Megan's Notes
MY OWN SONG: FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE
By Megan Heidlberg
Mar. 30, 2010 at 02:58 PM
My Own Song
New Musical starring Las Vegas Sensation – Clint Holmes
WHAT: Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to present the premiere of a brand new musical, My Own Song starring four-time Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year, Clint Holmes, March 31- April 25. The musical is inspired by Clint’s powerful, moving life-story - a quintessentially American story about one man’s journey to self-discovery and understanding. With an original score that combines elements of Rock and Pop with Jazz and Classical, My Own Song is a powerful and unique exploration of one universal human question, “How do I fit in?”
“The show is inspiring and uplifting, full of surprises, and big Broadway style numbers, says Vincent Marini, Executive Director of Flat Rock Playhouse and Director of My Own Song. We’ve put together everything you would expect from a Las Vegas entertainer – a nine-piece band, and big production numbers with power–house performers. We’ve also assembled a collaborative team with impressive credits – to name a few: Reva Rice, star of Broadway’s Chicago, Starlight Express and Smokey Joe’s Cafe; Jennifer Evans of Ragtime and Jersey Boys; Sven Ortel, Projection Designer of Disney’s The Little Mermaid; and, Roy Miller, Producer of West Side Story, Ragtime and The Drowsy Chaperone – this is a show that people will want to see multiple times and will be talking about long after it’s over!”.
My Own Song is part Las Vegas nightclub act and part memory play of the last 50 years of Clint’s life. The show is set in a Las Vegas night club, with Clint’s high-energy Las Vegas act as the principal focus. As the act progresses, the show becomes interspersed with Clint’s personal moments and memories of past events that have shaped him into the man he has become and how he came to terms with these events.
WHEN: Performance Schedule for My Own Song (onstage for four weeks)
March 31 – April 4
Evenings: Wednesday – Saturday at 8:00 pm
Matinees: Thursday, Saturday & Sunday 2:00 pm
April 7 – April 25
Evenings: Wednesday – Saturday at 8:00 pm
Matinees: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday 2:00 pm
WHERE: Flat Rock Playhouse is located on Greenville Hwy, 3 miles south of Hendersonville. From I-26 take exit 53 and follow the signs.
COST: $40 – with discounts for Seniors, Students and Groups
INFO: (828) 693-0731; 866-732-8008 (Toll free); and http://www.flatrockplayhouse.org
Playhouse Presents Premiere of New Musical
Starring Las Vegas Sensation - Clint Holmes
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Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to present the premiere of a brand new musical, My Own Song starring four-time Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year, Clint Holmes, March 31- April 25. The musical is inspired by Clint’s powerful, moving life-story - a quintessentially American story about one man’s journey to self-discovery and understanding. With an original score that combines elements of Rock and Pop with Jazz and Classical, My Own Song is a powerful and unique exploration of one universal human question, “How do I fit in?”
“We are beyond excited to open our season with a performer as phenomenal as Clint Holmes,” says Vincent Marini, Executive Director of Flat Rock Playhouse and Director of My Own Song. “The show is inspiring and uplifting, full of surprises, and big Broadway style numbers. We’ve put together everything you would expect from a Las Vegas entertainer – a nine-piece band, and big production numbers with power–house performers. We’ve also assembled a collaborative team with impressive credits – to name a few: Reva Rice, star of Broadway’s Chicago, Starlight Express and Smokey Joe’s Cafe; Jennifer Evans of Ragtime and Jersey Boys; Sven Ortel, Projection Designer of Disney’s The Little Mermaid; and, Roy Miller, Producer of West Side Story, Ragtime and The Drowsy Chaperone – this is a show that people will want to see multiple times and will be talking about long after it’s over!”.
My Own Song is part Las Vegas nightclub act and part memory play of the last 50 years of Clint’s life. The show is set in a Las Vegas night club, with Clint’s high-energy Las Vegas act as the principal focus. As the act progresses, the show becomes interspersed with Clint’s personal moments and memories of past events that have shaped him into the man he has become and how he came to terms with these events.
This show is a multi-faceted look at Holmes’ life and explores many angles. Holmes comes by his tremendous talent naturally. His father is an African-American jazz musician and his mother is a classically trained opera singer from Great Britain who fell in love during World War II. When he was eight, his musical indoctrination began with his mother teaching him classic vocal techniques at home, while his dad showed him how to scat-sing in the jazz clubs. Clint admits he learned the best of two musical worlds saying, “My mom taught me how to sing correctly and my dad taught me how to enjoy it.” My Own Song is Clint’s personal story involving issues of race. With his mother and father’s unconventional love story, Clint grew up not knowing whether he was black or white or what was appropriate for each group and he found himself trying to be nice to please both sides. As the story-within-a story moves from the 1940’s to present day, race is used contextually to illuminate the tensions of the times and specifically the tensions within his family.
More…
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The show also explores what it means to be famous and an accomplished performer. Holmes musical success seemed to come out of nowhere. Perhaps best remembered for one major hit in 1973, “Playground In My Mind (My Name Is Michael)”, which Holmes considered as a novelty song. When “Playground In My Mind” was mistaken for a holiday song and got amazing airplay, the single moved up to the top 100 on the pop charts. After recording the rest of the album, which rose to Number Two in the U.S., Holmes received a gold record – however after the release of that debut album, none of Holmes’ subsequent releases charted and for a while he bounced around musically - seeking approval and affirmation.
Clint’s next break came when Joan Rivers invited him to be her sidekick and announcer on the now defunct “The Late Show.” This was followed by a two year stint on “Entertainment Tonight,” for which he served as their musical feature and event correspondent. Although his visibility was greatly enhanced by those roles, it wasn’t until he landed his own Emmy-winning talk/variety show in New York that it all came together for Clint. “New York at Night” featured celebrity guests from the worlds of film, TV, theatre and music. Clint, in his dual role as host and singer, had the opportunity to showcase the full range of his talents as he performed, interviewed guests, and interacted with his audience. Upon moving to Las Vegas, Clint quickly became a favorite in the Las Vegas community as well as a rising star in the entertainment arena. Now having spent more than 40 years performing, Clint has devoted fans all over the world.
“Many people in Clint’s shoes would have given up a long time ago or become bitter – but Clint is an eternal optimist. So much of the show is about him overcoming obstacles and taking what happened to him and his using it to become stronger with no excuses offered. But truly the main theme of the show is about fitting in - about figuring out who you are and why you’re here and coming to terms with yourself. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter when you figure it out. All that matters is that while you’re still on this earth you realize what it is that makes you happy and you realize what it is that makes you tick. During the course of the two hour show what Clint’s really learning - is that in order to be happy – he has to truly be himself,” says Marini.
My Own Song is presented by Morris Broadband and is onstage for four weeks, March 31 through April 25. Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 and matinee performances are most Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00. Tickets to My Own Song are $40 with discounts available for seniors, students and groups. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008 or online at http://www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
