Fame or Famine

Ok, first things first: Yes, it’s Christmas, and yes, Johnny Depp has played Willy Wonka and Jack Sparrow and even Gilbert Grape and Benny and all manner of likeable characters.
This, however, is not one of them. So unless you are ready to see a musical with the graphic portrayal of a serial killer literally splattering blood across the camera lens, wait for his next vehicle, when he’ll play George Jetson or somesuch.
(no, I don’t actually know who’s playing the lead in the Jetsons or even if they’re making a movie version. But really, how could they not?)
It’s hard to write …read more

3 Comments

“‘Clash of the Choirs’ is a live four-night musical event coming to NBC in December 17th. “Clash of the Choirs,” has tapped five musical superstars — Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland and Blake Shelton — to embark on a musical challenge as they return to their hometowns to assemble an amateur choir and prepare them to compete live in studio for the title of America’s best choir. The show will feature music genres ranging from current pop hits to holiday classics. The choir hopefuls will be judged each night by viewers watching at home.”
I’m so ready for …read more

6 Comments

It’s true. When I graduated High School, I came from an immersion in swing choir, summer musicals (Motel the Tailor and Harold Hill), the drama club (four years of Shakespearean adaptations, culminating in playing a rapping Hamlet), and individual voice training that got me 1-stars in the State Vocal Competition.
I was going to be a gypsy. The plan was to graduate from BYU’s Musical Dance Theatre program, and then take Broadway by storm.
Little things like a family and military service got in the way. There’s a part of me that realizes that I probably got my life saved by that, …read more

Comments Off

I’m far behind in my posting to this blog, and at least part of it is the fault of several talented women who comprise Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies. I performed with one of them (the Betty Wantsme who has been seen in this blog before) for one performance, and the audience and the directors liked it so much they invited me to continue to be part of the group. I’ve done 4 shows now, for audiences ranging from goth kids to Japanese businessmen to a benefit for a Catholic Charity, and it’s a lot of fun.

Let’s get something straight, first: …read more

3 Comments

I don’t know if this was the performance John mentioned in the comments, but there’s a great pic of Meshiya Lake at Washington Square Park on Flickr. Here’s the review:

“Caught Loose Marble with Meshiya Lake at Washington Square Park on July 7th. I’m listening and watching, being blown away by their combined talents, and thinking these guys may be having fun and making a few bucks, BUT do they actually realize how good they are? I mean they are GOOD.
The musicians play together like a well oiled machine and are equally entertaining on their riffs.
The dancers, whether dancing together or …read more

1 Comment

"The world needs more music like this" was the comment of Ani Moore when she posted this link. I couldn’t agree more.

2 Comments

What you’re going to watch here is half the phenomenon that finally let me enjoy jazz.
See, I never really liked jazz, and so I never went to any performances. Why bother, when I didn’t like the sound? Then I got involved in jazz band in H.S. (just because I was an obnoxious extrovert, not for any love of the music) and discovered that playing jazz was amazing fun. Suddenly the framework made sense, a jungle gym of chord changes upon with I and my friends would cavort and play "Watch this!" as our fingers did stunts within the sounds.
And …read more

2 Comments

Via ArtsJournal, I found this neat column written by a librettist currently working on a new opera. I found his remarks about the creative process fascinating – like hearing the DVD commentary before the movie’s even made:

"…I was feeling a bit nervous when I knocked on the door of his Upper West Side studio, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when he put a sheaf of rough pencil sketches on the music rack of his piano. Would I like the way they sounded? Would he be open to criticism? Would I be open to it?
I’m delighted to say …read more

Comments Off

Last night my friend Betty Wantsme (yes, she’s a burlesque performer, why do you ask?) took me out to the High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI to see “Screamin’ Cyn-Cyn & the Pons.” “I’m not sure if you’ll like the music,” she warned me, “but I know you’ll like the performance.”
I knew I would too, just from watching them set up. The drummer was sitting there, smiling and twinkling-eyed, twirling his sticks and patiently waiting for his mates to finish their tuning and stuff so he could start banging on things, his bass drum bouncing with little McDonalds Playland balls. …read more

1 Comment

A follow-up to Camina’s question. There’s also the old-fashioned way, by waiting outside of the stage door after a concert, hoping for a glance of your hero(ine) as they make their way from the concert, tired and exhausted, and into a limo in the hopes of a few hours sleep before getting on the road for their next gig early the following morning.
Get the picture? Usually not the easiest way to meet someone. Unless, of course, you’re Tori Amos. In 1995 or so my girlfriend and I saw her in Madison WI. My girlfriend wanted to wait by the …read more

Comments Off