Jersey Shore helps 'Frozen' star kick off a new cabaret series in NYC
Inspired by a Jersey Shore theater, a longtime New York dream is coming true.
The aptly-named "Homecoming" is the first-ever concert in Out of the Box Theatrics' new Broadway at the 154 series. It serves as a welcome to the company's long-hoped-for new home, as well as a return to New York for Broadway powerhouse Caissie Levy ("Frozen," "Leopoldstadt").
The series is getting a big boost from Rumson resident Colleen Cook, executive director of Holmdel Theatre Company, who serves as executive producer for the new cabaret experience.
The 7 p.m. show on Wednesday, Dec. 13, is sold out.
"I have been dreaming of a home for OOTB for a long time," said Elizabeth Flemming, the nonprofit group's founder and producing artistic director. "A large part of (the off-Broadway company's) mission is serving marginalized communities and undervalued communities, and in order to do that properly I felt that we needed a place to expand our programming."
Cook and Flemming agree that Levy is the perfect artist to kick off the new series at 154 Christopher St. in Manhattan, the former New Ohio Theatre that closed in 2023.
"I reached out to Caissie and she agreed to do it for us, which is pretty incredible after the success she just had with 'Next to Normal' at the Donmar (Warehouse in London)," Cook said. "She's coming off a very high point and for her to do this, give back to a small nonprofit off-Broadway, is pretty amazing."
Levy has appeared twice at Holmdel Theatre's Broadway at the Barn series, performing to sold-out crowds in 2022 and 2023. Her "Next to Normal" castmate Jack Wolfe will appear as a special guest during "Homecoming."
"When I first booked her back at Holmdel the first time, I didn't know her, I just knew her as a fan, and I admired her talent. I think she's honestly one of the best vocalists out there right now on Broadway," Cook said. "But the best thing was after I met her, she was everything you'd want her to be.
"She's one of the nicest, kindest, easygoing human beings that I've worked with," she added. "The tone they want to set at the Out of the Box series is a place where everything is inclusive, where it's a safe space for artists. And I think sometimes that's set by the top and the artist at the top trickles down. I think Caissie's the perfect person to do that. She's special, she's genuine, she just really fits with what we're hoping to establish here."
OOTB is dedicated to producing new and classic works while "challenging audiences' expectations." Cook first got involved with OOTB after she was moved by one of its productions. Holmdel Theatre Company since has co-produced well-received works with OOTB, including a virtual production during the pandemic of "The Last Five Years" starring Nasia Thomas and Nicholas Edwards.
Broadway at the 154 will be hosted in a space that holds under 100 people, with premium seating consisting of comfy couches and chairs.
"We want you to feel like you're getting to see one of the biggest Broadway talents in your living room," Cook said.
The venue differs from a typical cabaret by not having any food or drink minimums.
"You're really just here to have the shared experience," she said.
"I want audiences and artists to connect in an intimate way through this series," Flemming said. "It is my great hope that bringing the best of Broadway downtown will open up the door for more audiences to experience the work we are doing here."
An artist's musical director approached Cook after a Broadway at the Barn show and told her the Holmdel theater has a reputation of being an artists' house.
"I asked him what that means," she said. "He said it's a place where the artists come and they feel fully safe and supported. That's really important to me, and I want to now extend it into New York City."
To learn more about Out of the Box Theatrics, visit ootbtheatrics.com; for more on Holmdel Theatre Company's programming, visit holmdeltheatrecompany.org.
Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. Reach out on Twitter: @ilanakeller; email [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Caissie Levy kicks off new cabaret series in Manhattan
