Cast
Paul Simon: Jonah Bobo
Paul Simon: Elliot Lazar
Art Garfunkel: Brendan Jacob Smith
Art Garfunkel: Maxwell Pinson
Band
Keyboards and background vocals: Zach Kamins
Keyboards and background vocals: Marc Encabo
Drums and background vocals: Billy Harrington
Guitar and background vocals: Collin Keller
Guitar and background vocals: Josh Vasquez
Bass Guitar and background vocals: Jay Hemphill
Synopsis
The Simon & Garfunkel Story chronicles the amazing journey shared by the folk-rock duo, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. It tells the story from their humble beginnings as Tom & Jerry to their incredible success as one of the best-selling music groups of the ‘60s to their dramatic split in 1970. It culminates with the famous The Concert in Central Park reunion in 1981 with more than half a million fans in attendance.
Using state-of-the-art video projection, photos, and original film footage, the show also features a full live band performing all of their hits, including Mrs. Robinson (featured in the 1967 film The Graduate), Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, and many more.
With more than 100 million album sales since 1965, Simon & Garfunkel’s perfect harmonies and songs that poignantly captured the times made them one of the most successful folk-rock duos of all time. Over the years, they won 10 Grammy® Awards and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1977, their Bridge Over Troubled Water album was nominated at the 1977 Brit Awards for Best International Album. In 2003, Simon & Garfunkel were awarded a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award and the following year saw The Sound of Silence awarded a Grammy® Hall of Fame Award.
PAUL SIMON
Elliot Lazar
is a Boston-based actor, singer, and musician born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada. Last season he appeared in the national tour of
Fiddler on the Roof,
The Band’s Visit (Huntington/Speakeasy Stage), and
Rent (Rainbow Stage). Selected credits:
Another Roll of the Dice (North Coast Rep),
Parade (Opera NUOVA),
James and the Giant Peach (MTYP),
American Idiot (Winnipeg Studio Theatre),
Way to Heaven (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre), and
The Magic Flute (Manitoba Underground Opera). He has an MFA in Theatre (Boston Conservatory) and BMus in vocal performance (University of Manitoba).
ART GARFUNKEL
Brendan Jacob Smith
is a singer, actor, and songwriter from Brooklyn. He is a graduate of Ithaca College where he studied music and theatre. He was recently seen on
America’s Got Talent with his vocal trio, T.3. Composed of three tenors, T.3 gained a following on social media by posting covers throughout the pandemic. He recently released his debut album with his brother Damon under the name, The Brightmares. Jacob Smith was previously seen as Frankie Epps in
Parade (The Rev Theatre Co.), Ben in
Happily The Musical (NYMTF), and spent two summers as a member of Hyannis Sound, Cape Cod’s professional a cappella group. He grew up harmonizing to Simon & Garfunkel songs in the stairwell of LaGuardia High School (the Fame school) alongside his good friend Jonah Bobo and couldn’t be more excited to get to sing these incredible songs once again with him.
KEYBOARDS AND BACKGROUND VOCALS
Marc Encabo
is a Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist and performer. Being heavily surrounded by music throughout his upbringing in San Diego, he would find his musical voice through school, YouTube, and church, leading to teaching himself to play guitar, piano, and bass, and to furthering his studies as a jazz bassist at the renowned Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach. As a songwriter, composer, and collaborator, he has arranged for, performed, and recorded with and for various artists and groups across the U.S., U.K., Europe, and the Philippines.
GUITAR AND BACKGROUND VOCALS
Joshua Vasquez
is a guitarist from San Diego. At the age of 12, he was inspired by classmates at the time to pick up the guitar and eventually decided to pursue it as a career. His pursuit brought him first to the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and upon graduation he began attending Berklee College of Music in fall 2013. At Berklee, he studied with some of the most renowned teachers in contemporary guitar education. Teachers such as Rick Peckham, Tim Miller, Mike Williams (once a teacher to John Mayer), and Mick Goodrick. Since graduating from Berklee in 2017, Vasquez has been working as a freelance player and session guitarist in the southern California area. Doing everything from recording for up and coming artists and video games to being in music videos and playing for theatre. His accolades include improvisation awards from several jazz festivals and being a semi-finalist in Guitar Center’s King of the Blues competition in 2011.
BASS GUITAR AND BACKGROUND VOCALS
Jay Hemphill
is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and audio engineer from Long Beach, Calif. Starting on the cello at age seven, he quickly developed a passion for every instrument he could get his hands on. He switched to bass in high school and got his first taste of being a professional musician when he started playing jazz and musicals. From there, he has had the opportunity to tour across America with many brilliant musicians, as well as play in multiple musicals, including the world premiere of
The Boy who Danced on Air, and perform with his own project, Discount Art.
DRUMS AND BACKGROUND VOCALS
Billy Harrington
is from Ann Arbor, Mich. He is a full-time drummer keeping busy with recording sessions and live work. With a bachelor's in the musical arts and jazz studies from the University of Michigan, he has lectured on early pop drumming and most extensively on the drumming of Ringo Starr, including for the university’s symposium celebrating the 50th anniversary of
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and as a featured artist in the Oxford University Press textbook,
What Goes On: The Beatles, Their Music and Their Time. As producer, his own shows,
A Night For James: A Tribute to the Music of James Taylor, and Lennon and McCartney tribute
All Together Now debuted in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, Harrington’s research on the drums of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham with Paul Thompson of Roxy Music was published in
Modern Drummer Magazine. Recent stage credits include
Always… Patsy Cline and
Mamma Mia (Encore Musical Theatre Company 2021-22), and national tours,
The British Invasion Live (Quatro & Maple Tree Entertainment 2022), and
Dirty Dancing In Concert (Quatro Entertainment 2022). He is so excited and honored to be on stage celebrating two of pop music’s greatest songwriters, Simon and Garfunkel.
GUITAR AND BACKGROUND VOCALS
Collin Keller
is an American guitarist, touring musician, songwriter, and producer from the heartland of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Currently residing in Los Angeles, he is a Berklee College of Music graduate specializing in songwriting and performance. He has toured internationally including appearances on major festival stages and is credited as a songwriter having worked with global major-label artists. Playful yet mesmerizing, his musical style reflects the heart of John Mayer, the energy of Jack Garratt, and the spirit of The Beatles. Notable past performances include Osheaga Festival, Switchyard Music Festival,
The Life and Music of George Michael, and
Dirty Dancing in Concert alongside being nominated as Boston Pop Artist of The Year.
ABOUT RUCKUS ENTERTAINMENT
Ruckus Entertainment, based in Los Angeles and formed in 2022, brings together veteran entertainment producers Alison Spiriti, Justin Sudds, Dean Elliott, and Ralph Schmidtke who are collectively responsible for producing over 100 touring productions seen by millions around the world. Their burgeoning production company brings audiences world-class concerts and live events and is focused on celebrating the history and music behind iconic, globally recognized musical artists. Current productions include The Simon & Garfunkel Story, The Life and Music of George Michael, and The British Invasion.
SHOW DIRECTOR, MUSICAL SUPERVISOR
Dean Elliott
rose to fame as the lead role of Buddy Holly in the Olivier Award nominated musical
Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story. In this role he had the honour of opening the 2008 West End Revival at the Duchess Theatre, London, West End, and after much media praise was asked to open and perform in the show in Buddy’s hometown of Lubbock, Texas, in front of, and with, Buddy’s immediate family before taking the role around Europe and Canada. Before
Buddy, Elliott trained at the prestigious Sir Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and other notable theatre work includes
Over The Rainbow-The Eva Cassidy Story (UK No1 Tour),
Release The Beat (Arcola Theatre, London), and the multi-award winning
Ed-The Musical (Edinburgh Festival). Notable TV and radio appearances include
Richard and Judy,
BBC London Tonight,
The Jonathan Ross Show, and BBC Radio 2’s
Elaine Paige Show. Elliott has always been a fan of Simon & Garfunkel and is thrilled to be able to bring the music and story together with this fantastic team and tour it around the world!
