Fame or Famine

As we come back to following the progress of July 20th, the GREAT BLOG OFF around the globe, we come to Newfoundland, home of Artistic Fraud. Specializing in “chorus based work,” the group is directed by Jillian Keiley and Robert Chafe.
All About Numbers
As the video on their site will tell you, in the past 9 years Artistic Fraud has called for:

81 school desks
 32 flourescent semaphore flags
790 maps
36 vibraphone keys
2400 square feet of polyester wedding dress lining
Over 300 performers.

You can see a short film about the relatively small production Fear of Flight on YouTube now, and hear the ensemble as they …read more

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A little bit of live singing from across the globe: we don’t get to hear much of the fine arts from North Korea, but I found this particular YouTube Video strangely compelling as the lovely waitress sang.

As part of the blog off, I think this is a good example of the value of the fine arts. In spite of all our differences, and not knowing anything about what she’s singing – it’s beautiful. It touches me. It means that there is something inside of us all that brings us to a common place.
We need more fine artists in politics, …read more

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We all know and love Julianne Hough, the champion of Dancing with the Stars twice over. You probably are also aware that she has dipped her toes in the waters of recording stardom, with a debut album with tracks like

That Song in my Head
Jimmy Ray McGee
Hide Your Matches

You can hear excerpts and learn more over at JulianneSings.com .
But Wait, There’s More!
Because I love you all so much, and because I visited my friends over at Fred Astaire Dance recently, I can share with you a coupon code that you can use for a free download at Julianne’s site. It …read more

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There’s a bit of a theme going in the B5Media entertainment community, where each blogger is supposed to write a valentine post. For people like the LOST and Soap bloggers, it’s a fun exercise of the imagination; you can just aske the question “Who would you like to be your valentine from the show?” The answers are entertaining, to say the least.
However, when your beat is “performing arts”, it’s not quite that easy. Sure, you could just say “Wouldn’t you like a valentine from Ethan Steifel?” but the realm is so large, the pool of people so vast and yet …read more

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OK, this is stretching the “performance art” umbrella a little far, but I don’t get to do as much with the celebrity thing as my fellow bloggers here at B5Media, so I’ll take what I can get.
Tonight I’m going to be running a video camera for the Mad Rollin’ Dolls, the Madison Women’s Flat Track Derby team.  And as it happens Jane Wiedlin, the pixie voiced singer for the Go Gos, will be the singer of the National Anthem for tonight’s bout.
I can’t claim to be a diehard fan, but I do like them better than the Bangles, since they …read more

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I’m sure you’ll be able to hear this kind of thing on the DVD when it comes out, but meanwhile, here’s a nice treat: learning about the process of taking Sweeney Todd from stage to screen – including interviews with cast members, and more.

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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

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“‘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

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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

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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

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