Broadway and Vine delights with second season
Broadway and Vine delights with second season
By Antonia Allegra
NAPA, Calif. — Broadway and Vine is now in its second year as a nonprofit that supports actors, singers, musicians and local students. Jacob Langfelder, Broadway producer and Tony award nominee, has scored another hit with cabaret-style events that merge the best of Napa Valley’s vineyard locations with local wines, foods from recognized chefs, and top-notch Broadway actors and musicians under the stars.
This is all part of Langfelder’s mission that Broadway and Vine programs support masterclasses and pre-professional opportunities for students to share time and talent with visiting actors, singers and musicians. Some local young performers have already traveled to New York to meet with and be coached by former Broadway and Vine stars.
As a youthful performer himself, Langfelder was a second-place prizewinner of the Kurt Weill Foundation's Lotte Lenya Competition, and he performed at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center, among other prominent venues. He takes pride in being a man who can make connections, once taking some of the cast of St. Helena High School’s musical “Mamma Mia” to join visiting New York pros in an ensemble performance at the Carneros Resort and Spa.
“It was amazing to see them so happy,” he said.
Langfelder, the 12th of 13 children whose first names all start with “J,” is a first-generation American. His father, Oswald Langfelder, was born in Vienna and moved his family to the United States in 1940 via Zurich and Canada. His family was not theatrical, although the children all played musical instruments in school.
"I never thought I'd be on the Broadway stage,” he said, “and actually I attribute the success of Broadway and Vine to Napa, where I now live."
His early jobs including waiting tables for Chef Tom Colicchio, at whose New York restaurant he saw performers post-shows. His dream then was to be on a Broadway stage. He also worked in the restaurants of New York chefs Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten and thus was able to turn connections with such Michelin-star chefs into dinner concepts to accompany the now-Broadway and Vine meals over a season's range of shows.
Perhaps Langfelder's natural ability to think in terms of managing large groups of individuals is due to his family life, but it might also be the influence of Thomas Keller.
"Once when I was at Bouchon Bakery in New York, some local performers asked where would be best to travel and perform after the close of a show,” he said. He thought of Keller, the Rockefeller Center bakery’s owner, and his successes in Napa Valley. "Let's go to Napa Valley,” he told them. “They have it all!"
Langfelder feels that the valley lends itself to intimate events. When he first established these wine and food cabaret-style concerts between 2017 and 2020, he and his husband, John Carrara, decided that Napa was where they wanted to live permanently. Now he travels to New York every six weeks to work on producing Broadway shows.
Since Broadway and Vine’s inception, Langfelder has featured top singers, actors and musicians with an all-volunteer staff to create events. Stars from more than 50 Broadway musicals have mentored local talent and enhanced the valley with their performances.
I met Langfelder recently in the stunning Peju Winery tower. We chatted about the 40-year-old winery and then walked through the gardens to see where the Broadway and Vine event starring Sutton Foster will take place tonight (Aug. 2).
Tony Peju, who recently passed, and his wife, “H.B.,” moved to Rutherford in 1983 from Los Angeles, where they had been in the floral/nursery business. Here they followed their love of floral design and beauty, creating the family-owned winery and adding 30 acres of prime Rutherford land to include elegant gardens and six massive raised garden beds where they grow the ingredients for food to serve with their wine. Now his wife and daughters, Lisa and CEO Ariana, share Langfelder’s excitement about having Broadway and Vine performances in their gardens.
"First and foremost,” Langfelder said, “I want to give people and students the very stage I fought so hard to be on and to offer something for everyone. That includes audience members as well as the performers.”
Without question, the combination of wine, food and performances under Napa Valley stars offers Broadway and Vine audiences extraordinary experiences. Guests are sure to return home after this year's remaining events with stellar memories.
Upcoming performances:
Sutton Foster (Aug. 2 at Peju)
Erika Henningsen (Aug. 16 at Tre Posti in St. Helena)
Natalie Tenenbaum (Aug. 17 at The Estate in Yountville)
Julian Ovenden (Sept. 26 at Tre Posti)
Brooke Shields will perform Aug. 29 at a private Oakville vineyard location to a limited audience.
Prices depend on the events chosen and include free attendance for students. Some shows are already sold out. Options include concert-only or tasting reception plus concert. For more information on programs and tickets, visit here
Antonia (Toni) Allegra is a Napa Valley-based poet and journalist.