Jack Foltyn voiced by his peers and his critics as the “New Movement of American Theatre"
If you put into one word what and who Jack Foltyn is, it would be "Entertainer." Foltyn is not just a triple threat he is a force of talent that can not be categorized. You have to see him then believe it!
FABULOUS BAKER BOYS
CB Productions
Jack Foltyn's Hollywood debut in the short indie remake of the "Fabulous Baker Boys" is sure to be nothing but a winner for the confident actor. Playing the role of Jack the younger brother of Frank , Foltyn reveals a side of himself that other roles really haven't in the past. A vulnerability that carries through the film. His knowledge of music and working for pennies is something that Foltyn knows too well. "I think the chemistry with me and Jim is very good" Foltyn says. "As far as fellow actors he is very Kevin Spacey and really relies on me to give him something to explore night in and night out. That's a compliment not many secure actors give other actors." As far as Foltyn is concerned the buzz around the set is pretty consistent, Jack is unique in his acting style and commited in everything he does. Even to the last cuff on his shirt!"
"LAX"
The first of perhaps many national syndicated televison shows for Foltyn. The role originally was for him to play a navigator in the cockpit. Though not a speaking role the casting director was told that the character had to be an "A game" actor. That's where Foltyn's talent was requested. While on the set the original co-pilot was dismissed when the director came up to Foltyn and asked him if he knew how to speak Russian the rest was history. Foltyn speaks four languages fluently and Russian being one which gave him the role of "Russian Co-Pilot" and his SAG eligibility. Working with acting veterans such as Heather Locklear and Blaire Underwood it's no surprise that Foltyn has put himself up there with them
OUT ON BAIL
Cinematek Productions
A new television show that puts Brooklyn on the map (in Dallas Texas?) Jack Foltyn plays the devil disguised as an ambulance chaser named "Michael Boxer" Mr. Foltyn landed the part at an invitee audition where later he was told that the part was re-written because of his extrodinary audition. Also in the show are Terry Kiser (Weekend at Bernies) Steven Tobolowsky (Thelma and Louise) and Burton Gilliam (Blazing Saddles) to top the list of veterans. Said Burton Gilliam about Jack Foltyn "He is an up and comer and there will be doors opening for this young man" Burton Gilliam said. "This boy can act!" From the moment Foltyn walks on the screen in the pilot episode he takes control of the stage and captivates his audience leaving you wanting more of the devilish character.
THE LOTTERY
BIG HEAD PRODUCTIONS
This reality based television show where lottery winners tell there stories of "where are they now". Foltyn plays a re-enactment of a past winner. The director and producer of the show gave Foltyn no restrictions when it came to script because there wasn't one. Foltyn improvises the whole episode showing once more the strength and skills which is another reason why he is respected in the entertainment industry
Tim Crawford The Times
"The Zoo Story" A Gripping Account
Tale unravels thrillingly at fledgling Jack's Theatre
By Tom Sime
Dallas Morning News
The rural atmosphere of Mckinney is already under siege by encroaching freeway, strip malls, ATM's. Now comes the ultimate urban nightmare: Edward Albees The Zoo Story
This one act nervous breakdown opened Friday night right off the old town square at Jack's Ballroom. Jack Foltyn gets to play Jerry, the wounded soul and "permanent transient" who never gets to tell the titular story.
Still we get the picture when Jerry promises Peter, a bourgeois stranger he mees in Central Park, that whatever he did at the zoo will surely top that night's news.
Mr Foltyn is superb. He gives Jerry more smoldering eroticism than the character usually gets, which proves a solid angle. Right off like a sexual seer, Jerry starts ferreting out intimate details of Peter's private life, gleaning clues from "the way you cross your legs...the tone of your voice"
The Unexpected Guest
Who Invited Him?
Joy Friedman
Carrolton News
In a dark setting Jack Foltyn sits down lights a cigarette blows out the match and contemplates. "Why do I relate with Michael Starkwedder" Foltyn said. "Probably curiosity for the most part. I think woman are genuinely curious to "Strangers, visitors , nomads with nowhere to go." That is true in the "Unexpected Guest" which opened up this week at RTC.
An Agatha Christie murder mystery with so many twist and turns it will keep you guessing and that is what makes Foltyn's performance impressive. "It is very difficult to do Agatha Christie because of the language and there really isn't many lines that you can react to." Foltyn said. Seeing him for the first time he brings a Nicholson quality to the part which sets him apart with other performers.
"The Postman Always Rings Twice" is one of my favorite movies." says Foltyn. When asked if he was ever compared to the man of mischief himself (Jack Nicholson), "I think he was compared to me a couple of times" laughs Foltyn. "I enjoy what he does but I do have my own way of doing things. If it comes across like that it is not intended," Foltyn said.
Whatever it is, it is a performance to experience. The show is very sexy and should not be missed. Mr. Foltyns performance is very strong and Sara Lovett who plays the wife of the murdered husband does her rendition as Jessica Lange with intensity and sensuality. These two together steam up the stage and make this show worth seeing.
Stanley In Search Of Mother
Foltyn Fires the Stage
Lucinda Breeding
Jack Foltyn has a bone to pick. He doesn't get why everyone is ready to forgive Blanche Dubois and so eager to condemn Stanley Kowalski
In a leading role of Stanley in DCT "A Streetcar Named Desire" actor Jack Foltyn does everything in his character is supposed to do: bang things around, his wife included, bellow and ooze sex from every pore.
His one hope is that deadened audiences will play close attention to his subtleties. "I find it so ironic that people could see the good in Blanche and see much bad in Stanley," he said. "You know what I really enjoy? Stanley has the biggest heart. He loves his wife. She is everything to him and he would do anything for her but people don't see that. Alot of women do not fully understand the time all of this was happening. The do not understand that women did not know what battering was."
Mr. Foltyn said Blanche baits Stanley, calling him common, ape like and vulgar. Stanley's wife sucumbs her sister's influence and begins to berate Stanley for what she once admired about him.
It makes him furious that Blanche comes into his home and makes his wife say those things to. "His home is his domocile. It is like: "You come into my house- not your house, my house. You sat on your throne and judged me' I think that would bother anyone."
Mr. Foltyn readily admits that Stanley is what one might call the alpha male. " He is the essence of manhood, of masculinity, he is crass, chauvinistic son of bitch," the actor said.
In the Denton production, Mr. Foltyn does not hold back. He is frightening when provoked, arrid, pitiful when penitent. In the play's most famous scene- Stanley erupts and hits his pregnant wife, Stella, then screams her name in the aftermath- turns from a feroucious bully to a shameless child.
"Men endear themselves to their mother," Mr. Foltyn said. " When a man hurts, he is going to find someone who is close to his mother. Stella is as close as Stanley could get. "
Those who find Stanley purely bad would do well to watch Jack Foltyn closely. He engenders Stanley with profound guilt and touching regret. Watching Mr. Foltyn, the audience will see a Stanley who is genuinely hurt when he is called a brut. The pain lasts for a flash, then turns into anger and violence.
Mr. Foltyn sidesteps the sensuality of the role. "There is something about an aura, a sexual prowess," he said.
Musical Adds "FEVER" to the stage
Lisa Nelson
special to the
Mckinney Courier-Gazette
It is exciting. It is exuberant. It is exhilarating. It's the feverish "Fever," a new play brought to you by the Richardson Theatre Centre.
Meshing the incredible talents of Kyle McClaran and choreographer/writer Jack Foltyn "Fever" rushes and twirls and writhes in some of the finest ensemble dancing seen for many a season.
Jack Foltyn, a truly gifted dancer, plays Charlie "Blues Man" Miller who got his start and his "magic" from Slade. Foltyn whose professional background includes ballroom and jazz dancing, voice and acting, is so multi-talented that he's hard to categorize.
His energetic dancing style combines the athletic elements of Gene Kelly and the smooth, fluid movements of Fred Astaire. Foltyn choreographed the entire musical. Several members of the cast had never danced on stage before, but in Jack's capable hands, the complicated dance steps were flawlessly executed.
United They Stand
Play looks at relationships among hostages during captivity
Lawson Taite
Dallas Morning News
Jack Foltyn plays Edward the Irish prisoner
Circle Theatre is the only area company that dumped a previously announced play after last month's terrorist attacks. You might expect the substitute to be something light but that's not the case. The replacement, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, is about prisoners of terrorist. "This show is about the brotherhood that develops under pressure. Its an inspirations message," she says. "We need to talk about these issues. Part of our mission is to do that. People want to know what's going on."
"Foltyn's moving performance and lighter side brought a different dimension to the show in a very positive and uplifting way. His timing and instinct take over in the most important part of the play. His longing for his father's love, never to be received, and his boyish manners make him the standout star of the show."
Having Fun With Billis
"South Pacific Adds a Taste of New York"
South Pacific opens up at DCT next week and fan favorite Jack Foltyn is playing the fun loving "Billis." "I was only going to choreograph it and while I was sitting with the director and asst. director and five other people they coaxed me to play Billis." Foltyn said. "It's hard to say no."
So with double duty Mr. Foltyn is utilizing both dance and his knack for comedy to bring out the real Billis. "Being from New York its a great part to be creative with and just to have fun with." Foltyn smiles. Mr. Foltyn recently finished the sexually seering Stanley Kowalski in "Streetcar Named Desire"
"It wasn't difficult to change characters because that's what your paid to do. Actually by taking the part it will bring me back to the good graces of the audience." Foltyn says. "They thought Stanley was maybe too real."
Hollywood and Spice Brings Down the House!!
Choreographer Jack Foltyn
Jeffrey Cranor
The Met
RTC new musical revue, Hollywood and Spice, shows Dallas what solid community theatre is all about, with energy and talent overshadowing the typical suburban stage glitches. Hollywood is a mixture of performances: ballet, swing, Sondheim, Village People, Christmas Carols and even insane Germans. RTC showcases the troupes wonderful voices and graceful feet . Jack Foltyn is hysterical in the disco montage. In the end the adorable choreography for Harry Connick's "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and the passionate pas de deux between Foltyn and Tosha Burns in "Dracula" make the trek to the burbs worth it.
Jack Foltyn: Following The Footsteps Of The King
Steve Willis
Community Spotlight
Mckinney Courier Gazette
Foltyn, an accomplished dancer, choreographer and instructor, felt the pull of Elvis early when his mother dressed him in an Elvis costume for a fourth-grade talent show. “I started strumming an Elvis song on a guitar that I didn’t even know how to play, he said. “And man, older women and younger were just getting on their feet! I thought, this is it.”
But it’s not the clothes, or sideburns, that make the man. Foltyn distinguishes himself as an interpreter rather than impersonator, which he defines as someone who “puts a white suit on, some big mutton chops and sings ‘Teddy Bear’ in a low voice while wiggling a little bit.” His approach differs in that he draws from an extensive knowledge of Elvis minutia mixed with musical and physical talent.
“The onus is on me to interpret his songs in a way that I think he would go, ‘If I had the moves that that boy do, I be doing the same thing,” said Foltyn. “I’m more or less leaving it to his music to push me to a level that most impersonators can’t go.”
The “super-charged” ness of his performances has also won approval among the experts.
“The best flattery you get is when you even have Elvis impersonators coming to see you, trying to steal your stuff,” said Foltyn, adding, “But I don’t think they could because it’s a headache.” Besides, a lot of the show and choreography are copyrighted anyway, he said, except, of course, for the costumes.
So, of all the entertainers in the world, why do so many wear the uniform of sunglasses, sideburns, and white suite, and surrender themselves over to Elvis’s persona? Its no surprise Foltyn has a comprehensive answer.
“Did you know that between 64 and 66 percent of the world’s population regard themselves as Elvis fans? That’s a lot,” he said. “He had a voice that everyone feels they can live through, someone who was identifiable, personable and charismatic. I think that he left an undying statement.”
With such a widespread resonance, Foltyn doesn’t take his responsibilities as an interpreter lightly and works hard to ensure Elvis is remembered favorably.
“My interpretation of Elvis will always be positive, and I don’t want to degrade any part of his life,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ll get another voice in my head.”
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Directed and Choreographed by Jack Foltyn
Brian Lindsey
Entertainment Chronicle, Denton Tx
How do you succeed in drama without really trying? Well, you probably can't. It takes some work and sometimes wearing more than one hat.
Jack Foltyn knows a thing or two about that. He is at the helm of DCT's latest production, "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." His credits for this show will include both Director and Choreographer.
"I was asked to choreograph this show and then the director fell through," Foltyn said. Scott Wilkinson, DCT Executive Director, agreed to give Foltyn the responsibility of directing as well. It has been a little hectic between the two roles, but everyone involved has been helpful, which has made the process easier.
The clear benefit of the dual responsibility is the fact that the two aspect of the musical, the drama and the dance, reflect one vision, Foltyn said. That vision has yielded a show that should keep people on the their toes. "If you don't know the show, you're in for a big surprise, if you do know the show, you're in for even a bigger surprise."
Foltyn has injected his own creativity into the details of, "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" in order to make the show his show. "The look is what I call nouveau swing. There are bright colors and leisure suits, and everyone is very attractive in them" Foltyn said.
The set and the action of the show are also very suggestive, which leaves the set and props at a minimum. "It will not take away from what's going on on the stage" Foltyn said. "You actually see the actors without all the big set stuff that really detracts from what's going on. It adds a new, little twist to things."
Foltyn added that this approach also holds the audiences attention in a way that a set or prop driven show could not. They have to really pay attention. There are scenes, for instance, where a group of secretaries move in a way that suggests typing, although they're not actually sitting at typewriters.
Foltyn's ability to bring this kind of subtelty to the stage may very well come from his experience in choreography, directing and acting. He has wore all three hats in his theatrical career, and this show is not the first time they've overlapped.
"I try to be a person who can see it all and feel it all," Foltyn said.
Holiday Dance Show Slated
written, directed, choreographed and produced by
Jack Foltyn
Jeff Ball
Mckinney Courier Gazette
A funny thing is going to happen to area residents on the way to Christmas if the trip takes them to the fourth annual dance show at Jack's Ballroom. "Its a very funny show," said Foltyn, owner of Jack's Ballroom. "The audience can expect to laugh and partake in the festivities we have."
The show is an encore of last year's dance review directed and choreographed by Foltyn. This year's shows has been revised, updated with the addition of more kooky relatives and characters to the show, which is dubbed, "Don't Tell Me Its Christmas."
"This show is about a disfunctional family that comes together once a years. Its is very light and very entertaining." Foltyn said, be prepared to think of your own family members of friends when see the characters in the show. The great thing it is not dramatic or anything like that. All the music is holiday music. It is all in fun.
Blended into the show are vignettes of familiar black and white movies and parodies of commercials from back when. After all, what kind of a Christmas show would it be without interruption of commercials?
Foltyn said the program showcases talent of some of the finest ballroom dancers in the area. All started as students, some have gone on to become instructors. The cast includes some McKinney locals and people from all around the area - Allen, Plano, Frisco and Dallas.
"The costumes are great. They are always a number one priority of mine," Foltyn said.
Dance USA Magazine referred to Jack's Ballroom in downtown McKinney "as the best dance studio and social club in the metroplex."
Foltyn Brings Medea to her Knees
Foltyn is Jason
Delbert White
Around Town Spotlight
Medea opened tonight at ACT and the usual suspects were there, the regular company of actors and actresses that we usually see. A new face shined on the stage which took Medea to a different level. Jack Foltyn a New York native took the stage by force and had as much presents as his co conspirator Kay Lawrence there were times that we wanted to see more of him than her. Her brass one level bravado started to hurt my ears within the first fifteen minutes. Thank god Foltyn came to the rescue.
Mr. Foltyn did his homework and added as much variety to his part than a steak resteraunt with its wine menu. The dance number was the apex of the show where Jason courts Creusa in a passionate dance while Medea watches. The show faired better than others but in the end Foltyn shows the way with an intensity that was unmatched. Thank you
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