I decided to start this page, because those that have seen Bryan before usually have a small comment to make about it, and so this page is dedicated to the comments people have had about him. Since I can't find too many comments ;) I will also be posting reviews on here as well

Bryan just finished recording some tracks for a Studio Cast Recording of a
new BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: A GOTHIC ROMANCE MUSICAL to be released by Original
Cast Records in late august/ early sept. The eight character musical was
written before Disney had even announced their movie, but now the show is
getting heard and gaining interest. The Album stars Robert Cuccioli as the
Beast and is featuring Bryan, Brooks Almy, Timothy Jerome, Bonnie Simmons,
Walter Willison, Melly Garcia, and Christine Boger.

>Information came from a fan who emailed me

I just happened upon your Bryan Batt page and then found many links to other stuff about Bryan and
had to say I was floored!! It is hard to imagine my old college buddy as having fans.............

Anyway, you seem desperate for information so I thought I'd drop you a few "memories."

Bryan attended Tulane University in New Orleans, LA where he majored in (what else) theatre. He was
not very active in the "serious" theatre but did perform in musical and lyric theatre (which all of
us serious theatre people looked down upon). Most musical theatre people were actually music
majors, but Bryan and a girl named Cassie Steck (who is now a director in New Orleans) toughed it out in
the theatre department. Cassie and Bryan were very close friends.

While in college, Bryan was the lead singer and keyboardist for a band - whose name escapes me aaargh
old age!! - but I used to go to all of their concerts. They played a lot of CYO (Catholic Youth
Organization) dances and even opened several times for a very popular band at the time called "The
Cold" because Chuckie Menendez (the drummer) was the brother of the lead singer for the Cold (Barbara
Menendez). There were four guys in the band and I have a ton of old pictures of Bryan and the gang
on stage (I'll see if I can scan a few for you).

I don't recall if it is listed in your "roles" section, but one of the last times I saw Bryan to talk
to he mentioned that he had just gotten his first Broadway role in something called "Starlight
Express" (which seemed to be a launching vehicle for a lot of the Cats cast members) and boy was he
tired and bruised! Recently he returned to New Orleans to direct "Forever Plaid" which he had acted in
many moons ago...............

Information came from an old friend of Bryan's, Deirdre Cherry

Maybe it was the date. What if the failure of Drat! The Cat!, which had its Broadway premiere October
10th, 1965, and closed within a week, could be chalked up to opening on the wrong day? After all,
several other notable flops have opened on October 10th, including Rodgers & Hammerstein's first
flop, 1947's Allegro, and Jerry Herman's 1961 Milk and Honey, the first musical to run for more than
500 performances and still lose money. Three shows which never even made it to Broadway had their
first performance on October 10th: Cole Porter's Hitchy-Koo 1922, which premiered in Philadelphia,
Vernon Duke & Ogden Nash's 1946 Sweet Bye and Bye, which opened in New Haven, Connecticut, and Marc
Blitzstein's 1955 Reuben, Reuben, which opened in Boston. October 10th is also Vernon Duke's
birthday, whose only real success in 14 (!) tries was Cabin in the Sky. Finally, October 10th is the
date of the Broadway premire of what may be the most famous flop of the 20th century: George Gershwin's
1935 masterpiece Porgy and Bess.

If, like Porgy and Bess and Leonard Bernstein's Candide, the wonderful score to Drat! The Cat! is
rediscovered, it will be in no small part due to this wonderful studio cast recording that Bruce Kimmel
has created. It's a wonderful recreation of what must have been a fun evening in the theatre. Jason
Graae and Susan Egan are fantastic. Please raise your hand if you knew they would be. The supporting
cast is perfect (Bryan Batt, Judy Kaye, Robert Nichols, and Elaine Stritch herself!). I'm reminded
of the original cast of Henry Sweet Henry, which is of course a good thing. The score is sprightly
and will I think hold up to repeated listens.

Information came from October Reviews

Sondheim at the Movies, a collection of newly recorded songs written for films, is outstanding. I
think it sounds better than Bruce Kimmel's 1993 anthology Unsung Sondheim, and I like it more as well.
This recording includes four songs unavailable elsewhere. Two of these, "Dawn" (sung by Jolie
Jenkins, Bryan Batt, Danny Burstein and James Hindman) and "Sand" (sung by Chrstiane Noll) are from the
unproduced film Singing Out Loud, which is also the source of "Water Under the Bridge" (found on
Unsung Sondheim in a gorgeous rendition by Debbie Gravitte). "Sand" has grown on me to the point where
it is now one of my favorite tracks. The other two new songs were written for The Birdcage: "It
Takes All Kinds" (sung by Bryan Batt, Danny Burstein, Robert Randle, Jim Ryan, Kevin Pariseau and Alec
Timerman) and "Little Dream", which should forever be identified with Susan Egan's performance.

My favorite tracks, as of now, are Guy Haines' "What Can You Lose?" (I especially love the guitar)
and Jane Krakowski's super sultry "Sooner or Later" (I thought she was going to melt my speakers. By
the way, am I the only one enjoying her immensely as Ally McBeal's secretary?). Sondheim at the
Movies also features Liz Callaway and Gary Beach performing all four songs from Evening Primrose, a
musical which aired on ABC's TV series Stage 67 in 1967. While I'm loath to compare this to the classic
Mandy Patinkin/Bernadette Peters performance on Patinkin's Dress Casual album, I have to admit that
I prefer Gary Beach to Mandy, and though I can't choose between Callaway and Peters, I'm eternally
grateful that I don't have to. Overall, this CD is tremendously more enjoyable than most recent
Sondheim compilations.

Information came from October Reviews

While I'm posting, I just wanted to say that I saw the show last Friday
and it had one of the best audiences I've ever seen--certainly the best
non-League night I've ever attended. (I wanted to go on Thursday ("Bryan
Batt night") but it was sold out (!!)) I've never heard so much laughing
during the Rescue, and the response to "It spoke Latin" was the most
enthusiastic I've EVER heard. I love all of Bryan Batt's comedic touches
that make the role his own; I swear I haven't laughed so much during the
spelling scene since the old show. Also loved Bryan's curtain call speech
(We're neck and neck with Footloose **pause** and if we lose, we'll be
*really* bitter. **starts doing Footloose dance**).

"Yes! That was it!"
It was very funny. He gave this look like, "Come on! Why aren't
you laughing?" Which of course got everyone laughing. It was
different and it was great. "Great fun!"

Information came from the Scarlet Pimpernel listserv.

Return to my Bryan Batt - Now and Forever page.
Return to my home page.
Return to my Interests page.
E-mail me, especially if you have any comments regarding Bryan!