ArtistDirect News
Theatre SilCo Opens Two-Person Musical About Rosemary Clooneys Life and Struggles
A single stage and two performers are poised to resurrect the glamorous yet turbulent life of Rosemary Clooney at the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center in Colorado. Theatre SilCo’s new one‑act musical, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, opened Tuesday evening and will run through September 13, offering an intimate, two‑person portrait of the 1950s singer’s career, mental‑health battles, addiction, and the complex mother‑daughter relationship that shaped her.
The production is built around a duet: Anne Terze‑Schwarz steps into the shoes of Clooney, while Ben Griffin assumes every other role—from the singer’s estranged mother to her psychiatrist and the legendary Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. The show zeroes in on Clooney’s personal and professional challenges, including bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and the emotional toll of fame. Terze‑Schwarz explained that the musical “picks up at her getting help and telling her story of what it takes to really work through your own demons and breakthroughs and traumas.”
Griffin highlighted the difficulty of embodying multiple characters, noting that he uses vocal and physical cues to differentiate roles. He adds a pipe for Crosby, a hat for Sinatra, and adopts a hunched posture for a Catholic priest. He also stressed the significance of playing Clooney’s mother, describing the relationship as “mirrored between the two of them” and saying that portraying it offers insight into female friendships and family dynamics.
The show is produced by Theatre SilCo, a Colorado‑based company formerly known as Lake Dillon Theatre Co. The company has staged productions such as The Book Club Play and has positioned itself as a venue for intimate, character‑driven theater. The Silverthorne Performing Arts Center, with its small‑theater setting, complements the two‑person format.
Rosemary Clooney, born May 23 1928 in Maysville, Kentucky, rose to prominence in the early 1950s with hits such as “Come On‑a My House” and “Tenderly.” Her career was interrupted in the 1960s by pregnancies, bipolar disorder, and drug addiction, but she returned to the stage in 1976 after a tour with Bing Crosby. Clooney continued recording until her death from lung cancer in 2002. Her life has attracted biographical interest, particularly her mental‑health struggles and the influence of her mother, who left the family when Clooney was a child but later returned to care for her.
Director Chris Alleman described the show as “highly entertaining” while also providing a humanizing portrait of a star who was often placed on a pedestal. Alleman said the production “shows the human side of someone that we typically may have lifted onto a pedestal” and that it offers a perspective on mental health that remains relevant today.
Tickets for Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical are available through Theatre SilCo’s website. The show’s run, which concludes on September 13, offers a concise yet powerful look at a celebrated performer’s life, blending music, drama, and an intimate exploration of the challenges that shaped her legacy.
The production is a notable addition to Colorado’s theater scene, providing a platform for nuanced storytelling about mental health, addiction, and family relationships while celebrating the enduring influence of Rosemary Clooney’s music and career.
The production is built around a duet: Anne Terze‑Schwarz steps into the shoes of Clooney, while Ben Griffin assumes every other role—from the singer’s estranged mother to her psychiatrist and the legendary Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. The show zeroes in on Clooney’s personal and professional challenges, including bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and the emotional toll of fame. Terze‑Schwarz explained that the musical “picks up at her getting help and telling her story of what it takes to really work through your own demons and breakthroughs and traumas.”
Griffin highlighted the difficulty of embodying multiple characters, noting that he uses vocal and physical cues to differentiate roles. He adds a pipe for Crosby, a hat for Sinatra, and adopts a hunched posture for a Catholic priest. He also stressed the significance of playing Clooney’s mother, describing the relationship as “mirrored between the two of them” and saying that portraying it offers insight into female friendships and family dynamics.
The show is produced by Theatre SilCo, a Colorado‑based company formerly known as Lake Dillon Theatre Co. The company has staged productions such as The Book Club Play and has positioned itself as a venue for intimate, character‑driven theater. The Silverthorne Performing Arts Center, with its small‑theater setting, complements the two‑person format.
Rosemary Clooney, born May 23 1928 in Maysville, Kentucky, rose to prominence in the early 1950s with hits such as “Come On‑a My House” and “Tenderly.” Her career was interrupted in the 1960s by pregnancies, bipolar disorder, and drug addiction, but she returned to the stage in 1976 after a tour with Bing Crosby. Clooney continued recording until her death from lung cancer in 2002. Her life has attracted biographical interest, particularly her mental‑health struggles and the influence of her mother, who left the family when Clooney was a child but later returned to care for her.
Director Chris Alleman described the show as “highly entertaining” while also providing a humanizing portrait of a star who was often placed on a pedestal. Alleman said the production “shows the human side of someone that we typically may have lifted onto a pedestal” and that it offers a perspective on mental health that remains relevant today.
Tickets for Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical are available through Theatre SilCo’s website. The show’s run, which concludes on September 13, offers a concise yet powerful look at a celebrated performer’s life, blending music, drama, and an intimate exploration of the challenges that shaped her legacy.
The production is a notable addition to Colorado’s theater scene, providing a platform for nuanced storytelling about mental health, addiction, and family relationships while celebrating the enduring influence of Rosemary Clooney’s music and career.