These women of the arts hail from different disciplines, but they all have an indomitable spirit and a luminescent spark that makes them amazing human beings who are out there every day, doing amazing work.

Today we continue our series with Franca Vercelloni.

The first time I saw Franca she was on a stage and I was at a table in the audience, scribbling notes about her Fringe Show Classically Trained, Practially Broke.  A lot of the notes which never made it into the review were things like “oh my god … me too” because in a lot of ways her story was my story.  But, really, Franca Vercelloni’s story is uniquely her own.

First of all, it’s impossible NOT to fall in love with Franca as she takes to the stage; she’s astonishingly gifted as a pianist, has a sparkle that starts at her eyes but soon has hit every member of the audience, and has the beauty and brains to deliver humorous monologues that keep you in the palm of her hand.

Once I saw her I knew I had to have her as the MC of The Happiest Medium’s 1st Anniversary Party - and collaborating with her was one of the most joyful experiences I’ve known.  Frankly, we laughed so much rehearsing the opening song that it’s a wonder we came off as good as we did the night of the show.  But that’s the kind of woman Franca is – she’ll put you at ease, she’ll sing you a song, she’ll flash you that gorgeous smile, and after wrapping you up in her talent and charm she’ll leave you with a warm feeling that lingers long after you’ve said your goodbyes.

Now let me turn the stage over to Franca:

I believe that female performers are at a disadvantage from the getgo. “Be thin, be young, be successful by 30 so that you will still have time to have a family.” Or, “Take some classes, get yourself ready, because you’re so specific, you really won’t start to work for 5 more years.” You must be extremely careful whose opinions you listen to, because everyone has an opinion, and many of them are not worth listening to.

You must be strong, you must be innovative, you must have a sense of humor, and, most importantly, you must be a true entrepreneur who creates opportunities for yourself. Stick to your values and your vision. I’ve had weird experiences working with some men, but since I started kickboxing, I’ve found that they consider my ideas and opinions more carefully than they used to.

I was raised by three strong women, and they raised me to be strong. When I work with men or women or anyone in between, I present myself, with all my strength and assertiveness, calm and craziness, and I am not afraid of those things in others. I try to adapt to whom I am working with and treat those people as I would like to be treated: with respect and concern. It usually works out. And if it doesn’t…did I mention that I kick-box? I also write really awesome songs about how terrible people can be. Everything is material as far as I’m concerned …

UPCOMING:
I am currently writing my next musical show, collaborating on both songs and script for a children’s television program, and writing music for a soon-to-be-produced translation of a well-known French farce. Come sing show-tunes with me at the piano at Marie’s Crisis (59 Grove Street) every Tuesday from 9:30-closing and Saturday from 6-10pm. AND come hear me and the other ladies of The Main Squeeze Orchestra when we play our all-Kurt Weill program (Girls Gone Weill) on May 5 at Drom in the East Village (www.mainsqueezeorchestra.com). We were just featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and our debut CD is for sale on our website.

More about Franca:

Franca Vercelloni is an actor, musician, singer and writer. Classically trained in piano performance at The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, she currently plays in piano bars and teaches piano to children and adults. Her musical solo show, Classically Trained, Practically Broke, played to sold-out houses at The Club at La Mama as part of the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival and enjoyed a 5-week run at Manhattan Theatre Source as part of the 2010 EstroGenius Festival. Other appearances include: The Hampton Playhouse; Theater for the New City; Berkshire Theater Festival; Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding off-Broadway; commercials for Dunkin’ Donuts and Commerce Bank; the Housewife in Ishai Setton’s award-winning short musical comedy film The Butcher and the Housewife and Setton’s feature, The Big Bad Swim (2006 Tribeca Film Festival premiere). Stand up appearances include Stand Up New York, The Comedy Cellar, and Gotham Comedy Club. Franca plays accordion with the all-female, all-accordion Main Squeeze Orchestra (recently featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered”). Franca is a member of AEA, SAG, AFTRA and AFM Local 802.

Related Posts:

• Classically Trained, Practically Broke – Beautifully Done (Fringe Festival 2010)
• The Three Times She Knocked (Fringe Festival 2011)
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Dev Bondarin
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Emily Owens
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Kathleen Warnock

Get seated early to see Classically Trained, Practically Broke (Franca Vercelloni’s solo show, directed by Myrna E. Duarte and John David West) and you’ll get an earful of what Franca is subject to on a nightly basis – the caterwauling of half drunk patrons who gather around her piano at the bar she works at and who beg for show tunes  - blithely singing in their own key and verbally abusing her at will as if she’s worth nothing.

But she’s not nothing.  Franca Vercelloni  is Classically Trained – not only a proficient pianist but a soulful and interpretive one as well, one who throws herself (as well as her Self) into her music and lives there; it’s where she celebrates the good times and waits out the bad times.  Franca, you see,  is so much better than this dingy piano bar with its smelly keys (no telling what’s wedged down in there) and its drunken patrons. Ms. Vercelloni is living just a short distance away from her dream – 88 keys away to be exact, and her talent is both her blessing as well as her curse.  Yet she doesn’t give up this thankless job because ultimately - she’s terrific at it.

Watching Ms. Vercelloni’s fingers fly across the keys is like watching FloJo run the 100 meter dash – only with this specific blur of motion comes the most wonderful music – a Bach Fugue, A Beethoven Sonata, a Gershwin Tune.

Between dazzling the audience with brilliantly played songs, Ms. Vercelloni gives her life story in the same carefully crafted notes and meters – and always punctuated by a piano chord.  She tells of being a piano teacher to snotty, precocious, over indulged children with equally annoying parents.  She reminisces about playing the church organ and sneaking in a few secular songs during communion.  Ms. Vercelloni even brings out the ole accordion and plays a catchy song about “Walmart At Midnight”.

A lively tune called “Extra Medium” addresses the specific challenges of being a gal who is considered too large to play the ingenue, but too pretty to be a character actress.  Too tall to be petite, but too short to be tall . . . you get the picture.  Problem is, changing one aspect of her appearance would cut off particular opportunities and paths in another area.  What’s a girl to do?

Franca Vercelloni

As Ms. Vercelloni continues to break it down for us the situations get funnier and funnier – “I’m playing Evita, you’re singing Cole Porter” she points out in her rousing singalong “Shut The Fuck Up and Sing With Me!” all delivered with a manic smile but a smile nonetheless.  And gosh darn it – we sang along!  When told to!

Talent just keeps flowing out of her as she laughingly illustrates the fights she must break up “Do Judy!”  . . .”No!  Do Sondheim” . . . and then grandly manages to do a mash up worthy of Glee – “The Man That Got Away” to a signature Sondheim score.  Of course, eventually the mania builds up, the poking and prodding and little voices and booming voices and off-key voices all manage to create a terrible storm that brings poor Ms. Vercelloni to “The Last Midnight“ . . .

Silence.

And in that moment without music . . . what  a terrible void.

Soon enough, though, Ms. Vercelloni finds her happy place and her anthemic “Living It Day By Day” (“I can’t be mad because I didn’t take an express route . . .”) melds into a heartfelt  - and heart melting – “A Song For You“.

Part concert, part comedy act, part real life, part hyper real, Ms. Vercelloni finds the truth and shares it with those who listen along with her in the dark . . .”we’re alone now, and I’m singing this song for you . . .“

It’s what she does – and she does it beautifully.

~~~~

Classically Trained, Practically Broke
Writer: Franca Vercelloni in collaboration with Myrna E. Duarte and John David West
Director: Myrna E. Duarte and John David West

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