Category: News

Some pictures, taken by George Bonnano, of “Smokin’: Warning, the Songs of Jay Alan Zimmerman” at The Duplex, NYC October 5, 2009. With Kevin Massey, Mick Bleyer, Matthew Lutz, Lori Marinacci, and Kay “The Pal” Pringle. With Jay Alan Zimmerman on piano. Sierra, Matt, Lori “My Mistake” Sierra, Kay The Pal, Matt, “Bald Barbie” Sierra Sierra, Lori, “Only Words” Lori, Sierra Matt, Lori, Kevin, Sierra, Mick Matt, Lori, Kevin, Sierra, Mick Matt, Lori, Kevin, Sierra, MickJay, Matt, Lori, Kevin, Sierra, Mick – Sierra

October 5, 2009Sierra and four other fantastic singers (Mick Bleyer, Lori Marinacci, Kevin Massey and Matthew Lutz) took the Duplex stage with “Smokin’: The Songs of Jay Alan Zimmerman.” Kay ThePal also grabbed a featured song! The event was featured on BroadwayWorld.com. Also visit www.jayalanzimmerman.com

This goes out to all those John Hall’s UCLA Musical Theater Workshop peeps! I had a fantastic time last night. Fantastic. First, went to Don’t Tell Mama’s to sing backup with Amy Rutberg for Tom Lenk’s “Last Minute Show” and Michael Hicks at the piano. It was a UCLA reunion and a wonderful, silly time to be had. Tom sang Britney Spears, did standup, and performed comedy sketches with Amy & I. I even got to combine my geek and opera identities by singing the soprano theme to Star Trek and salute the fellow Trekkies in the audience with aContinue readingPic of the Month: Myself with Tom Lenk & Amy Rutberg

July 8, 2009Sierra sang with Amy Rutburg for Tom Lenk‘s Comedy Cabaret show “Tom Lenk’s Last Minute Show” at Don’t Tell Mama’s. The sold-out show featured Tom Lenk (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Rock of Ages”) and featured standup, sketches, and comedy songs and covers. Sierra performed her rendition of the Star Trek Theme and enjoyed the mini UCLA reunion with Tom & Amy.

Full text here “And to a one, the cast does an excellent job…only rarely are there glimpses of the hospital personas beneath the Ruddigore characters: just enough to be funny, but not enough to distract. One exception to this is Sierra Rain’s [sic] performance as Ruth, one of the professional bridesmaids. Ruth (also the name of the patient she plays) keeps her puppet Matilda with her at all times, singing and communicating through it exclusively. It’s so completely part of her that there is a moment toward the end of the play when you realize how artificial that unity is.Continue readingTheaterOnline.com Review of “Ruddigore” by Rob Staeger

Personal History of Sierra Item # 718,283,192! My first New York Theater Review! I’ll let the full text of the review speak for itself, but here is the juicy, Rein-flavored part: “Fuller has adapted the piece by adding a framing device that places this performance in a Maine mental hospital—the staff and a few of the patients are the players in the operetta-within-the-show. This set-up, if not absolutely necessary, adds a layer of lighthearted whimsy and allows for some playful gags, the best of which is the use of a puppet (Matilda) as one of the professional bridesmaids. Sierra ReinContinue reading“nytheatre.com review by Martin Denton · April 27, 2009” (or: My First New York Review!)

April-May, 2009Sierra booked “Ruddigore: Or the Witch’s Curse” at Theater Ten Ten. Combining her love of Gilbert and Sullivan with her love of puppetry, she plays both Ruth AND Matilda, two bridesmaids, in a unique twist on this classic operetta. REVIEW UPDATE: “The characterizations are lively and fun, and only rarely are there glimpses of the hospital personas beneath the Ruddigore characters: just enough to be funny, but not enough to distract. One exception to this is Sierra Rein’s performance as Ruth, one of the professional bridesmaids. Ruth (also the name of the patient she plays) keeps her puppet MatildaContinue readingBooked “Ruddigore: Or the Witch’s Curse” at Theater Ten Ten

April 24 – May 24, 2009RUDIGGORE, or THE WITCHES CURSE!by Gilbert & SullivanDirected by David Fuller I just booked my first “on stage and scripted” (and memorized, and acted, and…) production in New York! It’s on a modest stage, but with a hearty and solid theater company called Theater Ten Ten (www.theater1010.com/): “Founded in 1955, Theater Ten Ten, New York City’s longest continuously operating Equity Off-Off Broadway Theater.” The show, “Ruddigore,” is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s lesser-known pieces, but the reinterperetation behind this version is indeed quite interesting (members and staff of a sanitarium produces “Ruddigore” as an annualContinue readingBOOKED: “Ruddigore” at the Theater Ten Ten

March 5, 2009Sierra sang at the Bigh Night Out’s Composer Showcase of Jay Alan Zimmerman, who has been christened “Broadway’s Beethoven.” He discussed composing both pre- and post- deafness and presented highlights from past, present, and future projects. For information, visit www.jayalanzimmerman.com.