"Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life," the quirky one-man show conceived of and performed by Keith Alessi, will be on stage at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on January 24. The SOLD-OUT show is a co-presentation of MPAC, Morris Arts, and AM Higley Construction.
And while the tomatoes and banjos in the title are emblematic in some ways, they also refer to things that shaped Alessi’s life.
"I’m first-generation Italian," he said, "taught to work hard and find my path." He also was raised consuming an abundant amount of tomato sauce.
Keith Alessi performing. Photo by Erika Conway
Alessi grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and studied accounting in college. "I’m a basic auditor by trade," he said. The Chief Financial Officer of the company where Alessi worked had a stroke and never returned to work. "At age 27, I was the CFO of a billion-dollar company."
He rose through the ranks and went far in the business world. "I was the CEO of Jackson Hewitt, when it was sold to a big conglomerate in 1997. I ended up retiring for the first time at age 43."
Alessi stayed busy teaching and serving on boards and then returned to the business world as Chief Executive Officer of the largest coal company in Canada, where he has dual citizenship.
"It was there that I decided I’d had enough of the business world," he said, "and retired again."
Two weeks after his retirement, Alessi received a bleak esophageal cancer diagnosis. "I was told I had a 50% chance of living for a year."
Following this startling news, Alessi changed direction. "I enjoyed the song on 'The Beverly Hillbillies,'" he said, "So, I went out and bought a banjo."
"I wasn’t any good at it, but I kept collecting banjos for some reason." And when he left his CEO job, his objective was to learn to play the instruments.
"Then I got this diagnosis, and it launched me on a path," he said. "Studying the banjo gave me something to focus on besides my cancer."
He joined a circle of musicians in West Virginia and found emotional and physical restoration.
As he continued to beat life expectancy odds, Alessi began exploring opportunities to perform live – playing the banjo and using the performances as an opportunity to tell his story. "People who get this kind of cancer don’t usually live very long," he said.
Keith Alessi on stage. Photo by Lauren Hamm
In Canada, Alessi entered a long-shot lottery and got a spot at the 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival. "I had been on some big stages in the business world and also taught at university," he said. "So, I thought this wouldn’t be a big deal."
Alessi was mistaken. "I got absolutely panned after the first show I did in Toronto," he said.
Then, he received some beneficial advice from his producer, Erika Conway. "She told me I am good at one-on-one conversations and suggested I just look into that dark theater and imagine talking to one person."
"When I changed that dynamic and the show became more intimate, things shifted," he said.
Alessi was riding high on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit, and halfway through 2019, the show’s popularity exploded.
"We did our first professional theater show in February 2020 and were just flying," he said. "What could possibly go wrong?"
We all know the answer to that question.
So, he put the show on ice for 18 months, giving him time, he said, "to get the music right."
Now, Alessi is back on the road, driving his Chevy Tahoe, which just clocked 348,900 miles on its odometer. "We have just done our 313th show," he said. "We should be close to 400 by the end of 2024."
The shows’ is impressive enough, what is truly noteworthy is that proceeds from Alessi’s appearances do not go into the vacation fund or towards replacing his workhorse of a vehicle. Instead, he donates 100% of his artist fees to several worthy cancer, community, music, and theater charities. "My goal is to reach $1 million in donations," he said.
A large part of the appeal of Alessi’s show is its uniqueness, but there is much more to its success than that.
Choosing to take up the banjo and using it as a backdrop to his compelling story is nothing short of inspired.
Keith Alessi playing the banjo. Photo by Lauren Hamm
"The sound of the banjo cuts through the clutter," he said. "It is a happy instrument. When banjos are playing, everyone is smiling."
Alessi points out that no one should come thinking it is a concert. "Every instrument I bring is a character. It is storytelling," he said. "The music is more of a soundtrack."
And the venue – its size and style – is a huge part of what makes Alessi’s shows personal and engaging. While concert halls hold larger audiences, Alessi likes to perform in the smaller black-box-style rooms. "I want people to feel like they are in my living room."
During the show, Alessi says he asks a lot of rhetorical questions. "When the audience starts answering back, you know you’ve got them." And he does artist talkbacks to initiate an interactive line of communication.
"If I get the same question three times in a row, I think I should add something about that topic in the show. I do not want people sitting there with questions I can answer in the script."
When Alessi was in business, stockholders got paid, and the success felt good.
"But this is different. I am having an impact in a way I never could in business."
Morristown, NJ | January 24, 2024 @ 7:30pm - SOLD OUT
