Putting Triple Talents to Good Use

SAN DIEGO —  San Diego-born Barry Bernal made it big on Broadway as a triple threat--singing, dancing and acting his way through starring roles in “Cats” and “Starlight Express.” But local dance buffs still know only one side of this multifaceted performer.

“Here I was just a dancer,” Bernal said during a recent rehearsal break. “Then, when I came back from New York, I decided, ‘Why not utilize what I’ve become?’ ”

In answer to his own question, Bernal began working on an ambitious dance-theater piece for his alma mater, Jazz Unlimited Dance Company that will premiere during the troupe’s season opener at Sherwood Hall this weekend.

“I’ve written a song, and I’ll be singing and dancing in this new piece,” Bernal said, the excitement apparent in his voice. “It’s called ‘Growing Pains.’ The score was a collaboration with my friend Jaime Malagon, a Juilliard-trained composer, and I’m working with choreographer Lewis Chavis.

“There’s not enough of this kind of collaborative work being done in San Diego,” he said. “We do it in New York all the time. You really need a place to fall on your face--and then get up again.”

“Growing Pains” is actually more than just a brief theater piece, as Bernal acknowledged. “It’s part of an entire play I’m writing with Lewis. It deals with the importance of parental guidance and touches on everything from the bomb to the homeless to the drug issue. It’s kind of a controversial piece.”

Despite the jazz orientation of this weekend’s concert, Bernal’s dance designs lean more toward the lyrical side.

“I wouldn’t consider it jazz. At least it’s not typical bumps-and-grinds jazz,” he said. “It’s a poignant piece.”

Bernal will take the lead role in “Growing Pains” and will dance up a storm in several other works on this weekend’s program.

What’s on tap for the pint-size dynamo after this growing experience with Jazz Unlimited?

“I’m continuing to concentrate on my own projects. My agent in New York keeps calling me and telling me there’s nothing going on in New York now. Most of the musicals come out of London, where it’s cheaper to produce them, or from regional theater companies.

“Look at Neil Simon,” he said. “He came to San Diego to the Old Globe for his new show. That’s what’s happening. I’m hoping somebody here may want to do my show. But right now, I’m not anybody’s anything.”

This pair of performances, sponsored by the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art in conjunction with its ongoing Festival of Jazz Art, Music and Dance, will take place at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the museum’s Sherwood Hall.