We have another page on this website devoted to the New York production of "The Seven Little Foys," titled "Foys at the Fringe." That's our main page about the production, and we hope you'll check it out. But we've had so much fun working on this show, we've added this extra page to share some of the backstage spirit. Our thanks to Maryann Lopinto for taking these informal rehearsal shots.
While most of the reviewers' quotes may be found on our main page, "Foys at the Fringe," there are a few more quotes about "The Seven Little Foys" that we'd like to post here. Rob Lester wrote on EdgeBoston.com:
"And oh, those kids!! They are marvelous. They don’t coast on cuteness or get by on getting the 'awwwww' factor. No, these are truly talented and skilled performers who work well as a team. Each here has different strengths and standout moments; a couple may take a bit longer to be noticed, but that comes with being part of a brood of seven. Warm and gracious Dea Julien is Mary, who also steps outside the action to narrate as the daughter looking back....
Dea Julien, Mitchell Schneider
"Rayna Hirt... does the role [of Madeline Foy] gamely, from her numerous threats to run away to her supposed reluctance to be a performer....
"The five boys all do well. Eddy Francisco plays the oldest and projects a gentle and warm, mature spirit. Mitchell Schneider has a low-key radiance, but he soon glows. The terrific Eric Stevens, is the high-spirited one who sparkles with show biz energy and polish....
Brandon Reid
"The two youngest, smallest boys are sensational. Talented Brandon Tyler Reid plays Eddie Foy, Jr. (who’d grow up to star on Broadway in 'The Pajama Game,' etc.) with an electric smile and a plucky zing....
Brandon Reid, Alexander Craven
"And major, major applause for the littlest Foy, Alexander Craven....
"Without being precocious, he throws himself into the role, with strong vocals and a gift for physical comedy. He definitely steals the audience’s heart. And there’s a lot of heart in the show itself. This valentine to show business and family values is a pleasure to recommend."
--Rob Lester, www.EdgeBoston.com
Alexander Craven
"Deffaa has picked vintage songs with exquisite care, written new songs that you will leave the theater singing, and has directed the show so it flows naturally from start to finish. And he knows how to bring out the best in his high-spirited kids. When several of them (Brandon Reid, Mitchell Schneider, Rayna Hirt) try to top one another, calling out, 'I can do this!,' it's fresh, spontaneous, and fun. Music director Richard Danley, we might add, plays the songs with great zest and understanding. There's much more to this new show, on a lot of levels, than there was to the 1955 film, 'The Seven Little Foys.'" --Rob Adams, Stage-Space.biz
"Michael Townsend Wright, as Eddie, more or less speaks his songs (which is evidently the style used by the original Foy) but gives us some great soft shoe and is a real charmer...."
-- David Fuller, NYTheatre.com
Michael Townsend Wright, Alexander Craven
"If you like a little snazzy or sentimental song and dance (make that a LOT), you’ll have a happy time nestled in nostalgia with old tunes like Irving Berlin’s 'The International Rag' and 'Row, Row, Row' and 'Moonlight Bay.' Writer-director arranger Chip Deffaa has added some revisions to some and written some very pleasing and attractive numbers of his own in Act Two. (Bravo!) The talent level is high and the Broadway/vaudeville-styled choreography (by Justin Boccitto) is excellent and executed impressively -- from soft show to hard-sell in this top-notch family show about a show family."
--Rob Lester, EdgeBoston.com
The kids in "The Seven Little Foys" "truly shine in the second act when... they break out the tap shoes and really show their stuff."
--David Fuller, NYTheatre.com
"'The Seven Little Foys' provides the best roles for sing-and-dancing kids since 'The Sound of Music.' And kids always seem to love seeing kids singing and dancing on stage. (Well, not just kids.... What was that old warning to adult actors? 'Never share the stage with a child, or a dog!' Because the audience is going to watch them.)"
--Rob Adams, www.Stage-space.biz
From left to right: Beth Bartley, Ryan Foy, Rayna Hirt, Mitch Schneider
This page is dedicated to rehearsals for the New York production of "The Seven Little Foys." Be sure to also check out our main page on this website about the production, titled "Foys at the Fringe."
Eddy Francisco, Mitchell Schneider, Alexander Craven, Dea Julien, Michael Townsend Wright
Michael Townsend Wright, Alexander Craven, Mitchell Schneider
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