Review Fix Exclusive: Matt Britten Talks ‘Blank! The Musical’

Review Fix chats with “Blank! The Musical” Executive Producer Matt Britten, who discusses the upcoming production, set for a Nov. 1 premiere at New World Stages in New York City at 340 West 50th Street. From the inspiration of the show to their partnership with NYC’s Uprights Citizens Brigade and ImprovBoston, Britten gives us an inside look at the production.

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for the show?

Matt Britten: I saw Mike, Mike and T.J.’s “One Night Only” musical improv show in 2012. It was hilarious, and the audience was wowed by this musical being created completely on the spot. I had been looking for an event-style show to produce, and my mind immediately began going through all of the ways that this show could be ‘plussed’ into a truly unique theatrical experience for New York audiences. The inspiration for BLANK! THE MUSICAL is to really recreate the feel of a Broadway show. Whereas many other comedy shows primarily go for the laughs, our goal is to filter everything through the lens of Broadway. We’re not afraid to have quiet, intimate moments, or to really delve into characters. Which, in the end, is really just all the more funny.

Review Fix: How do people’s smart phones play a role in the production?

Britten: At the top of the show, the audience will use a web app to suggest and vote on all of the elements that will comprise their musical. They’ll get the chance to title the show, write lyrics, and even to pick the notes for the primary theme. For the first time, every single member of the audience has input. And folks without smartphones will still have a chance to contribute or not contribute as they like.

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy the show the most?

Britten: The beauty of this show is that the show is what each audience dreams it to be. So, anyone can really come to BLANK! and have an exciting evening. Of course those who love theater will enjoy it, but so will anyone who wants to see some of the best live comedy in New York City!

Review Fix: You need a talented cast to pull this off. Can you tell us about the performers and what makes them special?

Britten: Our cast is soon to be announced, and I look forward to bragging about each of them individually. But yes, it takes an incredibly talented group of performers to pull this off. We’re lucky to have found them. Even our auditions were incredibly entertaining. These performers have to be skilled as improvisors and as musical theater performers. It takes a special combination of talent, wit, intelligence, and courage to be in this show. And that goes for the band and even the light and sound board operators, too!

Review Fix: How important are the partnerships with NYC’s Uprights Citizens Brigade and ImprovBoston?

Britten: We’re thrilled to partner with Upright Citizens Brigade and ImprovBoston. Their commitments of time and talent ensure that we have the best improvisers coming to play in midtown Manhattan.

Review Fix: What are your goals for the show?

Britten: The goals for this show are all rooted in our talented team’s pure love of musical theater. We hope that theater enthusiasts and comedy fans will come out and experience the show, and that everyone has as much fun experiencing it as we have had creating it!

Review Fix: How do you want this run at the New World Stages to be remembered?

Britten: It would be rewarding if this run at New World Stages was remembered both as the first-ever app-enabled theatrical experience, but also…just as a really fun evening of live musical theater!

mm
About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*