I Wanna be a Producer

The past week has been full of rehearsals.  Both Annie and Cemetery Club are going strong.  I was able to get all of Cemetery blocked last week and we finally did a first read of Annie.  I am not only directing Cemetery Club but also producing it.  With imaginarium, of course.  Part of my job as producer is to set up all of our theater policies.  How seating is going to work, menus for dinner, drink orders, staffing, call times for actors and crew, and billing.  We are a young company and our last production, while a success, was not the most organized.  It is now my job to come in and learn from their past "mistakes".

My new role as producer aside, I enjoy learning.  I love Broadway.  And Broadway Shows.  I have, again, recently fallen in love with the public library (read, payed my outstanding fines) and requested the book, Second Act Trouble: Behind the Scenes at Broadway's Big Musical Bombs.  It is such a great book.  Basically a collection of newspaper articles and essays about Broadway flops.  With inside stories from the creative teams, stars, producers, and other critics.  With included footnotes.  I just read the most amazing story about Hellzapoppin starring Jerry Lewis and the reasons it failed.  I couldn't help but wonder if part of the reason wasn't the star.  Considering the interview with him included in that chapter's essay.  He wasn't a nice man during that interview.  Very rude, and crude.  The first two chapters included shows that ran for over 230 performances but were considered bombs because they never made back the money they spent!!!  Some of these shows have huge names attached to them and yet they still fail.  For all the would be producers or directors out there.  I suggest you read the book.  As a cautionary tale.

This coming week includes plans to go see Producers and Dearly Beloved presented by GCP in Fresno; attend Annie rehearsals and continue with Cemetery rehearsals.  Just found out that my "leading" man for Cemetery is still doing the production, after not hearing from him for a week and a half.  Saw Thoroughly Modern Millie  last night in Clovis.  I will write my review tomorrow.  But for now I must return to my book, Second Act Trouble: Behind the Scenes at Broadway's Big Musical Bombs (Applause Books)

The Sun'll Come Out

Tomorrow is the first ensemble music rehearsal. And I can't sleep.  First to teach them the basics of singing and then to teach them the songs.  I have three songs on my schedule: "NYC", "Hooverville", and "Gonna Like it Here".  Luckily we have some time before we open. I really should be sleeping but I can't.  Too many things in my head.  I think I will go and read.  Night.  Before I go, I leave you with Andrea McArdle singing "Tomorrow" on the rfamily cruise.

How to Succeed in Business...

NETWORK!  That's right readers; get off your fanny and get out and meet people.  I have been accussed of too much networking...really?!?!?!  Cliche moment: It isn't what you know, but who you know. Seriously.  But to succeed you also need to have the skills to continue.  No matter who you know, if you can't do your job...you're going to get fired.  Unless you are related to the boss, or sleeping with them... my point is that it isn't enough to just be good at your job.  You have to be good at your job and meeting people and figuring out how to make them work for you.  Without blackmail.

I know people that say only make contact with relevant people.  So stick within your bubble.  WRONG.  Maybe because I work in the arts, primarily theater, but I use every asset that I can find.  You never know when that person who happens to be friends with a bagpipe player, or the young woman who has a cockerspaniel that can piddle on command, or the aspiring actor that can drive an 18 wheeler will come in handy.  Not that I can come up with an exact instant that you need those people except maybe shooting a movie about a young man who plays bagpipes makes a trip cross country to save his dog that has been dognapped by truck driver.(Don't steal my idea)  But every contact is an important one.

In my Studies in Music Education course in college we are taught to make friends with everyone that comes into our classroom.  Janitors, administrators, students, parents, aunts and uncles.  Because you never know.  You may need a door unlocked and your good friend the janitor is there to help you.  Or help on a fundraiser.  So don't go looking for only those contacts that can immediately help you.  Whenever I am networking I try to find people that I can help.  These are the most important people in the room...not because of anything the did but because of what they can do.  Say I provide music for an event at the local coffee shop for an event they are doing.  Sure, I am helping them entertain their guests. But aren't I really getting free advertisement for myself and for my talents; which will lead to another, which leads to the next and so on and so forth.  And don't write of those that "don't have anything to offer" because they can lead you to others that can help.

I was networking this morning...okay so I was having coffee.  My friend is the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and she is now hosting coffee hour once a week.  This is the only time that I get to see her since her new job has her pretty tied up.  This is only her third coffee hour and it hasn't picked up yet so it was just me, my boss, my friend Jack, and Ms. Darbus.  After a while the General Manager from the Parks and Rec center came through I had mentioned that I was going to be applying for the position of Camp Director this year and left it at that.  We talked theater, small town activities...later when I took my application in she remembered who I was...and it didn't hurt having the current director and assistant director for camp standing in the office singing my praises.  So...I may be spending three weeks this summer in beautiful Cambria.  So nice to get away from the 100+ degree weather in the valley!

Positoovity

It is raining.  Still.  I love the smell of the rain and I love what it does for the farms.  But I would love it even more if I did not have to go out while it was raining.  Am I the only one that feels the need to brew a cup of tea, wrap up in a big comfy blanket on a big armchair and read all day?  Leaving the window cracked just enough to allow the smell of rain to waft into the house.  Perfect.  But alas, my current projects allow me to spend most of the day in the house but eventually I have to venture forth to the theater(s).  And today I went to both theaters.  I spent the last few days recording rehearsal CDs for Annie and working out the blocking for Cemetery Club, now to finalize a rehearsal schedule for Cemetery.  I went down to the office to set up my recording equipment to record a student of mine who has written her first song.  And it was good.  Checked on the set for Cemetery which is coming along at dizzying speeds.  Then went to our first rehearsal for Annie.  Then back to the office to teach my voice class.  Because of the set construction in the theater my class was moved to a piano lab.  Six students and myself in a tiny classroom makes a very intimate session.  But my each of my students took something different from the meeting time.  Me?  If one of my students hadn't cancelled and I hadn't denied a guest from sitting in on the class we would have been bursting at the seams.

My younger sister is applying for colleges.  When did that happen? Oy.  I am going to be celebrating my 25th birthday this year.  I feel so old. I am going to throw myself a huge party.   There is always something happening on my birthday.  No exception this year but I will still be having a party.  Want to come?  Details to follow.  For now I leave you with some thoughts on this evening's musical of choice:

This evening I listened to The Little Mermaid.  I am obsessed with this cast album.  So many amazing voices on one CD! Norm Lewis, Sierra Boggess, Sherie Rene Scott, Tituss Burgess, Sean Palmer and an uber talented ensemble.  The Menken/Ashman/Slater musical is such a great adaptation drawing enough music from the original Disney film and incorporating such great new music.  True there are a few songs that I do not enjoy, "Human Stuff" being the "worst" of them.  But the rest of the album makes it an essential recording for me to have.  "I Want the Good Times Back" has to be one of the best songs on the album.  It is such a throw back to the classic broadway tradition of writing songs that move the story along rather than just singing feelings.  The orchestrations for "Good Times" fit so beautifully, the piano arpeggiating up the scale and chord accompaniment at the begining slowly adding violins and then the reeds and finally adding the brass, flowing yet never leaving that vaudeville-esque feel of the uhn-chik accopaniment of the piano.  CLASSIC!  And Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula...mind blowing.  I love that she does so much with her voice.  Not only does she sing the part amazingly effortless but she colors her voice in so many ways that add layers to the song that are all hers.

Immediately after "Good Times" is the audience favorite "Part of Your World" which is so fluid, always moving forward. It really brings the idea of land and sea together.  The flowing music with the yearning for the shores above.  Any one who grew up with the films knows this song.  My only complaint is that the song doesn't go anywhere!  After the "bright young women, sick of swimmin' ready to stand.... and" there is the perfect opportunity to take the song to a new key.  Yet we stay right where we were.  Gahhhhhhh!  Although, looking at it, you could say that the composers were helping to convey the aggravation that Ariel faces at being stuck in the sea.  Or, it was just something overlooked.

Ahhhhhh, luckily after that frustration comes "She's in Love"; what a way to feature the sisters and Flounder.  And does it feature Flounder!  The joy that I get from this song cannot be expressed in words.  Great word play, amazing melody, fantastic orchestrations, and perfect execution by the actors.  Again I say, Flounder!

Sean Palmer as Prince Eric.  Agh, why can't my voice sound like that!  If I could I would want my voice to be a mix of his and Gavin Creel.  "Her Voice" & "One Step Closer" just as you think that he is about to crack his voice clears and goes even higher.  NORM LEWIS!!!!  "World Above (Reprise)" talk about orchestrations providing mood.  And such a power house performer.

I leave you with one last thought... Titus Burgess, "Under the Sea".  Enough said.  Get yourself a copy.  Use these links to purchase from Amazon.  The digital download: The Little Mermaid: Original Broadway Cast Recording or the physical CD: Disney's The Little Mermaid (2008 Original Broadway Cast)

Just Another Day

Sorry for not blogging for a while. My life has been rather busy. Cleaning house for my sister's 18th birthday party, rehearsing Annie, meeting with set builders, worrying about my keyboard being broken (which it isn't!), being "promoted" to director for Cemetery Club (it became official late Thursday evening), going material shopping for Cemetery, and then last night playing hide and seek with my friends.

Today I met with the caterer for Cemetery and I think we picked a great menu. Spent some time building rehearsal schedules and then spent the rest of the evening recording music for Annie. Rehearsals for Annie begin on Tuesday evening which will be lots of fun and Cemetery rehearses mornings which means early starts and late nights.

The last musical I listened to was The Producers but I didn't get very far past the overture, maybe as far as "King of Broadway". Will make an effort tomorrow to listen to some musicals and give you my thoughts. For now, I leave you with the plea: "Go see a show. It's good for you." May I suggest The Producers at Roger Rockas Dinner Theater. Call 559-266-9494 for ticket information.

Until next time!

Sorrow Unending

I may cry. I sat down to write this evening's blog and my keyboard isn't working. It is a very special keyboard that has a midi-keyboard attached. I allows me to input music into Finale with ease. So, I am going to shut my computer off for the evening and see where we are in the morning. I hope that it is just some fluke randomly screwing with my USB ports.

update: not to worry, everything worked out. The problem has repeated itself but I find that restarting the computer fixes the problem.

I Know Things Now...

I've been performing for nearly 13 years now, 4 years of classical training and the past three years performing professionally and yet today I taught myself something new! I have spent a lot of time in the past week or two learning the score for Annie and prepping to teach it to the cast. Today was my 3rd meeting with the young lady playing the title role and I had to stop and think about why something works. There have been 3 times in my life that I have had that "aha" moment with my own voice and they have all happened while teaching. Sure it is selfish of myself to develop my voice in a lesson that belongs to another person but what can I say... I am a firm believer that "to teach is to learn". I can hear my voice instructors' cries of frustration as the read "3 times" and to them I say, those are "aha" moments. In the studio I feel I have more of the "duh" moments than anything else. Moments where the task at hand is easily solved by something we have already worked on. I am sure that all students have these moments where they are frustrated with an outcome and the instructor is kind enough (most of the time) to gently remind us of the solution and it slaps us in the face and our only option is to say "duh".

I have to constantly remind myself that this young lady doesn't have the training that I am used to working with. Not because she isn't good, but because she has a really great raw talent it is so easy for me to forget that she hasn't been studying for years. And so, I will often be mid-sentence describing how a certain vowel feels on a certain pitch and I have to stop and make sure that she is actually feeling vowels and pitches. I think sometimes we allow the nuts and bolts of singing get in the way of "just singing". If asked to sum up all of the vocal instruction with my current coach it would be "just sing!" My coach is constantly telling me this. If I had a dime, a penny even, for every time she has told me "to just sing" I would be a very wealthy young man and not have to worry about being an actor or a coach.

I enjoy teaching. Last month, at our cast party I taught an impromptu violin lesson. Our host, whose children were in the show, had mentioned on facebook that her son plays violin and her daughter the cello. I had remarked that I wasn't going to leave the party until I heard some violin and she took me seriously. She made her son haul out the violin and play something for me and the teacher in me jumped into overdrive and we had a 30 minute lesson right there. Mind you, it was more like a master class since the remaining guest at the party also took part but it was fun! I have never wanted to teach instruments so I know that it was the amazing training that I received from my strings professor that enabled me to diagnose what I was hearing and correct it. AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE! But alas, I am still just a poor ex-college student working to pay my bills. Well looking for a job to pay my bills. I just applied with Twitter and with a few other places so keep your fingers crossed.

One of those positions is Director of the new center our Fine Arts Institute is opening in a neighboring city. We meet with the city manager tomorrow morning so currently I am doing laundry to look my best. I am listening to My Fair Lady and had forgotten why I love this musical. Such great writing, the orchestrations are spot on, and the performances of Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison are everything one could want from a Doolittle and Higgins. Oh, it is the Broadway album, not the movie that starred Hepburn's body and acting yet Marni Nixon's singing. The orchestrations are phenomenal! They provide just the right amount of drama and pizazz to convince the audience that Harrison's stylized speaking on pitch is singing. I love it! Although, Harrison was not the nicest person during the beginning phases of working with the orchestra; he was constantly complaining that he couldn't hear the melody part. Which I can understand. When you rehearse a musical you only have the piano accompaniment which will sound, on the whole, nothing like the final orchestrations. I remember doing Fiddler a few years back and when we finally put the orchestra and singers together it was a time that I wish I had a video camera. Since we never had a proper sitzprobe (sit and practice) time with the orchestra. We sort of just moved from the rehearsal hall to the theater, read gym, and expected it all to go smoothly... hahahhaha. It took a little bit of extra rehearsal but we got it and it sounded amazing!

I feel that I have rambled on this evening. So I leave you with this thought, "Go see a show!"

The Pajama Game

No, not the musical, my life. I spent the entire day in my pajamas and if this hotel, read my parents house, had room service I never would have left bed today. I've been feeling not well lately but that isn't the reason I didn't want to leave bed; I just didn't feel like it. I felt that today should be one of those lazy days where you spend all day in bed and read. My mother, however, had different plans. So in revolt, I stayed in my pajamas!

I realize, as I crawl into my comfy bed to write this, that I haven't listened to anything "Musical" today. I worked in the main living areas of the house today and did not take my ipod to serenade me. The closest that I came to a musical today was my parody of "Tomorrow" from Annie in which I sang about tortillas! Don't ask me to sing it again because I can't remember how it goes. What a sad day for me. Usually my life is filled with musicals but for some reason today I just didn't feel the urge. I think it has to do with not wanting to get out of bed.

Tomorrow begins another week of working with the cast for Annie. I feel like I cheated them last week since I only worked with them two days last week. The schedule that I created gives both the cast (and myself) Tuesday off and Thursday and Friday I cancelled sessions since I wasn't feeling well. Now off to that great land of slumber and dreams!

I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here

Last night I went to Huck and Candace's house for carrot cake. And it was amazingly delicious! Huck made it from scratch! We sat talking about our current endeavors, Annie and Cemetery Club. After Huck was finished watching the most recent Annie movie we watched the end of "The Fantastics", the 1995 movie version and I don't know how I feel about it yet. I need to watch it from the beginning or maybe just listen to the music.

While converting "A Chorus Line", I discovered playbill from the Original Broadway performances. What a find! I was excited to flip through the pages and see how advertising has changed. The entire back page was a cigarette ad! How amazing. I haven't had time to sit and read the bios and material in the playbill yet but look forward to finding time. Perhaps while I listen to the album...

Spending time with the family this evening. Dinner is almost done. So happy to be able to just sit back and relax and not have to rush around doing things. Although, sister's birthday is coming up and no plans have been made... I feel a very last minute party coming my way.

May I suggest that you all go and listen to "Merrily We Roll Along". I love the song Franklin Shepherd, Inc. great use of word play and orchestrations. I came across it again the other day as I was cleaning my bedroom. I work my way alphabetically through my ipod. I started with "Mermaid" and ended with "Merrily" last night. Cleaning and driving are the only times that I really get to listen to my music and I was pleased with my choices. The best news is that I moved another bookshelf into my room and was able to unpack more boxes that have been stacked in my room for a year; books and records were reunited with their cousins on the shelf and even better than that was that now I can use my piano! I have been playing and singing up a storm... watch out, I am getting ready for big things.

Fever

I am not feeling that great today. My nose has been stuffy for about a week now and today I have serious sore throat issues. So...I cancelled Annie rehearsals for today. I don't believe in getting others sick.

On a happier note, I started (or should say restarted) converting all of my LPs to digital format last night! The first on my stack to convert was "A Little Night Music" the fantastic waltz musical written by Sondheim based on the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night. The current revival starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury won't have a cast recording until later in February; until then this recording will have to suffice. One of my favorite songs in the show is "The Miller's Son", sung by Petra the maid, which offers a look at romance in terms not so far from the truth. I would suggest readers to check out Sara Ramirez performing the song on youtube.

More later on "A Little Night Music" but for now I should eat breakfast, get dressed and go pick up my book shelf from my sister's house. It is one of the final steps to completing my bedroom; for at the moment, I have boxes of books and records stacked in my room completely inaccessible for my reading or listening pleasure.

I can cheat the blogosphere

So...If I start a blog today and save it to my drafts then when I finally getting around to posting it the date will appear as the date I started it... not the day that I post it.

The last posting was made today 01/06/10... I started Annie on monday. Not back in December. Just thought that I would clear that up!