The Playbillies

AUG 20 - SEPT 6

Our first Goodspeed by the River concert will feature The Playbillies and their boot-stompin' bluegrass arrangements of your favorite Broadway showtunes. From Hamilton to Hello, Dolly! - these guys have covered them all! And what could be better than relaxing alongside the Connecticut River on a summer evening as you listen to the sweet sonic stylings of a fiddle, banjo, guitar and bass? 

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TICKETS

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

THE PLAYBILLIES The Playbillies are Matt Cusack, Mike Rosengarten, Sam Sherwood and Douglas Waterbury-Tieman. The quartet was formed when Mike turned to Matt and Douglas and said "Man, these show tunes are great but I just wish there were more banjo?" They readily agreed, grabbed their friend Sam and took off on an adventure to “bluegrassify” every show tune they could! But seriously...The Playbillies formed in 2016 when founding members Matt, Mike and Douglas were performing as part of the onstage band for Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Robber Bridegroom. Between weekend matinees and evening performances, they started making videos featuring their own unique arrangements of musical theatre songs reimagined as bluegrass tunes. Soon after The Robber Bridgeroom closed, they made the best possible decision they could make and invited their friend Sam into the band; instant bluegrass magic. Over the past four years they have continued to share original arrangements via social media (@theplaybillies) and their website (theplaybillies.com). They also perform concerts and private events throughout the Northeast region. For the Goodspeed by the River concerts, Andrew Crowe will be joining the quartet in place of Douglas Waterbury-Tieman.

ANDREW CROWE is an actor, fiddle player, and songwriter from Raleigh, NC. He returns to Goodspeed where he previously appeared as Robert Haweis in the 2012 world premiere production of Amazing Grace at The Terris Theater. Andrew’s theatre credits include the National Tours of Sweeney Todd, Cabaret and Stand By Your Man; The Public Theatre NYC’s Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night and Fiddler on the Roof at The Muny in St. Louis. Andrew is currently focusing on his songwriting from his recording studio in North Carolina. Andrew lives in an RV on a little piece of land he calls Narnia. Visit www.AndrewCrowe.net for more information.

MATT CUSACK is an actor, musician, songwriter, and music producer who has been performing in theatre for over a decade. He has been in productions on Broadway (One Man, Two Guvnors; Bandstand), Off-Broadway (The Robber Bridegroom), Regional productions, and National Tours. He is a founding member of The Playbillies and extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform these songs at Goodspeed during these uncertain times.

MIKE ROSENGARTEN The true definition of a gentleman, Mike Rosengarten knows how to play the accordion, but chooses not to. Mike was last seen on Broadway as the Associate Music Director as well as Guitar 2/Keys 2 player for The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical and before that played Guitar 1 for the viral smash hit Be More Chill. He plays regularly with several bands and artists, both live as well as in the studio. You may also recognize him from his recurring TV appearances on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. A New York native, he now lives in Manhattan with his wife, daughter, dog, and a cat. He is allergic to the cat, but she is family now, so what can you do?

SAM SHERWOOD is a New York City-based actor and musician. He’s travelled the world performing in the theatre and with bands. As an actor, he’s portrayed Woody Guthrie off-Broadway in Woody Sez and Johnny Cash in the European premiere of Ring of Fire at Vienna’s English Theatre, as well as many other great musicians of the 20^th century, including Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, and John Lennon, to name a few. It’s a thrill to be back making music with his Playbilly buddies in beautiful Connecticut. Check out Sam’s original music on Spotify or wherever you get your tunes!

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