PAT GUADAGNO
CELEBRATING THE AMERICAN SONGWRITER
“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” ― André Gide
Pat Guadagno puts together an extraordinary cast of first-call musicians to celebrate iconic songwriters through theatrical productions—delivering fresh interpretations of songs that have both shaped the landscape of American music and been hidden beneath it, with the passion, reverence, and occasional twist that has become his trademark.
“The minute I heard Janis sing “Bobby McGee,” I was like a kid with his first car, popping the hood to explore every part with greasy hands, trying to understand what made it go. I learned the songwriter was a guy named Kristofferson, and I went to Nashville to find out how the machine worked. I discovered the layers of a hit record—and there were Masters at every layer. At the root was the songwriter, then the publishers, the pluggers, and eventually “the Hats,” who made hits out of them.
I watched the journey a song takes from the root to the charts, and saw that the root is always the songwriter.
I’ve spent my whole career between the root and the charts, championing the songwriter—and I’m forever grateful for every opportunity to share their stories with new friends” – Pat Guadagno
Photos by John Posada
PRODUCTIONS
BobFest – The Music of Bob Dylan
The Heart of Saturday Night – The Music of Tom Waits
A Quiet Knight in Olde Town – Goodman, Prine & Kristofferson
A Marvelous Night – The Music of Van Morrison
20,000 Roads – The Music of Gram Parsons
Hallelujah – The Music of Leonard Cohen
Enjoy Every Sandwich – The Music of Warren Zevon
Souvenirs – The Music of John Prine
100 Years of Hank– The Music of Hank Williams
25 YEARS OF GREAT SONGS REIMAGINED
What began more than 25 years ago as an impromptu Bob Dylan birthday celebration at Red Bank’s Downtown Café has grown into a long-running series of musical celebrations presented at theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues and festivals throughout the country.
BobFest was the beginning and as the years passed, the idea grew beyond Dylan. Guadagno began assembling extraordinary casts of musicians to explore the songs and worlds of other iconic American songwriters. Each production became its own theatrical journey, shaped by the songwriter, the songs and the musicians bringing them to life.
Deeply rooted, but not mired, in the historic Jersey Shore music scene, Guadagno’s productions have brought smiles to theater audiences from California to Florida and Canada to Mexico. But the heart of the celebrations remains Red Bank, where BobFest—the series that started it all—has become an annual fixture at the Count Basie Center for the Arts, drawing perennial sold-out audiences for more than two decades.
THE MUSICAL COMMUNITY
Guadagno’s productions have brought together a remarkable community of musicians and artists, each bringing their own voice and magic to every performance. Every production draws its own distinct lineup, shaped by the music and the artist being celebrated. Among the many artists who have been part of these productions:
Rob Paparozzi — Grammy-nominated harmonica player • performed and recorded with Dolly Parton, George Jones, Whitney Houston, Judy Collins & Cyndi Lauper
Vini Lopez — Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member • Bruce Springsteen’s original E Street Band drummer
Buck Dharma — founding member and lead guitarist of Blue Öyster Cult
John Tropea — legendary New York studio guitarist • featured on Van Morrison recordings
James Maddock — British-born singer-songwriter • New York favorite
Steve Forbert — Grammy-winning singer-songwriter • Mississippi Music Hall of Fame inductee
Keb’ Mo’ — Grammy-winning bluesman
Rob Stoner — bassist and musical director of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue
Shawn Pelton — house drummer for the Saturday Night Live Band for over 30 years
Steve Delopoulos — longtime musical collaborator • Dove Award winner • founding member of Burlap to Cashmere
Remember Jones – High -energy Soul & Pop singer/Balladeer – The Ultimate Showman
WATCH THE MUSIC
SOME KIND WORDS
“Talk about breathing new life into old chestnuts …This is Big Time” – Vin Scelsa, Idiots Delight
“What sets him apart is his refusal to perform the songs in anything resembling their original style, and his effortless intuitiveness gives them new meanings.”
— Acoustic Guitar World
“Thank You Mr. Guadagno, for proving that Great Art Never Dies” – Pete Hamill, Novelist & Columnist
AVAILABLE FOR
Theaters • Performing Arts Centers • Concert Series • Festivals • The Occasional Honky Tonk
CONTACT