Sam Gravitte & More to Star in BROADWAY'S BAD BOYS at Westport Country Playhouse

“Broadway’s Bad Boys,” a concert of mischievous songs made famous by musical theatre’s iconic villains, will be presented by Westport Country Playhouse for five performances only, from Thursday, January 23 through Sunday, January 26. The show kicks off a new series, “Broadway Scores at the Playhouse,” an add-on to the 2024-25 mainstage season that features showstopping selections from Broadway’s Golden Age as well as recent musicals, performed by a cast of Broadway professionals and backed by a powerhouse trio of musicians.
 
“Broadway’s Bad Boys” will bring to the Playhouse stage such notorious characters as the Phantom from “The Phantom of the Opera,” Fiyero from “Wicked,” the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast,” and, in between, a little Harold Hill from “The Music Man.” Songs celebrating scoundrels that audiences love to hate will include “Fugue for Tinhorns” from “Guys and Dolls,” “Out There” from Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and “Heart” from “Damn Yankees.”
 
Represented in the revue with their most rebellious renderings will be renowned Broadway musical composers George Gershwin, from his score for “An American in Paris,” Eric Idle (“Spamalot”), Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”), Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked”), Marc Shaiman (“Catch Me If You Can”), and Stephen Sondheim (“Into the Woods”), among many others.
 
The cast features three Broadway talents who have appeared, respectively, in “Wicked,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” and “Hamilton”:  Sam Gravitte, Kevin Massey, and Julius Thomas III.
 
Sam Gravitte’s acting credits include playing Fiyero in Broadway’s “Wicked.” Other shows include “Beautiful,” “Almost Famous,” and “Sweeney Todd.” Gravitte’s play, “Hurricane,” was a 2024 semifinalist at the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. As a singer, Gravitte has headlined shows at the 92nd Street Y and Birdland Jazz Club. He earned his BA from Princeton University. He is a Monson Arts Award recipient and Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio.
 
Kevin Massey’s Broadway shows include “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Memphis,” “Tarzan,“ “Wicked,” and “Deaf West’s Big River.” Off-Broadway, he was in “Bella: An American Tall Tale.” Tours include “Little House on the Prairie.”  Regional theatre credits include “Sunset Boulevard,” “Titanic,” “The Full Monty,” “Bonnie & Clyde,” “The Three Musketeers,” and “Pippin” in the title role. He is a UNC Morehead-Cain Scholar. @kcmassey1 www.kevinmassey.com
 
Julius Thomas III starred as Alexander Hamilton in “Hamilton: The Musical.” He is an NAACP Theatre Award-nominated actor. Thomas is one half of the critically acclaimed song duo, The Kings Of Soul and Swing. He starred on Broadway as Berry Gordy in “Motown: The Musical.” His original song of inspiration, “I Am Here,” is available on iTunes, with proceeds benefiting Broadway Cares, Equity Fights Aids. @juliusthomas3 and @kingsofsoulandswing on Instagram.
 
The concert is produced by group5productions, founded in 2019 by Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte (Best Featured Actress in a Musical for “Jerome Robbins' Broadway”).  Music director is Isaac Hayward (Broadway:  “Bad Cinderella,” “King Kong,” “Phantom of the Opera”).
 
Tickets are $35 to $65. Running time is 90 minutes, including one intermission. The concert is recommended for age 7 and up, and is family friendly.
 
Performance schedule is Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m. Pre- and post-show offerings include Pride Night, on Thursday, January 23, at 6 p.m., featuring a cocktail party for the LGBTQ+ community and friends; and Together at the Table, on Friday, January 24, at 5:30 p.m., offering a communal dinner for families or groups with student-age children. The Together at the Table series is sponsored by Paige and Jodi Couture with generous support from the Westport Rotary Club. 
 
 

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