Bayou City Concert Musicals (BCCM) began in 2000 when a group of local actors got together, under the direction of Paul Hope, to present Stephen Sondheim’s Follies for a small audience at a Houston cabaret venue. When the Houston Chronicle suggested that the production be remounted so that more people could see the show, BCCM, as an idea, was born.
For the next five shows, the Center for AIDS provided a home, and a 501(c)(3) tax exemption, for the newly-named Bayou City Concert Musicals. During that time, BCCM presented critically-acclaimed productions of Falsettos, Little Night Music, She Loves Me, 70 Girls 70, and Assassins.
In 2006, BCCM incorporated as a non-profit. In 2006, BCCM presented Fiorello! at the Heinen Theatre benefiting the Center for AIDS and the Ronald McDonald House. The 2007 production of The Secret Garden benefited the Ronald McDonald House of Houston. This year’s production of Pal Joey will benefit The River Performing and Visual Arts Center that provides experiences in the arts for children with special needs. |
Fiorello!, 2006 |
Assassins, 2005 |
Bayou City Concert Musicals has built a reputation for presenting quality musical theatre. BCCM’s production of Follies was called a “stirring testament to the depth of talent found in the Bayou City” by Outsmart Magazine. Houston Chronicle critic Everett Evans called the 2005 production of Assassins “darkly brilliant” and the Houston Press said the 2006 production of Fiorello! was “a landslide victory for everyone.” (Last year’s production of The Secret Garden was not reviewed in the local press, but audience members praised the quality of the production and the performances.)
BCCM has received two prestigious awards: The Houston Press Award for Houston’s Best Fundraiser and Leadership Houston’s Leadership in Action award.
Artistic Director Paul Hope will direct Pal Joey. Veteran choreographer Krissy Richmond will stage the dance numbers. Musical director Art Yelton also brings a wealth of experience to his role. Though not yet fully cast, Pal Joey will feature Spencer Plachy, Susan Shofner, Susan Draper and Haley Dyes. |
The concert musical form is unique. The orchestra, under the baton of Dominique Røyem, is on stage. Because there are no “sets,” audience members must use their imagination to “fill in” the scenery. The format allows the story, the music and the performances to shine. Many BCCM patrons have reported that they didn’t miss the sets; in fact, they found themselves even more drawn into the substance of the work.
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The Secret Garden, 2007 |
Pal Joey, 2008 |
BCCM is the only theatre group in Houston to perform exclusively in the concert musical format. BCCM has chosen to focus on underperformed works of American musical theatre. Pal Joey certainly fits that criterion. The original 1940 Broadway production may have marked the beginning of Gene Kelly’s career, but it was not a huge hit. But the trend Pal Joey started, to darker musical material, was so entrenched by the 1950s that the 1952 revival found the critical and audience success that had largely eluded the original. City Center Encores! (the inspiration for BCCM) presented a concert revival in 1995. Pal Joey has not been staged in Houston in decades.
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BCCM’s cabaret programs also support the mission of spotlighting underperformed works of the American musical stage by educating audiences about the history of the American songbook. Artistic Director Paul Hope, who serves as master of ceremonies for the cabarets, weaves the history of the American musical and its greatest creators into the evening of song. Many of those who have attended the cabarets have commented that they have enjoyed learning about the art form as much as they have enjoyed the music.
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The Music of Jerome Kern Cabaret , 2007 |
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