Striking 12
A Hip Holiday Musical
Striking 12
Book, Music & Lyrics by
Brendan Milburn, Rachel Sheinkin & Valerie Vigoda
Directed by Scott Sinclair
Music Direction by José Delgado
Featuring José Delgado, Zachary Hardy and Erikka Walsh
Scenic and Projection Design by Seághan McKay
Lighting Design by Dan Jentzen
Costume Design by Tyler Kinney
December 8, 2010 - January 2, 2011
Striking 12 is a concert-with-a-story, band-is-the-actors, secular holiday show which combines old-fashioned uplift with a healthy dose of 21st-century skepticism. Weaving a modern-day New Year's Eve into Hans Christian Andersen's classic fable "The Little Match Girl," this unique hybrid of musical theatre and live concert tells the story of a grumpy, overworked New Yorker whose resolve to spend New Year's Eve alone crumbles when an unexpected visitor brings some much-needed cheer. The show springs to life through an eclectic score that combines indie rock, pop, folk, jazz and Broadway into one cohesive score.
"This modest show is more artfully crafted and engaging than virtually all the standard-mold musicals coming our way these days." —The New York Times
Run time: 90 minutes without an intermission
December 2010/January 2011
| SUN | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT |
| DEC 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 7:30 PM |
9 7:30 PM |
10 8:00 PM |
11 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 12 3:00 PM |
13 | 14 | 15 7:30 PM |
16 7:30 PM |
17 8:00 PM |
18 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 19 3:00 PM w/talkback |
20 | 21 7:30 PM |
22 2:00 PM 7:30 PM |
23 7:30 PM |
24 | 25 |
| 26 3:00 PM 7:00 PM |
27 | 28 7:30 PM |
29 7:30 PM |
30 7:30 PM |
31 2:00 PM 8:00 PM |
JAN 1 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 2 3:00 PM w/Spirituality & Arts talkback |
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Special Events
- Opening Night
Wednesday, December 8, 7:30PM performance - Press Performance
Sunday, December 12, 3:00PM performance - Out & About Night Reception with Cast
Friday, December 17, following the 8:00PM performance - Post show talkback with director and cast
Sunday, December 19, following 3:00PM performance - Pay What You Can performance
Minimum $14; Walk-up Sales Only; Day of Show Only
Tuesday, December 21, 7:30PM performance - Post show talkback
Sunday, December 26, following 3:00PM performance - Spirituality and the Arts Talkback
Sunday, January 2, following 3:00PM
Musical Numbers
Sample the score of Striking 12 performed by the creators and performers Groovelily.
Cast Biographies
JOSÉ DELGADO (Keyboards, Music Director) is elated to return to SpeakEasy having last appeared in Elegies (feat. soloist), M.J. LaChiusa's Wild Party (Black), Floyd Collins (Homer), and Songs for a New World (feat. soloist). He was the music director for their award-winning productions of The Light in the Piazza, Parade, and Caroline, or Change and has also music directed many other SpeakEasy shows, including Johnny Guitar, Putting it Together, and Saturday Night. Other local credits include: Assassins (Company One), Cabaret (Foothills Theatre Co.), and Pal Joey (Stoneham Theatre). As a freelance composer and arranger, Jose has worked with and/or performed for Jason Robert Brown, Jeanine Tesori, Darius de Haas and members of the Boston Pops.
ZACHARY HARDY (Drums) is thrilled to make his Speakeasy “onstage” debut, having played drums in the pit for Triumph of Love, Back to Bacharach, Parade, and Batboy. Zack works regularly drumming in Boston area theatre, taking a break to sing and act whenever he gets a chance. Area credits include Josh Baskin (Big the Musical - Footlight); Curly (Oklahoma! - Turtlelane); Cliff (Cabaret - Fiddlehead); Robert (Company - Metro Stage Co.) He and his wife are very busy at home with their two sons, Caleb and Nathan. He would like to thank Joe and Paul for giving him this opportunity.
ERIKKA WALSH (Violin) is excited and honored to be making her SpeakEasy debut. Local credits: Alice vs. Wonderland (American Repertory Theater). Regional credits include: Romeo and Juliet and Pericles (Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival); Rigoletto (Center City Opera Theater); Hugging the Shoulder (Represented Theater Co); Blood Wedding (Woodshed Collective); Urban Death (Zombie Joe's Underground Theater Group); Die Fledermaus (Gulf Coast Symphony, FL); Comedy of Errors and And the World Goes Round (Holmdel Theater Company). Training: American Academy of Dramatic Art (NY) and Temple University. Erikka is currently a second year student at the A.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University.
Author Biographies
Brendan Milburn (Co-Author - Book, Music and Lyrics) graduated from Pomona College and NYU's MFA program in Musical Theatre Writing. He does a lot of arranging for GrooveLily, and he's an accomplished record producer as well. He often yearns for his native San Francisco. Seth Rogovoy wrote: "Milburn was a deft pianist, his nimble fingerwork doing double-duty as the band's bassist and provider of its harmonic foundation, delivered with the jazzy sophistication of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and the rock and roll theatrics of Billy Joel." Brendan's music and/or lyrics have been/will be featured in a growing number of off/on-Broadway shows, and he's always on the lookout for new projects/productions which will add more slashes ("/") to his bio/credits.
Along with his wife and longtime collaborator Valerie Vigoda, Brendan is a 2009 winner of the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, as well as a two-time winner of the Jonathan Larson Award for Excellence in Writing for the Theatre.
The success of their first concert-musical, the critically-acclaimed holiday show STRIKING 12, has led them farther into the world of theater, where they have carved out a unique niche as a rock band writing and performing shows. After years on the indie touring circuit, they are delighted to be creating many projects with various collaborators: STRIKING 12 (Off-Broadway 2006, Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Musical, Bay Area Theatre Critic's Choice Award); TOY STORY THE MUSICAL (Disney); SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES (Deaf West Theatre/Center Theatre Group/McCarter Theatre, two 2007 Ovation Awards, including World Premiere Musical); WHEELHOUSE GrooveLily's autobiographical concert-musical (in development); LONG STORY SHORT (City Theatre of Pittsburgh/TheatreWorks Palo Alto/San Diego Rep); A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (McCarter Theatre/Paper Mill Playhouse); and ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME, a new 1-woman fever-dream musical (La Jolla Playhouse/TheatreWorks Palo Alto). Brendan lives in Los Angeles with wife Valerie Vigoda and 5-year-old son Mose.
Valerie Vigoda (Co-Author - Book, Music and Lyrics), electric violinist and singer, is the founding member of GrooveLily. Originally from McLean, VA, Valerie is a classically-trained musician, honors graduate of Princeton University, and former Army lieutenant. She has toured the world with Cyndi Lauper (opening for Tina Turner and Cher), Joe Jackson and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. She founded GrooveLily (originally "The Valerie Vigoda Band") in 1994, with a critically-acclaimed CD called "Inhabit My Heart." Dirty Linen Magazine wrote: "to call Valerie Vigoda talented barely seems to do her justice. She has a great voice, is an intelligent lyricist... and an ace violinist. Methinks we'll hear more of her." Along with her husband and longtime collaborator Brendan Milburn, Valerie is a 2009 winner of the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, as well as a two-time winner of the Jonathan Larson Award for Excellence in Writing for the Theatre.
The success of their first concert-musical, the critically-acclaimed holiday show STRIKING 12, has led them farther into the world of theater, where they have carved out a unique niche as a rock band writing and performing shows. After years on the indie touring circuit, they are delighted to be creating many projects with various collaborators: STRIKING 12 (Off-Broadway 2006, Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Musical, Bay Area Theatre Critic's Choice Award); TOY STORY THE MUSICAL (Disney); SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES (Deaf West Theatre/Center Theatre Group/McCarter Theatre, two 2007 Ovation Awards, including World Premiere Musical); WHEELHOUSE, GrooveLily's autobiographical concert-musical (in development); LONG STORY SHORT (City Theatre of Pittsburgh/TheatreWorks Palo Alto/San Diego Rep); A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (McCarter Theatre/Paper Mill Playhouse); and ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME, a new 1-woman fever-dream musical (La Jolla Playhouse/TheatreWorks Palo Alto). Valerie lives in Los Angeles with husband Brendan Milburn and 5-year-old son Mose.
Rachel Sheinkin (Co-Author - Book and Lyrics) is happy to be working with GrooveLily again. Other music theatre collaborations include The 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Circle in the Square), for which she won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Book for a Musical; BLOOD DRIVE (O'Neill National Music Theatre Conference) and SERENADE (Baryshnikov Arts Center). She has been a Manhattan Theatre Club playwriting fellow and is currently an adjunct faculty member at NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Future projects on the horizon include two more musicals with GrooveLily.
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Video
Sales Pitch
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Give the Drummer Some
Violin Ascension
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Phone: 617-482-3279
Cell: 617-529-1670
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Email: use our Contact Us form
Basic Show Information
Striking 12
Book, Music & Lyrics by
Brendan Milburn,
Rachel Sheinkin & Valerie Vigoda
Featuring José Delgado
December 8, 2010 - January 2, 2011
Hi-Resolution Images
 From left: Erikka Walsh, Zachary Hardy, and José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 From left: Erikka Walsh, Zachary Hardy, and José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 From left: Erikka Walsh and José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 Zachary Hardy in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 Erikka Walsh in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 Zachary Hardy in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 Erikka Walsh in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 Zachary Hardy in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
 Erikka Walsh and José Delgado in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of STRIKING 12, running now thru Jan. 2 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in the South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or online at www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo. |
