SWANSEA – Bobby Perry may be mostly know as music director for myriad local theater productions, but these days, his food photos on social media are getting all the attention.
There are artistically crafted plates like his caprese salad with the tomatoes made into ladybugs perched on basil leaves; apple pie with maple leaf cutouts for the crust; raspberry espresso cake; and raspberry pearls in pate choux oysters with vanilla bean cream. But his creations aren’t just Instagram-worthy pretty food; he’s also got plenty of mouth-watering food posts including crab cakes with bacon jam, cheese-filled stromboli, pan-seared scallops accented with rosemary and shrimp pad Thai with sweet potato noodles. And all that’s in just the past couple months.
The hitch: he gives it all away to neighbors, friends, mechanics at the car repair shop and Little Theatre cast members, among others. Sometimes he’ll eat a bite of a dish or a piece of pastry to test it out, but for the most part, he eats lots of chicken and healthy dishes. “I also like to learn the technique. So I’ll give it away and ask people what they think,” he said.
Right now, Perry is in the midst of music direction for two Little Theatre productions: “Blood Brothers,” a musical opening March 5 at the Firebarn, and “Guys and Dolls,” opening May 14 at BBC. And if history is any indication, it’s likely the cast members will be enjoying a cake or some other tasty creation at some point during rehearsals.
This summer, Perry will be directing “Church Basement Ladies,” and as sure as those church ladies will be cooking, so will the show’s director.
Perry said he’s always liked to cook. And unlike most people who seem to gravitate to either baking or cooking, he likes to do both.
After seeing his posts his Facebook page and other social media, people have suggested he open his own bakery, but that’s not in Perry’s plans. “Several people have suggested it, but I know people who do it, and that’s a big commitment,” he said.
For Perry, cooking is a hobby, a way to relax. And that involves watching plenty of inspiration in the way of the Food Network’s cadre of chefs and reality cooking competitions like “Chopped” (if the ingredients aren’t too over the top). His Food Network favorite is Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman, because she makes “real food,” he said.
Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, is another favorite, especially for her meatloaf recipe. The secret, divulges Perry, is to mix the meatloaf ingredients with a fork. “Trust me, it is the best meatloaf you will ever have. It is that good,” he added.
He also likes the challenge of cooking. The first time around, he will make a recipe as it’s written. But the next time, he likes to take that recipe and make it his own, substituting items he likes better. “I’ve been doing this a long time — since I was a kid — so I know what I'm doing,” he said.
Perry didn’t learn those cooking skills from his parents, Vin and Dee Perry. Far from it, in fact. “Every time my mother made barbecue chicken, she burned it. That’s what I always thought it was like until I was an adult,” he said, joking.
His father worked at the Venus de Milo in the house band, so his father would bring home food. “I don’t remember too many home-cooked meals,” said Perry.
After high school, Perry lived in Sarasota, Florida, where he learned a lot about cooking from a couple roommates. He never took a cooking class, but has learned through trial and error over the years.
“Cooking and the gym are what I do for me. It’s almost meditative,” he said. “My kitchen is little, but I can do everything.” At first he started taking photos of the food he made for his own reference. Then he started posting them on Facebook and other social media sites about a year ago.
Cooking is a hobby, but for Perry, his life has always been music. His father was a trumpet player who formed the Vin Perry Quartet, which originally included Fred Buda (who was also a drummer for the Boston Pops) and keyboardist Joe Raposo (best known for the songs he wrote for “Sesame Street”).
On his father’s side of the family, everyone played an instrument and Perry was no exception. He plays the trumpet, flute, guitar, harp and piano, among others.
Perry, a Swansea resident, said he always had perfect pitch, like his father. His mother told him she took him for piano lessons when he was really young and at the second or third lessons, he was already playing pieces by memory so she dropped the lessons. “I’ve always had that, with choreography too. When I was younger, I’d go see a movie and teach all the choreography to my friends after,” he said.
Though he’s never had a typical 9-to-5 job, Perry starting working as a music director when he was 16. His first job was the "Big, Bad Burlesque" show at the Stone Bridge Inn in Tiverton. “That was my first job — it was excellent,” he said.
After graduating from B.M.C. Durfee High School, he was one of the Kids of the Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida doing all the live entertainment. In October 1982, he became a World Dancer and performed at the opening of Epcot. He worked as a choreographer and show director for Disney on and off over the years.
These days, Perry has plenty of productions calling on him for musical direction. The toughest part, he said, is juggling all the shows. And of course, he makes sure to fit in some time to get creative cooking.
Email Linda Murphy at lmurphy@heraldnews.com.