We live in exciting times – the “death of live performance” that was feared with the advent of digital media never happened, and if anything there is more live performances simply because they can now be webcast, broadcast, etc. More people than ever are appreciating and understanding dance and music thanks to the reality shows and the specials, and Broadway itself is booming. Suddenly, thanks to “High School Musical,” being in a school musical is cool again, something that makes me wish I could go back to my high school days and point out to my young nerdy self.

But all things have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and this will be the final blog entry in this particular blog. I am off to other writing endeavors, and B5Media has plenty of other blogs covering specific parts of the performing arts. I’d like to thank Arieanna, my content editor, for her guidance and patience while I’ve been here.

Gray Miller

exeunt omnes

Post from: Fame or Famine

Dancing with Drama

What I’m not so glad to hear about on the celebrity blogs is the search criteria by which the show’s producers are picking potential candidates. Apparently they are looking for divorcees or at least former couples to have them competing on the same show. Or even better, someone with some kind of illness or injury.

What About the Dancing?

See, the big breakthru of these shows is that it proved that audiences would care about the dancing, not just drama. Sure, they got involved in the dancers struggles, but that was enough to make them care.

Do we really need to manufacture a drama out of their lives? Jerry dancing at his daughter’s wedding was enough to jerk a tear; Marie’s illness was sympathy inducing. But I fear. That if the producers have their way, this will be more about behind-the-scenes antics than people celebrating dance.

And that would be sad.

Post from: Fame or Famine

Everyone was happy and excited for Bailey Hanks, winner of MTV’s Legally Blonde reality competition. She beat out the other legal blondes and landed her leading role, which she premiered last Wednesday. The other contestants went home, heads hung low, bitter and defeated, right?

Well, not so much.

Surprise! You’ve Got Contracts!

As it turned out, the producers had jobs in mind for all four of the top contestants in the show.

• Rhiannon Hansen will play Margot, Elle’s best friend, in the touring company of Legally Blonde
• Autumn Hurlbert will join the Broadway cast as Elle’s understudy
• Lauren Zakrin will not only join the touring company in the ensemble but also act as a second understudy for the Broadway show.

So all four top contestants won contracts, and all four seem to be pretty happy about it. “I couldn’t be at a better place; this is better for me now and this is where I’m supposed to be,” Rhiannon told the Deseret News.

I think this is a piece of brilliance on the part of the producers, and could change the way people get cast in these shows. They came out of this with (I’m presuming) a profit from the MTV show, four solid leads for their main star, and everybody’s happy.

Could this be the end of the Cattle Call?

Post from: Fame or Famine

The problem lies in the fact that there is both a state law in Illinois and a city of Chicago law, and the latter is forbidden from making the former any weaker. This means that an exemption for theater can be tricky – lest Chicago fall to the thespian hedonism currently infesting Minneapolis.

Before the Ban, With a Cast of Thousands

Thanks to a comment by Karl, I learned that in Minneapolis there are many bars getting around the smoking ban by declaring their bars  theatrical venues and the cigarettes props. The actors, of course, are the customers, “playing themselves before the ban on cigarettes.” It’s a pretty ingenious little loophole, and while it may seem ridiculous, so does the idea that people need that much babysitting.

Alderman Brendan Reilly, who is fighting to get an exemption for Chicago theatre, realizes that this is not a great example for the opponents of smoing in any form. Still, as he fights for the rights of the Jersey Boys and others to light up, he is confident it can be overcome. ” “The Department of Public Health will know the difference between the Chicago Theater and Joe’s Pub.”

Post from: Fame or Famine

That’s right. Jersey Boys, currently playing in Chicago, had portrayed the doo-wop singers accurately – that is, singing on the street corners with cigarettes hanging out of the their mouths. But since Chicago has a city-wide smoking ban, an “irate theatre goer” complained to…well, to someone, but no one seems to know who, or where the complaint originated. However, the play has removed the butts from the production (ifs & ands seem to be safe, for the moment).

Think of the Stagehands!

…or something like that. The city aldermen aren’t saying that an actor lighting up a butt on stage is going to actually give anyone cancer (kind of reminds me of when I was juggling torches and I’d reassure the audience that it was ok, I was using stage flame). But still, Health Committee Chairman Ed Smith says, “”We would be duplicitous if we say it’s alright to allow people to smoke on stage. … It’s an adversity to people who come to see those plays and the stagehands.”

As for those plays where lighting up really is written into the script, his advice is that they “modify the lines of the their plays to strike references to smoking and smoke-filled rooms.” Yeah, just change those lines. And by the way, it’s rather bad to show killing, and high heels kill your back, and do you realize what ballet does to your knees? It’s an adversity!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be improving. Alderman Bernard Stone, one of a couple who tried to get an exemption from the city-wide ban on smoking for theatres, said “”When you take it out of the production, you’re changing history. If you want to be true to the times, you’ll allow them to smoke on stage. To do otherwise is like blue laws in the Puritan times.” But apparently everyone else on the council was afraid to sign for smoking…and so, the Jersey Boys, and the rest of the plays, will have to leave their lighters at home.

Post from: Fame or Famine

Writer’s groups are a dime a dozen these days and very few distinguish themselves.  Inkslingers, based out of Madison, WI, is one of the very few who do and manage to have their work produced.  I have been lucky enough to act for them on and off throughout the past three years at their staged readings.  However this year, I was asked to direct two of their short plays to be produced in a small theater in Madison.  The kicker with Inkslingers is that the playwrights are the producers of the show.  So the pressure was on.

Four directors had about four weeks to find actors and direct a show of twelve short plays.  The diversity of voices in the works had us scrambling for actresses over 50 and other types of actors you normally don’t have to worry about in mainstream theater.  However, the quality of the work written gave the directors in particular a myriad of was to go with their production.  The writer’s were faced with finally letting go of their work and allowing someone else to bring their voice to fruition.  Which I have to say they all handled very gracefully (more so than I would have).  The actors were given an opportunity to do original work, written and produced in their home town.

My actors met for once a week, due to schedules and not having a whole cast until a week before the show.  We did two plays one by Jan Levine Thal “Identity” and one by George Farah “Tech Support”.  Luckily, I had actors that could do both so I didn’t have to worry about separate casts.  I also had the fortune to work with actors ranging in age from late 30’s to mid 70’s.  One of the writers was at first skeptical of casting decision but once that writer came to rehearsal, all fears were allayed.  The other writer was did not come to rehearsal but was very open to suggestions about wording and other ideas on the play in general.  There were four performances and I am happy to say they were sold out each time.

Madison is fortunate to have a glut of artists that live in town and show their work here.  I am pleased that I have had the opportunity to work with one of the gems in this artistic community and bring quality writing and acting to life.

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Dana Pellebon is also known as “Ms. Behavin’” with Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies Caburlesque Show

and also blogs about her son, Cobain, at www.loveformyson.blogspot.com

Post from: Fame or Famine

Even though it’s technically still the 19th here at Fame or Famine Central, I’m starting the Blog Off now because in England the clock just ticked over to the 20th, the day we are going for one blog post per hour. We have a few different bloggers set to guest post here, including a wonderful in-depth article about the Screen Actors Guild.

But let’s start with something completely different: a backstage tour of the London production of Spamalot! Nina Söderquist takes you on a tour similar to the one that Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Nina is the Swedish singing waitress who plays the Lady of the Lake in the London production (yes, ironic, that). Here’s a hilarious excerpt from a BBC tv show about her:

Blog-off posts: one down, twenty four to go (three, sire) twenty three to go!

Post from: Fame or Famine

A Collaborative Approach

“The power of theatre and dance as a catalyst for positive action and change is what drives Soul Speed’s performances. We work collaboratively, drawing inspiration from who we are and where we live,” says Ardre Foote, the director. ” Our performances are kaupapa (vision) driven with an indigenous contemporary approach.”

It sounds like quite a vision: the instruments alone include Taonga Puoro (traditional Maori instruments), cello, flamenco guitar, percussion, and vocals. Their dance is equally eclectic, and it’s all tied together into some of the most amazing theatre effects I’ve seen. Take a look for yourself.

If you are interested in more, they can be reached through Director Ardre Foote at ardre.antonio @ xtra.co.nz

Post from: Fame or Famine

That’s right. The same opera that today uses the most modern lights and sound techniques goes back well over a millenium in its history. And, as stars like Jackie have shown, they have kept the appeal – I would wager that anyone would enjoy watching the following example, and could easily see the connection with the action sequences we see in our theatres:

Part of the Great Blog Off!

Post from: Fame or Famine

I’ve been foiled by the Indonesians, though – more specifically, the International date line. It’s been June 20th in Jakarta for almost fifteen minutes already! So let’s take the plunge in a direction that I don’t normally talk about more than a tiny bit here at Fame or Famine: costume design.

EION 2013, Designers for Star Trex X1

The new trek movie is scheduled for release in 2009, but the costumers have been hard at work. Mitchell Kulkin, Elijah Sound and Khellar Crawford have been designing clothes for alternative festivals such as Burning Man for years, and have used the Sama Sama garment factory in Ubud, Indonesia to produce their styles.

Described as “romantic periods to road warrior and pauper prince,” the trio were literally discovered as they plied their wares on the street in Hollywood. “We were hanging our clothes at the market…and this man and this woman started grabbing at my jacket saying ‘what have you got here’ … then he started opening bags and said this looks like Space Pirates for a new movie,” says Mitchell.

And so the costumes for the new movie will be made in Indonesia – not in a sweat shop, mind you, but in a factory where the designers have a personal relationship with the workers. In fact, they’re using the profits to help jump start their Sew it Forward organization that seeks to “bring people in fashion to donate to the education, health and welfare of the Balinese.”

Read more about it at the Jakarta Post.

Post from: Fame or Famine