'Battery's Down' Belts Out Star-Studded Finale

The Battery’s Down season finale, “The Bronx is Up,” has got it all: big, showy numbers, a venerable who’s-who of Broadway, and even a drop-in from gossip king Perez Hilton.

The NY-based musical comedy web series has wrapped up its first season this week with a two-part finale. Best of all, things are looking up for our adorable, stars-in-his-eyes protagonist, Jake Wilson

. Wilson, who even himself sings: “my life is cliché,” is certainly not telling a unfamiliar story — he plays a down on his luck actor, living in New York, trying to make it on Broadway. That being said, the show is no less enjoyable to watch, as Wilson genuinely has chops as a singer, actor, and director (triple threat, much?)

Wilson has not lost his sense of humor about the business, or himself, and he’s got a joyously wacky imagination. Romping around the subway, and Central Park in cute clothes, while singing and dancing just doesn’t happen often enough these days. Where else can one get a visit from their animated fairy godmother, Broadway star, Alice Ripley, while tripping from a drug-laced glass of beer?

Wilson landed guest star spots from a huge list of stars for the show– John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening, Rabbit Hole), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Spelling Bee, Saved), Tyler Maynard (The Little Mermaid, Altar Boyz), just to name a few. Wilson tells us, “The Broadway community is such a small world and I have many close friends in Broadway shows and on all sides of the business.  Theatre people are always eager to help each other out and I have been extremely lucky to be working with such amazing people.”

As for scoring Perez Hilton, Wilson says he simply met him at the closing night of a musical based on Perez at the NY Fringe Festival which starred his best friend and fellow TBD regular, Andrew Keenan-Bolger. They struck up a conversation, and the rest, as they say, is history.

A second season is in the works, says Wilson, though he’s just not sure yet if it will stay on the internet, or make the leap to TV. Either way, he assures us that “there will definitely be more TBD in store.”  “Many people don’t realize that the show is completely self-funded, edited, and filmed,” adds Wilson, who is coming westward to LA for some meetings later this month looking to score some more formal backing for the series.

The entire first season of The Battery’s Down can now be seen at: www.thebatterysdown.com. Taking a hint from the year’s other musical comedy sensation, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, the official soundtrack of the show will soon be available on ITunes along with a special edition DVD shortly after.