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By Natalie DeMore
For over three decades, Brad and Jennifer Moranz, a husband-and-wife creative artistic/ theater team, have been bringing original musical productions to Charleston audiences year-round. Their latest show combines beloved hits from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s with an imaginative storyline that begins in an unlikely place: a vintage record store struck by a meteor.
The concept grew out of a shared love for the beautiful music of those eras.
“Basically, the inspiration is the fact that we love this music from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s,” Brad explained. “We wanted to create a show that would showcase that music.”
From there, they began searching for a dramatic framework that would allow those songs to come to life on stage. The idea evolved naturally—from vintage music to a vintage record store. Then came the twist that transformed the concept into a theatrical rock and roll thrilling adventure.
“We thought, ‘Imagine if a meteor came from outer space and collided with the record store, and suddenly all the records came to life.’ That’s how it started.”
A Lifetime in Theater
Brad and Jennifer have been creating musicals and musical revues together for 31 years, but their connection to the stage goes back much further.
“Jenny and I have been in theater our whole lives,” he said.
Before settling in Charleston, both worked professionally in New York. Jennifer performed as a Radio City Rockette and appeared in productions including 42nd Street. Her husband performed on Broadway in Singin’ in the Rain and played Seymour in the off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Their paths crossed while touring nationally with Singin’ in the Rain.
“We met in the national tour of Singin’ in the Rain, fell in love, got together, and have been working and creating stuff together ever since.”
Bringing Imagination to Life
For the pair, creating an original production is both exhilarating and challenging. Every show begins as an idea, existing only in their minds before it gradually takes shape through performers, choreography, music, and staging.
“It’s a very interesting process because the process begins with you imagining something and creating it in your imagination,” he said. “Then all of a sudden, you try to find people who can bring that to life.”
Watching those ideas become reality is one of the most rewarding parts of the process, but it also requires adaptation.
“Whenever you take things out of your mind and try to turn them into real life, you have to deal with, well, does it look like the way you imagined, or do you need to adjust? And so it’s a process.”
Jennifer and Brad both share these sentiments.
Passion That Never Fades
Their love of performance started early and has never diminished.
Asked how long he had been playing guitar, he smiled and credited one of the most influential bands in music history.
“I played the guitar since the Beatles came out; that would be since 1964.”
Like many great performers, Brad seems to trace his inspiration back to the moments when he first saw and was inspired by great theater and film, with the ultimate goal of being a part of that world.
“I think Jennifer agrees with me, what inspires us is what has inspired us since we were young. Watching either theater, film, whatever we saw and we went “I wanna do that, that’s so cool.” It never goes away; it’s just something that’s in you.”
,That passion has shaped their careers and continues to fuel every new production.
“We don’t go to work,” he said. “We go have fun. We work, but it’s fun.”
A Charleston Holiday Tradition
While audiences are enjoying their newest musical adventures, the team is already focused on another beloved production. Their annual Christmas show, a Charleston tradition for 31 years. It returns to the Charleston Music Hall this December.
This production attracts approximately 10,000 audience members year-round and runs for several weeks during the holiday season, something many Charleston residents cherish seeing each year.
“We have a great time,” he said. “We work on that pretty much year-round.”
A Message of Hope
Although their productions are packed with music, humor, and entertainment, there is a deeper theme that runs through nearly all of their work.
Asked whether this latest show carries a particular message, he offered a simple answer.
“Typically, our message is always one of hope.”
No matter the circumstances facing the characters onstage, that belief remains central to their storytelling.
“Hope is everything,” he said.
And perhaps that explains why their productions still continuesto resonate with audiences after more than three decades—combining creativity, nostalgia, and joy. With the reminder that even in the most challenging moments, there is always reason to believe in something better.
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