I Could Use a Drink musical plot summary

After a successful UK streaming event, Drew Gasparini’s hit album, ‘I Could Use A Drink’ is now headed to the West End for one night only – with added songs and an increase in the cast to 9 musical theatre stars!

Now for its West End premiere, producers Liam Gartland and Alex Conder reimagine its cutting edge musical theatre songs with some of the West End’s stars of present and the future including AHMED HAMAD (‘Rent’), BILLY NEVERS (‘& Juliet’/’Jesus Christ Superstar’), CAROLINE KAY (‘Daisy’/‘The Space Between’), LUKE BAYER (‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’/’Soho Cinders’), MAIYA QUANSAH-BREED (‘SIX’, ‘Rent’), OLIVIA LALLO (GSA 2020 graduate) and TOM FRANCIS (‘Rent’), with more cast to be announced.

‘I Could Use A Drink’ will play the Garrick Theatre on Monday 2 August,
2021 at 7pm.

Musical Direction Flynn Sturgeon.
Director Alex Conder.

Produced by Alex Conder and Liam Gartland for Gartland Productions.

Drew Gasparini
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. Much of Drew’s comedic writing and performing is done with a collective of lovable wackos/Broadway besties, Alex Brightman (‘School of Rock’, ‘Beetlejuice’), F. Michael Haynie (‘Frozen’, ‘Wicked’), and Andrew Kober (‘Beautiful’, ‘Hair’, ‘Les Miserables’). They are lovingly referred to as The (M)orons.

Drew also writes, records, and performs as a solo artist as well as in his folk-pop band (along with his two sisters Kasie and Chloe) called Saint Adeline.

A few of the songs are sufficiently wordy to draw a comparison between Drew Gaspirini and Jason Robert Brown. I Could Use A Drink isn’t quite as profound as Songs For A New World, but this is a positively intense and heartfelt experience. Review of I Could Use a Drink

LISTINGS INFORMATION
I Could I Use a Drink
Garrick Theatre
2 Charing Cross Road
London WC2H 0HH
Monday 2 August, 2021
Duration: 2hrs including one interval
Age recommendation: 16+
Tickets: from £21.00
Box office: 0330 333 4811
www.nimaxtheatres.com

Drew Gasparini

by Matt Smith

There ain’t no party like a Drew Gasparini party, and no one knows that more than his raucous audience at Feinstein’s/54 Below, who gathered at the intimate hotspot last Monday night to ring in the re-release of the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s I Could Use a Drink.

Originally released in 2013, before Gasparini admittedly hit his prime in the industry, the album features an eclectic mix of poignant pop ditties, a conscious journey through life as we know it, touching upon such prevalent contemporary topics as coming out, teenage pregnancy, sex, drugs, depression, anxiety, love, loss, and even, unfortunately, reactions to shootings and violence.

The man of the hour took his seat at the keys and, aided by a rockin’ rock band of five, accompanied a cavalcade of Main Stem friends and fans, many of whom appeared on the original album, who delighted in reprising their performances and showing off their chops, while casually sipping cocktails and indulging in good ol’ Gasparini fun.

Alex Brightman

Kasie Gasparini

Merging at the ultimate intersection of musical theatre and pop, Gasparini’s songs are as memorably meaningful in message as they are infectiously catchy in tune. That is, he writes with a sensibility for pop-rock melody, but, much like our favorite musical theatre composers, he’s careful to not let melody overshadow the story he’s aiming to tell. Regardless of tempo or musical style, he writes with purpose and care.

Although, at least in the context of this concert, the job is not his alone. His singers also do much to drive the story forward, offering equally thoughtful interpretations of his lyrics that draw us in and take us on that same journey.

At the top of that list is Gasparini mainstay Alex Brightman, who not only sucks you in with his boyish charm, but keeps you captivated with his commitment to the emotion in Gasparini’s lyrics. He effortlessly relays his character’s fear, panic, and eventual relief as he navigates a somewhat difficult conversation with his mom — with a payoff you’ve got to see to believe.

Also notable are story-song “Two Little Lines,” detailing apprehension in light of receiving unexpected news, which continues his display of universally compelling lyrics (“Before you notice your life start to derail / Just remember the future’s still bright”) in addition to showcasing sister Kasie Gasparini’s impressively strong belt, and Alexis Myles’ deliciously maniacal take on “Circus” (which utilized frantic and dizzying lighting to complete the haunting effect), which sums up, both visually and lyrically, how we all feel when things spiral out of control.

Alexis Myles

Keith White and Band

Meanwhile, Alex Wyse brought us all back to the days of first love, moving the room with a stirring rendition of “Right Here;” recent Mean Girls transplant Reneé Rapp examined “What Remains” after a split, in a stripped-down ballad that asks “Why can’t you let me in?,” and Keith White made a commendable attempt to shake things up with an audience call-and-response via the uniquely bold and brassy (albeit semi-sexual) “Good Stuff.”

To ensure no stone was left unturned regarding his brilliance, Gasparini also tacked on some bonus material at the end of his set, regaling us with tunes from his new project, “We Aren’t Kids Anymore,” whose album drops in the Spring, and seized the opportunity to introduce Amara Breisch, a student who had previously sung from the show in a workshop setting, whose Aguilera-esque growl solidified this performance and wouldn’t be the last time we’d hear her name.

Simply put, though the evening touts “The Songs of Drew Gasparini,” if you ask the man himself, the concert is in no way a solo effort. He truly embraces teamwork and collaboration, a concept which is not in the least exemplified by the fact that rather than just present his music at the piano, he’s giving 20+ pals a chance in the spotlight as performers.

The Cast

For him, it’s also about living in and enjoying the music more so than the stuff in between; he  wastes little time on introductory remarks,  having the performers enter, sing, and exit in rapid-fire succession, stopping only—ever-graciously—to salute his band, and to offer up thanks to those who got him to where he is today.

And most importantly, he’s all about havin’ a good time, reveling in an opportunity to create a fun-lovin’ atmosphere for his cohorts.

It’s simply part of his charm, all of which is certainly on display here, as it is at each of his annual Feinstein’s/54 Below fiestas. So, given that, should you find yourself feeling like you could use a drink, know that a Gasparini gig might be just the place for you.

Photos: Anna Ty Bergman

I Could Use a Drink: The Songs of Drew Gasparini was presented at Feinstein’s/54 Below on September 9th. For more information on the re-release itself, due out October 20th on the Broadway Records label, please visit www.broadwayrecords.com.