The love triangle at the center of the new musical Death for Five Voices is sexy, forbidden, and (most outrageous of all) true. In 1590, Prince Carlo Gesualdo entrapped and brutally murdered his wife, Maria D’Avalos, and her lover, Fabrizio Carafa, in their Naples home. In the Prospect Theatre Company production, Maria and Fabrizio are brought to passionate life by Manna Nichols and Nicholas Rodriguez.
Death for Five Voices is a reunion for the beautiful pair who previously starred together as Eliza Doolittle and Freddy Eynsford-Hill in Arena Stage’s 2012 production of My Fair Lady.
Below, the dyamic duo talks to BroadwayBox about first impressions, hidden secrets, and their steamy onstage romance in Death for Five Voices.
My first impression of my co-star:
Nicholas:
Incredibly beautiful with the voice of an angel.
Manna:
This man has eyes that can stop you dead in your tracks and just make you swoon! Total soap opera handsome!
The sexiest quality of my co-star’s:
Nicholas:
Her eyes.
Manna:
Ha! See #1 above. Also, it's so attractive to me personally how willing he is to play around and try different things in our scenes. When one of us changes something, an intention, a movement, I think we are pretty good with listening to each other and reacting off of what the other is giving us. You couldn't ask for a better scene partner!
Hashtag to describe our relationship in Death for Five Voices:
Nicholas:
#SleepingWithMyBestFriendsWife
Manna:
#BreathMintsAtTheReady
Favorite moment we share onstage in Death for Five Voices is:
Nicholas:
We get to sing some beautiful harmonies while rolling around half-naked on a giant bed.
Manna:
We have a gorgeous love duet that opens Act 2, composed by the genius Pete Mills! His music is worth the price of admission alone!!!
A secret about my co-star:
Nicholas:
She survived her first year in New York sleeping on the floor of an apartment with no toilet and eating only granola and cheese pizza.
Manna:
He has an awesome "weekend in the country" house upstate!
Dream project to reunite on again in the future:
Nicholas:
Miss Saigon.
Manna:
Any R&H show where I get to play opposite my friend!
If I had to describe my co-star in a song:
Nicholas:
"An Affair to Remember"
Manna:
"They Long to Be" by The Carpenters ;) (Nick doesn't have blue eyes... But whateves!)
See Nicholas Rodriguez and Manna Nichols in Death for Five Voices at off-Broadway’s Sheen Center March 24-April 17.
