After their first wildly successful sold-out performance at City Winery New York City in June, the venue quickly invited The Boy Band Project back for another Boy Band Brunch this month, much to the elation of their long-time followers and all-new fans. And just as they did in their spectacular debut show there, the group once again brought their outstanding voices, rich harmonies, sizzling hot moves, tongue-in-check humor, amusing banter, and up-close-and-personal interactions with the audience, along with “all the feelings” of the boy bands, to their sensational set list of chart-topping hits from the ‘90s to today.
This most recent roster of rotating BBP ‘Boys’ – all veteran musical theater artists from on and off Broadway, embodying the traditional boy band archetypes – featured Chris Messina as the Sporty One, Jesse Corbin as the Bad Boy, Nathan Lucrezio as the Sensitive One, and founder and leader Travis Nesbitt as the Boy Next Door. All thoroughly embraced their individual characteristics, demeanors, and attitudes with distinction and humor, highlighting their across-the-board talents of acting and parody, as well as their masterful singing and dancing. They have it all and they bring it all to the stage.
The live songs, high-energy choreography, and irresistible repartee were interspersed with vintage video clips of the popular TV shows, films, and Boy Bands of the era and The BBP’s own originals, including “Get Behind My Love,” written by Michael Mott, who was in the house and called upon to stand up and take a well-deserved bow, with DJ Tamra “The Vampire Slayer” Sheehan providing the perfectly synchronized back-up music, projections, and tech support.
I spoke with the Boys after the exhilarating performance to get their thoughts on the venue, the show, and their upcoming events.
What do you love most about playing at City Winery?
Travis: How excited and supportive they are of us; it’s great to feel such positivity.
Jesse: I love the size of the stage and venue, and the beautiful HUGE windows.
Nathan: It’s a beautiful space, right by the water, the staff is lovely, the stage is perfect for what we do, and I love the vibe!
Chris: I love the venue itself; it’s a GREAT space for our vibe!
What’s the most challenging part of performing at a new venue?
Travis: You have to prove yourself. [Trust me, they did!]
Nathan: Figuring out how it sounds in the room. It’s always a challenge for any singer; you have to gauge that.
Chris: It’s a large space so it’s more of a challenge to get into the audience and connect with everyone – BUT we still do!
Jesse: Adapting to a new team behind the scenes and new spacing on stage can be interesting, but we perform in so many different venues that we’re good at adapting to anywhere!
Which is your favorite new song that was added to the show?
Travis: “Liquid Dreams” by O-Town.
Chris: I LOVE “Dirty Pop” by NSYNC!
Jesse: I think Backstreet Boys’ “The Call” is such a fun song! It used to be in the show a long time ago, but we just added it back recently.
Nathan: It’s not newly added, but I love the new beginning of the show, opening with NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” instead of closing with it.
What do you find most relatable about your Boy Band type?
Travis (the Boy Next Door): The hair; that’s it!
Chris (the Sporty One): Although I never played many sports, I love being active, working out, and doing CrossFit.
Jesse (the Bad Boy): Much like the Bad Boy, I’m very mischievous and flirtatious and a big goofball!
Nathan (the Sensitive One): Even though they tease me about it in the show, I AM a very sensitive person – in a good way.
What’s up next on The Boy Band Project’s schedule?
Travis: We’ll be in Hollywood doing an industry-only Equity workshop reading of a new musical called The Manager, based on the life story of a guy who was taken in by Colonel Parker, grew up with Elvis, became Elvis’s merchandise manager, then became Ricky Nelson’s manager until his death, and later worked on the ABC/MTV reality competition series Making the Band with Lou Pearlman, who formed and funded the Backstreet Boys, until Pearlman’s arrest for his infamous Ponzi scheme. The musical has a lot of the Making the Band filming – the contestants in that also play the roles of Ricky, Elvis, and others – and we are playing the boy band, obviously! We’re also going to be performing at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood on October 29; tickets go on sale soon!
Many thanks to all of you for a terrific show and for taking the time to chat; it’s always a pleasure!
For those who couldn’t make it to the latest Boy Band Brunch at City Winery, you can check out more photos of the show here:
Running Time: Approximately 75 minutes, without intermission.
Boy Band Brunch played August 19, 2023, at noon, at City Winery NYC, Pier 57, 25 Eleventh Avenue, NYC.
