Reviews – William Giammona

Reviews

Company

Theatrius (Cynthia Lopez): Handsome Bobby (impressive William Giammona) sings and dances between contradictory couples and amusing singles. Indecisive, Bobby studies the idiosyncrasies of partnership. Is he ready for that wild ride?…Bobby’s musical quest for clarity ends with his emotional solo, “Being Alive.” With his strong voice and impassioned performance, he asks what life means for him. If we are indeed defined by the company we keep, then you will enjoy the best “Company” at Altarena Playhouse.

A Little Night Music (Lamplighters)

East Bay Times (Sam Hurwitt): William Giammona is pricelessly hot-headed as [Desiree’s] violently jealous lover Carl-Magnus, a heel-clicking soldier.

Theatre Eddys (Eddy Reynolds): The [final in a] trio of love-seeking men who each look the wrong direction before making the right, final choice is the heel-clicking, buffoonish dragoon, Carl Magnus, who is making life for his wife Charlotte miserable as he openly burns the candle at both ends. His rather disgusting view of women is sung in an appropriately back-throated voice that bellows with resound and crescendos with noteworthy power as William Giammona delivers this philanderer’s warped view of women in a song – a song that more than once hints broadly of its kinship to Sondheim’s “Pretty Women” from Sweeney Todd.

Still at Risk

Theatre Eddys (Eddy Reynolds): William Giammona has the air of a star even in his own living room, but he is also one who carries an air of vulnerability in his worried eyes that his future may not be as rosy as his past.

The Road to 1,000 (Marc Gonzalez): William Giammona is a standout as hunky actor, Marcus; his gravitas and presence make his turn as Marcus a break from the “typical” actor-characters portrayed in plays. In conjunction with Mr. Pinckney’s writing and Mr. Lickteig’s direction, Mr. Giammona makes Marcus an approachable, normal sort of guy who happens to be a successful actor with the same nuances and self-deprecating views as any other person. Mr. Giammona’s verbal showdown opposite Mr. Cox in Act Two is a delivery of Mr. Pinckney’s most poignant dialogue, involving a shifting of blame and conviction as to what the “proper way to deal with AIDS” might be.

Bay Area Reporter (Richard Dodds): Kevin’s best friend is a still-studly actor with a fading career, and William Giammona gives a solid account of the character’s own shifting fortunes as his interest in helping the flailing Kevin wanes.

My Cultural Landscape (George Heymont): William Giammona’s Marcus and Matt Weimer’s Christopher bring a sense of maturity to the table as gay men who have survived the worst of the AIDS epidemic and managed to move on with their lives.

Evita

Theatre Eddys (Eddy Reynolds): The highly romantic voice of William Giammona easily sends hearts swooning as it echoes “Oh This Night of a Thousand Stars” with the repeated “on this night … on this night” by the handsome crooner leaning into the microphone being a memory not easily shaken.

Mercury News (Sam Hurwitt): The show makes much of how ruthlessly she uses and discards men to get ahead, starting with the tango singer who brings her to Buenos Aires (William Giammona, suave but helpless in the face of her unstoppable ambition) and moving up to powerful military officer and future president Juan Peron.

Vmedia Backstage (Vince Mediaa): The exceptional William Giammona adds an element of class to the part of Magaldi, the man whom Eva first latches onto and who takes her to Buenos Aires. Giammona provides some much needed humor to the show, holding his notes and rolling his r’s in the classic song “On this Night of a Thousand Stars.”

Everything That’s Beautiful

Talkin’ Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona is outstanding as Luke. You see him struggling with the idea of Morgan wanting to be girl…

Bay Area Reporter (Richard Dodds): As Luke, William Giammona plays the most bottled-up character, and he lets us see his conflicting emotions as much through body language as dialogue.

Theatre Eddys (Eddy Reynolds): As Luke, William Giammona is macho guy who is doing his best to be sensitive – even if in an awkward, jerky manner at times. His own transformations are a hike through an unchartered wilderness… When Luke blurts in the midst of emotional upheaval, “I want her to be normal. I want her to be the son I wanted to have. When I look at Morgan, I feel embarrassed,” Mr. Giammona makes us shudder in a combination of pity, understanding, and disgust.

Huffington Post (George Heymont): There isn’t a weak link in the cast of Everything That’s Beautiful. I can’t recommend this play strongly enough!

Avenue Q(uattro)

San Francisco Chronicle (Lily Janiak): Now in their fourth straight year of performing the raunchy puppet musical “Avenue Q” for New Conservatory Theatre Center, actors Chris Morrell and Will Giammona are joys to watch onstage. Just as the show, a kind of “Sesame Street” for adults, has become an unlikely holiday tradition for the 35-year-old LGBTQ theater company, so have Morrell and Giammona become unlikely puppetry experts, leading boot camps for new cast members each year. Under the direction of Dennis Lickteig, the two have developed such refined technique with Trekkie Monster (think Oscar the Grouch, but addicted to porn) and Rod (like Bert, of Bert and Ernie, but in denial of his raging homosexuality) that just the way they operate the puppets’ mouths helps develop their characters. They achieve this subtlety even amid songs with titles like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” and “The Internet Is for Porn.”

City of Angels

Talkin’ Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona easily transforms into many roles, including the hilarious doctor and guru in a frightful curly wig with a high-pitched voice.

Theatre Eddys (Eddie Reynolds): Ken Brill, William Giammona, Monique Hafen, and Caitlan Taylor are the members of this recurring quartet who so ably bring that 40s/50s close-knit, four-part harmonies long past in vogue…Messieurs Giammona and Brill double on other parts, including two, cartoonish mobsters… Giammona is also a long-haired (think Tiny Tim), quack doctor who ridiculously caters to his patient, Luther Kingsley, until he too ends up somewhere he did not envision for his future (i.e., the morgue).

My Cultural Landscape (George Heymont): Ken Brill, William Giammona, Monique Hafen, and Caitlan Taylor offered some snazzy ensemble work as the Angel City Four.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Talkin Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona is outstanding as Bruckner. With his pitch perfect vocal cords he is marvelous singing “Melinda” and “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.” [Also highlighted as one of the Top 10 Actors Performances in a Musical for 2016 by Connema.]

SFWeekly (David-Elijah Nahmod): And it’s easy to see how David could fall in love with his doctor, played by the handsome William Giammona. This superb thespian hits all the right notes as a straight man…

For All Events (Kedar Adour): In his former life he was a female chanteuse named Melinda Wells (fine soprano voiced Melissa O’Keefe) who falls in love with his psychiatrist, widower Dr. Mark Bruckner (popular local actor and baritone William Giammona).

Theatrestorm (Christine Okon): Muriel invites him to go with her to a psychology class taught by the famous, accomplished and very handsome visiting psych prof Dr. Mark Bruckner (William Giammona) who projects a confident competence but whose beautiful brown eyes reveal a deeper grief over a wife who recently died. Giammona’s soulful rendition of “She Isn’t You” moves one to tears; in fact, he’s fantastic with every song he sings.

Bay Area Reporter (Richard Dodds): As the widowed psychiatrist, William Giammona projects leading-man stolidity, and he musically connects with a forceful “Come Back to Me”

For All Events (Steve Murray): William Giammona, as the tried and true Freudian practitioner Dr. Bruckner, narrates the story and finds himself inexorably changing his beliefs on past lives, regression therapy and reincarnation. A widower torn by grief, Giammona plays the role sympathetically.

TheatreEddys (Eddie Reynolds): As Dr. Mark Bruckner, William Giammona sings with solid, attractive tones and an impressive mixture of sad and happy in “She Isn’t You”… Mr. Giammona overall low keys his role just enough to enhance how cute he is as the love-seeking doctor. He also performs his vocals without pushing too much, allowing him to sell numbers like “Open Your Eyes, Mark” and “When I’m Being Born Again” in a range and volume that fits the intimate stage.

VMediaBackstage (Vince Mediaa): Dr. Mark Bruckner, played by the dapper and elegant William Giammona. The Doctor sings “She Isn’t You” and Giammona’s beautiful baritone voice rings through the Ed Decker theatre.

The Road to 1,000 (Marc Gonzalez): William Giammona delivers a fantastically layered performance as one of the play’s two leading men, psychiatrist Dr. Mark Bruckner. He sings his way through numbers such as “She Isn’t You,” “Open Your Eyes, Mark,” and “When I’m Being Born Again,” with gusto and a booming quality that elevates the musical numbers to a level of legitimacy rather than simply songs that sort of push the plot.

Avenue Q(ubed)

TheatreEddys: What does it mean when the same theatre company brings back the same musical three years in a row – one that is still selling out each night — and is extending the run yet again? What it means is that New Conservatory Theatre Center’s patrons are having a love affair with Avenue Q and NCTC’s year-in, year-out hilarious, high-energy, and heart-warming production…Best friends and roommates Nicky and Rod (voiced and manipulated by Chris Morrell and William Giammona) have many of the quirks and qualities of Ernie and Bert; and each talk and sing in voices that ring truth to the originals…William Giammona also takes on the second puppet role of Princeton, who in a clear, sweet-voice is looking for his “Purpose” while accompanied by six lid-flapping boxes.

Nick & Nora

Talking’ Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona is perfect as a Mafia boss.

For All Events (Kedar Adour): Accolades also go to William Giammona as Victor, Allison Rich as an egotistical actress and hilarious Brian Herndon as director Max Bernheim the initially accused murder.

Avenue Q(wo)

For All Events (Lee Hartgrave): Having seen Avenue Q before with the Broadway cast, I must say that this group is every bit as good as the original. Perhaps better. The puppets (hand held and manipulated by humans) – are totally impressive.

Funny Girl

For All Events (Kedar Adour): Accolades go to Justin Buchs as Eddie Ryan, Tracy Chiappone as Mrs. Brice and William Giammona, Nick Arnstein.

Triviana (John Orr): William Giammona is handsome and well-dressed in the almost thankless role of Nick Arnstein. A good singer and a good actor, he brings that sad story to life.

Mercury News (Joanne Engelhardt): Fanny Brice can talk her way into and around almost anything, yet she can’t stop the love of her life, Nick Arnstein (a nicely modulated performance by William Giammona) from leaving her.

Broadway World (Nick & Linda Hodges): Eddie made a good best friend for Brice, even though he wanted more. But once Fanny saw the dashing Nicky Arnstein (played by the very dashing William Giammona) with his white ruffled shirt and debonair ways, Eddy was doomed to the friend zone for life…The chemistry between WolfKlain (Fanny) and Giammona (Nick) was wonderful. Fanny is so star struck by Nick’s handsomeness that she fails to see that he’s equally star struck with her talent.

Merrily We Roll Along

Theatre Bay Area Awards: Winner of the 2014 Male Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role in a Musical Award

Avenue Q

Talkin’ Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona is outstanding as the loveable, confused Princeton and then morphs beautifully into the uptight Republican investment banker Rod who does not know he is really gay.

American Dream

San Francisco Chronicle (Chad Jones): A strong cast headed by the appealing trio of Zook, Giammona and Toledo finds ample humor in what is essentially a sturdy family drama played out against current events. What starts out as Tom’s “coming out and moving on” story turns into a romance in a foreign land, then evolves into an ex-wife’s fight to hold on to the past.

For All Events (Lee Hartgrave): The entire cast gives fantastic nuanced performances. Audiences will come out praising the performers. They are real — and you will feel your heart beat thru-out.

For All Events (Kedar Adour): Accolades go to Giammona, Robbins, Toledo and Zook for their understated and understanding portrayals.

Bay Area Reporter (Richard Dodds): William Giammona provides an attractive performance as the still tentatively gay Tom.

A Little Night Music

Stark Insider (Cy Ashley Webb): William Giammona (Carl Magnus) and Alicia Teeter (Magnus’ wife) were a wonderfully incoherent contrast to the urbane. Weston and Payne. Giammona’s performance as the humorless dragoon was laugh-aloud funny. Likewise, Teeter strategically leveraged her dispassionate control to pull off moments distinct passion. This injection of contradictory elements is unmistakably Sondheim; it leaves the audience feeling that they’re watching something particularly smart – which indeed, they are.

For All Events (Judy Richter): Besides Payne and Weston as Desirée and Fredrik, the show’s standout performers include Mosbacher as young Henrik, Giammona as the count, Teeter as his wife and Macomber as Madame Armfeldt.

John & Jen

Triviana (John Orr): As both Johns, William Giammona is wonderful to watch. He’s a fine actor and a good singer, and manages the lightning-quick age and emotion changes of the script brilliantly. He goes from broken-hearted little abused boy at Christmas to a middle-schooler terrified that his sister is leaving to a right-wing hawk going off to war in a thrice.

The Story of My Life

For All Events (Richard Connema): William Giammona is excellent as Thomas. He displays his pitch perfect resonance in “1876” and has strong singing voice rendering “I Like it Here”

Beyond Chron (Lee Hartgrave): Both actors give astounding performances. The acting is hypnotic!

Bay Area Reporter (Richard Dodds): …performers William Giammona and Coley Grundman, who continually reel us in with appeal, talent, and their credible connection to the story. Giammona, with a rich voice, plays Thomas with the slightly forced hauteur of someone who can’t quite shake his goofy youth, or the debts he wishes he didn’t owe his friend Alvin.

Parade

Stark Insider (Clinton Stark): In William Giammona and Alicia Teeter we have two leads who need to convince us that they are pursuing truth, and not willing to give up, despite their world having turned upside down. They succeed remarkably in performances that ably anchor a substantial cast, both in talent and numbers.

The Busy World Is Hushed

San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (Richard Connema): William Giammona gives a good performance as Brandt. He easily morphs from being cautious to being filled with emotion.

The Story of My Life

Benicia Herald (Elizabeth Warnimont): William Giammona and Paul Araquistain do an excellent job portraying a pair of childhood friends whose lives have drifted apart when one of them is called upon to write a eulogy for the other…Giammona succeeds in taking the audience along through the stages of his character’s transformation…Giammona especially shines in “The Butterfly,” expressing a crucial turning point in his emotional journey that words alone cannot adequately describe.

Chicago

Broadway Critic Blog (Spencer Williams): Will Giammona (Billy Flynn) was by far the stand-out performer in this production. His ease around the material was instantly noticeable when his charming opening number, “All I Care About” hit all the right notes and more. But, it was “We Both Reached for the Gun” in which Giammona clearly shined! His ventriloquist act in this number was hysterical and executed quite well! He also carried “Razzle Dazzle” to a great finish even when the choreography was a bit underwhelming. I look forward to seeing Giammona in future productions around the Bay Area.

MetBlogs San Jose (Cynthia Corral): Will Giammona (as Billy Flynn) seemed too young to know how to play smarm so well…My favorite dance (and my guest agreed) was “We Both Reached for the Gun” in Act I, an amazing song and dance routine with all the female dancers and Billy Flynn using Roxie Hart as his ventriloquist dummy.

Stark Insider (Cy Ashley Webb): Will Giammona’s performance as attorney Billy Flynn merits additional comment. Beginning with his strong vocals in “All I Care About,” Giammona just kept delivering. It’s tempting to make this character unlikable – which director Nancy Fitzgerald-Metzler was smart enough to avoid. In keeping him a very plausible, dangerously likable character, the director also allowed him to romance the audience (and vice versa). One becomes entranced by his manipulations – and his client’s contributions thereto.

The Sugar Witch

For All Events/Beyond Chron (Lee Hartgrave): The actors fire on all cylinders. Also what is suspected in the first Act, verifies it in the second act. You will suspect and be right that there is an attraction between young Moses and Hank (William Glammona). Both men are attracted to each other like fireflies in the night. Sitting by the outdoor fireplace they literally glow. Think of Paul Newman without his shirt – and you get the picture.

San Francisco Examiner: Michael Phillis as her younger, innocent brother Moses brings such a sweetness to his character that you can’t but help to root for his every happiness. And a lot of that has to do with the tender moments he shares with the sultry William Giammona who could easily be a predator after the dewy-eyed Phillis but instead offers him strength, confidence and companionship. The two’s one sexually charged moment is electric and sexy. It makes it easy to believe that their feelings are true.

Hello Dolly

Talkin’ Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona (2009 SFBATCC nomination for Thrill Me) puts out good vibes as Cornelius Hackl and has fine vocal chops in “It Only Takes a Moment.” Both have light-of-foot dancing for “It Takes a Woman” and “Dancing.”

For All Events (Charles Jarret): William Giammona adds immeasurably to the vocal vibrancy…

Thoroughy Modern Millie

Pacifica Tribune (Cyndi Caldwell): William Giammona as Graydon III takes no detours in his performance, burning up the stage with not only good looks, but appetizing vocals as well.

Talkin’ Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona and Dominique Bonino give exceptional performances as square-cut Trevor Graydon and naïve Miss Dorothy Brown.

For All Events (Kedar Adour): …finally getting a job as a stenographer for Trevor Graydon III (powerful baritone William Giammona) they break into “The Speed Test.”

Inside Bay Area (Joanne Engelhardt): …when she and Millie’s boss, Trevor Graydon III (a commanding William Giammona), meet for the first time and are instantly smitten. Giammona bursts out singing the Victor Herbert love song “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life,” and the two then sing, dance and tangle rather aerobically.

Thrill Me

SF Weekly (Molly Rhodes): As Loeb, actor William Giammona is riveting in songs such as “Roadster,” where he lures their young prey into the car

Talking’ Broadway (Richard Connema): William Giammona is excellent as Richard Loeb. He plays the role as a creepy person with a Nietzsche “Superman” complex…He is mesmeric in the murder sequence in which Richard entices the unseen victim into his car with the unforgettably disturbing song, “Roadster.” His singing “Superior” is sparkling.

Beyond Chron (Lee Hartgrave): There is one really, really creepy segment when Richard Loeb charms and seduces a 14-year-old boy into his Roadster, to kill him. The scene is monstrously thrilling …at least to Loeb. To us – it rattled our bones…These two guys, Ricardo Rust and William Giammona both give soaring, memorable performances in this captivating story.

The Bay Times (Annette Lust): The roles of actor/singers Ricardo Rust (Nathan) and William Giammona (Richard) are believably, sensitively and emotionally well rendered.

Bay Area Report (Richard Dodds): As Loeb, William Giammona is a powerhouse of bravado, exuding a dangerous sensuality that gives credibility to his seeming control over Leopold. Both are also excellent singers, as they deliver Dolginoff’s music that is woven seamlessly into the dialogue.

TheatreWorld (Kedar Adour): Ricardo Rust as Leopold and William Giammona as Loeb are perfect for the parts with expressive voices and dynamic stage presence.

Proof

Stockton Record (Dianne Runion): Giammona makes a convincing young professor — easy, natural, likable. His active listening when he’s not delivering lines is a model for ensemble playing.