Show business bears it out time and time again.
Chris Tompkins has seen it too many times to count. Throughout his career in the entertainment industry, it rang true: For every star performer who rises into the spotlight, countless others who didn’t land the role fade into obscurity.
But that’s not to say those artists don’t have an important story of their own.
“There’s a story of resilience that make up artists — whether that be an architect or a fashion designer or a singer or a dancer, there’s something innate about an artist and their internal passion to just never give in and never give out and never give up,” said Tompkins, executive director of On-Stage LIVE! Entertainment.
The idea is the basis of “The Other 99,” the newest show at On-Stage LIVE! Cabaret in Greenwood. Originally created while Tompkins worked in Las Vegas, the musical performance follows the travails of a group of aspiring actors as they hustle for their big break.
“The Other 99” will debut Friday, with shows on Saturday as well as on July 19 and 20.
Like”A Chorus Line,” the Broadway musical that shares its behind-the-curtain look at musical theater, “The Other 99” offers a unique opportunity for performers to tap into their own lives to bring the hopes, dreams, disappointments and fears to life on stage.
“In reality, especially in the performing arts world, only 1 in 100, sometimes even more than that, ever gets cast. The story is what happens to the other 99 — what happens to them? What is there story?” Tompkins said.
Since On-Stage LIVE! Cabaret reopened to the public in March, the theater has put on a handful of themed shows. The theater has honored country divas such as Shania Twain, Reba McEntire and The Judds, while putting on a tribute to Elvis Presley and Tina Turner.
Shows have been centered around Easter, Mother’s Day and the joy of dance.
“The Other 99” is unlike anything they’ve done yet, Tompkins said.
In the performance’s first act, the director has chosen the one performer who will be cast in a fictional show. The remaining actors are those “other 99,” left to look for their next opportunity.
But the director throws a curveball: He asks eight of the performers to stay behind to try out for an idea with a different show. Before he can tell them more about it, he has to talk to his board of directors and leaves, Tompkins said.
“So Act One is a behind-the-scenes look while they’re waiting to hear from the director coming back in to let them know whether or not the board of directors and producers are even willing to consider doing a different kind of show,” he said. “While they’re waiting, they share their fears, they share their excitement, they share their motivations and they show their passions.”
Those emotions and revelations lead into Act Two, in which the director returns to say they are pursuing this other show, but they want to see these eight people go back to the wardrobe area, find a costume that speaks to them and perform a song that shares who they truly are.
“It literally builds and builds to the finale of, you’re here, they’re almost sold, but this is all-or-nothing — they’re going to go with all of you, or they’re not going to do it. What are you going to bring as a cast?” Tompkins said.
When Tompkins decided to do “The Other 99,” he knew it would be different than other shows the cast had done. So he brought the performers he wanted to take part together and asked them a question: since the show is very personal to those in the performing sphere, would they up to task to delve into those emotions?
The show would be a journey like none of them had ever experienced before, Tompkins said.
“They have created, and what they deliver, is better than the show I had a Vegas, because it’s an entirely different cast. It’s not like a book show, where you put a person into the characters; this show is about the person is that character,” he said.
In staging “The Other 99,” Tompkins has used his experience in entertainment to assemble Vegas-style costumes, sets and choreography. The Greenwood theater will be transformed, taking audience members from central Indiana to the glitz and glamour of Sin City.
Seeing it all come together has been a joy, particularly in the growth of the performers.
“Normally, the cast is given a role and given direction in that role — you’re this character, this is the motivation of the character, this is how you move, this is how you talk, this is how you sing. They’re very boxed in,” he said. “What has been so wonderfully awakening is to realize this is not being put into a category or a character; they are sharing their true life on stage.”
IF YOU GO
“The Other 99”
What: An original, Las Vegas musical that shares the story about what singers go through trying to get that big break.
When: 7:30 p.m. July 19 and July 20; a 2 p.m. show is also available on July 19.
Where: On-Stage LIVE! Cabaret, 916 E. Main St., Greenwood
Cost: $45
Information: onstagelivecabaret.com
