestyle and realize his dream of becoming a famous rock-star?
For those who have already seen Choices, this second set of performances won’t be quite like the first. During the new run of shows in Chappaqua, audiences can expect brand-new material. In addition to a few new scenes, there are six brand-new songs that are set to debut at these shows. According to John Krupa, the writer and director of Choices, these new additions serve to deepen the backstories of several characters, all while giving the audience more of the hard-hitting guitar riffs and synth lines for which the soundtrack is known.
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“In the first shows, we purposely left a lot to the interpretation of the viewer,” explains Krupa. “In response, viewers suggested that we provide them a little more information about the characters and the storyline to help them see things more clearly. We were happy to oblige.” Krupa states the new scenes and tracks, “give more clarity to important elements of the plot, illuminating reasons why a character acts a certain way or interacts with another character in a certain way. These changes do not change the storyline at all, but merely enhance it.”
“With six new songs and an enhanced storyline, we are excited to continue to explore the characters and music in this new full production,” says Krupa. “Our talented cast of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theater performers continue to bring this important story to life.”
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MiG Ayesa (Queen of the Damned, “Rockstar: INXS”), Layla DaVias (“American Idol,” “Star Search”), John Krupa, Nick Celio, and Joe Leo will be reprising their leading roles – Singer, Girlfriend, Manager, and The Bandmates respectfully – for the upcoming shows. The rest of the talented performers who round out the 16-member cast includes Choices alumni Ronnie DiMaria, Annemarie Josephson, Christina Labrador, Dave O’Briskie, and Mia Williams. The cast also includes some new faces: Holly Block, Lielle Burk, Elana Cantor, Elle Randall, Moriah Ritchie, and Katie Weinstein. The backing music will be provided by the tried-and-true team behind the original showing: Artie Dillon, Mike Rosenman, Tommy Vinton, and Bill Wittman, along with Hank DeCora, Jonathan Flaks, and Felix Guiffra.
The team behind Choices: A Rock Opera is quite excited for the new shows in Chappaqua this month. Choices is on track for Broadway, and the creative team – which calls Westchester its home – deeply values the opportunity to both display their work to fellow 914 residents and hear what they have to say about it. More information can be found on the Choices website, and tickets can be purchased from the show’s Ticket Tailor.
