From Press Release
BOY FALLS FROM THE SKY
Jake Epstein Solo Theatrical Debut at Toronto Fringe
Toronto, Ontario… Jake Epstein and Derrick Chua are thrilled to announce the World Premiere of Epstein’s autobiographical tale Boy Falls From The Sky: Jake Epstein Live at Supermarket, playing as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival, July 3 – 14, 2019. Performance venue Supermarket is a vibrant restaurant and bar, located in the heart of Kensington Market at 268 Augusta Avenue (just south of College Street), Toronto.
He’s been “that guy from Degrassi”, starred in US National Tours of Spring Awakening and American Idiot, played Spider-Man on Broadway in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark and originated the lead role of Gerry Goffin (Carole King’s husband) in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Not bad for a kid who dreamed about performing on Broadway in the back seat of his parents’ minivan on their annual family road-trip to NYC. But the thing about dreams is, they don’t always go as planned. Through a series of funny and revealing stories and songs, ranging from touring the US, to surviving Spider-Man, to enduring steroid shots and Broadway Boos, Epstein shares the rejection, stage fright and heartbreak behind a seemingly successful career in this showbiz tell-all. For anyone who’s ever tried to go after their dreams.
According to Epstein: “I’ve spent my life going after my singular dream of doing musicals on Broadway. And what’s crazy is that I achieved that dream. But the reality is that going after your dreams can be complicated and filled with disappointments. This show is my attempt to turn those disappointments into theatrical moments of joy and humour. I love story-telling and I thought this was a good story to tell. And you might even laugh.”
Boy Falls From The Sky is directed by Robert McQueen (Selected directing credits: Fun Home, Life After, The Wild Party, Falsettos, Caroline, or Change, The Light In The Piazza (Musical Stage Company), The Immigrant (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), Man of La Mancha (Stratford Festival)), music directed by Daniel Abrahamson (Musicals include: Stars of Mars, Funny Business, Girls End, Act Now and Hugh and I. Musical direction for Drayton Entertainment, Magnus Theatre, Ryerson Theatre School, Bluewater Playhouse, Toronto and Edmonton Fringe Festivals), and produced by Derrick Chua (Selected credits: Mary’s Wedding (Crow’s), Music Music Life Death Music (Tarragon), Obeah Opera (Young Centre), I’m Doing This For You and Oh My Irma (International Tours)).
Boy Falls From The Sky: Jake Epstein Live at Supermarket
Supermarket, 268 Augusta Avenue, Toronto
Thur July 4 at 7:00 pm | Fri July 5 at 5:00 pm | Sat July 6 at 7:00 pm | Sun July 7 at 4:00 pm**|Wed July 10 at 7:00 pm** | Thur July 11 at 7:00 pm | Fri July 12 at 5:00 pm | Sat July 13 at 7:00 pm
Tickets: $13.00. Fringe Box Office: 416.966.1062 or www.fringetoronto.com
Company Website: www.jakeepstein.ca
**These performances will be ASL Interpreted
PARTICIPANT BIOS
JAKE EPSTEIN (WRITER AND PERFORMER)
Jake is a Toronto based actor, singer and writer. He originated the role of Gerry Goffin on Broadway in the Tony nominated hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and survived a year as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. On tour, he has performed in most major theatres across the US starring in the Tony winning hit Spring Awakening (Melchior) as well as Green Day’s American Idiot (Will). Off-Broadway, he starred in the New York Times critics pick Straight. Selected Toronto credits include Billy Elliot (Mirvish), Therefore Choose Life (Harold Green, actor and co-writer, Broadway World Award), Dog Sees God (Michael Rubinoff) and two Ross Petty Pantos. He is best known for playing Craig in Degrassi for which he won a Gemini Award. Recently, he spent two years playing Chuck in Designated Survivor (starring Kiefer Sutherland, ABC) and Brian in Suits (USA Network), in addition to numerous other film and tv credits. Graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
ROBERT MCQUEEN (DIRECTOR)
Robert is an Associate Artist with The Musical Stage Company for whom he has directed Fun Home (2018 Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Direction), The Wild Party, Falsettos, Caroline, or Change and The Light In The Piazza. Additionally Robert directed the premiere production of the Musical Stage/Canadian Stage co-production of Life After (2018 Dora Award for Outstanding Direction) as well as ReFramed, a MSC collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario and You Are Here a co-production with The 1000 Island Playhouse. Other recent directing projects include the New York premiere of Forest Boy, a new work by the Scottish writing team of Claire McKenzie and Scott Gilmor, The Magic Flute for Vancouver Opera, La Boheme for The Canadian Opera Company; Where Elephants Weep at the Chelna Theatre in Phnom Penh, Carousel for the Galaxy Theatre in Tokyo; The Immigrant for the Harold Green Theatre and Man Of La Mancha for the Stratford Festival, as well as Associate Directing the Broadway and North American companies of Mamma Mia. Robert has worked on the development of new musicals and opera in both Canada and the US for companies that include Yonge Street Theatricals, The Canadian Musical Theatre Project at Sheridan University, The Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver Opera, Canadian Opera Company, CAP21, NY and the O’Neill Centre, Connecticut.
DANIEL ABRAHAMSON (MUSICAL DIRECTOR)
Daniel is a performer, composer, and musical director. His musicals include Stars of Mars (CMTP 2018/19, Off-Sheridan 2019), Funny Business (Toronto Fringe 2007, Diesel Playhouse, Bluewater Playhouse, Richmond Hill Centre, Bread and Circus, Vaughan City Playhouse) published by Samuel French, Act Now and Hugh and I (Patron’s Pick Toronto Fringe 2011 and 2014). His one woman musical Girl’s End debuted to rave reviews in Winnipeg and Edmonton Fringe summer 2016. Musical direction for Drayton Entertainment, Magnus Theatre, Ryerson Theatre School, Bluewater Playhouse, Toronto and Edmonton Fringe Festivals. He is a member of the 2020 class of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre workshop and recently sold out a concert of his songs at 54 Below, both in NYC. Upcoming; Sam Phillips/Musical Direction for Million Dollar Quartet in Port Hope, ON, and another cabaret at Birdland Theatre in NYC. danieljohnabrahamson.com and insta @danieljohnabrahamson.
DERRICK CHUA (PRODUCER)
Derrick is an award-winning theatre producer and entertainment lawyer. His recent productions include Stephen Massicotte’s Mary’s Wedding (Crow’s Theatre), Adam Seelig’s Music Music Life Death Music (Tarragon Theatre), Haley McGee’s I’m Doing This For You and Oh My Irma (International Tour), Nicole Brooks’ Obeah Opera (Panamania) and numerous shows in Toronto, New York and Edinburgh. Derrick is co-founder and Core Artistic Team Member of Studio 180 Theatre. He is chair of Groundling Theatre, sits on the boards of CanadaHub, The AFC, Theatre Museum Canada and fu-GEN Theatre, and co-produces 120 Diner’s Sunday Night Cabaret Series. He is the recipient of a Dora Award, a Harold Award, Now Magazine Award as Toronto’s Best Indie Producer and Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Honorary Membership for his Outstanding Contribution to the Performing Arts.