{"id":12429,"date":"2019-12-14T13:13:07","date_gmt":"2019-12-14T13:13:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/?p=12429"},"modified":"2022-08-02T07:16:06","modified_gmt":"2022-08-02T07:16:06","slug":"more-pigs-and-chickens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/more-pigs-and-chickens\/","title":{"rendered":"More Pigs and Chickens"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12429\" class=\"elementor elementor-12429\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-26df0725 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default qodef-elementor-content-no\" data-id=\"26df0725\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4daab6e1\" data-id=\"4daab6e1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56699d3 elementor-author-box--name-yes elementor-author-box--link-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-author-box\" data-id=\"56699d3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"author-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/author\/william-squier\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-author-box__name\">William Squier<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e31d57c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3e31d57c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.12.2 - 23-04-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Photography by Jeremy Daniel and Michael Kushner<\/p><p>Toward the end of 2012, it looked like everything was coming together for actor, composer and lyricist, Rob Rokicki. He was about to start rehearsals for his Broadway debut in the John Doyle led revival of the musical <em>Pump Boys<\/em> and <em>Dinettes<\/em>. He was also poised to sign a deal with theatrical producers who\u2019d promised to shepherd <em>Strange Tails<\/em>, a musical he\u2019d written, to a regional production. And, to top things off, he and actress, Amanda Flynn, had just become engaged to be married.<\/p><p>Then, within the span of 24 hours, his life fell apart. The producers dropped the option on <em>Strange Tails<\/em> when one of them suddenly decided to leave show biz and go to grad school. Next, Doyle\u2019s production of <em>Pump Boys<\/em> was postponed and, ultimately, cancelled. \u201cBy Saturday, it was like, \u2018At least, I\u2019m still engaged,\u201d Rokicki jokes.<\/p><p>Fortunately for Rokicki, his fianc\u00e9 became wife in early 2014. But, his career was in a tailspin. He and writing partner, Michael Ruby, were crushed by the experience and Ruby wound up moving to the west coast. And Rokicki began to fear that his years of struggle \u2013 spent on many a frigid sidewalk waiting to be seen for an audition or toiling away at odd jobs to buy himself time to write \u2013 had been a waste. \u201cI was floundering,\u201d he admits. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p><p>But, spoiler alert, it turns out Rob Rokicki\u2019s story has a happy ending because, eight years later, he\u2019s going to Broadway with his rock musical adaptation of the bestselling young adult novel,<em> The Lightning Thief<\/em>. The musical is playing at the Longacre Theater \u2013 where Rokicki used to bartend \u2013 for a 16-week engagement that began in September. \u201cI think nine out of our ten actors are making their Broadway debuts,\u201d he says. \u201cThey have so many stories like mine. So, it\u2019s a real victory for the little guys.\u201d<\/p><p>Rokicki and his twin sister were born on Halloween and grew up in the central Colorado city of Centennial. He remembers his home as filled with music supplied by his father, an orthopedist who played classical piano, and his mother, a vocalist with a local choral group. Family road trips were accompanied by Broadway fare like <em>West Side Story<\/em> and <em>Candide<\/em> playing on the car stereo. And his parents encouraged his love of music with singing and piano lessons. So, by first grade he was already writing his own songs and landed his first acting role in his classroom\u2019s peppy, anti-pesticide musical <em>Goin\u2019 Buggy<\/em>.<\/p><p>Rokicki started writing his own musicals in middle school. After a bit of a set back, when he discovered that the <em>Jekyll and Hyde<\/em> musical he had in the works had already been penned by Frank Wildhorn \u2013 \u201cI\u2019d done the album cover art, drawn the poster and written the first couple of songs!\u201d \u2013 he moved on to zany romps like a show set on a putt-putt golf course that involved space aliens, a detective, Vikings, the Care Bears and tunes with intriguing titles like Steve Has a Spastic Colon. His father read the piece and dubbed it \u201cmass confusion,\u201d which Rokicki eagerly adopted as the title.<\/p><p>Rokicki explains that his earliest efforts were as much about finding an excuse to do something fun with his friends as they were about artistic expression. \u201cSo, I made my shows bigger and crazier,\u201d he says. \u201cKind of like<em> The Muppets Take Manhattan<\/em>, where Kermit has a line, \u2018We\u2019ll just add more pigs and chickens.\u2019 That was my philosophy. And it has served me well over the years. I surround myself with friends and try to find projects for them.\u201d<\/p><p>Rokicki continued to create original musicals at the University of Michigan. But, the subject matter turned a bit more serious. \u201c<em>Trespasses<\/em> was a modern day, gritty, pop drama very loosely based on Aeschylus\u2019 <em>Oresteia<\/em>,\u201d he recalls. \u201cIt was dark. Way too self-important and earnest. But, when you\u2019re feeling lots of feelings in college, that\u2019s what you do.\u201d<\/p><p>After graduation, the script and score for <em>Trespasses<\/em> became a calling card for the aspiring writer and he was able to get it into the hands of no less a Broadway veteran than Stephen Schwartz. \u201cHe was great,\u201d he says. \u201cI gave him my demo, he listened to it and gave me some feedback. I\u2019ve always found people like that who\u2019ve taken the time to take me seriously; artists that I admire have really been instrumental in my career.\u201d<\/p><p>Rokicki moved to New York City in the summer of 2001, just a few weeks before the attack on the World Trade Center. And, as fate would have it, he got a day job across the street from Tower One. Then, one of his first performing gigs was a Lincoln Center concert of <em>Babes in Toyland<\/em> held to raise funds for children who\u2019d lost parents in the tragedy. \u201cIt was the moment when I realized that musicals and the arts were important,\u201d he says. \u201cThat did it for me. There was no way I wasn\u2019t going to stay in that profession and stay in New York.\u201d<\/p><p>For the next decade, Rokicki rode the roller coaster ride that is many a fledgling artist\u2019s early career. His musicals would be featured in festivals and at venues like 54 Below and Joe\u2019s Pub, where they attracted enthusiastic response and garnered awards. But, full, commercial productions of his shows eluded him. As an actor, he performed in prestigious productions like the 25th Anniversary Tour of <em>Evita<\/em>, directed by Hal Prince, and Carnegie Hall\u2019s televised concert of<em> South Pacific<\/em>. But, while the flow of work at regional theaters was steady, Broadway remained out of reach.<\/p><p>Then, that devastating week in 2012 happened. \u201cI understood that was the biz,\u201d Rokicki insists. \u201cThat it was arbitrary and the universe wasn\u2019t angry with me. But, I\u2019d worked so hard, for so long, that it really hurt. The arts were the only place that I felt I belonged and had a purpose. So, it was like an attack on my identity.\u201d<\/p><p>Fortunately, the theater friends that Rokicki had become close to over that same period came to his rescue. Marquee talent, like actress Megan Hilty, offered to perform his songs in concert and on recordings. And then, <em>Be More Chill<\/em> songwriter, Joe Iconis, brought him the news that Theaterworks USA was looking for a composer with rock chops to score their touring TYA version of <em>The Lightning Thief<\/em>. Rokicki read the book, fell in love with it and called in every favor he could to land the gig. \u201cI made three demos and got the job,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was the right show at the right time.\u201d<\/p><p>The next few years were a whirlwind of collaborating with librettist, Joe Tracz, on a one-hour adaptation of the 400+ page novel and then expanding it into two acts as the show crisscrossed the U.S., with two runs in NYC, making it one of Theaterworks\u2019 most successful shows. Along the way, it racked up rave reviews and award nominations against the likes of megahit <em>Hamilton<\/em>! \u201cIt\u2019s a little show that has done amazing things,\u201d Rokicki feels. \u201cWe\u2019re getting to celebrate that in a Broadway theater \u2013 the tour\u2019s grand final stop.\u201d But, it\u2019s a happy ending that\u2019s only the beginning for Rob Rokicki.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a17224e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default qodef-elementor-content-no\" data-id=\"a17224e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cb3025b\" data-id=\"cb3025b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93c63a8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-gallery\" data-id=\"93c63a8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;columns&quot;:3,&quot;overlay_title&quot;:&quot;title&quot;,&quot;overlay_description&quot;:&quot;caption&quot;,&quot;lazyload&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;gallery_layout&quot;:&quot;grid&quot;,&quot;columns_tablet&quot;:2,&quot;columns_mobile&quot;:1,&quot;gap&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;gap_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;gap_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;link_to&quot;:&quot;file&quot;,&quot;aspect_ratio&quot;:&quot;3:2&quot;,&quot;overlay_background&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;content_hover_animation&quot;:&quot;fade-in&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"gallery.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-LightningThief-Photo-3-3453.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"all-93c63a8\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Photo: Jeremy Daniel\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MTI0MzMsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC92ZW51bWFnYXppbmUuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIyXC8wN1wvVGhlLUxpZ2h0bmluZ1RoaWVmLVBob3RvLTMtMzQ1My5qcGciLCJzbGlkZXNob3ciOiJhbGwtOTNjNjNhOCJ9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-LightningThief-Photo-3-3453-300x200.jpg\" data-width=\"300\" data-height=\"200\" alt=\"\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__title\">Photo: Jeremy Daniel<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__description\">The cast of The Lightning Thief: \nKristin Stokes, Chris McCarrell & Jorrel Javier <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-LightningThief-Photo-2-2324.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"all-93c63a8\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Photo: Jeremy Daniel\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MTI0MzIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC92ZW51bWFnYXppbmUuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIyXC8wN1wvVGhlLUxpZ2h0bmluZ1RoaWVmLVBob3RvLTItMjMyNC5qcGciLCJzbGlkZXNob3ciOiJhbGwtOTNjNjNhOCJ9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-LightningThief-Photo-2-2324-300x200.jpg\" data-width=\"300\" data-height=\"200\" alt=\"\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__title\">Photo: Jeremy Daniel<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-LightningThief-Photo-1-1030.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"all-93c63a8\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Photo: Jeremy Daniel\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MTI0MzEsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC92ZW51bWFnYXppbmUuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIyXC8wN1wvVGhlLUxpZ2h0bmluZ1RoaWVmLVBob3RvLTEtMTAzMC5qcGciLCJzbGlkZXNob3ciOiJhbGwtOTNjNjNhOCJ9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-LightningThief-Photo-1-1030-300x200.jpg\" data-width=\"300\" data-height=\"200\" alt=\"\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__title\">Photo: Jeremy Daniel<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-Lightning-Thief-Logo.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"all-93c63a8\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MTI0MzAsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC92ZW51bWFnYXppbmUuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIyXC8wN1wvVGhlLUxpZ2h0bmluZy1UaGllZi1Mb2dvLmpwZyIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6ImFsbC05M2M2M2E4In0%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/The-Lightning-Thief-Logo-300x300.jpg\" data-width=\"300\" data-height=\"300\" alt=\"\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Rob-Rokicki-Headshot-Photo-4.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"all-93c63a8\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Rob Rokicki\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MTI0MjgsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC92ZW51bWFnYXppbmUuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIyXC8wN1wvUm9iLVJva2lja2ktSGVhZHNob3QtUGhvdG8tNC5qcGciLCJzbGlkZXNob3ciOiJhbGwtOTNjNjNhOCJ9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Rob-Rokicki-Headshot-Photo-4-200x300.jpg\" data-width=\"200\" data-height=\"300\" alt=\"\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__title\">Rob Rokicki<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photography by Jeremy Daniel and Michael Kushner Toward the end of 2012, it looked like everything was coming together for actor, composer and lyricist, Rob Rokicki. He was about to start rehearsals for his Broadway debut in the John Doyle led revival of the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes. He was also poised to sign [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":12432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12429"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venumagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}