Award-winning music director, arranger and orchestrator Bryan Schimmel has been at the helm of blockbuster musical theatre hits like Chicago, Jersey Boys, We Will Rock You, Annie and The Rocky Horror Show.
He is best known for co-creating and performing in the original A Handful of Keys in which he thrilled audiences with a dazzling display of pianistic virtuosity and his infectious and dry sense of humour.
Though this is NOT a sequel to A Handful of Keys, it reunites Bryan with that production’s original director Alan Swerdlow and designer Denis Hutchinson who has created the setting and lighting.
More than 25 years and a pandemic later, in his first ever solo performance, Bryan peels back the curtain to reveal the man behind the maestro. Everyone has a story of their own. This is Bryan’s… a unique mix of musicality, masterful storytelling, quirky comedy, and an inspirational rise-and-fall-and-rise-again account of triumph over adversity, in a show that audiences will not want to miss!
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by: VR Theatrical in association with Lorri Strauss
Written by: Bryan Schimmel and Alan Swerdlow
Directed by: Alan Swerdlow
Setting and Lighting by: Denis Hutchinson
Voice-over artists: Sharon Spiegel-Wagner, Talia Kodesh, Gregg Pettigrew and Alan Swerdlow
Caricature Drawings by: Greg King
Accent Coaching by: Gina Shmukler
Recorded music items and voice-overs recorded at Howard Audio
Bass guitar: Denny Lalouette
Drums: Rob Watson
Trumpet: Adam Howard
Key art designed by: Jason Shapiro
Production Photography by: Christiaan Kotze
SPECIAL THANKS
Bryan Hill, Adam and Belinda Howard, David Bloch, Patrick Boyd, Pauline Nossel, Dean Trevis, Gemma and Matthew Marinus, and Gary Allan.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Bryan Schimmel
Bryan is widely regarded as one of the top Music Directors, Arrangers and Orchestrators in South Africa. With a career of more than thirty years, he has worked in musical theatre, special events, recording and television across a full spectrum of music from rock bands to Big Bands, string quartets to symphony orchestras, pop to hip-hop. He is the winner of four Naledi Theatre Awards and received the 2017 ABSA Jewish Achiever Award in the category of Art, Sport, Science and Culture. He holds a Master’s Degree in Music Cum Laude from WITS University.
Bryan’s theatre credits include music direction of The Rocky Horror Show, Chicago, Jersey Boys, We Will Rock You, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Annie and Rent. He was a co-creator and an original cast member of the hugely successful A Handful Of Keys.
Bryan Schimmel: More Than A Handful marks his debut as solo performer.
