On Monday July 26th at 6 p.m. ET, Broadway Records will host a virtual listening party for I COULD USE A DRINK: THE SONGS OF DREW GASPARINI, in celebration of show’s upcoming run in London this summer. The party will feature creator Drew Gasparini and original vocalists from the beloved recording including Two-Time Tony Nominee Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice, School of Rock). F. Michael Haynie (Frozen), Andrew Kober (Beautiful), Kasie Gasparini (Saint Adeline) and Chloe George (Saint Adeline).
The party will feature the team discussing the genesis of the show, the recording of the album and the development of new musicals in these times, as well as answering questions from the viewing audience. The event will be hosted by Broadway Records Media Strategist Grace Aki and may be watched live HERE (link to https://youtu.be/5iJNeJpLSsE) or at www.youtube.com/
Recorded prior to his debut as a composer on NBC’s Smash, Drew Gasparini headed into the studio for the first time to record a collection of 17 songs, I COULD USE A DRINK, THE SONGS OF DREW GASPARINI. Named one of Playbill’s “Contemporary Musical Theatre Songwriters You Should Know”, Gasparini’s work has been, and earned the respect of composers and performers alike.
Featuring crowd favorites from Joe’s Pub, NYMF, and the Kennedy Center; the album is an eclectic mix of semi-autobiographical numbers (both poignant and hilarious) and progressive contemporary music theater. In fact, the recording had been such a collaborative process that sessions were held in New York City, San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia.
The album was musically produced by the highly sought after Charlie Rosen (13, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, One Man Two Guvnors). Vocalists featured on the album are Nick Blaemire (Godspell), Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice) , Ben Crawford (Shrek, Big Fish), Jennifer Damiano (Next to Normal), Blake Daniel (Spring Awakening), Tim Ehrlich (Rent), Justin Guarini (In Transit), F. Michael Haynie (Frozen), Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, Bonnie and Clyde), Mykal Kilgore (Book Of Mormon), Andrew Kober (Beautiful), Eric Michael Krop (Godspell), Caissie Levy (Frozen), Lindsay Mendez (Wicked, Carousel), Rachel Potter (Evita), Kacie Sheik (Hair), Gabe Violett (Spring Awakening), Drew Weston (Mary Poppins), Alex Wyse (Indoor Boys), Drew Gasparini, Kasie Gasparini and Chloe George.
I COULD USE A DRINK, THE SONGS OF DREW GASPARINI is available on BroadwayRecords.com and everywhere music is sold.
Drew Gasparini is an award-winning musical theatre composer/lyricist, a singer/songwriter, and a teacher. He is equally committed to forging a new sound in the intersection between theatre and pop, to nurturing the next generation of artists, and to throwing one hell of a party. Drew is currently developing a number of new stage musicals including the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of The Karate Kid (book by screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen), It’s Kind of a Funny Story (book by Alex Brightman); Night Shift (book by screenwriters Babaloo Mandel & Lowell Ganz); and The Whipping Boy (book and co-lyrics by Brightman). Other writing projects include the infamous, award-winning Super Bowl publicity stunt, Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical, starring Michael C. Hall (book by Will Eno, lyrics with Nathaniel Lawler, directed by Sarah Benson); We Aren’t Kids Anymore (a song cycle); Everything in its Place: The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, a one-man-show starring Marc Summers, and Make Me Bad (both with scripts by Alex Brightman); Crazy, Just Like Me (2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival “Best of Fest”); Turn of the Screw and #UntitledPopMusical (both with Michael Kimmel); and songs for Hit List on the NBC television series ‘SMASH’, the children’s cooking programme ‘Monica’s Mixing Bowl’, and ‘Hot Mess in Manhattan’ (“The Text Message Song”). Drew’s unique brand of musical theatre concerts have been performed to sold-out houses around the world at venues such as Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center in D.C., and the St. James Theatre in London.