It’s Only Life, a revue featuring the sophisticated, deeply felt music and lyrics of John Bucchino, will be performed by six talented teenagers at Palm Beach Dramaworks from June 27-29. The show is being staged by theAcademy@pbd, a summer program that offers rigorous, professional-level training for both teen actors and stage managers and creates a safe and positive environment for optimal learning. In addition to the performers, two students are working on the production as assistant stage managers.
“I chose It’s Only Life both for what it says and how it challenges the actors,” said Director of Education and Community Engagement Gary Cadwallader, who is directing the show. “The revue doesn’t have a story, but it does have a theme: It’s a collection of life lessons, as the characters journey to discover themselves. Initially, they’re trying to find out who they are through the eyes of other people. And they eventually realize that they have to look within themselves in order to grow. The songs are self-contained and profoundly reflective. The melodies and harmonies are very complex, which was very appealing to me because the songs raise the bar for these aspiring musical theatre actors.”
Cast in rehearsal
The show, which includes 23 of Bucchino’s songs, was co-conceived and directed by Daisy Prince and developed at Musical Theatre Works. In 2004 it received a workshop production as part of the first Summer Play Festival in New York City. In January 2006, the piece was performed in a concert version as part of Lincoln Center’s popular American Songbook series and ultimately recorded for CD.
Two years later, It’s Only Life received a more fully staged production in Los Angeles and was the recipient of the Los Angeles Ovation Award for book, lyrics, and music of an original musical. The show has since been seen in various parts of the country, as well as in Australia, London, and Paris.
The critic for the Houston Chronicle wrote that “Bucchino merges the artfulness and sophistication of America’s master songwriters (Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin) with the contemporary style and plaintive folk quality of the top singer/songwriters who emerged in the 1970s, such as Carole King and James Taylor.”
Casting for PBD’s production was by audition, and stage managers were chosen via interviews. The students are from Dreyfoos School of the Arts, G-Star School of the Arts, and Park Vista Community High School, and all are actors unless otherwise noted. Two asterisks next to someone’s name indicate that this is their second production with the Academy; three asterisks mean it’s their third production. The students are Chase Bauer, Kayla Brown**, Kylie Christensen, Connor Hullender***, Devin Jackson, Antonella Marone (assistant stage manager), Jacob Quartell (assistant stage manager)***, and Lucy Ruyack. Elizabeth Dimon is the assistant director, Lisa Stephens is the music director, Doug Wilkinson is the set designer, Brian O’Keefe is the costume designer, Johanna Jackson is the lighting designer, and Roger Arnold is both the sound and projection designer.John Bucchino’s songs have been performed and recorded by renowned artists from a variety of genres, including pop (Art Garfunkel, Judy Collins), theatre (Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald), cabaret (Barbara Cook, Michael Feinstein), and classical (Yo-Yo Ma, Deborah Voight, Nathan Gunn), as well as the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in venues including Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House, London’s O2 Arena, and the White House. Bucchino wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical A Catered Affair, with a book by Harvey Fierstein, as well as the musicals Urban Myths, Lavender Girl, and Esaura, which premiered in Denmark. Among his honors are two Drama Desk nominations, the Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award, The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, the Kleban Prize, and the first annual Fred Ebb Award.
It’s Only Life is sponsored by Mary Keymer and the Sean Boneri Creative Fellowship.
Performances are June 27 and 28 at 7pm, and June 29 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 for students and $35 for adults, and can be purchased through the box office, in person or by phone (561.514.4042 ext. 2), and online 24 hours a day at palmbeachdramaworks.org.
Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the award-winning company produces five shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre and in schools. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through the Perlberg Festival of New Plays. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, and NNPN. In 2024, PBD was honored as Non-Profit of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches.
The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.
