Results tagged “Seattle” from Blogway Baby
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Despite the Super Bowl and beautiful sunny weather yesterday afternoon, the Bagley Wright Theatre at Seattle Repertory Theatre was packed. Not surprising, because the closing performance of Bill Cain's HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE was playing. I was excited to get a rush seat, since the last Bill Cain play I saw at the Seattle Rep was EQUIVOCATION, which is one of my favorite plays of all time.
This production HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE, beautifully directed by Kent Nicholson, was a world premiere co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Everything about this production was amazing -- I laughed, I cried -- no really, I did! The play featured an awesome cast -- Linda Gehringer, Tyler Pierce, Aaron Blakely and Leo Marks (who deftly played a number of roles). Also fabulous scenic design by Scott Bradley and lighting design by Alexander V. Nichols.
From the website:
Writers are told to write what they know. But as Bill Cain discovers in writing about his own family, sometimes those we are closest to are the biggest mysteries of all. From the writer of Equivocation comes a beautiful new play taken from Cain’s own experiences caring for his dying mother. He asks the questions that speak to the heart of every family: What will never change…and what has to? A Jesuit priest as well as a playwright, Cain brings a fascinating view to this simple, powerful illustration of why the details of our lives and loves matter.
Hopefully it will be headed to Broadway in the future. If you get a chance to see this beautiful, touching, funny, true play, then run, don't walk to get tickets!
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I am thrilled to announce that Myrna Conn will be starring as Little Voice ("L.V.") in Artswest's Seattle premier of THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE by Jim Cartwright, running March 7 to March 31, 2012.
Rehearsals have finally started and ArtsWest has put together a stellar cast: Myrna Conn, Peggy Gannon, Pat Haines-Ainsworth, Daniel Reaume, Jesse Smith, and Travis Tingvall.
Christopher Zinovitch is directing, and Kim Dare is Music Directing.
From the Season Brochure:
Little Voice is a young woman with a hidden talent: she can emulate every chanteuse from Judy Garland to Edith Piaf. She hides in her room, crooning and dreaming of love, while her disheveled mother, Mari, mistakes a seedy talent agent's interest as affection rather than enthusiasm for the gold mine buried in her daughter's throat. An engaging fairy tale of despair, love, and hope as "L.V." finds a voice of her own.
I first fell in love with this story when I saw the 1998 movie starring Brenda Blethyn, Jane Horrocks and Michael Caine.
I'm also excited for this production because I wrote the song that LV sings at the end of the show!
Stay tuned for more info, and get your tickets now before they sell out!
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Last Saturday night I got Sauced! I know what you're thinking, "Suzy you always get sauced on Saturday nights!". But no, this was different!
I went to see CAFE NORDO SAUCED: Cocktails and Smokin' Music at the Theo Chocolate Factory. This was my first Cafe Nordo event, and my first Theo Chocolate Factory visit! When I first heard of SAUCED, I was intrigued - music, theatre, cocktails...served up in a chocolate factory? Yes!
SAUCED has a story/concept by Erin Brindley and Terry Podorski, with Nordo Lefesczki "in the shadows" of the kitchen. Murray Stenson is the cocktail Designer. Murray was just named "Best Bartender in America", and judging by these cocktails, it's true!
From the website:
This fall, Cafe Nordo returns to Fremont with Sauced, one part historical tour of mixology, one part film noir thriller, shaken and served up with a dash of the surreal. Fedoras nod to the beat of original jazz tunes performed love as four of the top performers in Seattle deliver salty one-liners and perfectly-poured classic cocktails to an intimate audience. Paired with each cocktail is Chef Nordo Lefesczki's interpretation of bar food: deconstructed, reconstructed, and then deconstructed again. As per the laws of Café Nordo, only the finest local, sustainable ingredients are served, and local craft distilleries provide the booze.
We were greeted by "Efie", a speakeasy waitress wearing fish net stockings who showed us to our table and served us up the first of our cocktails, "The Slippage" along with some delicious hot nuts! I love it when the waitresses are part of the show. As the show progressed (helmed by the joint's bartender Saul Needle, played like Rick from Casablanca by Ray Tagavilla) we were served more cocktails paired with food: "The Secret Kiss" with a pickled plate, "A Box of Nails", served with a fried lemon and fried stuffed jalepeno, and the delicious and mysterious Nordo Elixir served with desert. The Cocktails were delicious, but the nicest surprise was that the food was amazingly delicious! You can also buy more drinks a la carte if the cocktail flight isn't enough to wet your whistle.
Billie Wildrick stars as Charlotte Bright, "torch singer extraordinaire", and Mark Siano plays Mike Binnet, the owner of the gin joint and Opal Peachey plays Valerie Rush, Mike's long-suffering wife. Maridee Slater is Efie, our waitress, and Dana Blasingame was Irene, the other waitress. The music was great - some jazzy standards (eg. Love For Sale) mixed with new songs by Anastasia Workman, who also played the piano. Matt Manges was on drums. This "cocktail theatre" is so much fun that we've already planned to return before the end of the run on November 13.
Get your tickets now!
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Saturday night I went to see the 8pm show of the first weekend of 14/48. This was my first time, so I didn't know quite what to expect. What I did know was that Kathryn Van Meter would be directing one of the plays, and Jon Lutyens would be performing in one of the plays!
14/48 is the world's quickest theater festival. By that they mean they write, cast, direct and perform 14 plays in 48 hours. Which breaks down to 7 plays in 24 hours. Oh, and there's a totally cool band. 14/48 is produced by Three-Card Monty and One World Theatre.
The theme for the seven plays I saw Saturday night was "Pop Goes The Weasel". This theme was picked at random from audience suggestions on Friday night around 9:30pm. Then the seven writers scurried off to write the seven plays, and the next day they were rehearsed and then performed with costumes and props for us at 8pm, and again at 10:30pm.
It was a blast! 14/48 was held at Theatre Off Jackson and the place was packed. The plays were varied in style and in how they interpreted the theme, but they were all great. Kathryn directed "A Cock and a Carnation", and Jon performed in "And Nothing Too". Too much fun!
Next weekend will be all new directors and actors and themes. Get your tickets for next weekend now!
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Here's one for your "Must See" list -- SIDE SHOW at ArtsWest in West Seattle!
I went to opening night on Wednesday and LOVED it!
I didn't know too much about SIDESHOW before last night (other than the fact that Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley starred in it on the Broadway) so I was excited to see the show itself, in addition to seeing my daughter Myrna in the show.
SIDESHOW (book and lyrics by Bill Russell, music by Henry Krieger) is directed by Christopher Zinovitch and choreographed and musical directed by Troy Wageman. SIDESHOW is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined Twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s.
This show is awesome. From the opening number "Come Look at The Freaks" I was hooked. The direction and choreography are compelling, the costumes are awesome and the actors are totally invested in this show. Great singing, great dancing and great violin playing (courtesy of Myrna)!
Last night I sat "on stage" and it was a really cool experience seeing the show from a different perspective.
That's Myrna in the blonde wig and fat suit playing Dolly Dimples!
Get your tickets now. There are only five more shows left!
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There are times when you think, "gee, does it get any better than this?". Yesterday was one of those moments. Just minutes away with free parking, Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island was our destination on a glorious sunny summer Sunday afternoon. The temperature was perfect -- not too hot, not too cold. We carried our amazing chairs on our backs (I say amazing because I get non-stop compliments on them, whether at swim meets or at free Shakespeare in the park) to the Luther Burbank Amphitheatre to see a FREE production of Seattle Shakespeare Company Wooden O's OTHELLO. As we settled into our chairs, perfectly shaded from the sun and surrounded by gorgeous greenery, the show began. Sigh.
I find it a little odd that the older I get, the easier it is for me to understand Shakespeare. Consequently, the more I enjoy it. I remember in high school it was like seeing a show in another language without subtitles. But sitting there yesterday, watching the show, I forgot I was watching "Shakespeare". I laughed, I was on the edge of my exceedingly comfortable seat, and I followed the story like I would any contemporary play. Maybe because the acting and directing were so darn good! No really, the cast was superb, the pace was quick. I understand they cut these plays down to 90 minutes for these park presentations -- it is probably a good idea to avoid an intermission in this setting. The whole cast was fabulous, and my favorite characters were Iago (George Mount), Roderigo (CT Doescher), and Emilia (Heather Hawkins).
Next up, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Maybe I'll bring some munchies and have a little picnic.
Go see some some fabulous theatre now. In a park. For free.
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My husband and I saw THE CIDER HOUSE RULES yesterday (which just happened to be our 23rd wedding anniversary) at The Book-it Repertory Theatre at the Seattle Center.
THE CIDER HOUSE RULES is being presented in two parts, Part One: Here in St. Clouds (just closed) and Part Two: In Other Parts Of The World (running September 15 - October 16). This was my first Book-it show, and I have to confess I never "got" that Book-it Theatre was about presenting theatrical adaptations of full-length novels. Not even after reading the tagline "Celebrating 20 years of Novel Theatre", or noticing that their flyers are shaped like bookmarks...(and the "duh" award goes to...).
Now I know :)
This was an absolutely astonishing production. Despite it running about three hours with 2 intermissions, it seemed to fly by, and I wanted it to keep going when it ended! I loved how the narration and the scenes were seamlessly integrated.
THE CIDER HOUSE RULES was adapted by Peter Parnell from the novel by John Irving, was directed by Jane Jones (based on the original direction by Tom Hulce and Jane Jones) and was conceived for the stage by Tom Hulce, Jane Jones and Peter Parnell.
The story telling was so beautifully done, so moving, so funny and so easy to follow (which is not always the case for me and a John Irving novel!). The whole cast was amazing. Peter Crook was magnificent as Dr. Wilbur Larch and shout out to the fabulously talented Jon Lutyens who played Fuzzy Stone, Jennings, MaryAgnes and musician (I had a perfect seat to watch Jon play the piano behind the scenes!).
Here's the scoop on THE CIDER HOUSE RULES PART TWO: IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD from the website:
September 15 – October 16, 2010 performed in the Center House Theatre
Irving’s Cider House is truly a signature piece for Book-It; Part Two completes the epic story that closed the company’s 2009-2010 20th Anniversary season. Leaving St. Cloud’s to experience the world beyond the orphanage and Dr. Larch, our Dickensian hero Homer Wells discovers that life’s joys and sorrows are neither black nor white, but infinite shades of gray.
Missed The Cider House Rules Part One this summer? Or just want a refresh before seeing Part Two -- Join us for one of these nine special reprise performances of Part One during the run of Part Two: In other Parts of the World. Part One will play again September 29, Oct 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, and 16.
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As I continue to work on rewriting PLANE CRAZY, I tend to muse about all things PLANE CRAZY not specifically related to the script. (I believe that is also known as "procrastination").
What would be a super cool venue for PLANE CRAZY? Aside from "the Broadway" of course. Well, wouldn't it be a kick to stage it at Boeing Field, perhaps in Seattle's Museum of Flight? Or maybe up in Everett at The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour...there are huge half-built planes that would be perfect for those airplane scenes! Of course getting to your seat would require a one-third mile walk, 21 steep stairs and an an elevator ride.
And what about PLANE CRAZY merchandise...oh wait, you can buy that here.
Or a PLANE CRAZY board game? Sort of a "Careers " meets "Wide World" meets "Mystery Date"...
Maybe I should get back to work...
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New York, New York! It's a helluva walk-on!
After my successful appearance on the 5th Avenue Theatre stage last year in HELLO DOLLY, I was asked back to appear in ON THE TOWN.
Well, okay, I wasn't exactly "asked back"...
Grad and I successfully bid on a dual walk-on role at last year's Gala at the 5th Avenue. We even snagged the closing show! I had a blast last year, but sharing the spotlight with my husband was even more fun. Although, I did have to share my dressing room with him...
We received the usual top notch star treatment - photos at the stage door, photos by the show bricks, big gold stars on our dressing room doors, a goody bag, flowers, chocolate, posing with the stars of the show...you know, my usual treatment.
I wore a fabulous kelly green (emerald green?) forties dress, gloves, hat, and my very own character shoes. Grad looked very cute in his forties suit and fedora. Then it was off to tech talk on stage. Boy ON THE TOWN is tech-intensive! And don't even get me started on the huge dinosaur hanging from the ceiling. We even got our picture taken in front of the cave man statue! Cast member Gabriel Corey gave us the run down on our scene - we were going to be part of the museum tour with Rich Gray as museum curator (in one of his many wigs!). Then as the show started it was off to hair and make up! I got to wear a red wig this time! And Grad got the old Brylcreem treatment. We watched a bit of the show backstage and then it was showtime!
We walked on and followed Rich, looking at all the amazing museum sights! We even laughed at Rich's jokes on cue! As we appeared on stage I could hear the chuckling from the audience in Row M, where my daughters Myrna and Trinity sat with their friends.
Much too soon it was over. Back to reality and the show! We got to watch the rest of the performance and meet up with everyone at intermission.
I hadn't seen the show since opening night and it was a magical performance! What a talented, funny company. I had actually just been reading about World War II that morning before the show (coincidentally), so I was watching it with new eyes! I got chills when they sang "We'll catch up some other time".
Thanks to everyone at the 5th Avenue Theatre for a thrilling afternoon!
ON THE TOWN was another fabulous production by the 5th Avenue Theatre!
Let the Leonard Bernstein festival continue with the final show of the season, CANDIDE!
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Last night I went to see the play EASTERN STANDARD by Richard Greenberg at the Seattle Center House Theatre Black Box space. In case you didn't know, Richard Greenberg won a Tony for his play TAKE ME OUT. EASTERN STANDARD is a member project of The Sandbox Artists Collective, a part of the Lab at Freehold. Directed by Kathryn Van Meter, EASTERN STANDARD stars Nick Garrison, CT Doescher, Ashley FitzSimmons, Gretchen Krich, Alexandra Tavares and Jadd Davis.
EASTERN STANDARD takes place in 1987 in the bustling metropolis of New York City. In a trendy Manhattan restaurant, Stephen (CT Doescher*), a very successful architect, is having lunch with his best friend, Drew (Nick Garrison*), a rising avant-garde artist. At an adjacent table sits the unrequited object of Stephen's affection, Phoebe (Alexandra Tavares*), who is herself a shrewd and successful stock broker. As they watch Phoebe, her television executive brother Peter (Jadd Davis*) joins her, bringing with him some disturbing news. After several raucous episodes involving a schizophrenic bag lady, May (Gretchen Krich*) and a long-suffering actress/waitress, Ellen (Ashley FitzSimmons) the four characters meet and strike up an unlikely friendship.
A month later, all six assemble at Stephen's beach house, determined to get away from the craziness of the city and make some sense out of their relationships and careers. Inevitably, this leads to a series of very funny yet compelling incidents in which various relationships, non-relationships, mistaken motives, and often shaky alliances are cleverly set forth and examined.
I thoroughly enjoyed this production - funny and moving, brilliantly directed and beautifully acted! And shout out to Orlando Morales for the sound design!
Here's the note from the Producers that was in the program:
We all know theatre is a wonderful, and competitive, business. In an economic recession, even more so; survival of theatres becomes more and more dependent on smaller casts and co-productions. Work can be scarce. The questions arises: is it possible for us as theatre artists, between the last job and the next one, to have a place where we can work on a full process, where we can set new creative goals and then rehearse challenging material -- not just for a day or two, for a reading; but for several weeks, culminating in few workshop performances -- allowing us to continue clarifying and expanding how we work?
Financially, the answer can feel like "no": rehearsal space, performance space, props, design elements, advertising, even photocopying -- the debits can add up so quickly that the seedling barely sprouts out of the ground. But if we truly commit to some simple basics of theatre -- live performance, conflict, risk -- maybe we can figure out how to keep creating on a (relative) shoestring. We're glad to be here. And we thank you for coming.
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Remaining performances:
SUN May 2 7:30pm
MON May 3 7:30pm
TUE May 4 7:30pm
at the Center House Theatre Black Box space, which shares a lobby with the Center House Theatre (where Seattle Shakespeare Company and Book-It Repertory Theatre perform) on the first floor of Center House in Seattle Center. Donations suggested! You can reserve tickets here. Walk-ins welcome!
And they sell Top Pot donuts at intermission!
Don't miss it!
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Clang, clang, clang went the Trolley!
Last night I had my walk-on role in Village Theatre's production of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. Last May when I bid and won the walk-on role at the Village Theatre Gala, the show seemed so far away. Suddenly it was November and time for me to face the music.
A couple of weeks ago I went for a costume fitting and wig fitting. I was to be dressed in a beautiful coral and creme dress, big hair, big hat and lace up boots.
The wonderful and talented Bobbi Kotula was my contact throughout all this organizing dates, fittings etc. Paulette Buse, the stage manager, was my backstage contact and the one who scheduled my "put in rehearsal" for 6:30pm last night. Louise Kincaid was my "wrangler".
I arrived at 6:30 pm thinking I would just be shown when to walk across the stage and wave. Never assume anything!
Steve Tomkins welcomed me with a warm handshake and went about fitting me into the finale. The entire finale. I even had choreography and music to sing! Luckily I'm very well aquainted with both The Trolley Song, and Meet Me In St. Louis, and generally never need much convincing when asked to sing.
I enter with the cast on the trolley, sitting smack in the middle and singing my little heart out! "The day was bright, the air was sweet..." etc. Then I get escorted off the trolley and back to chat with Henry Nettleton and Bill Williams, also in the cast. Then it's back on the trolley, holding on for dear life as it goes off stage. Then grab an ice cream and run on with Bobbi to look at the World's Fair and see the fireworks and sing the last line - "So won't you Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis, meet me at the fair!"
I even got to take a bow with the female ensemble members! And then with the rest of the company! Woot Woot!
I was able to watch Act 1 in the audience with my family and then I went backstage at intermission to get dressed, and get my wig on. I had my own little space in the women's dressing room. Waiting for me was a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I got dressed and chatted with everybody and waited for the finale.
My performance went off without a hitch! I even got to watch some scenes in Act 2 from the wings with Bobbi. After the show they took picture of everyone in the cast, and moi, on the trolley. Then off to meet my fans (my family) backstage. Rave reviews all round!
Then the clock struck midnight and my carriage once again turned into a pumpkin. Back to life "behind the scenes" as a writer!
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS is a fabulous show (even when I'm not in it) and the cast is wonderful. Go get your tickets now!
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I went to see the first preview of EQUIVOCATION at the Seattle Rep last week, (thanks Kathryn!). I loved it!
EQUIVOCATION, written by Bill Cain and directed by Bill Rauch, had its world premiere at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and will be running at The Seattle Repertory Theatre until December 13.
The Seattle Rep has put together a fabulous "know before you go" pamphlet also available on line which gives you some background on the plot, the times, historical figures and the plots of MACBETH and KING LEAR in 30 seconds:
What's EQUIVOCATION about?
It's London, 1605. William Shakespeare (in the play spelled Shagspeare, or Shag) has just been made an offer he can't refuse: King James I wants him to write a play about the recently foiled Gunpowder Plot. Shagspeare is leery: it's dangerous for playwrights to write about current events. Robert Cecil, the king's ruthless chief advisor, gives Shag the sanitized version of events, telling him to just add some dialogue -- and witches. The king wants witches. The rest of Equivocation is about Shagspeare's struggle to write a play that will please -- or at least not offend -- the king.
EQUIVOCATION stars Anthony Heald as Shag, Richard Elmore as Richard, Jonathan Haugen as Nate, John Tufts as Sharpe, Gregory Linington as Armin and Christine Albright as Judith, Shag's daughter. They are a brilliant.
The actors play different roles in the play, as well as characters in the play within the play. But fear not, Bill Cain's writing is so clear that the intricacies of the play flow seamlessly. Bill Cain's contemporary writing is brilliantly woven with threads of KING LEAR and MACBETH. And EQUIVOCATION manages to be incredibly humorous, despite the hanging, drawing and quartering.
Despite EQUIVOCATION clocking in at 2 hours and 55 minutes, I'm not equivocating when I say I want to go see this play again!
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Monday October 26 I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet both Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich.
I attended STEPHEN SONDHEIM A LIFE IN THE THEATER, AN ONSTAGE CONVERSATION WITH FRANK RICH at Benaroya Hall.
We (of course this night was a Conn family event) started the evening off at a 6:30pm reception in the Founder's Room hosted by David Armstrong, Producing Artistic Director, The 5th Avenue Theatre, and Dennis Coleman, Artistic Director, Seattle Men's Chorus /Seattle Women's Chorus. Delicious food, yummy wine, and what a beautiful room!
We were there not just for the wine and food, but to meet Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich! So as soon as Stephen entered the room, the Conn family made a beeline for him! Wow, what a friendly, gracious and talkative man! We introduced ourselves, told him what huge fans we were, told him that INTO THE WOODS is Trinity's favorite show, and that Myrna was The Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS at Village Theatre Kidstage. Stephen congratulated Myrna on nabbing "the best role" in the show. He asked about the production - what was the orchestration, how much rehearsal time etc. I was then able to inform Mr. Sondheim that the girl who had played Little Red in that same show (Keaton Whittaker) was going to be in the Broadway production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. This was news to him, since he had left New York just days before the role was cast! So, I was able to tell Stephen Sondheim something he didn't already know. My husband went on to tell Stephen how much he loved COMPANY.
My husband and I had a fun, but brief, talk with Frank Rich, and he seemed genuinely pleased that we had both read and enjoyed his memoir Ghostlight
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I was lucky enough to catch one of the last two performances of Taproot Theatre's ENCHANTED APRIL. Despite a devastating fire last week, Taproot Theatre, with the generous support of Seattle Children's Theatre, was able to mount two final shows on Saturday October 24.
However, the mad scrambling and exhaustion certainly didn't show in the performance, which was indeed, enchanted.
ENCHANTED APRIL, a play by Matthew Barber, from the novel by Elizabeth Von Arnim was directed by Karen Lund, and featured Charity Parenzini, Nikki Visel, Ryan Childers, Jerff Berryman, Anne Kennedy, Kim Morris, Aaron Finley and Llysa Holland.
I was originally interested in going to see this because of Anne Kennedy. Anne played Georgia (among other roles) in The 5th Avenue Theatre's Adventure Musical Theatre production of my musical THE MERCER GIRLS. She was fabulous in that, and in ENCHANTED APRIL. Wow, what a versatile, talented actress. And she totally rocked a bob wig and flapper dress.
From the website:
The enticement of an enchanting Italian holiday captivates the hearts of two British housewives on a drizzly London afternoon in 1922, and fills their imaginations with wisteria and sunshine. By the time they arrive at their Mediterranean villa, an aging matron and a young socialite have joined their quest for something more. The gardens, sea, cinnamon and macaroni are just the beginning of the transformation they discover.
From the program:
Enchantment and Femininity
In the spring of 1918, British women over the age of thirty were granted the right to vote. Later that year, the Great War ended with an armistice treaty declaring a ceasefire. Society was changing; many women were loudly asserting their right to equality while others asserted their right to remain invariable. In THE ENCHANTED APRIl, a 1922 novel by Elizabeth von Arnim, this dichotomy becomes clear. Von Arnim, not a feminist writer per se, wrote astute and romantic novels for popular readership, with autobiographical bits snuck into the pages. Her own ideas of femininity did not always agree with the social norms, nor did she directly identify with militant feminism. Her unique perspective, that women can have simultaneous independence, equality and togetherness with men through cleverness rather than militancy, is apparent in the novel and the subsequent play by Matthew Barber.
As Taproot Theatre moves forward from this disaster, they will need all the help they can get. Please help out if you can. You can charge your donation by phone by calling 206.529.3672 or online. All gifts to Taproot are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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Go, go, go see JOSEPH!
My daughter Trinity is in the children's choir for JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at The 5th Avenue Theatre. She has been rehearsing since August, so it was quite a thrill to finally see opening night on October 15!
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, with music by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Lyrics by Time Rice, is playing at The 5th Avenue Theatre from October 10 to November 1. Directed by James Rocco, choreographed by Jayme McDaniel and musical directed and conducted by R. J. Tancioco, JOSEPH stars American Idol's Anthony Fedorov as Joseph and Jennifer Paz as The Narrator.
Oh yeah, and fifty two kids!
And these kids don't just sit cross legged on the stage. They are woven into the show and megamix, acting, singing, dancing, carrying corn, candles, and coats!
This has been (so far, since there are still 21 performances to go!) an incredible experience for Trinity, working with professional actors, directors, musicians, design and production crew, hanging out with old friends and making new ones. Luckily for me, Trinity had a few friends who got into the show with her who live close by, so I've been able to carpool -- shout out to the carpool moms!
Everything in this show is original except for the costumes, which I believe are the same design as the ones used in the Donny Osmond DVD. That includes a totally rockin' megamix created by Ian Eisendrath, Albert Evans, RJ Tancioco, Dave Pascal and Davee C. And did I mention Billy Joe Huels (The Pharoah) and his flaming trumpet?
This show is so much fun from beginning to end and features some of the best Seattle talent around, including Rich Gray as Potiphar, Troy Wageman as Levi, Mo Brady as Zebulun, Dane Stokinger as Rueben, Shanna Palmer, Brittany Jamieson, and Charissa Bertels (just to name a few of the extremely talented cast!)
I left the theatre smiling, singing and ponying (of course, that's how I usually leave The 5th Avenue...).
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Oh what a night! What a party! Our COCKTAIL NUTS Landing The Gig pilot was a sold-out success!
We had a great rehearsal Sunday night, and then Monday afternoon as well. The pictures in this post are from Monday's rehearsal.
As I was helping set up the chairs and put the candles on the tables I couldn't help but get a little freaked out...
Luckily, I was working with pros - cast, crew, ACT theatre. Whew!
It was a couple of minutes to 7:00 pm -- each table had a cocktail glass full of cocktail nuts, and we had lit the last of the candles...then they opened the house! The people started pouring in! My Matt Dusk CD was playing in the background, and soon the room was filled with chatter, and the clink of glasses (yes glasses, not plastic cups) as people helped themselves to the buffet of gourmet snacks, and tried one of two Vessel cocktails: The Callback (my personal fav, and A Contemporary Tipple). The Bullitt Cabaret was transformed! The joint was jumping!
It was so nice to see so many familiar faces who had come out to support our pilot, and even nicer to see faces I didn't recognize! People who had bought tickets because it sounded like a fun evening. Cool.
Drum roll please....ladies and gentlemen, welcome Rich Gray to the stage! Time to start the show!
Rich Gray was our fabulous host for the evening. He sang, he chatted with the guests, and he made us all feel at home! He started with a song If Someone Had Told Me, and then went into our signature theme song, Cocktail Nuts, in which the fabulous Marianne Owen had a surprise cameo.
Then Rich introduced Jessica Skerritt, currently in CHASING NICOLETTE at The Village Theatre. Her set included If You've Got it, Flaunt it, Running, and Can't Help Falling in Love .
Then it was onto something different. In each COCKTAIL NUTS we plan on showcasing something different -- perhaps an instrumentalist, or dancers or a comic...you get the idea. Well Bill Robison was our first "something different" and he did not disappoint! He did a hilarious act that involved fabulous physical comedy, reading minds with a microphone, and scotch tape. This guy was amazing!
Then Rich did a number called Heidi with an I, which included a very original lyric that rhymed with mountain climbin' (you had to be there).
Then it was time for the high school spotlight. In every COCKTAIL NUTS we plan to showcase a talented high school student. And what better way to start than with the talented Myrna Conn singing You There in The Back Row! Needless to say the audience went wild.
To cap off the evening in style, American Idol finalist Anthony Fedorov sang three gorgeous ballads -- one in spanish to boot. Sigh. Anthony is starring as Joseph in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
The Night Club Gentlemen came back for a swinging traveling medley, and then the whole cast signed off with the Cocktail Nuts goodnight song.
Thanks y'all. See you in December!
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COCKTAIL NUTS is sold-out … but SRO may be available at the door.
Well, it’s been a pretty exciting ride on COCKTAIL NUTS so far – there is some great buzz on the show, and it looks like people do want to go out and listen to music and drink on Monday Night.
As previously noted, the September 28 show is sold-out … but we are going to have an SRO line at ACT. There are always a few people who have to decline at the last minute … and as those tickets become available, we are releasing them at the door.
And if you do have a ticket and suddenly – life intervenes and you can't make it – please let ACT box office know at (206) 292-7676 that you won’t be attending. There is a thirsty music-lover who will thank you!
Here's more information on COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray:
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
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The name says it all.
I am so excited to see Anne Allgood at COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray on Monday September 28. Anne is the consummate performer. She has appeared on Broadway, national tours, every major theatre in Seattle, and now...COCKTAIL NUTS!
I first saw Anne onstage in THE WOMEN at ACT (see the picture below, that's Anne in the blue hat). She was hilarious. And then I saw her in MEMPHIS and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at The 5th Avenue Theatre, and most recently in DAS BARBECU at ACT Theatre. Anne can sing anything - from Sondheim to country and western! She'll make you laugh and then tear your heart out. Ouch!
And not only is Anne an amazing performer, she is an incredible voice coach.
The Bullitt Cabaret at ACT Theatre is a wonderfully intimate cabaret space, so COCKTAIL NUTS tickets are going fast. So get yours now!
Here's more on COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray:
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
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If you are planning on going to COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray, don't delay!
There are only 23 tickets left so buy your tickets now!
Here's all you need to know about COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray:
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
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Chasing Jessica...all the way to COCKTAIL NUTS!
Jessica Skerritt, currently appearing as Gwendolyn in The Village Theatre's production of CHASING NICOLETTE, will make her COCKTAIL NUTS debut on Monday September 28.
I first saw Jessica perform in MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at The Village Theatre, where she played Dyanne, Elvis's voluptuous girlfriend. I remember thinking, wow, it's not fair that somebody with that face and that body should also have that amazing voice! (No, I'm not bitter)
Then, after I saw Jessica play Phoebe in STUNT GIRL and Corrie in BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (again at The Village Theatre), I thought, wow, it's not fair that somebody with that face and that body and that voice should also be funny!
Well good news folks. Jessica Skerritt is bringing that whole package to COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray.
The Bullitt Cabaret at ACT Theatre is a wonderfully intimate cabaret space, so COCKTAIL NUTS tickets are going fast. So get yours now!
Here's more on COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray:
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
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Someone give that man a microphone!
Seattle favorite RIchard Gray will be hosting COCKTAIL NUTS at ACT Theatre on Monday September 28.
What would a cabaret or variety show be without a host?
A great host wraps a show up in a big hug and presents it to the audience. A great host is excited by the talent he is hosting and gets a kick out of sharing that talent and enthusiasm with the audience. A great host is charismatic, funny, and a natural performer who is quick on his feet.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present tonight's host...Richard Gray!
I first met Rich when I worked with him on The 5th Avenue Theatre's Adventure Musical Theatre program production of Northwest Bookshelf 2. I had two musicals in that show (Larry Gets Lost in Seattle, and Daisy the Firecow) and Rich was the director. He was such a pleasure to work with, so funny, so good with the actors and a real respect for the intelligence of his audience. So I thought, hey he's a great director.
Then I found out he had written a bunch of the musicals in that show, so I thought, hey, he's a great writer.
And then I would hear him play and sing stuff at rehearsals, and I thought, hey he's a great piano player and singer.
Then I started seeing Rich perform at ACT (A Marvelous Party) and The 5th Avenue Theatre (The Buddy Holly Story, Hello Dolly, Sunday In The Park With George), and I thought, hey he's a great actor.
And then I thought, hey, who is this guy?
From an article in Seattle magazine:
WHEN RICHARD GRAY SPEAKS, it's as if he is composing a song on the spot; he starts, stops and edits his word choice until he says precisely what he means. If you don't already know when you meet him that he is Seattle's very own Renaissance man—actor, writer, director, composer, pianist, lyricist, librettist—this running wordplay is your first clue.
And it's come in handy in his work. Many recognize Gray from Forbidden Xmas, the popular cabaret-style, 15-year-on-and-off holiday parody of local events and icons that he writes and performs in with other local singer/actors. Initially a scheme to cheer up a friend in mourning, Xmas, with its snappy, leave-you-humming songs such as "Starbucks Coffee Grinder Suite" and "The Bon Star Blues," became one of the key works of Gray's career—and also one that helped him define his own unique skill. After many years of production, however, Gray grew tired of simply parodying other songs. So he started composing his own works, both for Xmas and for other musical theater projects. "I said, 'Well, I’ll just write the whole song,' ' he says, "and I realized I was good at it."
He's so good at it, in fact, that the 42-year-old Gray has decided to sell his skills to the masses with Song Portraits, his custom songwriting service for special occasions. Think This is Your Life meets a pop ballad, musical theater number or country-western song—whatever your inner tune happens to be, Gray will find it.
"You have to trust me as you would a painter," Gray says about writing for a client. "I want my songs to be like the songs on the radio, when you're listening and you think, 'Oh my God! That's my life!'
Before the Song Portraits launch last July, he had already ventured out, writing songs as gifts for his father and his partner {Seattle magazine Flash Talk columnist Ernie Pino), as well as for his brother's wedding and for a tribute to Jack and Becky Benaroya in 2005. But the real success of his idea came when his Song Portrait package went to not one but two of the highest bidders—at $8,000 a pop—at the 5th Avenue Theatre auction this year.
This "musical genius," as Linda Hartzell of Seattle Children's Theatre calls him, has an unstoppable passion for the local arts scene. In the late '80s, when he moved to Seattle from his native Portland, where he also studied acting in college, he began arranging music in his first job for the now-defunct Bathhouse Theater Company in Green Lake. A lifelong pianist and self-professed ham, his combined talent made music arranging and composing easy.
In 1989, he became a frequent performer (as a pianist and singer) at the Rainier Tower's dinner theater restaurant Crepe de Paris, where he created Forbidden Xmas. His nonstop work since then includes serving as composer of the Seattle Children's Theatre musicals Little Rock in ’95 and Time Again in Oz in ‘99; composer and director of The Donk Sisters in '95 at Crepe de Paris; composer and performer of Gray Matter, a revue of his own career and just this year, conductor and musical director for 5th Avenue's The Buddy Holly Story.
And then I thought, hey, he'd be a perfect host for COCKTAIL NUTS!
The Bullitt Cabaret at ACT is a wonderfully intimate cabaret space, and tickets are going fast so I would recommend getting your tickets now!
Here's all you need to know about COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray:
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
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Anthony Fedorov will be performing at COCKTAIL NUTS on Monday September 28 at ACT Theatre.
Anthony is starring as Joseph in The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT.
Oh, and he was also a runner up on a little-known show called American Idol!
I hate to disappoint his fans, but he won't be wearing his JOSEPH loincloth at COCKTAIL NUTS...
Here's the 411 on Anthony from The 5th Avenue Theatre website:
Born in Yalta, Ukraine, Fedorov came to America at the age of 9 and eventually settled with his family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. While still a toddler Fedorov had to undergo an emergency tracheotomy because of complications from a birth defect and doctors predicted he would lose all ability to speak. But after a miraculous recovery, Fedorov regained the use of his voice and soon developed a passion for singing. Throughout his teens he could be found shuttling between Pennsylvania and New York City, singing whenever and wherever he had the opportunity.
Following his success on American Idol the 24 year old singer has gone on to a variety of music, television, and theatre projects including being a contestant on Celebrity Fear Factor, serving as a guest judge on MTV’s Little Talent Show as well as appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, and The Tony Danza Show. He recently made his New York stage debut as “The Boy” in the current Off-Broadway revival of The Fantasticks and earlier this summer he starred in Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma’s production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
His dynamic rendition of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” on American Idol garnered acclaim from the show’s judges who compared him favorably to Clay Aiken.
TIckets are going fast, so buy yours now!
Here's the 411 on COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray:
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
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Esquire magazine calls VESSEL one of the “Best Bars in America.”
Well, that very same VESSEL will be providing beverages and gourmet snacks at the COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray on Monday September 28!
(Of course, soft drinks will also be available)
VESSEL became my favorite bar in Seattle when I walked in and saw a bottle of Hubertus behind the bar. I've never seen a bar with Hubertus, my favorite Hungarian digestif. Trust me, with all that goulash you need a good digestif.
Oh, and the fact that the bartender was using a small blowtorch on something in a glass. We asked him what he was doing, and he replied "I'm brulee-ing figs".
Nuff said.
We've sampled many a cocktail from their wonderful menu including one of my all time summer favs, Pimm's No. 1 Cup! My husband is partial to their Whiskey Sour. Everything is made with such inventiveness, care, and flair it is a welcome respite from the usual drinks you typically get in bars. And did you know they were the first to have a special ice maker (there are only three in Seattle) that makes their ice super cold so it doesn't melt quickly and dilute the drinks?
And, drum roll please, VESSEL is developing a special COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail!
It's a secret so you'll have to buy tickets and come to see the show on Monday September 28 to find out what it is!
Tickets are $35 which includes delicious gourmet snacks. Cash bar featuring a specialty COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail.
For TICKETS, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
So let's recap:
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
And visit the Cocktail Nuts Facebook event page!
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COCKTAIL NUTS got a post BOING BOING, one of the premiere blogs on the planet*, with traffic in the millions of visitors per month. Thanks Cory!
Since Cory Doctorow, who is co-editor of BOING BOING, is a huge tiki nut, perhaps COCKTAIL NUTS should do a tiki-themed show soon.
Meanwhile, here is all you need to know about COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray...
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
And visit the Cocktail Nuts Facebook event page!
*Earth
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COCKTAIL NUTS with your host Rich Gray tickets now on sale at ACT theatre!
For an unforgettable evening of music, comedy, gourmet snacks and cocktails, come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and AMERICAN IDOL)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by VESSEL, our neighborhood nightspot that Esquire magazine calls one of the “Best Bars in America.”
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
TICKETS
For tickets, call the ACT box office at (206) 292-7676 or visit the COCKTAIL NUTS ticket page at acttheatre.org
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Breaking news: COCKTAIL NUTS welcomes special guest Anthony Fedorov!
That's right, in addition to our already stellar line up, Anthony Fedorov will be joining us on Monday September 28! Anthony Fedorov is an American Idol runner-up who will be starring as Joseph in The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT from October 10 - November 1, 2009!
So, here is the final fabulous line-up of talent for our inaugural COCKTAIL NUTS on Monday September 28:
Come join our host Rich Gray as he celebrates "Landing The Gig" with:
Anthony Fedorov (from The 5th Avenue Theatre's upcoming JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT)
Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre's upcoming ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre's upcoming CHASING NICOLETTE)
The NightClub Gentlemen (the "almost" Rat Packers)
Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison and Myrna Conn
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are only $35.00 which includes complimentary gourmet snacks. And there will be a cash bar featuring an original COCKTAIL NUTS cocktail -- all cocktail and food service is by the inimitable VESSEL.
WHEN
Monday September 28, 2009
Door: 7pm for cocktails and complimentary gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
Tickets will go on sale at ACT by the end of the week. Stay tuned for more information!
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Go, go, go Trinity!
I'm super duper excited about The 5th Avenue Theatre's JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT playing October 10 - November 1, 2009.
And it's not just because the show is super fun, and I've watched the Donny Osmond DVD a thousand times.
And it's not just because Anthony Fedorov (former American Idol runner-up) is playing Joseph.
And it's not just because the cast will be wearing spandex unitards and golden cow heads (I hope!).
No, no, no it's because my daughter, Trinity is in the children's choir! How cool is that! Over 150 kids auditioned and Trinity got in!
She's been in rehearsals twice a week since August... and things really heat up next week. Soon she'll be rehearsing every day! Luckily she has a few friends in the choir and we've put together a massively intricate carpool (actually the other moms have done most of the organizing, I just try to remember to show up when it's my turn!)
So, when JOSEPH starts, three out of four of the Conns will have been on the 5th Avenue Theatre stage -- Myrna was a performance intern in HELLO DOLLY, I had a walk-on in HELLO DOLLY, and of course, Trinity is in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT.
Now if I can jut get my husband Grad up there...
Stay tuned for more posts!
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I'll catch up if I can!
I apologize for not blogging more over the summer. It's just that it was hot, hot, hot in my office and when the house temperature reaches my internal body temperature (98 degrees), my brain ceases to function. That means my fingers won't type. Hence, no posts.
But looking back over those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, I seem to recall that lots of fun theatre-going was had by the Conns.
For example:
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN at The 5th Avenue Theatre!
DAS BARBECU at ACT!
Highlights:
1. Getting to see Anne Allgood and Billie Wildrick and Rich Gray in the same show! (Oh wait, I already did that with SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE)
2. Love that country music!
3. Now I can talk intelligently about the plot of THE RING with my opera-loving sister :)
4. Becoming members of ACT for only $25! Now I can go see shows as many times as I want for free!
WINNIE THE POOH at YOUTH THEATRE NORTHWEST!
SHOWBOAT at THE VILLAGE THEATRE!
Highlights:
1. Listening to the fabulous voice of Richard Todd Adams as Gaylord Ravenal.
2. Finally seeing this magnificent show in its entirety on stage, and not just the clips from THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
3. Getting to meet Maria and baby Nate!
ORANGE FLOWER WATER at ACT
1,000 CLOWNS at INTIMAN
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN at THE SEATTLE REP!
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We're back!
Yes, following last year's smash hit SAVE AS... (I get so many comments on that darn sweatshirt!) The Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE Company Originals program will be back for another exciting year of writing and performing an original musical! And I am pleased to announce that I will be back as Writing Mentor/Lyricist!
Here is the 411 from Suzie Bixler at The Village Theatre:
We are currently seeking writers and composers (ages 16-20) for our Company Originals program.
Company Originals is a program functioning out of Village’s KIDSTAGE division that produces theatre for young people by young people. For more than six years, Company Originals has produced shows using the best young talent in the area as writers and performers. Company Originals is also seen as a breeding ground for tomorrow’s top talents. In the last few years, Company Originals participants have gone on to college at Boston Conservatory, University of Washington, Tisch School of the Arts, University of Southern California Writing Program, Biola Film School, Cornish College of the Arts, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, University of Arizona, College of Sante Fe, Occidental, Point Park, and many more, several on performing scholarships. Past participants have also performed locally at venues such as Village Theatre Mainstage, Seattle Children’s Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, Showtunes, The Paramount Theatre, Civic Light Opera, Seattle Public Theatre, and ACT.
KIDSTAGE Company Original productions are original musicals written by a student writing team, advanced performers, and emerging theatre artists. After a competitive audition process, students will create and perform their own original musical material under the mentorship and guidance of a professional writing, composing, and directing team. The program will culminate in a one night workshop to be performed on the Village Theatre Francis J. Gaudette Theatre. The process will also include additional workshop readings with musical theatre professionals and a Seattle school. The Company Originals production is written by, for, and about teens, and it addresses some of the most important issues facing teens today. Past original teen works include: trust me., Last Exit, In Your Eyes, A Perfect Fall, and Save As.
We are specifically looking for very committed writers and composers or those that are interested in learning more about these disciplines.
Writers will meet twice weekly (Mondays & Fridays) after school starting in October. Actors will join the process in January and a series of workshop readings starting with Seattle musical theatre professionals and a Seattle school will occur in February and March. The project will culminate with a staged reading of the musical on the Francis J. Gaudette Stage on Monday, April, 2010.
Tuition for the program is $500 (scholarships and work-exchange available for those who qualify.)
The application is due on September 18 and can be found on our website.
If you are interested in being an actor in the program, auditions will be in late November. Information will be posted on our web-site soon.
Thank-you!
Suzie Bixler
KIDSTAGE Programs Manager
Village Theatre
303 Front Street North
Issaquah, WA 98027
Office: (425) 392-1942 x147
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Sometimes salty, sometimes spicy, but always entertaining and delicious!
We're bringing back the night magic with COCKTAIL NUTS!
What is COCKTAIL NUTS I hear you ask?
COCKTAIL NUTS is a fabulous evening of live entertainment where cabaret meets variety show. COCKTAIL NUTS is a cross between the spontaneity of Jim Caruso’s Cast Party and the sophistication of Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, with a dash of Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas thrown in for good measure. Gourmet cocktails and snacks will round out a very tasty evening!
And, (drum roll please) COCKTAIL NUTS will be hosted by Seattle's own Rich Gray!
So come and celebrate “Landing the Gig” with the comedy & musical stylings of:
· Anne Allgood (from ACT Theatre’s upcoming ROCK ‘N’ ROLL)
· Jessica Skerritt (from Village Theatre’s current CHASING NICOLETTE)
· The NightClub Gentlemen (the “almost” RAT PACKERS)
· Also featuring appearances by Bill Robison, Myrna Conn and a Surprise Guest (from The 5th Avenue Theatre)
The pilot for this exciting "cabariety" (hey Webster, I just invented a word!) will occur...
WHEN
Monday September 28
Door: 7pm for specialty cocktails and gourmet snacks
Show: 8pm to 10pm
WHERE
Bullitt Cabaret
Union and 7th, downtown Seattle
Stay tuned for more information and how to order tickets!
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My oldest daughter is looking forward to the last few weeks of summer vacation. Why? because when August arrives, so does The 5th Avenue Theatre's Summer Musical Theater Camp! This will be Myrna's 3rd year at The 5th Avenue's Summer Musical Theater Camp.
This is such a great camp for a number of reasons. First off, this is a skills based camp, where the kids are taught all facets of musical theater (singing, dancing, acting, etc.) and is not just focused on getting a show up. They are exposed to material from everything from golden age musicals to the current shows on Broadway. The parents don't see the final showcase, because the kids perform for each other. This means they can spend the full two weeks learning new material, new skills and then perform for their peers and the staff. Secondly, they are taught by working professionals both from the Seattle area, and from New York. I can't tell you how many times we've seen shows at The 5th Avenue where Myrna has pointed out people on stage who taught her in camp! That kind of access is invaluable. Finally, they create a really supportive environment and she has made really great friends there.
Here is Myrna singing at last year's final showcase!
From the 5th Avenue Website:
Summer Musical Theater Camp
For Aspiring Performers in Grades 7-12Student Workshop
Do you love to sing dance and act? The 5th Avenue Theatre is proud to offer a unique professional training experience designed for the aspiring middle or high school musical theater performer. This camp offers young performers the special opportunity to gain insight into the life of the professional musical theater artist as well as build the skills necessary to be a successful performer. During this two-week immersion experience students will train like professionals and develop the skills and techniques used by Broadway performers. All classes, studio workshops and master classes are taught by working theater artists with extensive professional credits on Broadway, at nationally recognized musical theatre companies, and at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
Dates: August 10-22, 2009
Week one: Monday-Friday
Week two: Monday-Saturday
We are excited to offer two wonderful opportunities for ages 12-18: a Junior Camp and a Senior Camp. Both camps offer classes in dance, voice and acting and the final day will culminate in an informal presentation where students share their work with one another.
* Junior Camp for ages 12 -13: This year we have two sessions of Junior Camp to choose from: 10:00am-2:00pm or 2:00pm-6:00pm. Students will take classes in dance, voice and acting for musical theater.
* Senior Camp for ages 14-18: 10:00am-6:00pm. Students will take classes in dance, voice and acting for musical theater and participate in afternoon master classes and studio workshops.
*The 5th Avenue Theatre does not provide housing for camp participants
For information, contact Anya Rudnick at 206 625-1418 ext 234 or arudnick@5thavenue.org.
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Lucky number seven!
If you are wondering what to do the evening of Monday August 3 to celebrate Canada's civic holiday, (or you just want to rock out on a balmy August eve), look no further than NEW VOICES 7 brought to you by Contemporary Classics. Yes, this is the same concert series that Myrna rocked last December!
From the Facebook event page:
Its back! Don't miss the seventh edition of the popular NEW VOICES series. This edition is part of the CENTRAL HEATING LAB at ACT Theatre.
NEW VOICES is a concert series showcasing the best of today's most promising young musical theatre composers. An exciting blend of Sondheim and pop/rock, this next generation of composers is turning Broadway on its ear with musicals about grunge bands, electroshock therapy, road trips, and Anna Nicole Smith. Performed by some of Seattle's hottest talent, joins us for a break from the summer heat with an evening of brand new musical theatre songs.
August 3 at 8pm
Allen Theatre at ACT
700 Union Street in Downtown Seattle
$20 general admission, $15 student (with ID)
Purchase tickets at https://www.acttheatre.org/TicketsPlays/Play.aspx?prod=2340 (tickets on the right by the calendar)
**Some material may not be suitable for younger audiences**
STARRING
Krystle Armstrong (5th Ave's HELLO, DOLLY!)
Mo Brady (5th Ave's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SEVEN BRIDES)
Sarah Davis (ZANNA, DON'T!)
Nick DeSantis (5th Ave's SUNDAY IN THE PARK...)
Beth DeVries (SCT's WIZARD OF OZ)
Christian Duhamel (5th Ave's SEVEN BRIDES...)
Ashley FitzSimmons (Village's SHOW BOAT, BEAUTY & THE BEAST)
Nick Garrison (HEDWIG..., 5th Ave's CABARET)
Diana Huey (ZANNA, DON'T!)
Cayman Ilika (Village's SHOW BOAT)
Kate Jaeger (REEFER MADNESS)
Naomi Morgan (5th Ave's WEST SIDE STORY)
Brandon O'Neill (Village's TOMMY)
Kat Ramsburg (5th Ave's MAME)
Don Darryl Rivera (SCT's I WAS A RAT!, BUSYTOWN)
Tanesha Ross (Village's SAINT HEAVEN)
Jenny Shotwell (Seattle Musical Theatre's JANE EYRE)
Troy Wageman (Village's BEAUTY & THE BEAST)
Billie Wildrick (5th Ave's SUNDAY IN THE PARK...)
and Justin Huertas on cello
With R.J. Tancioco on piano
Hosted by Brandon Ivie
WITH SEXY SONGS BY
Jeff Blumenkrantz
Bobby Cronin
Adam Gwon
Joe Iconis
Michael Kooman & Christopher Dimond
Brian Lowdermilk & Kait Kerrigan
Michael Mahler
Dan Martin & Michael Biello
Peter Mills
Ryan Scott Oliver
Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Jeff Thomason & Jordan Mann
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The best kind of deja vu...
Contemporary Classics is bringing back ZANNA DON'T! for a limited run at the Seattle Repertory PONCHO Forum, from June 26 to July 5 2009!
I saw this show last summer and it was a blast! Not only was it funny, but I really liked the music too!
Brandon Ivie, who is the Artistic Director of Contemporary Classics is directing the show again, with a lot of the same cast members as last year. Contemporary Classics also presents the concert series New Voices (the next one is August 3 at ACT in the Falls Theatre), which is always a blast, and is introducing Showtune Suckapunch!
From the Facebook event page:
ZANNA, DON'T! is a hip musical fairy tale about a matchmaking teen who turns relationships upside down, challenges our point of view, and changes the world forever. In a world where it's normal to be gay and taboo to be straight when Kate and Steve fall in love it's up to Zanna, the local love fairy, to search for the right spell to make the world safe for the two lovers. But Zanna's spell has a bigger impact than he planned. Is this new world really what he wanted? With a little magic and a fresh pop score, ZANNA celebrates the discovery of love in a world of adversity.
The Seattle production was named one of the Best Musicals of 2008 by Seattle Gay News and won a Seattle Times Footlight Award.
Creative Team
Director: Brandon Ivie
Music Director: Mark Rabe
Set Design: Andrea Bush
Costume Design: Harmony Arnold
Lighting Design: Robert J. Aguilar
Cast
Zanna: Justin Huertas
Steve: Jared Michael Brown
Kate: Sarah Davis
Mike: Connor Russell
Roberta: Diana Huey
Tank: Don Darryl Rivera
Candi: Lindsey Hedberg
Arvin: Arthur Allen
"Few shows have the appeal of ZANNA, DON'T! Something about it's pure sugary hopefulness satisfies a sweet tooth that many of us may have forgotten we have."
-The New York Times
"ZANNA, DON'T! is hands down the gayest thing I have ever seen on stage - and that's a good thing‚ It isn't without a profound message that's bound to put ideas into people's heads."
-Seattle Weekly
"A joyful romp!... ZANNA, DON'T! is a sparkler la John Waters to brighten your Fourth of July celebration."
-The Seattle Times
Hey, ZANNA DON'T! opens next Friday! Better get your tickets soon!
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"...And if not this festival then somewhere out west..."
The DIE VAMPIRE DIE WORKSHOP is coming West To Seattle! So take that novel out of that sock drawer and sign up!
For those of you who don't know, Die Vampire Die is my favorite song from the amazing Broadway show [title of show]. For me, this song was always the heart of the show, and always made me tear up (as in cry, not rip something).
The only other time I've cried while watching a Broadway show was in LES MIZ, when Fantine is dying and she thinks she is talking to Cossette. Sheesh, I just got a lump in my throat again....
As they say in Die Vampire Die, a Vampire is any person, thought or feeling that stands between you and your creative self-expression.
Hasn't everyone had those moments of self doubt that try to kill our creative output? Heaven knows I have!
This is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I encourage everybody (musicians, artists, writers, songwriters, directors, Microsoft employees, politicians, accountants, nurses etc.) to sign up for this workshop. Seriously, whether or not you are in "entertainment", this workshop will be of value...I mean, isn't public speaking of any kind like performing?
So I only have two questions for Susan and Hunter:
1. When will the sheet music for Die Vampire Die be available?
2. Will you be serving Babaganoush at break time?
From the Facebook event page:
The ‘DIE VAMPIRE, DIE’ WORKSHOP
A writing/performance workshop lead by Broadway’s Susan Blackwell and Hunter Bell FEATURING YOU.
Are you a performer who wants to write your own material?
Are you a writer who wants to perform your own material?
Are you a creative challenge-seeker looking for a fun, safe environment to try something new?
Are you rocking creativity for your New Year's resolution?
Just want to kill some Vampires*?
Join Susan Blackwell and Hunter Bell on July 20 th from 2 pm to 8pm for the ‘Die Vampire, Die’ workshop!
Susan and Hunter will lead you through a series of exercises to get your creative juices flowing and your thoughts up on their feet!
Cost - $125 per person (to cover Susan and Hunter’s fees, flights and hotel)
Please bring yourself, a positive attitude, a lined notebook and a pen.
Some performance experience is helpful, but not necessary.
An open, constructive attitude is mandatory!
Themes of this workshop include:
- Creative Writing
- Performance
- Identifying and taking creative risks
- Tapping into brave artistic freedom and self-expression
- Establishing a creative safe space
- Contributing to a collaborative process
Target participant:
- Performers who want to write their own material.
- Writers who want to perform their own material.
- Creative challenge-seekers looking for a fun, safe environment to try something new.
- Groups looking to foster a safe collaboration.
*From [title of show]’s Vampire Hunting Guide: A Vampire is any person, thought or feeling that stands between you and your creative self-expression.
To RSVP for this event, please email Kat Ramsburg at katramsburg@yahoo.com for further instructions.
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BELOW THE BELT at ACT, A Contemporary Theatre!
We used the first of our “Year of Theatre” tickets last Saturday night at ACT to see BELOW THE BELT by Richard Dresser. BELOW THE BELT is directed by Pam Mackinnon, featuring Judd Hirsch, John Procaccino and R. Hamilton Wright.
BELOW THE BELT is being performed in the Allen Theatre, the same “in-the-round” theatre where I saw Sean Griffin as Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL last December. Normally, I'm a bit wary of in-the-round theaters because I usually feel, no matter where I sit, that I'm missing something. But both BELOW THE BELT and A CHRISTMAS CAROL worked really well in-the-round, and I never got the feeling I wasn't "seeing" what was going on.
From the ACT website:
Below The Belt is a farcical skewering of globalized corporate culture. Somewhere, in an anonymous factory cranking out units of some unnamed product, three men try to maintain some semblance of humanity and self despite a crushingly conformist and hypermasculine bureaucracy. Cross the sitcom The Office with Samuel Beckett, and the results might look like something like this—darkly funny, and disconcertingly familiar.
To be honest, I was originally interested in this play because Judd Hirsch was in it. My hubbie and I are big Judd Hirsch fans, and loyal followers of his tv shows, Taxi, Dear John and George and Leo. But we loved the play, and having spent a few years of my own in a large corporate setting, can say that it rang hilariously true! And it sounds like a case of art reflecting real life for the playwright:
(From an interview with Richard Dresser in the Encore Program)
Q: In an interview about why you became a playwright, you addressed your time working as a plastic molder at a plant. Did that experience shape the characters of the factory workers?
RD: My own experience working in factories - I worked at a lot of factories in New England - certainly shaped my conception of the industrial compound and the workers. One of my first factory jobs involved making the thighs of G.I. action figures. In another factory I found myself operating a plastics molding machine which produced white cones in twenty second intervals. The foreman came over the first day to see if I had any questions. My first question involved the procedure for turning off the machine, and he made it clear that was never to happen under any circumstances, even if no one came to relieve me on the next shift. My follow-up question was, "What are we making in this factory?" He stared at me and cautioned me not to be a wiseass.
You just can't make that stuff up!
Judd Hirsch was wonderful, as were R. Hamilton Wright and John Procaccino. I really enjoyed John Procaccino as Willie Stark in ALL THE KINGS MEN (at Intiman) where he was directed by Pamela MacKinnon. He just has a way of owning the stage when he enters. As the boss, Merkin, he is able to utter riduculous things, and make them honest.
BELOW THE BELT is totally worth a second viewing for us before it closes. Next up in our "Year of Theatre" odyssey, A THOUSAND CLOWNS at Intiman.
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Broadway royalty right here in Seattle!
It was a little surreal to be honest. Seriously. I was only a few rows away from Bob Mackie.
Last night I went to The 5th Avenue Theatre's Spotlight Night for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, the new musical premiering in Seattle starting July 23.
The theatre was packed, and there was a palpable electricity. Forget the fact that the event was free (yes, you heard me, free!), it was one of the most enjoyable, exciting nights in theatre I've had!
Spotlight nights are hosted by David Armstrong, the Producing Artistic Director of The 5th Avenue Theatre and are a great way to familiarize yourself with upcoming shows - hearing songs performed, learning the history behind the show, meeting the creative team, as well as gaining new, interesting perspective on shows you already know. The CATCH ME IF YOU CAN spotlight gave insight on the creation of an exciting, new musical!
The evening was divided into three acts:
Act I
The Incredible True Story!
David recounted Frank Abagnale's true crime adventures on both sides of the law and discussed this with special guest, Ken Kirkpatrick, President of US BANK, Washington State. Ken had actually hired Frank not so long ago to consult on bank security and fraud so he had lots of interesting anecdotes about this incredibly charismatic man (everyone throughout the evening commented on how charismatic Frank Abagnale is, and how he can walk into a room and suddenly command all attention!) and tips on how to avoid bank fraud - micro shredder and the uni-ball pen (it can't be erased from a cheque with acetone unlike other pens.) When Ken asked Frank whether it would be harder to pull of his fraud nowadays versus in the 60s, he said that today it would be far easier to do everything! Downloading logos, lifting signatures, wiring money...but I digress!
Act II
Meet The Dream Team
Songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (HAIRSPRAY), playwright Terrence McNally (THE FULL MONTY), director Jack O'Brien (HAIRSPRAY), choreographer Jerry Mitchell (HAIRSPRAY, LEGALLY BLONDE), musical director John McDaniel , and legendary costume designer Bob Mackie gave an inside look into how a Broadway musical is conceived and created. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman told the story of how they were looking around a bookstore and Scott saw a CATCH ME IF YOU CAN movie book on display and said, Hey how about that? So they bought it, and called Steven Spielberg the next day and they were on their way! I was most intrigued by the description of how they were taking the film and putting it on stage. They weren't going to compete with the movie's ability to show Frank's narrow escapes from the law or just put the movie on stage. Instead, The songs/scenes would be how Frank would view the characters as if they were in a big tv show spectacular. The mid 60s was the time of tv variety shows and specials, with a variety of musical styles from Frank Sinatra to The Rolling Stones. So, Marc and Scott went for a sort of Ed Sullivan Show soundtrack! It sounds very, very cool. We saw Bob Mackie's sketches for the costumes and they look absolutely fabulous. It was so special to be able to listen to this team talk about putting this show together.
The whole team agreed that four weeks of rehearsal might seem like a long time, but they have a lot of work to do so it will fly by!
Act III
Meet The Stars
Norbert Leo Butz, who plays the Tom Hanks FBI agent character Hanratty, Aaron Tveit, who plays Frank Jr., and Tom Wopat, who plays Frank Sr. all performed songs from the show (Fifty Cheques, I'm Good At What I Do, Happy Ending, Making Butter Out of Cheese, Seven Wonders). Wow, all three of these guys were amazing. I got chills!l And they also announced that Kerry Butler, and Felicia Finley (who played Linda in THE WEDDING SINGER) will be in the show. dThis is going to be an amazing cast!
Oh, and one more piece of trivia - the song that Neil Patrick Harris sang at the end of the Tony Awards night was actually written that night, over the course of the awards, by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman! They said it was like putting together a puzzle, and they had lots of options to go with depending on who won the awards (the Fonda/Honda rhyme never made it into the song!)
Hurry and get tickets to see CATCH ME IF YOU CAN live and in living color!
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Those were the days!
I was out browsing in Easy Street Records while my daughter Myrna was tapping away at Kristin Culp's Advanced Tap 3-Day Event and I happened upon
this CD in the Children's section, filed under comedy! What a gem!
Is it a coincidence that the name of the store is the same as one of the songs that Carol Burnett sang in the film version of ANNIE? I think not! But I digress...
Carol Burnett, Featuring If I could Write A Song is a combination of a record released in 1971 plus three bonus tracks that were originally released as singles -The Christmas Song, Love's The Only Game in Tow, and You're My Reason.
Other tracks include:
If I Could Write A Song, It's Too Late, Those Were The Days, Rainy Days and Mondays, Who's Sorry Now, Saturday Morning Confusion, For All We Know, Rose Garden, Try To Remember, Sunrise, Sunset and Guess Who/Turn Around, Look At Me
The Carpenters, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, THE FANTASTICKS, Carol King...sheesh, what a great collection. Boy, I do so miss the early 70s.
And what a great singer she is. I've always associated her voice with her comedy, but listening to an entire of Carol Burnett just singing? I loved it! It's called easy listening, because it is so darn easy to listen to! Duh!
From the original liner notes by Morgan Ames:
It was not until about four years ago that I realized what a lovely singer Carol Burnett is. It took that long because she doesn't make a big deal out of her singing. She doesn't hurl her voice at us dramatically, insisting on its impact. Instead, she comes over with natural sweetness and simplicity, as if to say, "Here is a song; would you like to hear it?
And as only liner notes from the seventies can say:
But the first thing this lady is...is just that: a lady - warm, real and in full flower.
One of my favorite tracks on the CD is Saturday Morning Confusion, written by Robert Russell. It reminds me of Saturday mornings when I was a kid!
From the re-release liner notes:
Saturday Morning Confusion is a charming evocation of parenting woes that Burnett, the mother of three daughter, delivers with knowing wisdom. The tune was written by Robert Russell, whose best known composition, The Nights The Lights Went Out In Georgia, was a #1 hit for Vicki Lawrence in 1973 (at the time, Lawrence was both Russell's wife and a featured performer on The Carol Burnett Show.
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I’ve got cabaret fever!
It seems every time I turn around (which is often) someone is thinking about, planning, or doing a cabaret night, or one man/woman show! Krystle Armstrong did a one woman show, Thoroughly New York, Christian Duhamel is doing a Songbook Release party, and I've heard Billie Wildrick is thinking about doing a one woman show in the fall (just to name a few). Wouldn't it be neat to have a regular place for artists to perform, for audiences to have a drink or two, to get to know a congenial host, perhaps something along the lines of Jim Caruso's Cast Party in NYC? Or how about Feinstein's at Loews Regency?
Meanwhile, self-starting Thaddeus Wilson is hosting his own one man evening of song at Amore! Thaddeus is a friend of my daughter Myrna, and also a very talented musical theatre triple threat currently appearing in SHOW BOAT at The Village Theatre (He appeared in HELLO DOLLY with Myrna at The 5th Avenue Theatre). His featured special guest, Cayman Jacobs, is playing Julie in SHOW BOAT. This sounds like an evening not to be missed!
From the facebook page:
"A Night Of Musical Theatre", is a show featuring me with songs by Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with accompaniment by Kyle Clark.
The music of the "Golden Age" is my favorite music. With that in mind I decided to dedicate every Tuesday in June to my favorite composers and lyricist. The show will range with songs from shows like South Pacific, Babes in Arms, Higher and Higher and many more!
It's at this incredible little Italian restaurant that carries amazing food, drinks, great service and a wonderful atmosphere. Musical Theatre is my passion, so I am very excited to share my talent and knowledge of musical theatre to Seattle. Shows are at 7 and 9 with a little 10 min break in the middle of the show.
Opening Night is June 23rd. There is a cover charge of 8 dollars at the door. (Soon it will be dinner and a show, all for one price) So come join me for some musical theatre fun until the end of July! For reservations visit www.tasteofamore.com.
Featured Guest: Cayman Jacobs
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I am so excited for this year’s Tony Awards!
First of all, I’m glad they are done with that whole “we don’t need a host” thing that they did last year. Every awards show needs a host! Thankfully, Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting this year! My oldest daughter Myrna is currently watching old Doogie Howser episodes, and Neil Patrick Harris looks about 6 years old on that show! He didn’t look that young when I watched it!
And that electric keyboard musical theme! But I digress..
Most of all I am thrilled that Hunter Bell is nominated for best book for TITLE OF SHOW! I still remember my “first time” at the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), sitting on wooden bench, looking down at Hunter, Jeff, Heidi and Susan perform a show I felt they wrote just for me! I also remember laughing so hard I actually fell off that wooden bench. I’ve been following them (no, not stalking, just following) ever since, reading the TITLE OF SHOW blog, watching THE TITLE OF SHOW SHOW, and even watching Hunter compete in LEGALLY BROWN: THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT PIRAGUA GUY.
So today as I was casually checking out their site, I noticed there is a “TONY VOTERS CLICK HERE” button on the site. I clicked through, only to be met with a login/password request. Foiled again! So it got me wondering – what marvels lie beyond that login page? What treats? Is it a portal into some kind of musical theatre wonderland?
Sadly, I may never know! All I know is that I’ll be tuned in to The 63rd Annual Tony Awards on CBS at 8pm on Sunday June 7, with a glass of champagne in my hand, toasting all the wonderfully talented nominees!
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Mmmm, tasty theater!
At The Village Theatre gala on May 16, we successfully bid on the live auction item, "Year Of Theatre", as well as the silent
auction item, "Seattle Men's Chorus Subscription". So I finally got around to looking in the goodie bag to see what was there:
(you can sing along...)
On the first day of gala the Village Theatre gave to me:
2 tickets to ACT
2 tickets to Intiman
2 tickets to ArtsWest
2 tickets to Seattle Musical Theatre
2 tickets to THE TEMPEST at Seattle Shakespeare Company
2 tickets to UTOPIA LIMITED at Gilbert & Sullivan Society
2 tickets to On The Boards
2 tickets to Taproot Theatre
4 tickets to Unexpected Productions
Seasons tickets to UW Drama
and Seasons tickets to Seattle Men's Chorus!
I'm really excited about all of these tickets because I've never been to most of these theaters! I've seen productions at ACT, Intiman, SMT and Seattle's Men Chorus, but that is it!
First up, Judd Hirsch in BELOW THE BELT at ACT!
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"I saw it in the window, and I just couldn't resist it"
I was (and still am) a huge fan of The Carol Burnett Show. I loved the comedy, the music, the ensemble, and the Bob Mackie costumes! I loved it when Carol Burnett would come out at the top of the show in a glamorous gown, designed by Bob Mackie of course, and answer audience questions. I still remember watching the “Went With The Wind” episode live and busting a gut when she came down the stairs. I mean, didn’t it seem a little strange in the actual movie when Scarlett comes down the stairs dressed in a perfectly tailored green velvet dress that she just happen to whip up from the curtains? They barely had any food, yet the sewing machine was in perfect working order? This costume was a perfect send up of that scene, and the curtain rod is priceless!
I’m thrilled that Bob Mackie’s “Went With The Wind” dress is becoming a permanent part of television history in the Smithsonian’s Kennedy Center Honors Collection!
From Smithsonian.com “Around The Mall – Scenes and Sightings From The Smithsonisan Museums and Beyond, May 14, 2009”
Movie parodies were always a mainstay of the Carol Burnett Show—and her 1976 Gone With the Wind takeoff is unforgettable. Between the artistry of Burnett and fashion designer Bob Mackie, it’s a comedic tour de force:
Miss Starlett, with her home and finances ravaged by the American Civil War, is visited by her beau and needs to doll up so she can work him for a little cash. Deciding to use her green velvet curtains to make a dress on the fly, Starlett meets her man in one of the grandest, most memorable entrances in television history.
Like Miss Starlett, the Smithsonian saw that Bob Mackie dress in the window and couldn’t resist it. That’s right, folks, the curtain rod dress now honors the hallowed halls of the Smithsonian as a part of the American History Museum’s Kennedy Center Honors collection. And that’s hardly something to fiddle dee dee about. Not only is the dress representative of Mackie’s decadently innovative designs, it’s a monument to the art of parody and the golden age of American comedy. dNo word yet on if and when it will go on public display, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Because, frankly, we give a damn.
And for all you Bob Mackie fans, he will be designing the costumes for the new musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN premiering at The 5th Avenue Theatre this summer in Seattle. Plus, don't miss the June 9 Spotlight Night at The 5th Avenue Theatre -- Bob Mackie will be there!
Gotta go...my banana phone is ringing! Oh, silly me!
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Will the real Frank Abagnale please stand up!
It’s funny how something you haven’t seen or thought of in years comes right back to you. During The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Gala and live auction in April, the men sang the opening song from the new musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN by Marc Shaiman (music), Scott Wittman (lyrics) and Terrence McNally (book). As soon as I heard “My name is Frank Abagnale...my name is Frank Abagnale...My name is Frank Abagnale”, the show To Tell The Truth instantly popped into my mind! (I’m guessing they start the show there and flashback...)
I hadn’t thought of that show in years! It was one of my absolute favorite shows (a list that included Beat the Clock and the Watergate Hearings...). I still remember the tune to “Do you know how to tell the truth?”. I loved the trying to figure out who the real celebrity was. And I loved the ending when the host said will the real so and so please stand up. Then the two imposters and the one real celeb would do this shuffle of almost standing up, but then sitting down again, until the real celebrity stood all the way up.
When I saw this clip of Frank Abagnale on To Tell The Truth, I wondered to myself, was it always this easy to tell who the real guy was? I mean, really! And for that matter, could a show like that still work in this day of “everyone’s face everywhere all the time”? It seems a bit weird that people didn’t know who these people were. I guess the internet has changed all that...
To tell the truth, I’m excited to see Frank Abagnale tell his story live and in living color in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN at The 5th Avenue Theatre this summer!
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"A Garden of Giving"
Or, How much is that doggie in the window?
The Fairmont Olympia Hotel in downtown Seattle was hopping last Saturday night with The Village Theatre Gala! Free champagne and helping to raise money for a theatre are the only reasons I ever put on nylon stockings anymore, so I glammed up (hubbie in a tux!) and headed out!
The auction was divided into three sections – Act I, Act II and the Live Auction plus dinner, hosted by John Curley. Act I was slighter smaller items while Act II items were larger and included lots and lots of cool wine. After Act II closed we all headed into the Spanish Ballroom for a delicious dinner and live auction.
Before the auction got underway we were entertained by Rich Gray, Bobbi Kotula, and Randy Rogel. Rich and Bobbi sang some wonderful Rich Gray songs (Don’t Go Into Show Business, The Leading Man and I Hate The Sun, to name a few). Randy is the book writer, composer and lyricist of the new musical THE GYPSY KING which will appear on the Village Theatre mainstage next season. But even more thrilling, Randy wrote the songs for one of my favorite animated shows THE ANIMANIACS! He performed Yakko’s Nations of The World song – too fantastic!
Then the auction began! Boy, John Curley is an amazing auctioneer (apparently he does more than 85 auctions a year)! He kept the evening going quickly, and did that “auctioneer” fast talking, all the while cracking jokes, and getting up close and personal with the audience. And yes, one of the live auction items was a labradoodle! What a cute puppy! (This is why you never want to drink too much at an auction! ) I ended up with a walk-on role in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS being produced at the Village Theatre next fall! So, combined with my walk-on role in ON THE TOWN at The 5th Avenue Theatre, I’m fully booked for next season!
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THE CHRISTIAN DUHAMEL SONGBOOK RELEASE PARTY!
Well, I know where I’m going to be on Monday June 8 at 11pm! No, not happily sleeping in bed, but at Martin’s Off Madison in Seattle, happily listening to local artists singing the music from Christian Duhamel’s new songbook, HERE WITH ME. Yes, I know I need my beauty sleep, but this is more important!
Christian Duhamel is an extremely talented Seattle-based actor, singer, dancer, writer, musician, director, musical director and teacher. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Christian on my Adventure Musical Theatre musical THE MERCER GIRLS – Christian was involved in the very first workshop and is now touring with THE MERCER GIRLS cast as “the man of many hats” (and voices), piano player and musical director. Christian also appeared in The 5th Avenue’s production of SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS as one of the high-kicking and high-jumping suitors!
I was first aware of Christian’s great songwriting talent when I went to see his musical A BEAUTIFUL END at the Freehold Theatre in Seattle this past January.
From the Release Party facebook page:
Join us to celebrate the release of "Here With Me - A Collection of Songs By Christian Duhamel". A concert of local artists singing the music of Christian Duhamel will begin at 11:00 p.m. Tickets will be sold in advance for $5 and a $5 bar/food minimum is required. Martin's Off Madison's Happy Hour will be in effect so come join us for food and drinks prior to and during the concert. Songbooks (including an accompaniment CD) will be available at the concert and can also be purchased in advance for $25. Contact Charissa Bertels at charissa.bertels@gmail.com to purchase tickets and/or songbooks.
Get your tickets now. I hear they are going like “hotcakes”!
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Dear Mister Mercer...
The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Adventure Musical Theatre (AMT) program put on a performance of my musical THE MERCER GIRLS for donors at Downstairs at the 5th on Tuesday May 12. Very, very exciting! The 5th Avenue Theatre commissioned me (Suzy Conn) to write the book, lyrics and music for a new musical based on the true story of The Mercer Girls, eleven women who travelled from the east coast to Seattle in 1864.
THE MERCER GIRLS is still on tour around Washington state schools, but the cast (Charissa Bertels, Jason Kappus, Christian Duhamel, Jon Lutyens, Anne Kennedy, Sara Parish, Elise Campello, and stage manager Jen Geisler) made a pit stop at DAT5 to do their 95th performance of the show!
We started with a lovely wine and cheese reception beforehand, and then David Armstrong and Bill Berry introduced the show, talking a bit about the AMT program in general, and THE MERCER GIRLS specifically. This is the 15th year of AMT, and in their first year they only performed at 20 schools!
It was great to see the amazing set again, and marvel at how the cast sets it up and packs it away after every performance and stuffs it into a van with all the costumes and props!
The show was awesome! The last time I saw THE MERCER GIRLS performed was back in the first week of the tour, and the show has gotten so much tighter and everything is humming along like a well-oiled musical machine! It was extremely rewarding to see the show so beautifully performed. They only have two more weeks of shows before the run is over. I’m going to miss this cast, so I’m definitely going to catch another school performance!
Thanks to the cast, crew and everyone involved at The 5th Avenue Theatre for making THE MERCER GIRLS a success!
Next year AMT will be touring JOURNEY WEST (the Lewis and Clark story) in rep with BEST OF NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF. I am proud to say that my musical version of LARRY GOT LOST IN SEATTLE made the cut and will be part of BEST OF NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF!
For more information and to book an AMT show at your school, contact Anya Rudnick at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
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