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ALBUM
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ALBUM
ALBUM
POOL BOY
The Musical Theater Lab at Barrington Stage may have a hit on their hands.
A young singer-songwriter from New Jersey lands a job as a pool boy at the Hotel Bel-Air. Trying to parlay his interaction with celebrities into his own dreams of fame and fortune, he encounters people who see him only as a servant. As he learns “the game” and the lifestyle around him, he falls for the one other “real” thing poolside—a girl named April. Nick must choose between ambition and love—and struggle with how this fake, material world might even give him what he never knew he needed—something to write about.
Music and Lyrics by NIKO TSAKALAKOS
Book and Lyrics by JANET ALLARD
WORLD PREMIERE
Barrington Stage Company, Summer 2010
Directed by Daniella Topol
Photo by BSC
Berkshire on Stage
By Larry Murray
“There is a sophistication in several of the lyrics that somehow reminded me of Cole Porter.”
Berkshire Living
By Gail Burns
“An entertaining evening with strong performances and several go-away-humming-the-tune songs in the score.”
“Inspired by a raucous, eye-opening summer that composer Tsakalakos spent as a pool boy himself at the upscale Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, this world premiere contains some earnest ballads and bouncy numbers that feel contemporary, while being able to express the jadedness, ennui, and faux enthusiasm that characterizes the Hollywood acting and music business”
"That score is used well, to provide insight into a character's thoughts and motivations, and it is one that does not outstay its welcome."
"Standout numbers allow for narrative and harmonic complexities in which characters can reveal themselves and move the story along in a way that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go."
Albany Times Union
By Michael Janairo
TalkinBroadway
By Fred Sokol
"Pool Boy is hip, flashy and lively."
"Both edgy and romantic. An inviting world premiere musical developed through BSC's Musical Theatre Lab, it features catchy tunes and terrific live music. Set by the pool at a Los Angeles hotel, this one, still evolving, is tough to resist."
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