This month the new musical-play Connie Loves Juice opens at the The Cavern Club Celebrity Theater for three nights only, Feb 15-17.
The show will pay homage to everything from Bye Bye Birdie and John Waters' Dreamlanders to Dancing with the Stars and Playboy's Star 80, Dorothy Stratten.
Connie Loves Juice finds hirsute flashdancer Connie Slocum (played by Cantwell) looking for love at the local roller disco. Slocum's got the hots for skating stud Juice (played by Mario Diaz), but mean girl Nancy and a wild crew of dancing maniacs just might get in the way.
John Cantwell, star and creator of Connie Loves Juice took some time for a Q&A with me. Enjoy.
1. How was it creating the new show?
Creating the show was fast & fun - I've always wanted to work with Mario Diaz, especially in a love story, so the show just kind of wrote itself once he agreed to star.
2. What was your inspiration?
Mario Diaz
3. What should the audience expect with their new Connie experience?
Well, this is a more teen-angst after school musical than a Brian DePalma-esque thriller like the last show but there are still shout outs & homages to "Carrie" as well as many '80's tunes on the soundtrack courtesy of Irene Cara and even a voodoo number to Talking Heads' "I, Zimbra".
4. Which "dance Number" is your favorite?
I'm really loving the contemporary piece to Rihanna's "Only Girl In The World" - Connie does contemporary!
5. How is it working with the sexy Mario Diaz?
It's like working with that guy that won the Oscar from "West Side Story". What was his name?
6. Is there any nudity? (...really wanted to ask does MARIO get naked??)
There's plenty of skin! From Connie. And Mario takes his shirt off. And he's barefoot in the show if anyone's into tootsies. His are really cute.
7. What do you want the audience take from the show?
They shouldn't take anything from the show or the theater cuz that's stealing and Connie don't like thiefs!!
8. What is your favorite teenage musical?
I loved that one that was played by 40 year olds! GREASE!!!!!
9. What is next for the teen pop idol, Connie?
Well, Connie still has "Love, Connie 2: Electric Boogaloo" in the works but I'll most likely pull a Tarantino and do "Love, Connie 3D" next. It's Connie & Vickie as club-hopping wannabe supermodels who work for the shady "3D" corporation. Kinda of a modern day take on "Looker", "Videodrome" and "Stepford Wives".
Connie Loves Juice
Showtimes:
Friday, Feb. 15 at 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 16 at 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Venue: The Cavern Club Celebrity Theater
1920 Hyperion Ave , Los Angeles, California 90027
For tickets click the link below:
http://connielovesjuice.brownpapertickets.com/
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