I met Sarah Power through my co-creator and onstage partner, Asad Mecci. At the time, they were just dating and then she began joining us on tour. Asad was smitten, as the two had recently gotten together. Before long, they were engaged, and Sarah began showing more interest in our show. She was completing her MBA and claimed to be a bigwig at IBM, closing multimillion-dollar deals—or so she said. I found the whole claim quite suspect.
Anyway, we spent quite a few long car rides together going from gig to gig, during which she told me in her early 20s she managed hip-hop acts, a detail I didn’t think much of at the time. Then, one day, Sarah quit her job to work with us as a producer, and let me tell you, we needed the help. We were touring 50 cities across North America with our show “Hyprov,” and then COVID hit. Sarah and Asad married during the pandemic, a move I personally think was to dodge the cost of an expensive wedding—a sound philosophy, if you ask me. Sarah was constantly taking meetings with investors as we toured the country, raising a tidy sum to launch the show off-Broadway.
When she and Asad approached my manager, Jeff Andrews, and me about taking the show Off-Broadway, I thought they were crazy. How could our little show make it in the big leagues? Well, she showed me! The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time Out, and The New Yorker all gave the show glowing reviews. Even the Off-Broadway Alliance awards nominated us for “Best New Theatrical Experience”. After our Broadway stint, Sarah aimed to take us to Vegas. I was astonished when she announced we’d be headlining on the strip, sharing a venue with none other than Donny Osmond. Coming from a different generation, he was kind of a big deal to me. The show did well in Vegas and even ended up in Forbes.
Now, Sarah has brought the show full circle, and we are back in Toronto, all of our hometowns, performing at the CAA Theatre. Ticket sales have been so strong we’ve extended to a second week. Watching her transition from a straight-laced corporate executive to the producer of our eclectic show has been satisfying. With Sarah’s involvement, the show has taken on a life of its own, attracting a variety of well-known performers to replace me—though let’s be serious, no one can truly replace me. Where she will take our show next is anyone’s guess, but I’m confident she will do it with a hug and a smile.
-Written by Colin Mochrie
***
Which hood are you in?
Yonge and Charles – best of The Village and Yorkville all at once.
What do you do?
I’m a producer of live entertainment.
What are you currently working on?
Currently producing the North American tour of HYPROV.
Where can we find your work?
Doing a national tour beginning in November.
