Richard Roland

10.01.08 | OCTOBER 2008: FANTASTICKS, BEATSVILLE, LUCKY BREAK
After a great summer of directing and associate directing, I'm back in New York and settled into a three-month run back at THE FANTASTICKS! Standing by for El Gallo and the fathers (hee hee hee)! All around that I'll be playing a role in a new musical called BEATSVILLE which is part of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival of New Musicals, then reprising my roles in a workshop of LUCKY BREAK (formerly THE FRONT - great story, and GREAT score). Oh yeah, Monday Off also has another pops concert coming up, and my sister's getting married in a month. I always said I wanted to be busy...

Fun stuff coming up!

06.12.08 | JUNE 2008
Wow - it's been a few months. I've been busy, thankfully! Since February, I've been doing reading after reading (THE FRONT, FIRST WIVES' CLUB, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, GHOSTS), directed TALES FROM THE BAD YEARS, did a benefit for the Roundabout Theatre, found a new soprano for MONDAY OFF (welcome, Melissa Dye!!), teaching master classes, working on VANITIES (we did a two week workshop in NYC), meeting with composers/lyricists/writers about directing their shows all while trying to make some money on the side! Let's face it: 2008 so far is certainly not one of my most financially rewarding years, but the more I plant the seeds on these directing projects, the more I believe the money will come...someday...soon...

This is a very exciting time for me, and I haven't been this charged about anything in a long time. This summer is going to be even better: I'm directing THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE at the New London Barn Playhouse in New Hampshire in July right before I leave to Associate Direct VANITIES, A New Musical at the Pasadena Playhouse! So thrilling!

More news on the other projects as they come!

02.05.08 | FEBRUARY 2008
It's already February, and the calendar is starting to fill up! In March I'll be rejoining the creative forces behind THE FRONT, a new musical that is getting another reading treatment here in NYC. I don't know what's changed about it, but I'm sure I'll be playing the same roles in it this time. Then I'm off to Penn State right after that to direct the new Kait Kerrigan/Brian Lowdermilk piece titled TALES FROM THE BAD YEARS. I caught a reading of it at Goodspeed last month, and it's very good and I can't wait to direct it. That'll be for the Penn State New Musicals Festival.

In May, I've been asked to appear in another couple industrial presentations of UNBEATABLE: A MUSICAL JOURNEY in which I had appeared last summer in NYC. We go to Philly with this industrial.

And in between all that, I'm assistant director for VANITIES: A NEW MUSICAL. Judith Ivey is directing (we know each other from FOLLIES), David Kirshenbaum wrote the music and lyrics and Jack Heifner, who penned the original off-Broadway play, adapted the script into musical form, adding a fourth scene/epilogue to the up-to-now three-scened piece. Casting is still happening and I think we are going to workshop it this spring in NYC, then in August we open for a short run at the Pasadena Playhouse before opening on Broadway this fall!!

Lots of good fun stuff coming up!

10.18.07 | OCTOBER 2007: WHITE CHRISTMAS
Heading to Akron to star as Bob Wallace (or, the "Bing Crosby role" to some) at the Carousel Dinner Theatre. It takes me away from NYC for a while, but it's a great role, and I'm psyched about doing it!

09.16.07 | SEPTEMBER 2007: FANTASTICKS and MONDAY OFF GOES POPS
It's September - one of my favorite times of year! It all goes back to preparing for school...being busy for the fall...feeling the weather change; getting drier, chillier...

To my great surprise, I was asked to come back to THE FANTASTICKS at its new location, the Jerry Orbach Theatre in the Snapple Theatre Center on 50th and B'way, to stand by for El Gallo. I played The Boy (Matt) in the Sullivan Street Theatre production on and off for seven years and never even dreamed of the day that I would ever have been thought of for El Gallo...but I guess we all have to grow up. I confess I've always wanted to play the part. While being a standby is no guarantee for performing the role, just to be considered appropriate for the role is enough...for now. It's a step in the right direction of "older parts!" It's only temporary - from now until October 14.

In the middle of all that, my vocal group MONDAY OFF will travel to Wheeling, West Virginia to perform an evening of tunes with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. We've had a bunch of new charts whipped up, and they are all amazing (thanks to Oded Lev-Ari, Ernesto Cervini and Michael Cabe) and I cannot wait to sing these tunes with a symphony orchestra! If you're around the Wheeling area on October 5, come on by!

07.15.07 | AUGUST 2007: UNBEATABLE: A Musical Journey
I will be playing the role of Pastor James in this musical, which is a "bold, fresh exploration of the cancer patient’s experiences – through musical theatre. The story, based on actual events, uses a theatrical trial setting to share one woman’s perspective on her journey with breast cancer and how that journey came to change every aspect of her life. The script weaves a sly and hearty humor through the drama, keeping a light touch in a potentially devastating story." Please view the Calendar page for showtimes and location!
You can also check out the show's MySpace page for more information.

07.07.07 | JULY 2007: FOREVER PLAID, "R Summer Adventure Cruise" July 7-14, 2007
FOURTEEN YEARS after last appearing in this show, I will dust off the ol' plaid jacket and once again perform the role of Smudge (the first role I ever played professionally) in a production of FOREVER PLAID aboard the Norwegian Dawn as part of the "R" Summer Adventure Cruise! Feeling old? You bet! But I look forward to my first cruise ever! And I get to hang out with my friend Seth Rudetsky and maybe get to know Rosie a little!

03.22.07 | MARCH 2007
Okay - lots going on!! First of all, GREASE is up and running after a marathon reheasal period, and it's a great show! I am blessed with such a wonderful cast and an amazing partner/choreographer-Kathy Meyer, and I love seeing that they're having so much fun. It's a show that I would love to be a part of - I wish I was in the cast myself! Go see it! http://www.broadwaytheatre.com

On March 23 I drive to Granville, Ohio, home of Denison University, my alma mater, to attend the 25th Anniversary Reunion of Burpee's Seedy Theatrical Company! Burpee's Seedy Theatrical Company is a comedy improvisation troupe that has been in existence since 1979 - I was a member while I was in school there - a major achievement in my book.

As a prospective student, I remember visiting Denison on recruitment weekends and seeing the troupe perform and thinking "I will be a part of that someday," and indeed I was.

One can only be inducted into the group as a freshman and you must commit to the entire college career. I remember having a rough freshman year at Denison: the theatre department was snubbing me in many ways, I was having trouble making friends, and the adjustment from NYC to Granville was more than difficult...then came along the Burps - and I found a group of people that understood me and I them. I will always treasure my years in the troupe. I look forward to this reunion weekend, and yet I fear it completely: I have to perform in a reunion show! However, when I was a junior, we had a reunion show, and Steve Carell, then very much unknown and a former member of the Burps, came back with a slew of Burpee Alumni, and I actually performed many a skit with him in the reunion show - and he wasn't the least bit nervous - or at least it didn't show...maybe that's the answer... I will soon have photos and updates from my very first college reunion weekend...


...what have I gotten myself into?

02.14.07 | FEBRUARY 2007
Casting is complete for my production of GREASE at the Westchester Broadway Theatre.

Here's the list: Heather Adair (Cha-Cha), Lindsay Bethea (Frenchy), Charlie Brady (Sonny), Jacqueline Colmer (Rizzo), Allison Couture (Patty Simcox), Todd DuBail (Teen Angel/Johnny Casino), Geoffrey Goldberg (Doody), Melissa Larsen (Sandy), Kasey Marino (Danny), Karen Murphy (Miss Lynch), Liz O'Donnell (Marty), Will Ray (Kenickie), Tory Ross (Jan), Nathan Scherich (Roger), Rob Sheridan (Vince Fontaine), Aaron Young (Eugene) with Jeffrey Alewine, Kristy Lynn Farrell, Melissa Hammans and Spencer Howard rounding out the ensemble.

Kathy Meyer is choreographing and Brian Cimmet is the musical director. I had worked on THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE at North Shore Music Theatre with them back in 2005. Costume Design is by Brian Hemesath, Set Design by George Puello, Lighting by Andrew Gmoser, Sound by Jonathan E. Hatton and the Production Stage Manager is Victor Lukas.

I'm very excited that we are so close to rehearsals, which begin on Febrary 26. We open on March 8 and the show runs until May 26. I'm spending a lot of time in my script with the Original Broadway Cast booming in my ears from my iPod, making little football-like plays in my head for blocking. Come up and see the show! More to come, I'm sure!

02.01.07 | JANUARY 2007
Well, it's really February, but I thought I'd get in one last "Happy New Year." Paris was beyond amazing - I can't wait to go back. Almost instantly I went into auditions for GREASE - and we're almost 100% cast! I won't announce any casting until it's complete and we get closer to rehearsals, which start February 26. But I can say that I'm excited and am working very hard to make GREASE something more than just fluff. Many people have forgotten or at least never knew that originally, in 1972, GREASE was a gritty, dirty show that was about some not-so-nice kids. It wasn't cute like the movie (which I love for other reasons), or pink, slick and misguided like the 1994 revival, and it certainly wasn't about a reality T.V. show...

I am fortunate enough to know several people who were in that original Broadway production in the 1970s and have obtained so much valuable information from them. I can't wait to see how rough around the edges I can get this show to be. After all, it ran for six years on Broadway all by itself before the movie was ever released. It's going to be fun. Stay tuned.

Oh, yeah - we still know nothing about "Six Degrees" airing yet. Let me know if any of you hear anything!!!

12.15.06 | DECEMBER 2006
I wanted to get at least one more entry before the end of the year! I recently shot an episode of "Six Degrees," in which I play somewhat of a henchman to a New York big-shot real-estate developer. It's episode #10 - and it seems it's gonna sit on the shelf! As I was walking off the set with the actor playing my boss, a PA escorting us back to our trailer announced that the show had been pulled by ABC! I think it's rather unlikely that they'll even finish shooting the season or that they'll even air that episode. Oh well. Just imagine all the countless episodes of half-aired seasons of new TV shows that are sitting on shelves collecting dust. It was a fun shoot, and I thought it was a good show. Well, maybe there's a spark of hope that ABC won't chicken out and let a show gather steam over a season or two (remember "Commander In Chief?" Terrific show, and ABC pulled it before it had a chance to grow).

My vocal group Monday Off finally released their new CD, titled "Monday Off" on December 4 in a CD release concert at New York's Jazz Standard - a great club! If you want to buy the CD, please click here and you can purchase it at CD Baby.

Right now I'm getting ready to spend Christmas in Paris, then I hit the ground running as I prepare to direct GREASE in February at Westchester Broadway Theatre. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year!

05.30.06 | MAY 2006
I'm playing Danny Zuko in my first production of GREASE in Akron, Ohio. Unfortunately, I'm about a generation and a half older than everyone else in the show! But I am thrilled that my friend Ray DeMattis is directing it. He played Roger in the First National Tour of the show in 1973 and knows more background on GREASE than anyone else I know!

Despite my knees needing to be replaced very soon, the show is kicking my ass and I'm having a great time!

03.19.06 | MARCH 2006
I'm having the most amazing time working on BAREFOOT IN THE PARK at the Maltz-Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, FL. First of all, without really needing to mention it, the weather has been fantastic. There is no better way to spend March than in Southern Florida! That being said, the cast and director are really wonderful. Brandy Zarle is playing Corie, Barbara Bradshaw is Mother, John Lagioia is Victor Velasco, Gorgon McConnell is the Telephone Man, and Michael Collins is the Lord & Taylor Delivery Man. They are a warm and giving and extremely talented group of actors, and working with them everyday certainly doesn't feel like work. Then there's J. Barry Lewis, the director - one of the the kindest, smartest, and most talented directors I've ever had the pleasure of working with. The only thing I would change about this production is the length of the run - I wish it was going to be longer! I'll have some pictures up soon!

02.01.06 | FEBRUARY 2006
I will be playing D'Artagnan in a reading of a new musical: THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK composed by Jeffrey Campos with book and lyrics by Shad Olsen and directed by Brian Swasey. Other cast members include my former Maria from West Side Story Marla Schaffel as Anne and Michael Hunsacker as Aramis. It's a great piece and I love the music, and I can't wait to get it up on its feet. We'll be at the Lamb's Theatre on February 13 at 7 PM. Check out the playbill.com article! For more information on the upcoming reading, please write to ironmaskreading@aol.com.

Then on Tuesday Feb 21, I will be appearing at Sweet Rhythm with my jazz vocal group Monday Off for two sets at 8 and 10. We're bringing several new pieces into our sets, so please come on down and listen! Reservations can be made by calling 212-255-3626. Cover is $15 with a $10 food/drink minimum.

THEN, I'm off to start rehearsals for Barefoot In The Park at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, FL. Can't wait for that!