Actor, Singer, Writer, and Director, PHILIP PAUL KELLY, has been performing most of his life. He started his career as a backup-singer and went on to perform on cruise ships before landing his first starring role playing “Tony” in “West Side Story” at Bucks County Playhouse. He has appeared in national tour productions of the Broadway shows of “Titanic” and “Camelot” as well as regional productions of “Elf The Musical”, “1776”, “A Christmas Carol”, “The Full Monty”, “Jekyll & Hyde”, “Peter Pan”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “La Cage Aux Folles.” Most recently he appeared in; “Legacy The Musical” as Hans Luther & Pope Leo X, which received the Best Reading in Festival award at NYMF. Kelly’s other notable appearances include the workshop and concert of “Ragtime on Ellis Island” as Admiral Peary with Brian Stokes Mitchell, Georgia Engel, Brandon Victor Dixon, Michael Park, and Laura Michelle Kelly. He has made appearances in independent films including Onur Tukel’s “Black Magic for White Boys.” In addition, Philip produced and hosted “The Hero’s Benefit” after 9-11 at the Triad Theater which included appearances by Tony Roberts, Louise Pitre (Broadway’s Mama Mia), as well as KT Sullivan, Mark Nadler, Andrea Marcovicci (stars of stage and cabaret), and Grammy Award Winning Composer, Julie Gold. Philip’s project “Rockquiem For A Wrestler – A Rock-n-Roll Wrestling Spectacle,” featuring the music of Eddie Star and Paul Castrataro, had two successful staged readings, one with a full band, sound design, and lighting. The show received a remarkable response from the public and industry professionals. Currently, “Rockquiem For A Wrestler” is in development for the screen. The album, “Rockquiem For A Wrestler,” was released digitally on October 28, 2022.
For over two decades, Eddie Star has been creating high energy rock-n-roll songs with melodies that are both infectious and memorable. Listening to Star’s music conjures elements of the Stooges, Sex Pistols, and Generation X, all of whom influenced the London, Ontario born, Southern California raised musician.
Star began his career at the age of 17 when he started working with producer Arthur G. Wright (The Righteous Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner). He went on to record a solo album (“Generation Zero,” 1997) and blazed through the ’90s as the leader of the Hollywood rockers, Eddie Star & The Zero Effect. The band played non-stop gigs, opening for headliner bands, including the legendary cowpunk band, Blood on the Saddle, and recorded a live EP (“Live From Hollywood,” 1998) before dissolving in 1999.
He then teamed up with drummer Bob Mars, (Tom Morello, Church of Mars, Invisible Humans) and recorded a series of songs that would become the album “Informal Deviance.” During the ’00s Star relocated to New York City and worked with several artists and bands including the 2004 MTV Battle for Ozzfest runner-up, Guilt by Association.
In March of 2013, Star’s catalog titles were re-issued, starting with the single, “2017” along with a blistering B-side of the Stooges classic, “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” A video for the song “2017” was released, featuring a special guest appearance by former MTV VJ Jesse Camp.
Star debuted his new band, JoyBox, in 2013, at the New York Art Gala, “The Pleasurist.” featuring the work of artist William Quigley. A string of club dates followed, leading to the long-anticipated release of “Informal Deviance (13 Sexational Songs)” in August of 2015.
2019 sees Eddie Star conquering new frontiers with his off-Broadway debut as part of actor, writer, and director, Philip Paul Kelly’s ( “Titanic the Musical,” “Ragtime on Ellis Island,” “Elf the Musical”) new musical “Rockquiem for a Wrestler.” The musical features songs from his entire discography. He has also stepped behind the camera to direct “The Center of the Universe,” a short film clip celebrating the spirit of New York featuring actor, Michael Glavan, and the narration talents of Philip Paul Kelly.
Perhaps this quote from Photographer/Director Marisha Camp best sums up Star: “For as long as I have known Eddie, he has never wavered in his absolute belief in rock-n-roll. In a post- post-post-punk era, he is steadfast and loyal, sticking to his guns and writing the sort of unapologetic, fearless punk songs that would make his heroes proud.”
Paul Castrataro is a graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Literature who, with his Yale friend, the pyrotechnical and emotive singer Yvonne Williams, formed the rock band “Black Iris” in the mid-1980’s, and played regularly at all the New York City rock venues of the era, including the Ritz, CBGB’s, Kenny’s Castaways, Tramps and the Bitter End. Paul wrote the music and lyrics for a musicalized version of “Picture of Dorain Gray” in collaboration with Steve Witting, a veteran television and film actor and director, and produced a critically acclaimed CD recording of highlights from the show. His most recent project was a collaboration with musical journeyman Stuart McMeans on the comedic show “Fags and Cellphones” dealing with gay themes in the modern era. He’s currently licensed 2 songs from Black Irises catalogue “Alright” and “Casanova” to be adapted to the new rock musical “Rockquiem For A Wrestler” which he states being excited and pleased about adding that it’s revealed an unexpected versatility of the songs.