by Rikki Lee Travolta
On a new episode of entertainment news podcast It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee, I am joined by Broadway and television star Andy Mientus who is currently in Chicago performing in “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” at the historic Studebaker Theater.
“Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” is produced by The Jim Henson Company and iTheatrics and is directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, the Tony Award-winning choreographer of “Newsies.”
Andy has starred on Broadway in “Spring Awakening” and “Les Misérables” and the national tour of “Wicked.” He was seen in key roles in the television hit “Smash” with Jeremy Jordan and Katherine McPhee and as supervillain The Pied Piper in the CW’s “The Flash.”
I had the chance to review Andy as Emmet Otter, and he and the rest of the cast are absolutely magical. Andy is a very strong performer who connects to both the adults and the kids in the audience.
To give you an idea of the impact Andy has, consider this excerpt from the Life and Times:
“Andy Mientus is just what a show needs to be successful. He’s got a charming smile, a twinkle in his eye, and a golden voice. He is a wonderfully gifted actor and singer who audiences will recognize from such hit television shows as “Smash” and “The Flash”. His Emmet Otter is a character that kids will easily identify with and root for. He has that likeability factor that can’t be taught.”
In our podcast interview, Andy discusses what it’s like starring in a Jim Henson entertainment production and the tremendous respect he has for working with the talented puppeteers. Imagine growing up exposed to a world of magical puppet characters on TV and in the movies, only to find yourself onstage with them and interacting with the people who bring them to life.
Andy also lavishes praise on his other talented costars and expounds on what it was like working with the award-winning Gattelli as a director. Another topic of discussion is the incredible score by Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Paul Williams – who was involved in the rehearsal process for this production.
They did not cut corners when they brought “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” to the stage. The Paul Williams music is what you would expect of a Broadway show. And with talent like Andy Mientus, it resonates throughout the theatre with beauty.
“Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” had its initial incarnation as a children’s book by Russell Hoban, originally published in 1971 by Parents’ Magazine Press. In 1977, Jim Henson directed a television special adaptation of the story for Canadian Broadcast Corporation Television (CBC TV). It premiered in the U.S. on HBO in 1978 and then had subsequent showings on ABC and Nickelodeon in the 1990s.
In 2008, the Jim Henson Company entered into a partnership with iTheatrics to develop a stage musical based on the 1977 television movie. The book was written by Timothy Allen McDonald and Gattelli. Williams, who had composed the songs for the television special, wrote additional material to flush out the show.
The new mounting of that theatrical adaptation is now making its Chicago debut at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago at the Fine Arts Building at 410 South Michigan Avenue. To make plans to see this holiday musical call the Fine Arts Building Box Office at (312) 753-3210 extension 102 or go online to www.FineArtsBuilding.com.
To listen to the latest episodes of It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee visit: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rikkileetravolta
If you’re not familiar, It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee is an entertainment news program produced out of Chicago and available throughout the world on all major podcast platforms. We try to serve as a backstage pass to all things entertainment, taking advantage of my career in theatre, film, television, music, and literature.
Our guests included platinum-selling recording artists, Broadway award-winners, and Hollywood A-listers. Providing a full spectrum view of entertainment, we also shine a light on up-and-coming and local artists. We try to have fun, and you might just learn something.
I hope you’ll give It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee a try. And, if you like this episode, we hope you’ll come back for more.
