What's New on the Rialto

Broadway performers Denise Di Renzo, David Elder and Jamie Torcellini will moonlight from their regular gigs on Broadway to star in a new Cole Porter musical revue, Let's Fall In Love, for five performances at the ArcLight Theatre in June. Jonathan Frank talked with Denise Di Renzo, who is its creator and one of its stars, about the show and her career on Broadway.

Jonathan: Welcome to Talkin' Broadway, Denise. That's quite the cast you have. I know you from your CD, Sweet Refrain, [for a review visit Sound Advice] and David Elder from his performance in Titanic, and I just saw Jamie Torcellini in Man of La Mancha. Now you have all joined forces for a new Cole Porter revue, Let's Fall in Love. Does the show have a story, or is it a collection of songs?

Denise: It has a through-line, but there is no dialogue; everything is told through song and dance. We have four musicians. Our first band rehearsal was today and they sound amazing! I've been wanting to do a Cole Porter revue with David and Jamie for years and, since Jamie is usually in LA, when he happened to be in town I thought it was a good time to finally do it. The guys were eager to work on a different creative outlet besides what they are currently doing on Broadway. David's been on Broadway [as Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street] for two years, so he was especially looking for something new to do.

The show is a great showcase for all three of us. All the material suits us well and the chemistry among the three of is great. And we're all different 'types.' We have David, who is the gorgeous leading man, and Jamie, who is the character guy, and I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. (Laughs)

JF: What made you want to do a show featuring Cole Porter's works?

DD: I have always loved Cole Porter, much more than any other composer; I even named my son "Cole" after him. I love Porter's melodies, but his lyrics are so clever and funny and show such a sharp intelligence.

JF: Have you ever played a part in a musical that Cole Porter wrote?

DD: I have never been in a Cole Porter show, no.

JF: So this is your chance, finally! Do you have a dream Cole Porter show or part you would like to do?

DD: There are a couple roles in Anything Goes I would love to do. I haven't really pursued theater in a while, though. I have two kids so I'm not working quite as full time as the guys are, which is OK by me! I've been keeping busy by doing a lot of concert and cabaret work. I know eventually I will want to get back to doing theater; it's where I spent a good fifteen years of my life. It's just the fact that doing it means never getting the chance to put my kids to bed. I don't know if I'm ready to do that yet! They're almost at the point age-wise where I can get the flexibility ... but I'm not ready yet! (Laughs) Maybe in another year or two when they get sick of me and want to spend more time with their friends!

JF: Does Let's Fall in Love feature mainly well-known material or can we expect some surprises?

DD: Half of the songs will be familiar to people who are theater and cabaret goers. The general public, however, will find a fair amount of new material in the show. We are also doing a number of songs that are really obscure. Some are real finds and were unknown even to the musicians and the cast. It's been a lot of fun spending time with our music director, David Brunetti, going through all of the Cole Porter stuff.

JF: Are you the director of the piece as well as the creator and choreographer?

DD: I am.

JF: And one of its stars as well. That's a lot of hats! Did you costume it as well?

DD: In a way ... my outfits are my own (laughs) and the guys are dressed in tuxedos so it's rather simple. I love directing and choreographing ... I'm not crazy about doing all of it at the same time, but I had been wanting to do the show for so long that I knew very specifically what I wanted. So it turned out to be easier for me to do it all.

JF: You were in the original cast of 42nd Street. Do you and David swap war stories?

DD: You know, I wasn't in it that long. I really didn't enjoy doing the show. I had come from playing Morales in A Chorus Line, and doing that show really spoiled a lot of dancers ... after being a featured performer in A Chorus Line, being treated like a piece of furniture just isn't as much fun! I was one of the first or second people to leave 42nd Street but ended up playing Peggy Sawyer in Atlantic City with Peter Marshall.

JF: You also did Cats. Where did that fall on the spectrum?

DD: Cats was a blast! It was so much fun to do because you get so much creative freedom on stage. You are told, "This is your basic pattern, do what you want with it; act like a cat!" And it was really a lot of fun. I did it for two-and-a-half years, longer than any other show for me.

JF: Is there any plan to record Let's Fall in Love?

DD: Yes. We may end up wanting to go into a studio, but right now we're going to try to record it live and see about releasing it on CD.

JF: Are you considering this a tryout then?

DD: It would be nice for it to continue, but I'm trying not to project too far into the future. Whatever follows will be fabulous and will be the icing on the cake. I think it would be a fun show to do in a small Off-Broadway house, so we shall see ...

JF: This isn't the first show you created. You also came up with one called Broadway Rhythm. What was that?

DD: It was a musical revue that I put together with seven performers, and it toured Japan and Europe. It was a variety of standards and Broadway songs and I did it about twelve years ago ... right before I had children.

JF: You also played Trina in Falsettos, which is about as far away from Cats and 42nd Street as you can get!

DD: I played the part twice, once at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta and once at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia. I got away from dancing later in the career. All my early stuff involved dancing and it was nice to let go of that for a while.

JF: Well, I'm looking forward to seeing the three of you on Sunday. Have a fun run.

DD: Thanks!

Let's Fall In Love will have five performances only: Sunday, June 1st at 8:30 PM, Mondays, JUNE 2nd & 9th at 7 PM & 9:30 PM at the ArcLight Theatre, 152 West 71st Street (between Broadway and Columbus Avenue). Tickets are $25 with reservations at (212) 560-5573.

Photo: Carol Rosegg