The current company of "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree." From left to right: music director Broc Hempel; singers/actors Lynelle Johnson, Seth Sikes, Keith Anderson, Beth Bartley, and Jon Peterson; writer/director/producer Chip Deffaa.
Written and directed by ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award-winner Chip Deffaa, THE JOHNNY MERCER JAMBOREE mixes Mercer classics that everyone knows with some delightful, surprising, toe-tapping rarities.
Check out our cast album of THE JOHNNY MERCER JAMBOREE (Original Cast Records).
On this CD, you'll hear such Mercer favorites as "I Guess I'll Have to Dream the Rest," "Blues in the Night," "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "Skylark," "I Wanna be Around," "Bob White," and "Dream," sung by such artists as Jon Peterson, Keith Anderson, Bobby Belfry, Joyce Breach, Matthew Helton, Carolyn Montgomery, and Paul Bernhardt. Executive Producer: Chip Deffaa. Musical Director: Tex Arnold.
For more info on the CD, or to order a copy, click here:
We felt honored when classic pop singer Margaret Whiting (wearing yellow in the photo at right) came to see the first tryout of "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree," which Chip Deffaa produced on 42nd Street, NYC, in 2002. Whiting is Mercer's god-daughter.
The current cast members of "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree": Lynelle Johnson, Keith Anderson, Seth Sikes, Jon Peterson, Beth Bartley.
Seth Sikes, Lynelle Johnson, Jon Peterson rehearsing "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree"
Members of the "Johnny Mercer Jamboree" cast have worked Off-Broadway, on Broadway, and on the West End.
It's a fact: Johnny Mercer actually had more hits on the "Hit Parade" than any other songwriter in American history. Our show features more than 30 Mercer songs, freshly arranged by Broc Hempel (our music director), Hubert "Tex" Arnold, and Chip Deffaa.
Mercer wrote the words and music for the gorgeous "Dream."
Johnny Mercer
In a career spanning five decades, Mercer collaborated with some of the very best composers in the business, including Jerome Kern, Hoagy Carmichael, Richard Whiting, and Harold Arlen. And songs by all of them are included in "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree."
Beth Bartley, with music director Broc Hempel
Jason Steffan videotapes "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree"
Our current cast includes Keith Anderson, who co-starred in the Off-Broadway musical "Fairy Tales" and will soon be heard narrating the A&E television biography of Billy Idol; Seth Sikes, who appeared in the Off-Broadway musical "Fame," and also played the title role in the original production of Chip Deffaa's musical "Yankee Doodle Boy"; Beth Bartley, who was in the Broadway play "Fortune's Fool," and has her own band, "Ultrafine"; Lynelle Johnson, former Miss USO, who most recently was seen in "Pirates of Penzance" at New York's City Center (as well as singing on NBC-TV's New Year's Eve broadcast); and Jon Peterson, who has performed on Broadway and on tour in "Cabaret" and has won multiple awards for his performance in Chip Deffaa's "George M. Cohan Toniight!"
Lynelle Johnson, Seth Sikes, Jon Peterson, Keith Anderson, Beth Bartley, Broc Hempel
This joyous musical revue is available for theatrical engagements, cabaret bookings, and private functions. The show may be booked or licensed from Chip Deffaa Productions LLC. The show is designed for five singers, plus music director. (Schools or community theaters who might wish to use a bigger cast may do so, however; it is entirely practical to do the show with a bigger cast.) This is a terrific, crowd-pleasing revue--by turns sentimental, funny, nostalgic, and bittersweet--that works for all ages.
Lynelle Johnson and Keith Anderson rehearsing.
For information on booking or licensing THEJOHNNY MERCERJAMBOREE,please contact Chip Deffaa Productions LLC by telephone at (973) 684-3340... or by Email at:
