Chagrin Valley Little Theatre in conjunction with Hudson Theatre Works of Weehawken, NJ, will offer a special online presentation of ELLIOT & ME – a new musical comedy by Steven Willensky and Scott Coulter with music by Elliot Willensky. ELLIOT & ME is filled with humor, colorful personalities, unexpected situations, and uplifting musical moments in a heartfelt story of brotherly love. The production will be available to stream for a $20 admission from Thursday, February 18 at 6 PM through midnight on Sunday, February 21 at CVLT.org.

Based on the Willenskys’ real lives and their powerful bond, the two-man play centers on songwriter Elliot and his younger brother Steven as they prepare to pitch their original two-man show to legendary Broadway producer Max Stone. Elliot is a charming, free-spirited ladies’ man overflowing with talent, joie de vivre, and a knack for driving Steven crazy. Elliot and Steven both reflect on the volatile ups and downs of their shared experiences: from their raucous “wonder years” growing up in Bayonne, NJ; to the painful conflict when Elliot defies the expectations of his traditional middle-class Jewish family and drops out of medical school to write pop songs; to Elliot’s rise to stardom writing hits for the likes of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston and Steven’s starry-eyed admiration for his Hollywood lifestyle; and eventually to their role reversals when Elliot’s career hits a few bumps in the road and he needs to rely on Steven for help.

The production was staged and recorded at Hudson Theatre Works, a professional Equity company and a proud member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, in December 2020 and is being offered to Northeast Ohio audiences online through CVLT by special arrangement with Steven Willensky. It stars a pair of acclaimed actors performing musical arrangements by Michael Holland under the direction of Michael Bias and a highly skilled creative team.

Elliot is portrayed by Eric Briarley, who has traveled the world playing iconic characters such as ‘Rhett Butler’ in a musical adaptation of Gone With The Wind, and ‘Sam Carmichael’ in the international musical sensation, Mamma Mia! Briarley’s other credits include: Les Misérables (Broadway National Tour), My Fair Lady (Royal National Theatre – USA Tour), A Little Night Music (Goodspeed), Show Boat and Man Of La Mancha (Westchester Broadway Theatre), and Ben, Virginia and Me (New York Music Festival).

Drew Seigla portrays Steven. He is a standout among theatre and opera audiences, recognized for his “stunning tenor voice.” He made his Off-Broadway debut as ‘Matt; The Mute’ in The Fantasticks where he continued for a solid two-year stint. He gained his second NYC credit after joining the cast of Sweeney Todd as their Standby ‘Anthony/Tobias/Beadle’ at Barrow St. Theatre. Regional Theatre highlights include Kiss Me Kate at Flat Rock Playhouse and ‘Jack’ in Into the Woods at Barksdale Theatre. Before returning to NYC in 2014, Mr. Siegla made his opera debut with Lyric Opera Virginia, where he sang ‘Gastone’ and covered ‘Alfredo’ in La Traviata. He was last seen as ‘Pertshik’ in Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish at Stage 42, directed by theatre legend, Joel Grey. He holds a B.M. from The Juilliard School, and studied Music Theatre at Elon University.

Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through individual and corporate contributions. Our programming is made possible in part by the citizens of Cuyahoga Country through Cuyahoga County Arts and Culture and by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.