Peter Charney & Tyler DuBoys Working on 'Irving Berlin's America'

CONNECTICUT YOUTHS PETER CHARNEY AND TYLER DuBOYS WORKING ON OFF-BROADWAY SHOW, “IRVING BERLIN’S AMERICA.”

Both youths, who grew up in Orange, Connecticut and graduated last year from Amity High School, are 19.  Both have been involved in the performing arts since childhood.  Peter Charney is currently Assistant Director of ASCAP award-winning writer/director  Chip Deffaa’s new musical play “Irving Berlin’s America,” now running at the venerable 13th Street Repertory Theater in New York.  Tyler DuBoys is one of two choreographers of the show–sharing responsibilities with acclaimed pro  Scott Thompson, 52,  who’s won five Connecticut Critics Circle Awards, two San Francisco Critics Awards and the Los Angeles Ovation Award.

Charney and DuBoys are helping guide actors  Michael Townsend Wright–a stage, screen, and TV veteran with more than 40 years’ experience in the business–and Giuseppe Bausilio–a 16-year-old “triple threat” performer whose credits include the Broadway hits “Billy Elliot” and “Newsies.”

“Peter and Tyler  have the respect and appreciation of the cast and of myself,” says Deffaa.  “I couldn’t be happier with their work.  I’ve known them both a good half-dozen years.  They’re as talented and reliable as anyone their age I know; I’d trust ‘em with my life.  I’m delighted to have them in the creative team on the premiere New York City production of ‘Irving Berlin’s America.’  In all  my productions, I always  like to mix seasoned pros--who have the benefit of their experience to share–with the most promising newcomers I can find, young artists who bring fresh blood to the artform.  Peter and Tyler both  have terrific futures ahead.” 

Peter Charney--who now resides in Bethany, Connecticut, but was largely raised in Orange--grew up in the business.  His father, Andy Charney (billed professionally as “The Amazing Andy”),  is a professional magician and entertainer. Within a couple of months of Peter’s birth, his father found ways to work his son into the act–at first  balancing young Peter on his chin, or having Peter stand up on the father’s hand.  At age four, Peter made his acting debut as one of the “Snow children” in an “Orange Players”  production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Carousel,” featuring his mother, Cheri, who often acted in community theater.  “Both of my parents loved musical theater; we listened to cast albums at home,” Peter Charney notes.  He’s been going to Broadway shows since he was perhaps four or five.

And he’s been acting every chance he could get.  Between shows in school and college, regional theater, and professional gigs, he’s appeared in some 30 productions. By his senior year at Amity High School,  he not only headed the drama club (“Amity Creative Theater”), he won a Connecticut High School Musical Theater Award (Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in “Sweeney Todd”). 

He’s just finished his freshman year at Hofstra University, where he is studying directing.  He’s also been learning, outside of school,  simply by doing so much theater.  He notes: “Starting since I was in  middle school, I’ve observed different directing styles. I’ve spoken with directors, observed, sometimes assisted in directing  scenes or moments. I’ve been  gathering different ways that people direct, finding a way that works best for me.”  While  at Hofstra, he’s written and directed a short play (“The Puppet-Show Man”) and acted in the musical “Bare.” 

Deffaa, who’s written and directed such Off-Broadway successes as “George M. Cohan Tonight!” and “One Night with Fanny Brice,”  notes:  “Peter has run rehearsals for ‘Irving Berlin’s America’ in my absence; he’s an excellent assistant director; if he wanted to direct a show of mine on his own in college, he’d sure have my blessings; he’d do a great job.”

Charney says, regarding his work as Assistant Director of “Irving Berlin’s America”: “It’s been an excellent learning experience to be working with such professional actors and creative talent--a pleasure being a part of this process.”

Both Charney and Tyler DuBoys have worked on various projects of Chip Deffaa’s since they were young.  Both took part, for example,  in the development of Deffaa’s original musical comedy “The Seven Little Foys.”  DuBoys may be heard tap-dancing as well as singing on the show’s official cast album (Original Cast Records); Charney may also be heard singing on that cast album, as well as on earlier demo recordings for the show (along with pro’s like Santino Fontana, from Disney’s animated feature “Frozen” and such Broadway productions as “Cinderella” and “Act One”).  Charney was featured in the six-week-long world-premiere engagement of Deffaa’s “Seven Little Foys” at the Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury.  Both Charney and DuBoys participated in the development of a show Deffaa wrote as a follow-up to “The Seven Little Foys,” “The Family that Sings Together.”  

DuBoys notes: “It’s a  great process, working on this two-person show-- especially with performers who are so experienced.  Both Michael and Giuseppe are very talented performers, great to work with.” 

DuBoys has been dancing since he’s five. He’s performed the work of such choreographers as Andrea Miller, Gallim Dance, Deborah Jowitt, and Takehiro Ueyama, and he’s collaborated on work with choreographer Larry Keigwin.  He’s also performed in many touring musicals, such as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Anne of Green Gables,” and “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular.”  He’s gone wherever needed in order to learn his craft–whether traveling to California for an American Ballet Theater summer intensive or dancing with–and eventually providing choreography for–the Connecticut-based dance troupe “In Motion.” 

Deffaa notes: “I’ve been impressed, watching Tyler and company perform his own choreography in such prestigious venues  as The Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport and The Joyce Theater in Manhattan. As well as in local venues, like Trumbull, Connecticut High School.   And I got a kick out of the fact that when Maude Arnold–one of the top tap teachers to be found anywhere–got too busy with film, TV, and stage work to keep teaching, she turned over her class to Tyler; he was just 15, teaching students older than he was, while she was going off to dance  on shows like ‘Boardwalk Empire.’  But she had total confidence in him, as do I.  He’s fearless.”

Both DuBoys and Charney are extremely busy.  Besides his dancing (on his own and at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, where he’s just finished his first year), DuBoys is a certified Anti-Gravity Yoga Instructor.  Charney works at a dinner theater and teaches at a theater camp.

 They both could easily have said “No, I’m too busy” when Deffaa asked them to work on his show.  “But both said ‘yes’ immediately, just as they’ve said ‘yes’ to every project I’ve invited them to work on in six years,” Deffaa notes. “They’re always on time, always bring a positive attitude to the room, and always have good creative input to share.  It’s rare to find people who not only have the talent you’re looking for, but the right attitude and commitment.  They’re part of a small  pool of artists–mostly from Connecticut, which has an unusually dynamic theater scene–whom I’ll turn to again and again, whom I’m glad to work with any time.”  That select group includes Emily Bordonaro (from  Avon, Connecticut), Michael Kasper (Hebron),  Ben Orlando (Waterbury), Bailey Cummings (Wolcott),   Emmie and Casie Pepe-Winshell (Hartford), Jillian Wipfler (Southbury),. Emma Czaplinsi (Meriden), Jack Saleeby (Southbury), Matt Nardozzi (originally from Westport, Connecticut, now living in Florida).

“As busy as they are, I knew that Tyler and Peter would be wise enough to find a way to take advantage of this good opportunity,” Deffaa said.  “The late master songwriter Fred Ebb–of the songwriting team of Kander & Ebb, that gave us such Broadway hits as ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Chicago–once gave me some terrific advice.  He told me to look for people who know how to say ‘yes’ to life, people who will recognize a good opportunity and grab it. And when you find such people, stick with them.  He also told me: ‘We’re all offered good opportunities.  But they’re not always easy to recognize, they never come at convenient times, and they always require some sacrifices.’  I like Peter and Tyler.  They know a good opportunity when it’s offered.  And I’m glad they said ‘yes.’  They’re doing a great job on this show, which runs through July 10th at the 13th Street Rep–www.13thstreetrep.org.  Someday I’m going to be telling people I knew them when.”