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The photos in the slide show above are worth a thousand words. It’s going to be as hot inside Stage 2 as it is on the Patio of the Hotel Bel-Air. All the previews to date have sold out and there’s a good chance that most performances will be sold out by the time Pool Boy reaches its official opening July 21. The new show has great word of mouth that has grown out of last year’s readings, and those that have been attending the previews this week are posting enthusiastic comments on Facebook and Twitter. This show is shaping up to be the surprise musical hit of the Berkshire 2010 Summer season!
Jay Armstrong Johnson throws his heart and soul into the role of the Pool Boy. Photos by Kevin Sprague.
The show is in previews, with changes made daily as the polishing continues, songs are added and dropped, so many of the preview attendees will no doubt go back for a second look.
Despite the changes, perhaps even because of them, tickets are flying out of the box office, and a sell-out looms, so again I urge my readers not to wait for the reviews, but get thee thy tickets now, before they are gone. The intimate Stage 2 on Linden Street doesn’t hold very many people in the audience, and shows there often leave latecomers disappointed when there are no tickets left for them.
They have already added performances, too. Today I received official notice that two matinees have been added on Thursday, July 29 at 3:00pm and Thursday, August 5 at 3:00pm.
If the photos above don’t give you a good sense of what is up, then read our interview with Nikos Tsakalakos about how his real life experiences were turned into a musical at the urging of Bill Finn, who runs the Music Theatre Lab.
The whole cast is sensational, but Jay Armstrong Johnson (casting story here) is a standout. I first noticed JAJ as Link in Hairspray at the Weston, VT Playhouse several summers ago. He’s been moving up ever since. You might say he’s been taking America by storm, one city at a time in the road company of the A Chorus Line revival; then he out-performed Gavin Creel in Hair as the understudy who got to go on; and this may be the role that takes him to Broadway as the main attraction, not the top understudy.
Pool Boy begins its run on July 13 and continues to August 8. Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 7:30pm at BSC Stage 2, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield. Two matinees just added on Thursday July 29 and August 5 at 3:00. Opening Night: Wed., July 21 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $15-$45. Seniors: $20 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night for 35 year olds and younger: Fri., July 16 at 7:30pm. Post-show discussions with the cast will be held following the Thursday, July 15 and Thursday, August 5 performances. For ticket information call 413-236-8888, stop by the BSC Box Office at 30 Union Street or visit www.barringtonstageco.org. While of interest to anyone who has ever dated or held a summer job, please note that Pool Boy contains adult situations, some waist up nudity, and strong language.
