GrooveLily

New York City trio GrooveLily inhabits that contemporary space where creative musicians ignore the boundaries laid down by words like rock, folk, jazz and pop. Intelligent original songs with no shortage of wit connect lush musical textures and soaring vocals with the blazing six-string electric violin of Valerie Vigoda, the lightning-fingered piano of Brendan Milburn, and the joyful drums of Gene Lewin. With backgrounds in classical music, musical theater, jazz and rock, the three members of GrooveLily are making a new music that’s all their own. The success of their first concert-musical, the critically-acclaimed holiday show STRIKING 12, has led them farther into the world of theater, where they have carved out a unique niche as a rock band writing and performing shows. After years on the indie touring circuit, they are delighted to be creating many projects with various collaborators: STRIKING 12, the first GrooveLily concert-musical (Off-Broadway 2006, Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Musical, Bay Area Theatre Critic’s Choice Award); TOY STORY THE MUSICAL for Disney; SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES for Deaf West Theatre/Center Theatre Group (Two 2007 Ovation Awards, including World Premiere Musical; Valerie was also nominated for Lead Actress); WHEELHOUSE, the second GrooveLily concert-musical; LONG STORY SHORT for City Theatre of Pittsburgh/TheatreWorks Palo Alto; A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for McCarter Theatre/Paper Mill Playhouse; and ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME, a new 1-woman fever-dream musical. Their latest/proudest productions are Brendan and Valerie’s son Mose (age 3), and Gene and his wife Suzanne’s son Elias (age 1 1/2). All three band members live in Brooklyn.