|
 
RIPE's
Website
|
|
Ripe
appears on Discovergirls' new CD for the benefit of the National Breast
Cancer Foundation. Click on the Catalyst 18 banner to learn more
about the hottest album of 2006!
The RIPE
Girls are three female vocalists who perform intricate three-part harmony
for New York City progressive pop rock group RIPE. The band features Christa
McNamee, Leia Thompson, and Jessica Grant (the girls), and Dan Bar Hava,
Seth Himmelhoch, Vinny Raniolo, and Rich Zukor. RIPE's music has been
described as a mixture of Dave Matthews and Vanessa Carlton with a little
Dido, Coldplay, and Red Hot Chili Peppers added. MusicansRealm.com states,
"Ripe kicks the genre up a notch with their vast musical aptitude
and splendid songwriting." Shock Value Music Webzine states, “they
have the magic touch...sweet, strong and skillful."
Christa
McNamee (pictured left)
During
Christa's childhood, Christa performed in youth choruses and local theatre
companies, for audiences of up to two thousand. Christa later became one
of those annoying high-school girls that got all the leads in the school
plays. She completed and won an invitation to an elite teen summer program
called SAI at Rutgers University.
Soon after, Christa began college at NYU’s Musical Theatre program,
but found it wasn’t a good fit. She realized musical theatre is a
very stylized art-form and that she was a barefoot kind of girl. She transferred
to the Tisch School Of the Arts Writing Program, got on the Dean’s
list, graduated summa cum laude, and then tried to figure out what to
do next.
Fate soon smiled upon her. She found the greatest acting teacher on earth,
Denny Albee. Soon thereafter, Christa toured with a theatre company, and
acted in films (like Netherlands) and original plays in Manhattan theatres.
She also did
some commercial work/industrials/liquor promotions and almost landed the
lead in Blair Witch (she was called back to the last three girls).
Meanwhile, Christa captured bits of her life in the poems and stories
that would become the basis of her song writing. Christa started to sing
(barefoot when possible) in NYC venues with a 4-piece backing band. Christa
cut her teeth at the C-Note and performed on stages like The Bitter End
and the Dark Star Lounge.
Then Christa met Dan Bar Hava and the two of them combined their song
libraries to play out. And where did they get the name RIPE? From an incredibly
sweet pear that had one of those grocery stickers on it, ‘softens
when RIPE’.
Leia
Thompson
Leia’s
most noted film credits include the role of "Natasha," opposite
Alexis Bladel in The Orphan King; "Hollywood," opposite Alec
Baldwin in The Devil and Daniel Webster; “Diana Oppenheimer”
in The Bog Creatures;“ Theresa” in Baltimore; and “Red”
in the Sundance award winning short film Black People Hate Me and They
Hate my Glasses. Her television credits include the role of “Kiki”
in the WE's Tinsley Bumble series, and “Lolita” in Comedy Central's
Strangers with Candy. She was an assistant to Bobby Flay in the Cooking!
Network's Hot Off The Grill with Bobby Flay, and a VJ on MTV's on VJ for
a Day. Her national commercial work includes spots with AT&T, Con
Air, Cutex, Ax Deodorant, Bud Light, Sam Adams, MTV, and Much Music.
Leia’s NYC theatre credits include the role of “Celimine”
in The Misanthrope: A Rock Musical, and “Busty Quivers” in The
Finnigans Wake. Her regional credits include the role of “Shelby”
in Steel Magnolias and “Abigail” in The Crucible.
Leia has studied drama with The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, scene
study with The Barrow Group, and film and television with Denny Albee.
She is represented mutually by Suzelle Enterprises and Abrams Artists.
Jessica
Grant
As an actress, Jessica has entertained NYC audiences as Louise in New
Boy at National Shakespeare Co.; Rebecca in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
at the New 42nd Street Theatre; Airith in MacGregor at The University
Club; and Rose Red in Show White at the Grove Street Playhouse. Regionally,
she has been seen in the Robber Bridegroom as Rosamund, The Fantastics
as the Mute, Dark of the Moon as Flossie Allan, and The Little Prince
as the snake.
Jessica made her soap debut as Lacey on One Life to Live. She has also
appeared in films such as “Kings Inn” as Claire (lead);“A
guide to recognizing Your Saints” w/ Robert Downey Jr. as Diane;
Helen in “Chatline;”Becky in “Cat Scratches;” and
“Table One” w/ Stephen Baldwin. She most recently shot a mocumentary
pilot for Sony called “Spring of Trivia” as Tamara. Jessica
has done commercial work for AT&T, Verizon, Starburst, Mastercard,
MTV Beach House, The Avril Lavigne sweepstakes and appeared as Miss September
on Much Music's 2003 countdown. She has done several radio spots for Verizon
wireless, a spot for Starburst, Nestea Ice Tea, and Boost. She also appeared
on TV for the Walt Disney American Teacher Awards as a solo tap dancer,
completed the National Tour of Hansel and Gretel (Gretel) and entertained
as the Soprano in a Quartet for Premier Cruise Lines (Bahamas). Jessica
is a National Dean's list recipient and graduate from the American Musical
and Dramatic Academy. Besides her work in RIPE, she is a singer/songwriter
on both guitar and piano performing in such venues as: Eighty Eights,
the C-Note, Kavehaz, Finally Fred's and Meow Mix.
|
|
|
