blog.NTYK
JJ Parkey, “Darren”
What are “Darren’s” favorite Omelet ingredients?
ham & cheese
What are your favorite Omelet ingredients?
Any kind of cheese, green onions & mushrooms
What do you think David Brush’s favorite Omelet ingredients would be?
Green peppers, olives & any sort of beer that he gets at SideBar
As the writing team’s visit approached, what were you most anxious about in attending that first rehearsal with Josh & Ryan?
When we started working with Ryan and Josh, I was most anxious about their opinions of the work I had done for Darren. I was afraid that their presence in the room would be really intimidating, but as it turns out, Ryan and Josh are absolutely WONDERFUL to work with. They were so very supportive of what we were all doing, and the entire weekend was a very positive experience. Ryan and Josh brought about a sense of grounding to the project for me. It was suddenly like “Oh shit, now we’re doing this show for real. Let’s get to it!” I loved learning about the genesis of some of the songs and how they came to be in NTYK. The contrast and comparison between modern-day musical theatre and golden age musical theatre is really explored beautifully in this piece. Go omelets!
What has the experience of working on the development of Next Thing You Know been like? What emotions have you felt, as you work to develop a never-before-seen character?
Working on Next Thing You Know has been a very positive and enriching experience. Walking into the project, I had initially thought that doing a brand new musical would be stressful, but I’ve found great fun in being the first person to play Darren with this version of the script.
Above all else though, my function is to facilitate the writers and what they need to see to make their show work–which I am more than happy to help with. I really believe in the importance of new musical works, so being able to devote my time to this project has been a true pleasure. I really enjoy this show and the wide range of emotions and swings that Darren’s character takes.
Working on a new musical is about exploration, so that has been my goal the entire time: To explore new territory without inhibition.
