Along with the sizzling heat of the summer comes the cool, high-energy musical, Leader of the Pack: The Ellie Greenwich Musical. Celebrating the life and legacy of pop music icon Ellie Greenwich comes a memorable new show.
This nostalgic Broadway musical traces the rise of Greenwich, whose doo-wop inspired sound helped define the girl-group era of the 1960s. Greenwich is a celebrated singer, songwriter, and record producer whose music defined a decade.
If you grew up in the 60s or 70s, or were exposed to this finger-snapping dance music, you will become invested in the love, romance, heartbreak, and friendship evoked in the show. You will also find yourself boogying in your seat and ready to move out the door and into a dance club.
Leader of the Pack, which will remind you of a sweet summer stroll with your first boyfriend or girlfriend, runs at the Bucks County Playhouse through Sunday, July 20.
Recognized as one of the first modern biographical rock musicals built around an artist’s catalog, Leader of the Pack: The Ellie Greenwich Musical premiered on Broadway in 1984. The original production featured Greenwich herself alongside fellow rock legends Annie Golden and Darlene Love, all portraying versions of themselves. If you enjoyed Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Jersey Boys, this is certainly the musical for you!
The show features a book by Anne Beatts and music and lyrics by Ellie Greenwich and friends, based on an original concept by Melanie Mintz. Audiences can expect a vibrant, dance-filled Broadway musical that highlights chart-topping hits such as Be My Baby, Chapel of Love, Da Doo Ron Ron, River Deep, Mountain High, and the title song, Leader of the Pack. Other songs that will resonate include Hanky Panky, And Then He Kissed Me, and Baby I Love You.
With great charisma, Giuliana Augello is playing real-life living legend Annie Golden, who is thrilled to be performing in her fourth show at the Bucks County Playhouse. These shows include The Bridges of Madison County, Grease, and Million Dollar Quartet. She and the rest of the top-notch cast of Leader of the Pack sing, dance, and act their way into our hearts (wearing sparkling costumes) for 90 minutes and never let us go!
The following is a Q & A with actor Giuliana Augello.
Tell me about your career and background.
Giuliana Augello: Sure, I am from The Lehigh Valley, actually Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. At age three or four, my parents enrolled me in intermural sports, art classes, and the Pennsylvania Youth Theater to see what was engaging for me. I always made up songs in the house. I was, in a nutshell, a creative kid. I got to sing, dance, write, and act out my own stories.
Summer theater camp became my whole world. We lived an hour and a half from New York City, so Broadway was a big attraction. Once I figured out what gave me the most passion and made me feel the most alive. It was a general knowing, and where I felt the safest, and creative, and most real.
I went to public school, and in my senior year, I auditioned for college, where I received a B.S.A. in musical theater at Syracuse University. I also got conservatory training and studied at the Globe Theater in London. I graduated during the pandemic and moved to New York. I worked my butt off and in 2022 I started working at the Bucks County Playhouse.
What do you appreciate about performing at the Bucks County Playhouse?
I love that New Hope and the theater community here feel so familiar. It quickly became my home away from home. I love the staff, the producers, and the artistic staff, as well as the range of roles – all of it has been pretty outstanding.
My family still lives nearby, so my extended family and friends can easily see my shows. My family still lives in the Coopersburg-Bethlehem area, and they love that I work here as my summer residency. I’ve toured and gone all over the place, which makes it hard for my family to see me work. My grandma, aunts, uncles, and everyone else who rarely see me can come to a show, and on my day off, I can go an hour home, or they can come here and spend time exploring New Hope with me. I know that a lot of people who perform for a living don’t see their families all the time.
What else are you doing artistically?
I started my own production company in 2021 called Next Stop Creatives. I believe to be a well-rounded performer, you have to be a well-rounded person. It is an opportunity to help other young creatives explore their gifts and talents most inexpensively.
Please tell me about your character.
I am playing real-life living legend, Annie Golden. Not only that, but this is my fourth show at the Playhouse.
Do you have favorite songs from the show?
Leader of the Pack is an amazing concept. The colors and shades add dimensions, and these are songs of women empowerment, which I love. A lot of Ellie’s songs have nonsense language; sounds you hear that mean nothing. We talk about that in the show, and the subtext that could be inserted instead. There are so many great songs – like I Da Doo Ron Ron. It is interesting and funny, and why people love it 30 years later.
How do you feel about girl groups?
I am familiar with girl groups from the 50s to the 90s – it is the soundscape of this era. I love that Girl Groups were looking feminine and dainty and singing these songs that are all about female empowerment. I am all about women standing in their power, and well into 2025, this music is holding strong. The music, subtext, and language are all about standing in their power and sticking it to ‘the man’
I did some research for Leader of the Pack, so I knew who Annie Golden was, and I knew some of her songs and the music of the era. I saw Annie Golden in her most recent show, Into the Woods. I never played a real person still living, interesting challenge, but a good one.
What is it like seeing your theater friends on tour or Broadway?
As I get older and get more solidified in my career, it is the biggest honor and gratifying moment in my life to see my friends perform on a Broadway stage. It is all about “seeing my people.”
As an actor, it is really important to create a chosen family in our industry. Every cast and new theater becomes a temporary family. So, seeing my friends perform is like seeing your sister, brother, or partner achieve their wildest dreams.
One of my best friends is in Sunset Boulevard and understudies the leading part. When my friends make Broadway or tour debuts, I always take a disposable camera to commemorate the occasion. I want them to remember these huge moments. There is nothing like it. I haven’t made my Broadway debut yet, but I think I will.
Why should people come to see Leader of the Pack?
Everyone knows all these songs. They are generationally passed down or listened to on a 45, but no one knows the history or the origin story of this music. Songs are written for one person and become a hit single for someone else.
It’s really interesting, a nice piece of knowledge people can walk away with. Moreover, it’s just a fun show. The music is lighthearted and provides an escape from our daily lives and all of the chaos around us. Our director has created something exciting for the cast and audience, and maybe a bit of inspiration and a thought or two.
————————–
Leader of the Pack is the third production of Bucks County Playhouse’s 2025 Season, which is sponsored by Bank of America. The Opening Night sponsor is The Logan Inn.
Leader of the Pack plays Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. with matinees on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 1:30 pm. Special performance on July 4 at 1:30 pm.
Future productions include She Loves Me from August 15 to September 14, The Rocky Horror Show from Oct. 10 to November 2, and Elf: The Musical from November 21 to January 4.
Tickets for Leader of the Pack and the rest of the season may be purchased via the Bucks County Playhouse box office by calling (215) 862-2121, or online at BucksCountyPlayhouse.org.