[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Showstopper, the one-man musical starring Gary Stockdale, heads to the Whitefire Theatre March 21-April 25.
One Man. One Piano. A Lifetime of Musicals.
About Showstopper
The name Jerry Rockwell may not instantly come to mind, but he is a composer/lyricist responsible for some of musical theatre’s most popular and innovative shows. Some, like Rascals & Rogues and Water Cooler, were hits, while others like Key Party and Tricky Dick were not. And others, like Beyond and Split, never even made it to opening night. Jerry’s work was always challenging, bold, and intensely personal.
Still doesn’t ring any bells? Well, that’s because Jerry doesn’t exist.
He’s the brainchild of theatre veterans Gary Stockdale and Spencer Green, who created the award-winning musicals Bukowsical and Bumpersticker; and Matthew Leavitt, co-artistic director of The 6th Act, and librettist for the operas Orpheus and The Wreck of the Miranda, and the book/lyrics for the musical Kid Gloves.
Showstopper is a one-person show which follows Jerry as he discusses his life and career to an “audience” at New York’s 92Y Theatre. He details the ups and downs, successes and failures, and everything that he sacrificed in his quest to become the Next Big Thing as a musical composer on Broadway.
Each song in Showstopper comes from one of Jerry’s own musicals starting in the late-1960s and going all the way to the present. Some are big and brassy, some anthemic, some jaunty and jolly, others introspective. And as he traces the development of his music, influenced and fed by his personal triumphs and struggles, we learn how life and art are inextricably linked.
The Showstopper Team
Gary Stockdale
Composer, Lyrics, Book, and Star of the Show.
Gary is a two-time EMMY Award- nominated TV and film composer (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, The Aristocrats), a veteran studio singer (Star Wars: Rogue One, Jurassic World, Skyfall with Adele on 2013 Oscars), and a touring songwriter. His music has been featured on Broadway in Penn & Teller Rot In Hell. He was an original member of The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and also sang a featured solo in the cult-classic musical TV series, Cop/Rock. With Spencer Green, Gary co-wrote the irreverent adult musical Bukowsical, which won Outstanding Musical at the 2007 New York International Fringe Festival. Gary also composed the score for the original Off-Broadway production of Playdead, written by Teller of Penn & Teller. Bukowsical, the CD, as well as his albums Keep Letting Go, and Sure Of Mice Elf are on Spotify, Amazon and all music sites.
Spencer Green
Book, Lyrics
Spencer Green reminds you that the use of flash photography or any sound recording devices is strictly prohibited during this biography. Mr. Green has written for In Living Color, AAAHH!!! Real Monsters, Duckman, Mad TV, The Fairly Oddparents, Denis Leary’s Merry F#%$in’ Christmas, Americana for BBC Radio, and the radio play podcast Labora-Story for St. Louis’ Theatre Lab. He was a contributing editor for more than two decades to Leonard Maltin’s annual Movie Guide, as well as co-editor of Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia and managing editor of Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide, and edited We’ll Never Be Young Again: Remembering the Last Days of John F. Kennedy. Mr. Green has performed at the Los Angeles comedic writers’ salon Sit ‘n Spin and is co-author/co-lyricist of the award-winning musicals Bukowsical, and Bumpersticker. His plays have been produced by St. Louis’ Theatre Lab, Chicago’s Hobo Junction, and Los Angeles’ Sci-Fest LA, and The Scorpion and the Frog: a time-killer was produced by The 6th Act at the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival. He has also written for The Huffington Post and created the parody web site The Parallel Universe Film Guide.
Matthew Leavitt
Book, Director
Matthew Leavitt: Matthew Leavitt is an award-winning playwright, director, librettist, and co-artistic director of The 6th Act Theatre Company. Most recently he directed the world premiere of The Brothers Abelson: Since 1946 at The Electric Lodge in Venice. Other selected directing credits include Hamlet (winner of ‘Best Director of a Play’ Stage Scene LA Award), Legally Brunette (World Premiere – The Garry Marshall Theatre in Los Angeles, 54 Below in NYC), Sonnets From Suburbia (World Premiere – Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 59E59 in NYC, Hollywood Independent Theatre Festival in Los Angeles), The Scorpion and the Frog: a time killer (World Premiere – Hollywood Fringe Festival), Double Play (World Premiere – Stephanie Feury Theatre), Arrival (Sci-Fest LA), Barfly Shakespeare (The 6th Act), Twelfth Night (Village Green Productions), The Taming of the Shrew (Village Green Productions) and Goes The Weasel (Ammunition Theatre Company). Playwriting credits include The $5 Shakespeare Company (LA Times Critics’ Choice) and The Boomerang Effect (published by Concord Theatricals), which has enjoyed numerous productions throughout the US and UK. His newest play Sukkot recently premiered at The Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles. He has been commissioned twice by LA Opera to write the librettos for two new operas, Orpheus and The Wreck of the Miranda (both collaborations with classical and film composer Nathan Wang). For more information visit www.the6thact.com
John Mitchell
Producer
John has been a theater producer and director for over 30 years. Over his many years, he has produced shows in Sacramento, Los Angeles and New York. Mr. Mitchell began producing at his own theater company in Sacramento at age 25 and completed two seasons of shows before he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career in theater and television writing. John has developed three sitcom pilots which were sold (the shows were not picked up) and currently is working on an animated show called Agro Squirrel. Mr. Michell produced Bumpersticker for the Hollywood Fringe in 2016 and working with the same team, Mr. Mitchell produced Bukowsical! at the New York Fringe, where it took Best of Fringe 2008. The following year, he brought the one-woman show Now That She’s Gone to the NY Fringe. In between Mr. Mitchell has been busy developing new works and has three current musicals in development.
He has been active in the management of theater companies and non-profit organizations for more than 30 years as well and currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors of New Musicals Inc.
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