Chip Deffaa's new CD 'Irving Berlin Rediscovered'

Pictured above: Bailey Cummings

The cover of the latest CD produced by ASCAP Award-winning playwright/producer Chip Deffaa, "Irving Berlin Rediscovered," proudly proclaims that the new album features "an all-star New York cast." But seven key members of Deffaa's troupe, who've worked with him for about a decade, were born and raised in Connecticut, and first made their marks in Connecticut theatrical productions.

"I'm very proud of my 'Connecticut kids,'" says Deffaa. "They've long been an important part of my theatrical family. All seven of them--Bailey Cummings of Wolcott, Connecticut; Jack Saleeby of Southbury; Clark Kinkade of Litchfield; Matthew Nardozzi of Fairfield; Emily Bordonaro of Avon; Tyler DuBoys of Milford; Peter Charney of Bethany--are alumni of my show 'The Seven Little Foys.' They were either in our original production at Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury or a subsequent New York production, or were on the cast album. I knew them first as kids, and I've watched them mature into seasoned, highly promising performers.

"Take Clark Kinkade. He so impressed me as an aspiring teen actor, I wrote the part of 'Bryan Foy'--which he originated at Seven Angels in Waterbury--specifically with him in mind, tailoring it to his strengths. Today he's one of the best younger singers in New York. When he's not recording with me--and he's been on several of my albums and I hope will be on many more--he's a key member of the vocal group 'RANGE a Capella. They've performed everywhere from the Red Carpet at the Emmies to Radio City Music Hall, and their recent 'Hamilton' video has garnered a whopping 3,952,000 views thus far on YouTube.

"Peter Charney and Jack Saleeby played brothers in 'The Seven Little Foys,' where they first met, and they've remained liked brothers in real life, ever since then. They were not only terrifically talented kids, the contributed ad-libs that became a permanent part of the 'Seven Little Foys' script, which is now published and licensed by Leicester Bay Theatricals. As I mention in the liner notes to the new album, they've just written a musical, 'Bright and Brave,' which will soon be getting its first staged reading at Dixon Place in New York, with Peter serving as musical director, and Jack playing one of the leads."

"Peter--who's also served as an Assistant Director on several of my shows in New York, besides performing with me--made his New York debut as a playwright at that same venue, last year. It made me very happy to cheer him on. Jack, whom I saw performing with zest at the Halo Awards a decade ago, when I was a presenter there, was himself a presenter at the Halo Awards this year."

"Bailey Cummings, who's now studying musical theater at the University of Utah, already has a couple of Equity productions under his belt. He's got such a fine, pure, true singing voice, he'd be any asset to most any musical. He impressed me when I saw him in shows, as a youth, at the Thomaston Opera House, and at the Waterbury Arts Magnet School. He was terrific, starring at WAMS as a teen in 'Into the Woods," with music-director Marianna Vagnini-Dadamo of Naugatuck. And he sang like an angel, too, as a kid on my 'Seven Little Foys' cast album. But he's even better today--with a leading-man's voice, and a very bright future.

"I don't know of a better young female singer than Emily Bordonaro, who shined so brightly as an 11-year-old in 'Les Miz' at Thomaston Opera House that I asked her mother if Emily could work with me. She's made many recordings with me, over the years. She's natural. She studies with Tony Award-winner Betty Buckley, and has won the Betty Buckley Award. She was a star of my show 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' in New York. Besides singing theater-music with me, she also performs and records contemporary originals that she writes, under the stage name of 'Emily Victoria.' She's making her own recordings and music videos now. And she appears often around Connecticut.

"Tyler DuBoys--a graduate of NYU/Tisch School of the Arts--works a lot as a dancer and choreographer, traveling widely in his career. And he's helped choreograph shows of mine in New York. But he's also a very fine singer. And I like to showcase his singing--and sometimes his tap-dancing, too--on my albums, because it's from the heart. He's young, but on the new album, he sings one of Berlin's early masterpieces, 'When I Lost You,' with total understanding.

"And what can I say about Mathew Nardozzi? As a kid, he starred in 'Stuart Little,' working with director Sharon Wilcox, at the Thomaston Opera House. And he's never stopped working. His numerous credits include Broadway and Hollywood. And I'm looking forward to his new motion picture 'Exhume.' Earlier this year, he won a prestigious national award, out in Hollywood--'The Young Entertainer Award'--for his work in my show, and on the cast album, 'Irving Berlin's America.' He's got personality, and projects a 'boy-next-door' type of quality. It's always a joy to work with Matt.

"I feel very lucky to work with all of these gifted young people. On the new album, in which they're heard singing rare--and in many cases, never-before-recorded--Irving Berlin songs, they're working alongside great Broadway pro's with decades of experience, like Stephen Bogardus and Ray Demattis. And they all hold their own. I'm very proud of all of these Connecticut kids."

For more information on the album "Irving Berlin Rediscovered," which is available from Amazon, CDBaby, Footlight Records, iTunes, etc., please click here.