Poway resident debuting first musical at Broadway Theatre

A Poway resident is getting ready for the premiere of his first musical theater production, “Love is the Answer,” on Thursday, July 30.

Gregg Brandalise’s “Love is the Answer” will run through Sunday, Aug. 2 at Broadway Theatre in Vista. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are $10 and are available by calling 760-505-6839.

Brandalise not only wrote both the script and all the music and lyrics for the show, he is also the director and music director for it as well.

“Love is the Answer” tells the story of Adella, who is torn between the wealthy boyfriend, Steve, who can provide all she needs materially; and Billy, the chance encounter who could be the love of her life. “(“Love is the Answer”) follows the challenges and temptations of social consciousness, and unrequited love,” said Brandalise in a press release.

The show features 17 original pop songs, composed by Brandalise.

The show features a cast of eight, including Kay McNellen as Adella; Terence Ellison as Dresden; Edgar Diaz-Gutierrez as Billy; and Keala Milles Jr. as Steve. The cast is rounded out by Beverly Baker as Simone; Victoria Patton as Lacy; Vander Turner as Jimmy; and Allen Hopkins as Dexter.

“It’s a cast of eight really great singers and actors,” said Brandalise. “They’re doing really great.”

Brandalise’s theater dreams have been made a reality thanks to a contest he entered at Broadway Theatre in December. The theater was looking to produce a new play, and despite not even having had a stage reading done of “Love is the Answer,” Brandalise entered.

“I was chosen as a finalist, but to be a finalist you had to have had a stage reading. I had a week and a half to gather up eight actors and do a reading,” said Brandalise.

He managed to get the stage reading done, and “Love is the Answer” won the contest.

Though this is the first musical he’s written, Brandalise isn’t new to music itself. A Poway resident since 1979, Brandalise makes his living in music. He is the owner and operator of Blindfold Studios, a full-service, digital audio recording studio in Poway.

He has also been active in youth sports in the past, coaching hundreds of boys and girls in youth sports. Brandalise also acted as Scoutmaster for Troop 625 for ten years, where he oversaw 35 new Eagle Scouts.

Brandalise began writing “Love is the Answer” in 2009 and finished in 2011. “Then I let it sit, and in 2013, I started taking it seriously again,” he said. “I made a new arrangement, wrote new lyrics, and I took about a year to polish it.”

Brandalise said he started with 23 songs before ending up with the final 17.

“I didn’t realize I would like (writing musicals) as much as I did,” said Brandalise, who has begun working on his next show. “I’ve learned so much, I can see how to go about things differently next time. None of the learning process discouraged me, it has made be a better writer and director.”