"… this capital city’s leading stage company!" - The New York Times
The Flaming Idiots
January 28, 2010 - March 14, 2010
Starring Jon O'Connor, Kevin Hunt and Rob Williams
ZACH's GLBT Wilde Party is Thursday, February 11, Click for info
Show Info
| "An experience bubbling with humor ... footloose, fanciful and free-spirited!" -The New York Times Just when you thought The Flaming Idiots days of jugglin', jokin', throwin', swallowin', leapin' and conquerin' Broadway were over, Austin brings them back! The Flaming Idiots are returning to ZACH's stage for the sort of theatre circus hilarity that brought them to international acclaim and got them kicked out of Williamson County. Prepare to be amazed as you watch their signature spectacle come to the stage with a bound-for-Broadway reunion act that is far more outrageous than you ever thought theatre could be. What ZACH patrons are doing ... FAMILY NIGHT |
"The Flaming Idiots have been retired for five years, but while we are still physically able to do the show, we want to do a reunion tour. And the highlight-the cherry on top of our reunion sundae-is a return to our town, our home, to the people we love and who we hope still love us. Back in Austin and back at ZACH, baby, back at ZACH!" |
Cast/Crew
About the Company
KEVIN HUNT (Walter) - After retiring as an Idiot in 2004, Kevin finds himself in Mandeville, Louisiana, just across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. While in Louisiana Kevin has helped build and repair homes, reupholster furniture, perform in a burlesque show and brew beer. Reuniting with his partners to once again spread some “Hey” is an honor that he does not take lightly as he looks looking forward to the laughter and the lights once again.
JON O’CONNOR (Pyro) – traveled and performed with The Flaming Idiots for 20 years and is happy to be back in the role that has brought him more joy than any other. Since the dissolving of the Idiots, he has gone on to perform in several independent film projects including Moonlighting and Take the Moon, and is a spokesman for the Independent Cinema Arts Network, an organization dedicated to the production of independent film projects. Jon also teaches for The Jugheads, a Minneapolis-based juggling organization. As head coach of The Ultimate Club, a juggling team, Jon has led the group to a gold medal at the International Juggler competition in 2009. Jon is also married to Stephanie, his beautiful wife of 13 years, who works as a private chef and chocolatier. She also makes him very, very happy, as does performing for you here tonight.
ROB WILLIAMS (Gyro) – toured with Kevin Hunt and Jon O’ Connor as part of The Flaming Idiots for twenty years. Idiot highlights include appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, at ZACH Theatre and three previous runs Off-Broadway at The New Victory. Following the Idiots’ retirement in 2004, Rob was cast as the elf in The Santaland Diaries as Bill Clinton and Ken Burns in Anna Deavere Smith’s House Arrest (at ZACH Theatre). After moving to Los Angeles, he worked as a writer and cast member on The Queer Edge with Jack E. Jett and Sandra Bernhard, as the warm up comic on the first season of America’s Got Talent (where he got to introduce both Regis and Hasselhoff every night!), wrote and directed the play Classless Reunion, and wrote for the television show Battle of the Bands. He has studied long form improv with The Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, as well as sketch writing with Second City Los Angeles, and stand up comedy with Judy Carter and Greg Dean. This year he has performed in New Zealand, Ireland, and Harveysburg, Ohio. You can see more of what Rob is up to at www.robsho.com
About the Band
ALLEN ROBERTSON (Composer, Musical Director and Keyboards) Allen is an Emmy Award®-winning cocreator of the PBS children’s show The Biscuit Brothers, as well as a co-producer, performer, writer and composer for the show. Allen is an award-winning musical director, playwright, actor, director, sound designer and musician, and has worked on hundreds of productions from Chicago to Japan and just about everywhere in between. Additionally, he is a composer with credits including the documentary film Beyond Black Rock, the musical Jouet and the ballet Secret Garden.
THOMAS NUENDEL (Violin) – was born and raised in Schenectady, N.Y., where he began studying the violin at the age of eight with Ms. Jean Peck. After studying classically through high school, his interest in improvisational music took him around the country with various types of bands, including acoustic blues, New Orleans jazz, Sephardic music, and forays into Irish and bluegrass. Thomas has been working with The Flaming Idiots since they discovered him moping around the Texas Renaissance Faire acting bored and petulant. The Idiots brought him on the trio’s first theater run in New York City, where he continued to act bored and petulant. Thomas can often be found in Austin, Tesax, and New Orleans, trying to hustle up a gig. This seems to keep him out of trouble and relatively happy.
ARNIE YAÑEZ (Percussion) – is from Alice, Texas, and has lived in Austin for 25 years. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Texas and has been teaching band in the Austin Independent School District for 20 years. He serves as Percussion Specialist for the Austin Youth Orchestra. He has performed in over 100 musical productions in the Austin area. As a percussionist for The Flaming Idiots, he has performed at New Victory Theater in 2000 and 2010. In addition to theater work, he has worked as a studio drummer and percussionist for radio, television and film recordings as well as various jazz, rock and Latin bands in the Austin area. As a member of the Biscuit Brothers’ “Itty Bitty Biscuit Band” aka “Gravy,” he appears on the Biscuit Brothers Television Show. When not working, Mr. Yañez devotes all his time to his beautiful wife Penny and their two children Zach (16) and Maddie (10).
