GRIGWARE INTERVIEWS

Interview with BWW Award Winner Olivia d'Abo

2012-02-10T03:35:00.000-08:00

interview here March 1!

news article: Musical Theatre LA to Present Gala Concert of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

2012-02-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

On February 15 at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills for one night only renowned Musical Theatre of Los Angeles will present a benefit Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: In Concert!
Starring as Joseph will be Broadway sensation David Burnham, who appeared in the national tour as Joseph, and special guest TV and film star Lorenzo Lamas will make a rare stage appearance as Pharaoh. They will be backed by a full-size Broadway orchestra and a 60 member youth choir. Joseph will be directed by Mark Rozzano with musical direction by Greg Haake, choreography and musical staging by Jim Borstelmann and Colette Brandenburg. James Lent serves as assistant musical director and Jonas Sills as youth vocal director and associate producer.

Not content with remounting traditional Broadway musicals traditionally, Musical Theatre of Los Angeles (MTLA), under the artistic direction of Bonnie McMahan - who along side Aaron Jacobs is co-executive producing this event - have consistently striven to bring extraordinary values and fresh perspectives to each musical they produce. Both popular and critical successes in the past have included Blood Brothers, West Side Story, Cabaret and their most recent production of Chess, a spectacular musical event, also in concert, which was extended multiple times in 2010 and played to SRO audiences, every performance. From top to bottom MTLA is committed to creating the best musical theatre in LA. It prides itself in always presenting the best actors as well as a top-notch behind the scenes creative team.

David Burnham

Lorenzo Lamas

The Honorary Host Committee for Joseph include such luminaries as Jack and Lindy Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Bryan Cranston, Sally Struthers, Judy Norton, and Nia Vardalos among others. On Wednesday the 15th there will be a special technicolor red carpet arrival at the Saban at 6: 30 pm, followed by the concert at 8:00 pm, and then assisting Josh Groban's Find Your Light Foundation, there will follow a very special VIP Post Concert Event, which will include the participation of Swing Dames, the MTLA dancers and Sons of August.

Tickets: Orchestra: $100; Mezzanine: $70; Balcony: $25.

VIP Tickets (includes show, post-reception, hosted bar and food): $150

LOCATION: Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211

*Cocktail Attire Required

visit:

www.musicaltheatrela.org

www.plays411.com/dreamcoat

for tix

2012 Interview with BWW Award Winner Emrhys Cooper

2012-01-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

British actor Emrhys Cooper is riding high after a guest appearance on ABC TV's Desperate Housewives and after winning BWW's Person to Watch for 2012 based on his electrifying performance onstage in Entertaining Mr. Sloane. I had to call out a few tricks just to keep up with his amazing energy, but over our lunch he pretty much crystallized his philosophy of acting that will assuredly engulf him in success over the next several years, here ...and internationally.

Let's start with a little background info. Where were you born?

I'm actually from Devon, the southwest of the UK. It has a very small population, a farming town. I moved to London when I was 16 and went to the Laine Theater Arts College on scholarship. It's a performing arts school, the British equivalent of Julliard. I trained there for 3 years, got a degree and also learned how to sing, dance and act. I graduated with honors at age 19 and went straight into performing professionally.

You came to the US two and a half years ago, after many credits in London and formed your own production company. Tell me about that.

I've always been very creative, and I kind of feel as an actor you don't just wait for the phone to ring, so I thought, I have entrepreneurial skills and I believe in my many talented friends, and I luckily met some great investors that were interested in pursuing making movies. I set up a production company called Dream It Productions. We think outside the box; I'm not copying, I'm learning myself. We've done two movies since we formed a year ago. I'm not pretending I'm Einstein, but I'm learning as I go. I'm really enjoying producing as well as acting and performing. It gives me a bit of power, it gives me creativity and control...I get to find wonderful directors and writers and actors, and I get to put a whole project together. That's the production side of things. And I was honestly doing that because I wasn't necessarily busy as a performer, but in the last 8 months I've become way more busy performing, and it's been very hard for me to focus on producing. I came here to perform and now I'm back doing it a lot.

When you read a script, what do you look for?

I'm looking for something that is so different, it has to blow me away.I don't believe in mediocre; it has to be phenomenal. There are so many scripts...it either has to get me thinking or...you know 20-30 pages in, don't you? It's hard for me, because a lot of my friends are writers and they pitch me projects. It's hard for me to say no, but by the end of the day, if I'm not interested, I'm not going to lead someone on. I can't take on too many projects; I only want to take on something I really believe in 100%.

costarring in his own co-production of film walk a mile in my pradas

Were you influenced by classic films?

To be honest with you, I grew up watching old-time movies. I fell in love with the industry; I fell in love with those actors. I grew up watching the classics; Fred Astaire I watched over and over again. I was more drawn to the classics than to the new films, which was strange. Now I love watching everything. They had such magnificent performances; they were so breathtaking. I don't know if we necessarily have those kind of performances now. There are the occasional ones, but the movies are more effects driven or concept driven. Those long shots, those long scenes were not getting cut; they weren't cut around those things; they were real performances. So I did learn a lot; they've been a huge influence on me.

What about the West End stage? How did it affect you?

I basically grew up in a small town. I remember my first ever experience was watching the Royal Shakespeare Company when I was maybe 12 years old. Before then, I hated Shakespeare. I found it very hard to tolerate, being a kid. My father was a Shakespearean actor and would drag me to the theatre to see Macbeth for example. I've seen every single Shakespeare play probably over 20 times. I mean, it was ridiculous, I hated...

Is your father still acting?

Yeah, he is. He's just done Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. He's really good.

What's his name?

Christopher Cooper...Anyway, it was very embarrassing for me as a kid, as my father was always dressing up in drag, playing random characters, and my friends were always kind of shocked by it. Embarrassing, but then as I got older, I realized that's what I was becoming, and instead of fighting it, I kind of liked it. I remember watching my cousin Hermione Guliford, who actually was the lead in the Royal Shakespeare Company for 10 years, playing in A Midsummer Night's Dream. I was blown away and I remember that was one of the moments when I realized that I was destined to be an actor. I watched countless western shows and musicals. I remember another moment when I was a kid, watching Fame, The Musical and I said to my mom as soon as I finished it, "That's what I'm going to do". And oddly enough my first ever audition out of drama school was for Fame and I booked it. I did the national tour of Fame.

Your mother was a dancer, correct?

She did a kind of dancing called eurythmic, a new age form of dance. She never really performed that much; it was more teaching. Both my parents have performing instincts and were performers at some point in their lives. Luckily, they encouraged me. Some kids aren't as fortunate as I was. They always supported my belief in performing and backed me 100%. I didn't come from much money, but my grandparents supported my dancing; they paid for my acting classes and everything.

How did you happen to pick the play Entertaining Mr. Sloane last season?

Good question. It's funny, because I actually am friends with Stan Zimmerman, the director. He said he wanted to direct a play and said "Emrhys, I really want to direct you as Sloane in Entertaining Mr. Sloane. You'd be perfect!" I bought the play, read it and loved it. It resonated with me and was so excited about it. It took a bit of time and I let it kind of like grow on me and I kept thinking about it. It took about 8 months and I spoke to a couple of other people about it, and my belief in it and his belief in it and our excitement about it, I guess translated to producers wanting to produce it. Such fantastic actors, and there's just a great energy about it. Stan's number one choice to play Ed was Ian Buchanan. Neither of us knew him; we contacted him through a mutual friend. He said he loved the play, he met him and then he was on board. Stan had been writing a pilot for Olivia (d'Abo) and he loved working with her. When her name actually came up as a British actress, a lot of people said she was too pretty.We thought she was too good-looking to play this dowdy woman. When we met her, she had such energy and passion to play Kath and had such a belief in her and was desperate to play her. She wasn't afraid to look bad; she's a real character actress. And then Robin Gammell came in. Every actor was so behind it. And we had such great chemistry, all four of us, I think that translated on the stage.

Yes, indeed! And you're going to remount it?

I'm pretty sure it will come back in the next few months due to popular demand.

How does it feel winning the BWW (BroadwayWorld) Award as Person to Watch in 2012?

It's honestly such an incredible feeling. I'm still over the moon about it. I have a thing called a Dream Fund in my house. There are a couple of dreams I'd put in of what I'd like to do in 2012. And one of them was to win an acting award. So, I manifested it. I want people to watch my career and take notice of me, and I'm ready for it. I'm delighted and grateful to everyone who voted for me. I don't know who you are, but thank you!

What else is coming up with Dream It Productions?

In Dream It, there are 2 singer/songwriters and I'm helping to produce their music. I'm kind of managing them in a way. It looks like we may get a couple of other movies made this year. And a movie called The Lucifer Effect, a horror film, is probably coming out this summer. We're busy and it's evolving into whatever it's supposed to evolve into. A lot of people are getting behind it. Realistically, though, I came to LA to be a performer, and that is my primary focus. Everything else is a secondary thing right now.

You had mentioned the possibility of doing Sleuth on stage. Is that perhaps a plan after the remounting of Sloane?

Yes, Ian (Buchanan) and I are talking about doing it...maybe after Sloane. It's challenging for 2 actors; there are a lot of twists and turns, and the role I play, you get to see the sexy side and the investiga(tive)...you get to see lots of different sides to me and as an actor, that's exciting.

(photo credit: scott hoover)

You remind me somewhat of a young Michael Caine. Is he an idol?

I wouldn't say an idol, but I certainly admire him. He's a great actor.

What else is in the works?

I'd love to do a musical. I've done three of them already...maybe next year.

Tell me about the movie you're doing in March in Bollywood?

Kushtura. I'm the first ever Western male actor to go off to Bhutan, near the Himalayas. It's a beautiful love story. It's about an American who thinks he's going to die and he goes over there. It's sweet and romantic. This woman is about to kill herself; basically, I save her, she saves me, and I end up not dying. It has a great happy ending, and, it's not a musical per se, but there's a few song and dance numbers along the way. And the King of Bhutan is one of the producers. I'm very excited about it.

early ballet
(photo credit: emily sandifer)

What do you believe is your mission as a performer?

To inspire people to keep believing their dream and just go for it. I'd like them to look at my journey, and see that all my hard work has gotten me to where I am and wherever I'm going. Don't let obstacles get in the way!

Emrhys Cooper is definitely a Person to Watch. He has tremendous talent, drive and ambition. And by the way, like me, he loves The Artist and thinks it deserves to win Best Picture. Watch for this young blazing talent on stage or in a movie theater near you! Emrhys Cooper: I predict great things for him.

Interview with Iris Rainer Dart, Artie Butler & Mike Stoller Composers of The People in the Picture

2011-12-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

The Tony nominated musical The People in the Picture's cast album has just been released on the Kritzerland label. To honor that release the musical's composers Mike Stoller and Artie Butler and librettist Iris Rainer Dart shared their feelings about the various challenges of writing and mounting The People in the Picture.

Dart, who also wrote the novel and screenplay for the cult hit Beaches, had this to say:

"I wanted to write a story about the power of laughter. Both my mother and my father were immigrants. My mother came to America from Russia and my father from Lithuania. My father put himself through college and became a social worker in a settlement house in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a neighborhood which was later made famous by August Wilson in his now beloved plays. We had no money. We were always behind on payments to the phone company, the utilities and the grocery store. But the great thing was that we had something money couldn’t buy. A group sense of humor that enabled us to laugh at all adversity. Nearly all of my memories of my childhood are about laughing, telling jokes and singing. The Yiddish culture was an enormous part of it. The exquisite humor of that culture was woven into the fabric of our lives. It was growing up knowing about Yiddish films, songs and theater that made me a comedy writer and it was the same sensibility that inspired the great comics and comedy writers of the bygone eras.
As I researched the power of laughter, I learned that the ability to have a sense of humor even during the horrific times of adversity was a characteristic of the Jews. I found that surprisingly there were jokes told in the ghettos and the concentration camps that had a particular dark sensibility that astounded and fascinated me. So I decided to create a character who was the star and creator of Yiddish films in Thirties Poland and tell her heroic story through the war years, culminating in 70s New York where she is a grandmother, with a grandchild eager to hear her Bubbie’s (The Yiddish word for grandmother) stories and a daughter who resists hearing them."

Her challenges?

artie butler, iris dart, mike stoller

"The challenges with this show came with going directly to Broadway with no opportunity to experiment with what should and shouldn’t stay in the show. We were lucky to have Donna Murphy, a giant Broadway star, and that was a blessing. And to work at Roundabout, the fantastic and generous not-for-profit behind us. But it would have been nice to be more able to have time to experiment, which a Broadway opening doesn’t afford the writers."

Co-musical composer Artie Butler shared the following:

"The main thrust of the project for me was making sure that the score sounded absolutely seamless musically. This is due to the fact that the score is composed by two composers who in life are very friendly with each other, but musically each brings his own warmth and humor to the show. It was truly an adventure of laughter and crying for me. I know it was for Mike as well."

Mike Stoller, of the famous Leiber (Jerry) and Stoller combo is currently still working on projects that he and Leiber, now deceased, began. One is about the life of Oscar Wilde and the other, based on the novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. He added his thoughts on The People in the Picture:

"At first I thought...although I am Jewish, I was not raised in a particularly religious, Jewish family. So I thought that might be a challenge, and yet it proved not to be. However, early on, I invited a dear friend Artie Butler to join me on the project. I have known him for 50 years. It was a very joyful experience to both be working on this wonderful project. "
Why didn't the show become more successful and have a longer run on Broadway?
"This is a very personal feeling. Almost every evening when I was in the theatre, people walked out with tears in their eyes. They were very touched and moved. I think some critics view that with suspicion when anything is that touching.There's nothing wrong with sentiment, but I fear they view it as sentimentality rather than sentiment. Frequently there were Q and A's after the show, and many people from the audience stayed. They loved the show, including children of holocaust survivors. It's a touchy subject, but I think it was handled very well. Iris Dart is a wonderful, wonderful writer. Our collaboration was a dream."

To order this moving recording, visit:
http://www.kritzerland.com/peoplePicture.htm

Interview with Iris' Atherton Twins

2011-12-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

Interview early 2012!

Interview with Actor/Playwright Doug Haverty

2011-12-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

Actor/playwright Doug Haverty has had a very busy 2011 both on stage and off. He discusses the local productions given his musical iGhost and play Next Window, Please and his acting roles in two GRT productions: the recently closed Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and the upcoming My Three Angels, set to open December 9.

Tell me about the challenges of producing your musical iGhost.

Our production of iGhost (inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost, but a complete departure from it) was very challenging and rewarding for everyone involved. As we - Adryan Russ is my collaborator on this piece; she providing music, I wrote the book and we co-wrote the lyrics - were developing the piece and doing workshop presentations, we were gifted by the performances of many talented actors. This was a very ambitious project with a cast of thirteen requiring period costumes as well as contemporary costumes; dancing and singing. We were also blessed with some extraordinary collaborators on our creative team. And, of course, we owe so much to our director, Jules Aaron. We did a lot of work on the book, prior to production and a good deal of work while in rehearsal. Jules was a saint and actually brought to the production both our choreographer and our set/lighting designer. Jules and I had worked together before on the world premiere of Could I Have This Dance at the Colony and I think the world of him. He really conjurs up a vision of the entire theatrical experience and he is an excellent dramaturg. Not long after the Colony premiere (which was very well received and gathered many awards for all involved —including my script being named Best New Play by the American Theater Critics) I was offered an Off Off Broadway production at the Village Theatre Company in Manhattan. They said I could have any director I wanted. Naturally, the first person I called was Jules. And even though it was New York in August/September, and even though Jules had already planned a trip to Italy for that exact time slot, he said yes. Jules also directed a production of our musical Inside Out (also co-written with Adryan Russ) at the Laguna Playhouse; a production that came about as a result of Jules’ suggestion to then Artistic Director, Andrew Barnicle. So, to put it mildly, we were thrilled that Jules could find the time to helm this production and he did so, clearly, because he thinks it has great commercial potential.

Looking back, I’d have to say that the main challenge we had was time. We were working under the Equity 99 Seat contract and we followed those rules religiously. And we had scheduling challenges; 13 actors, all with conflicts (previous commitments, work, callbacks, etc.). We also spent the first half of the rehearsal period working on the set of the current show at the Lyric (which included 3 trailers as it was a trailer park musical). So, some smaller scenes were fine, but it was hard to choreograph dance production numbers in that confining set-up. There were the standard stress flurries associated with any new show, compounded by the time constraints and eventually some personality conflicts arose, but everyone really seemed to believe in the piece, so we made it through all that.

Adryan and I had had some success with our six women musical, Inside Out, in part because it was easy to produce: no set requirements, just six chairs. So, when we started to work on iGhost, we thought big. We wanted a large (two-story) set, and special effects and flying. With the production at the Lyric, we were able to see how the show can be presented in smaller venues (which, most likely, will be how many future productions will be presented).

One of the best things to come out of this production is Richard Berent’s arrangements. He creates tracks that augment a live piano. So, while he was playing the show live, he would also initiate tracks to enhance the sound. And, in addition to being a brilliant musician, he is also a writer and artist himself. He treated our material with such respect and reverence. He examined each scene and the characters involved and came up with a different sound for each musical number. Yet, he restricted himself to the sound of a small orchestra. So, instead of computerized-sounding “strings,” he used one violin, one cello, one viola, one bass giving the entire score a truly unique sound. And now we’ll have use of those arrangements and tracks for future productions.

That's wonderful. And I know how successful the show turned out to be with many weekends completely sold out. Now let's talk about your play Next Window, Please.

Next Window, Please was a joy from beginning to end. We had done a series of readings at The Group Rep using their company members. When we were finally ready to go into production, two of those actresses (Group Rep is a membership company and tries to cast each show entirely from their membership) were not available. So, we sought actors from outside the company and found Shelby Kocee (from Theatre 40) and Bianca Giselle (from The Road). Trisha Hershberger, Gina Yates, Kady Douglas had all done previous readings. Stephanie Colet and Christopher Wolfe had literally just joined the company. The director, Richard Alan Woody, and I completely agreed on the casting. Little did we know that we had put together an incredible force of nature. These seven people bonded immediately and developed a camaraderie the likes of which I’ve never witnessed. Every rehearsal was like a reunion of longtime friends. We were very lucky to get this cast and most of the positive comments we received were about the cast and how wonderful they were as actors and as an ensemble.

Next Window, Please came out of my experiences from working for various banks. I knew from the start, that this might not be the great American drama, but taking heed of “write what you know,” I thought I’d explore this chapter of my life. I was not looking to create a pot-boiling, full-of-intrigue, Moneychangers storyline. I was interested in showing the community that thrives on the other side of the plexiglass. And although the action takes place in a bank, it could be any office situation. I was actually robbed while I was working at a bank on Hollywood Boulevard. And my robbery was similar to the one that occurs in the play; almost benevolent. Maybe that’s not the best choice for a dramatic setting, but that’s how it happened and that is how the banks want them to happen; they don’t want gunshots and ambulances.

I started developing this play more than seven years ago. And even when I was working in banking there were always mergers. So, I thought it would be interesting to show employees confronting the merger and instead of just accepting the layoffs that are handed down, show people taking their fates into their own hands and making their own decisions. Little did I know that after the financial downturn of 2008, this play would become so “current.” While we were in production, Bank of America announced a huge layoff. One of the other comments we received was how timely the play was. Our director invited people from the banking industry in to see the play and they all concurred that it was very true and consistent. One V.P. from Bank of America said, “it’s almost too real.”

In one of my last conversations with The Group Rep’s founding Artistic Director, Lonny Chapman, he suggested the insertion of monologues for the women. He suggested we break the fourth wall and have each teller come up, one at a time, and instead of saying “May I help you?” tell us something that we never expected, something they may not have shared with their co-workers. So, I had each teller answer an unasked question: What was the most exhilarating day of your life? And what was the worst thing that happened to you? Audiences really seemed to appreciate these monologues.

I totally agree. They were definitely riveting. Do you prefer writing musicals or plays?

Writing musicals is very difficult. For one thing, at least in my case, it has to be done with a collaborator (or collaborators). I’ve been fortunate to have good experiences with the few musicals I’ve written. I’ve written three musicals now with Adryan Russ and we get along famously. We’re working on two more. But they take a lot of time. Adryan and I met in the Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop (now called ANMT) when Lehman Engel actually flew out from New York to teach. He ran the BMI workshop in New York as well. When he came to to Los Angeles for the first time, he was astounded at how many writers turned up to take his workshop. He tried everything he could to dissuade us from embarking on this writing nightmare. He asked of the 300+ people in attendance how many of us fancied ourselves as bookwriters. About 75 people raised their hands and he was flabbergasted. He made us stand up. He said referring to us nervous would-be bookwriters standing, “Ladies and Gentlemen, these are the STUPIDEST people in the room! Why would you want to write the book for a musical? If, by any chance, the musical works, the book is the last thing to be acknowledged. Yet if the musical doesn’t work, for whatever reason, the book is always the first place they point the blame. Now, you’re already standing. No one will think anything less of you if you leave right now. In fact, go downstairs and buy a lottery ticket. You have a better chance at winning the lottery than you do in writing a hit musical.” No one left. We sat down, stayed and survived the entire workshop. I guess there is something about attempting the near impossible that fascinates us. Even that we write theater pieces defies logic and common sense. Each year there is less and less of a chance to have anything produced. Even though musicals are generally popular with audiences, the tendency is to mount known shows, revivals. So, we’re always competing with the past catalog. Personally, I love creating musicals. When they work, there’s nothing like it. They take a lot more effort and revising them is even more difficult if those revisions dictate a change in music, lyrics or structure. When a song works, it’s very satisfying. But it’s a huge time commitment (at least it’s proven to be that way for me).

Now let's switch gears and talk about Doug Haverty the actor. What was it like taking over the role of the judge in And Then There Were None?

Ten days before And Then There Were None opened this year at The Group Rep, the director Shira Dubrovner asked me if I would understudy the role of Judge Wargrave. The actor playing the role requested an understudy because his health was failing, he was working full-time and taking care of his wife, who was also in ill health. I agreed with the understanding that I would be guaranteed one weekend of performances. Two days later, the actor was too ill to rehearse, so I stepped in and stumbled through the play with the actors pushing me around like a ping pong ball. Then the next night I was called in again. Two days later the actor withdrew and the director informed me that I would assume the role. This was six days prior to opening with a preview in four days. Judge Wargrave is in all three acts and has a pretty fair amount of dialogue. But, somehow, I did it. The play went into my brain. It did not always come out in the right order though. My fellow actors were great, offering to run lines with me or run scenes, come in early, stay late. In short, this was not an ideal situation for anyone concerned, but it was a challenge and therefore exhilarating. We opened and I did the entire run. As a writer, I had new appreciation for Dame Agatha Christie. Her plotting and characters are sublime. As a teenager, I read her books and, most likely, her writing instilled in me a love of true “characters” and their various idiosyncrasies.

What about My Three Angels? Are you having fun?

Again, for me, the fun is in being part of the team. This is a wonderful cast and a joy to work with all of them. I’ve never worked with Larry Eisenberg as a director and he is very creative and daring and likes to explore different options, which I find informative, challenging and fascinating. We may do a scene one way, pretty much the way everyone assumes it should be done. And he’ll throw us a curve ball and add a different intention to see if it plays better or more intriguingly. Larry strives to have everyone believable in their roles and makes that the top goal. It’s a wonderfully quirky play; not your typical Christmas fare, but we’re hoping people will like that aspect and enjoy this refreshing departure from the standard holiday faire.

My Three Angels takes place on an island in the Caribbean at Christmas. The temperature varies between 104 and 105 degrees. My character and his wife and daughter have recently been relocated to this island, originally coming from France. Sam and Bella Spewack’s script is delightful on the surface and the subtext is quite intricate and deep. A lot happens in a very short time, none of it predictable. It’s not unlike It’s A Wonderful Life in its tone and underlying message.

What else is new? What does your work entail with Kritzerland?

I have been a graphic artist since college when I worked for the student body association doing posters for concerts, speakers, dances and other on campus events. I’ve worked at three record companies and my most recent full-time job was as Vice President of Creative Services for All American Music, where I was in charge of all visuals: package design, advertising, merchandising and videos. Fortunately, with my years in the music industry the executives I reported to were understanding and allowed me to take off work when I had new plays going into production. In 1998 I opened my own graphic design studio (out of a spare bedroom in my house) and it’s gone fairly well. I had built up a lot of contacts while working in the industry.

Since 1999, I have worked with Bruce Kimmel (and his various labels: Varese Sarabande, Fynsworth Alley and now, Kritzerland). We just released our 100^th CD on Kritzerland. I also maintain the Kritzerland website, which is actually a commercial website where the CDs are sold. Kritzerland specializes in re-issues of classic film scores, some of which have never been on CD or have been newly re-mastered. Sometimes we get stills from the studios, but many times I have to find them. I’ve had very good luck rummaging through the collected stills at Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee in North Hollywood (with a huge thank you to Claire there who maintains the archive).

Kritzerland just released a CD from 13 year old Melody Hollis called Melodyland. I’ve seen Melody in action and she is a force to be reckoned with and one of the most together people on the planet. It was a pleasure to design her CD as well as Jason Graae’s latest Perfect Hermany. I’ve known (and admired) Jason for years and when our musical was presented at the Disney/ASCAP workshop, he was the first person we called and he jumped in and helped us present there (and was hysterical as always).

I have also done design work lately for LML Music, which specializes primarily in vocal albums. I just completed working on Susan Egan’s latest (and brilliant) CD The Secret of Happiness co-produced with Georgia Stitt. Recent CDs have also been designed for: Lea Salonga, Tom Wopat, David Burnham, Teri Ralston, Melora Hardin, Ray Jessel, Robyn Spangler, Steve Ross and Shaynee Rainbolt.

Just this past week, we completed the design for the first release of the Broadway Cast Recording of The People In The Picture with Donna Murphy (which is due out in mid-December). I also just completed the design for an unusual soundtrack for ZhuZhu Pets’ “Quest for Zhu” which is an animated quartet of singing squirrels, not unlike the Chipmunks. They are a huge phenomenon with kids around the world and had a float in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I have worked with “Weird Al” Yankovic since 1992 and I recently designed a series of “baseball cards” for him that are selling like hotcakes on the internet and at Al’s concerts.

One of the hardest projects I’ve had to do in years, is a re-design of my own Off Broadway Cast Recording of Inside Out. It’s very hard when it’s your own baby and no matter what I came up with, none of us were happy (“us” being my co-writer Adryan Russ and our re-release producer, Bruce Kimmel). Eventually, I hit on something we all liked and it featured our stunning Cherry Lane cast on the front cover.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
As you can see Doug Haverty has little time to be bored with anything. He works diligently and gets great results. Look for future productions of iGhost, pick up Kritzerland cds - remember he designed the covers - and see this prolific man live onstage in My Three Angels beginning December 7.
visit:
www.thegrouprep.com for into on My Three Angels

Interview with Singer Lyn Stanley

2011-11-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

Singer Lyn Stanley will appear at Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's on Sunday November 27. She has an amazingly diversified background to share with us.

Tell me about your background, which, I understand has taken a shift twice in totally divergent directions, from businesswoman to pro champion dancer to singer.

Unfortunately, I did not come from a performance family background and, if you could sing, it was not really thought of as a viable profession to earn a living, so not encouraged. However, I did become known as the teen in the neighborhood who played Judy Garland's Carnegie Hall album and sang her heart out when doing cleaning chores around the house.

After graduating from college with a BA in Communications, I began a ten year career working for major advertising agencies handling some top brands, including Universal Studios and Amphitheatre, Hilton Hotels, Mattel Toys and others. I then moved to the client-side and worked for other big brands managing their marketing efforts. I decided to accelerate my credentials and received a masters degree in Communications from Cal State Fullerton with a high GPA and then applied to one university, Michigan State, and was accepted in a doctoral program in Communications Arts and Sciences. Teaching became a way of life for me, and my practical background and experience became very useful in this career.

How did dancing play into your schedule?

My children were young at this time, so I had a lot of priorities with teaching, studying and family duties. But, when I knew I was grounded, I allowed myself one extra-curricular activity: I took up a social ballroom dance class for one hour a week, and loved it. As life seems to connect the dots, I continued to find social ballroom classes after I left Michigan and moved to Atlanta Georgia. It is there that I first saw competitive ballroom dancers practicing and found a partner willing to help me get training. For the first time, I was introduced to a professional dancer and teacher in International Standard style (where dancers are always attached, and ladies wear long gowns and men wear tail suits). This style is considered the "Cadillac" in the industry because you are physically attached to your partner at all times doing five dances, waltz, tango, foxtrot, quickstep and Viennese Waltz. So, now I had both a Pro/Am partnership and an Amateur partnership and began to compete with both of them. A year later, my new amateur partner and I won a 2004 Bronze national title and I was placing as a finalist with my Pro/Am partner. I was now IN and hooked.

My dance career, as an amateur, led me to winning or becoming a finalist in competitions as my experience level increased to the highest level an amateur can compete without becoming a professional, called Open Gold. In 2010 I won three events in Open Gold International Standard, and to do this I had to dance over 60 rounds in less than three hours (some rounds were three dances each, some were five). It was a physical challenge but extremely rewarding because the judges in 2010 at the National Dancesport Championship in Orlando Florida were stellar. On the panel were two professional world champion finalists--one was Denmark born Charlotte Jorgensen, the professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars first and second seasons as John O'Hurley's partner. The other was Glenn Weiss. Both have been my coaches and are amazing dancers.

And how did you transition to singing?

An odd story. I was living in Rancho Palos Verdes at the time, and I attended a concert where Paul T. Smith was playing, and he was 88 at the time. I just could not believe what I was hearing. Musical candy--fluid, amazing agility, timing...I had to meet this guy and moved from the back of the open-air ocean view concert to a seat in the front row right in the middle. I went backstage after he performed and shook his hand--dancers do this to get a feel for the musicality of a partner--and then I went home and looked him up on the Internet. He was Ella Fitzgerald's accompanist for eleven years, produced several albums with her, and he also worked with a line up of other greats including Sammy Davis Jr, Sarah Vaughn and many, many more. The article stated that Paul played regularly at the Terranea Resort Hotel, so I went to his next gig there and met him again. Only this time, I had my business card in hand because I discovered his wife was Annette Warren (the voice of Ava Gardner in the movie Showboat), and she was a vocal coach. I asked that he give her my card to see if I had a voice. (My mom had suggested I sing in a choir not long before.) She called, tested me and said "...so you don't think you have a voice? You've got to be kidding,." The next thing I knew within five months (February 2011) I had my singing debut with the Paul Smith Trio and sang seven songs. I once told Paul I had only sung in the shower, and he commented back "..lucky shower." To this day, he and Annette are my among biggest fans and supporters.

From a video I had recorded during my performance with Paul, I submitted an audition tape to the International Cabaret Conference at Yale University. This is an open call program and I was selected to be one of the 27 performers for their 2011 conference. The feedback from the teachers at this conference, including Amanda McBroom, Tovah Feldshun, Sally Mayes, Sharon McKnight, Erv Raible and Julie Wilson gave me the confidence that I should pursue a career in singing. So, here I am now with a one-woman show called Makin' Whoopee!

Who are your singing idols?

My idols in singing are Ella Fitzgerald (what an instrument!--AND I have heard she wanted to be a dancer...go figure?), Etta James for her down to earth R&B groove style, Anita O'Day for just jazz, Amanda McBroom and Tovah Feldshun for Cabaret performance excellence, Judy Garland for inspiring me. Doris Day had a way with singing words that brings out so much emotion. Peggy Lee--wow, calm, sweet and sexy. To me, Barbara Streisand has given singers a new bar to reach, and I admire her. Of course, I love so many of the men too, but like everyone else, love the lyric phrasing of Frank Sinatra.

What kind of style have you adopted as a singer?

I am skirting with both Cabaret and Jazz. I think there is a place for emotion-stirring singers in both. Paul Smith has told me Ella could not remember lyrics to songs, so she developed scat as a technique to help her finish the songs when lyrics were not available to her. I do not think you can achieve the same kind of emotional communication in scat that you can in the lyrics written by the finest poets in the American songbook. Cabaret is a completely unique art form and requires many skills to deliver well. I think it is the highest form of song interpretation for an artist because you must both act the role in the song, enhance the melody with voice and drive home the lyrics with a feeling to each audience member that is personalized.

Tell me about your program for November 27 at Sterling's.

My program will be around dancing and Makin' Whoopee love song themes that range from fun to frustration! My arrangements are by Bill Schneider and Tamir Hendelman. Bill has a great feel for Cabaret work (he plays for Janis Paige too) and Tamir is the newest jazz piano star working with his trio and has been an accompanist to Barbara Streisand and, most recently, Natalie Cole for PBS specials.

The show's songs will include American songbook selections from the 20s, 30s including "Makin' Whoopee", "Love Me or Leave Me" (both are Gus Kahn and Walter Donaldson), "Funny Valentine"/"More Than You Know" arrangement, "One For My Baby" with "The Man I Love" arrangement. Songs from musicals will include "Hernando's Hideaway" (a tango), a NEW LYRIC I have written to go to the song "Arthur--in the afternoon" from the 1970s play "The Act." I have adapted the lyrics to this quickstep tempo tune for social dancer taking lessons with her Arthur--Arthur Murray. Another new British musical song, not yet well known here in the US I am including is called "In a Disney Way." It is very funny. I am also including a beautiful waltz tune written by Buffy St. Marie in the 1970s entitled "Until It's Time for You to Go," We will also include "Fever" and a Michele LeGrand/Bergman song called "Pieces of Dreams/Little Boy Lost."

I understand you are donating a part of the earnings on the 27th to charity? Which one?

Yes, To Adolescents in Action, an education program for a teen drug treatment program in Malibu called Visions. I will always donate a portion of my earnings to a local drug educational program for children or teens wherever I perform. I was able to donate to Betty Ford Foundation's Children's Program from my October 30th performance in Palm Desert.

That's wonderful...and what a great assortment of tunes we will all enjoy! Remember: Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's on Sunday November 27.
for reservations,
call:
818 754-8700

Interview with Juliet Landau

2011-10-31T10:40:00.001-07:00

Actress Juliet Landau, best known to television audiences for her portrayal of Drusilla in 17 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) is currently co-starring in John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea @ Crown City Theatre through December 18. In our chat the actress, who is a member of the Actors Studio, talks about what it was like growing up the daughter of famous parents, actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, her favorite plays and what drew her to playwright John Patrick Shanley in the first place.

I heard you did a gala benefit reading of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire.
This is the centennial year of Williams birth, so I produced a two-evening staged reading of the play, and we raised a ton of money for charity, which was wonderful. We were packed. We got standing ovations, It was really amazing. I brought John McNaughton in. (director of the reading and also of the current production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea) We were looking for Stanley, and I e-mailed casting director Bruce Newberg. He had just seen Burn This at the Taper and Matt (Williamson) had gone on as the understudy in the performance, and he said "I think he would be your Stanley" and we met, and it was a great collaboration. We had a wonderful time. We tried to get the rights to do Streetcar, but they were unavailable this time. So, I have always loved John Patrick Shanley and I thought Danny and the Deep Blue Sea would be a wonderful fit for Matt and I and John and for the theatre in terms of the space.

Why do you love Shanley so much?
I love ...his writing is really beautiful. For instance this play is set in the Bronx, but there's a real poetry to the writing as well. And of course, the themes that he explores, there's just a lot of depth and so many layers, and it's incredibly rich, which for an actor that's the gravy, that's the stuff that you love. At a recent talkback, there were a couple of actors in the audience who said that they had not been on the stage in a while and that they got real excited by the play. One of them said "After 8 years, I want to do this again!"

Do you think the play is based on real people Shanley knew?
I do. Well whether specific...I think it might have been a conglomeration of a number of people. It definitely feels likes it's through the osmosis of the neighborhood and that milieu that he was in. Obviously that was absorbed.

From your standpoint, how does your character Roberta transform?

Roberta has an incredible journey. One of the things that's interesting...John Patrick Shanley calls it Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, an Apache Dance. It really is this push and pull between the 2 characters, or you could liken it to a roller coaster; there are such ups and downs in it. Roberta comes from such extreme obstacles; she carries this glimmer of hope that there's a better way, that she can have a better life. Both of the characters are at complete wits end when they meet and literally, if it wasn't for this meeting, they would both end up dead. So from the beginning of the play her emotions are driving her and she shares a lot of what her life has been, which she's never told anybody before. She reveals a lot; Danny ends up revealing a lot. Through a massive push and pull by the end of the play, that glimmer of hope, that hope comes through. She makes quite a journey.

What was your first exposure to Shanley?
I had never worked on his material, but I had read all his plays and seen his films. I had seen other people working on it in acting classes.

Do you bring a lot of material to work on into the Actors Studio?
I have, and I worked for years with my mentor and friend and incredible human being Susan Peretz, who has since passed away. I would always stretch and try new things with her in class in between professional projects.

I'm sure you're asked this question a lot, but what was it like growing up the daughter of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain?
To me, it's normal. When I was little, I actually thought that everybody was on their own TV set because everybody in the neighborhood were actors. I remember Rob Reiner lived nearby and he was on his TV. My sister had been friends with Diahann Carroll's daughter; that was before me, but she had been on her TV. Lucille Ball lived around the block and Peter Falk. I went to a friend's house one day and I asked "What time is your parents' show on?" (we both laugh) And they said "What are you talking about?" And I said, "Everybody's on their own TV, aren't they?" They said, "No!"

How old were you then?
I was pretty tiny. What's funny is I grew up to be, I guess, on my own TV. That's how it was. (we laugh some more)

That's really cute. I mean I grew up on Mission Impossible and I watched both of them and they're both amazing. When did you first feel you wanted to be an actress?
I thought I would never be an actress. I was a dancer.

Did your parents discourage you?
No, not at all, except they didn't want us to do it as kids. They felt like the business is not necessarily a nice business. But they were completely... whatever you want to do when you're not kids anymore... that's fine. But I was a professional ballerina, and I danced professionally for about 4 and a half years. I realize now that I always approached dancing as an actor. To me, even though I was incredibly technically proficient, it was about expressing something. I then started taking some acting classes. I had been finding the dance world a little bit insular, and I loved the fact that you could have a verbal exchange with people, that you could talk about conceptual ideas, and use your body and your physicality as a component to express something but you could also use your voice. So I started acting classes.

When was this?
I studied for probably about 4 years solidly before I started auditioning and got my first job. Then I started getting theatre work, one show and then another show, so that was my progression in becoming an actress.

Did you realize that dancers at a certain age will need something else to rely on besides their physicality?

I didn't really and I actually stopped dancing while I still could have continued on. I was supposed to dance with a company in New York, but I was doing an Irwin Shaw piece for a 9-week run and we were doing 4 nights a week, so it was more like a run of a show. I got seen by a casting director who suggested I take meetings with some agents, and that's what I did. One agent sent me for an audition for this play and I got it. It was Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others at the Melrose Theatre. So I thought "I'll do this play, then I'll go to New York". But then I got seen and was asked to do Murray Schisgal's The Pushcart Peddlars , which is really fun. In it my character comes on as a blind poor flower girl and she's not, she's kind of a tough cookie. She ends up doing a song and dance audition. It's really funny. Murray Schisgal saw me and he was developing a show that he was hoping to take to Broadway, based on his family. So I auditioned for Murray in this Equity house, a huge theater. On the spot, I got the part. So I never went to New York. My life ended up taking this other course. And I remember it was funny because I called my mother and said "I got the part!" She said, "Honey, I think you misunderstood. They don't tell you at auditions. What exactly happened?" I told her, Murray jumped up on the stage, hugged me and said "You have the part!" She said, "Oh my Gosh, I guess you have the part." (we laugh)

You'll have to forgive me, but I never saw you in Buffy on TV. Talk a little about the experience and how it enriched your life.
Drusilla was a wonderful role. I and another vampire were introduced as the main villains in season 2 of Buffy and it continued. We were described as the Sid (Vicious) and Nancy of the vampire set, and it was a delicious role. It had a lot of different dynamics. We were villains, but we also had this massive, incredible love affair, and it was just loads of fun. And I get most recognized for it and Angel and for also working with Tim Burton in Ed Wood.

Who is your favorite playwright?
Tennessee Williams, and working on Blanche was such a tremendous experience. When you work on Williams or Odets or Shakespeare or Shanley, the play does so much work for you; you're so supported. You spend a lot of time as an actor where the material is less than deep and your job is to fill it with as much as you can. It's such a joy when you have great material...it feels like it's right there under you holding you and then there are just so many riches in it.

What's up next for you?
I have a movie that's coming out that I just finished doing looping on a few days ago. Dark Hearts that has a really interesting director Rudolf Buitendach. It's his first feature, but he won an award from the BBC for his short film for Best New Director. He's super-talented. I'm very excited, and I play a very different character than I've ever played. Her name is Astrid and she's an artist and art gallery owner. She's sort of beatnik-inspired, dresses like an art piece and is always a little bit stoned and talks with a slight Cajun accent. (she laughs) Then I have some animated stuff and voice overs, so we'll see what happens.

Do you have any idols?

Sure. Some of them aren't here anymore. Marlon Brando. I love Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Gary Oldman. Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett...Jodie Foster...

If you had one project to look forward to, what would it be?

...For me it always comes down to the role and the director. Working on this with John McNaughton...he's brilliant.
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Danny and the Deep Blue Sea continues through December 18 at Crown City Theatre in NoHo. Don't miss Juliet Landau & Matthew J. Williamson!
www.crowncitytheatre.com

Interview with Matthew Lillard

2011-10-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Film star Matthew Lillard is now onstage at the Big Victory Theatre in Burbank in the world premiere play Harbor. Star of Scream, Scooby-Doo, SLC Punk and the soon to be released The Descendants with George Clooney, Lillard's first love is the theatre and he makes a return after an eight year absence. In our chat, he talks about Harbor, how it came to be and his other current projects.

How did Harbor come about and what are the challenges in playing your role in it?

I host an acting group at my house every two weeks and we read plays. Jon (Cellini) brought Harbor in to be read, and it played great in the room, and everyone was very excited about it. We were roommates at Circle in the Square for years. I had just come back off of doing a film, and in the back of my mind, months ago, I thought it (the play) would be my comeback into being an actor, having been gone and directing for so long. I decided to do it in the fall between pilot seasons. We put it on paper and committed to it. The challenges...it's outside my wheelhouse, I've never played a guy like this. Tom's a kind of blue collar Boston guy, and you go with the fact that he's wrong, he's the selfish one and you have to find the humanity in what he's doing and saying. It's such a well written play and the challenges are...just keeping him human, grounded so that you can relate to him and that he feels real.

Tell me about your film Fat Kid Rules the World.

It's based on a young adult book that I optioned eight years ago about an obese teenager that in the opening frames of the movie is about to kill himself. He gets saved by this little punk rock guitarist, and they start a band. So it's the trials and tribulations of this American teenager who's overweight and lost in America. It took me eight years to get it, and I'm super proud of it. Its stars Billy Campbell from The Killing, Matt O'Leary and Jacob Wysocki from Terri. It's got a great little cast; we're a small movie, but I think it plays really well. Our music is done by Mike McCready of Pearl Jam. Let's see what happens.

This is your first direction, correct? How does it feel to switch chairs to director and producer?

It's great. I mean I like being a storyteller. It's the difference between being the quarterback on the bench and the quarterback on the field. I like things hanging in the balance and having it be my responsibility... my fault or my success. Success rests on your shoulders, and I like that responsibility. So much of an actor's process is laying at the hands of other people, and for better or for worse, I've done incredible movies and I've done terrible movies. I like telling the story and I like being in charge of telling the story.

What is your the favorite film you've done?

The Descendants, which is George Clooney's next movie, and that's Alexander Payne's new film after Sideways. Right now there's a lot of buzz for Academy Awards. Clooney will definitely get nominated. To be a part of that, and it's the most exciting movie I've ever been a part of, because it's so high profile in such a critical way. It hasn't been released yet, and already it's odds-on favorite to be all over the Academy Awards. That's really exciting, and then as an actor, SLC Punk, the little independant film I did ten years ago, that's probably my favorite performance to date.

You won some awards for that, didn't you?

I did. I won the Argentinian Film Festival for Best Actor. It was a movie that went under the radar, but it's still around. If I walked down the street right now, there's a bunch of fifteen to twenty year-olds, odds are, that'll come over and say "Hey, you're the guy in SLC Punk." More so than they would Scream or Scooby-Doo.
Punk has such an incredible following.

What are your feelings creatively about Scooby-Doo?

Something like that is a piece of business in my life that ...I mean, can we talk about acting and not talk about the business of acting? Actors have to balance between how do I feed my kids and how do I maintain my dignity. More so now than ever, there's not as much work as there has been. Our industry is completely upside down like a lot of industries in America. Right now it's harder than ever to just get by. To be number one on the call sheet is an excitng place to be, but... Was Scooby-Doo the most rewarding, creative movie I've ever done? Certainly not, but it's been huge in my life and has allowed me to continue to be an actor.

Who are your idols past or present?

I grew up on Jimmy Stewart. If I picked an actor I'd like to be, it would be him. There's just something about his charm...he did drama and comedy effortlessly...he had the opportunity to be everyman.

Do you have a role that you haven't played that you'd like to play?

No, I used to, I really wanted to play George in Our Town. There's a play called Tracers, I didn't get cast in it, and I had to play that role, so I went out and started a theatre company to create the opportunity to play that role. But now I really don't hold on to that quintessential performance, that singular role. To me...all I want to do is continue to work and find things like this. I mean if you could be the first guy to play Brick (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) or the quintessential actor that brings a part to life and makes it definitive, like say a Malkovich...

Maybe yours is right around the corner. Anything else you care to add about the play Harbor?

Being back on stage is awesome. The last thing I did was the European premiere of Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire and the European premiere of Neil LaBute's Bash in London on the West End. That was eight years ago. So, it's great to be back.

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www.TheVictoryTheatreCenter.org

Interview with Tribute Artist Peter Mac

2011-10-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

(photo: Mike Pingel)

Tribute artist Peter Mac happens to be one terrific actor/singer who does his very best work in a dress. In our interview, he talks about how it all started, the characters he honors and his gig at the Gardenia over the next year. Like Charles Pierce and Jim Bailey before him Peter Mac is keeping the art of creating impressions alive and vibrant.

In brief, how did Judy Garland influence you to become a tribute artist? You have an entire show about this Becoming Judy, so be brief, but still in detail. Mention all the personal stuff.

Well, for starters Judy made me just want to perform. I was drawn into that euphoric overwhelming sense of joy that she exuded. As for the impersonation itself? I gathered that Judy was being portrayed by the majority of impersonators as a falling down drunk (except of course by the brilliant illusionist Jim Bailey). And (forgive my French) it pisses me off when some queen dons a sequin jacket and a bouffant wig and launches into tirade about booze and pills. I don’t find humor in someone else’s adversity. Yes, Judy had an addiction problem but it is not why she is so loved and celebrated. Imitation is supposed to be the sincerest form of flattery not battery.

You have such variety in your shows. I've seen three so far, and each one has been different. Each month has brought us - such a lucky audience - a diversified format! What has been your primary goal? Or what has made you diversify rather than stick with one basic show?

What I do could be described as cabaret stock. There’s summer stock and winter stock, I do Cabaret Stock. So as one show is being put up on its feet we commence to working on another. It’s a great challenge and I love that. I hate to hear an audience to say “Oh, we saw that already!” A show like “Judy in Concert” is always evolving because we keep certain material we need i.e. Trolley Song and Over the Rainbow but then I can add new material as well. Judy’s catalogue of music is enormous. Plus, all of the songs she never got to sing.

How many other characters besides Judy do you tribute?

There are about a dozen including: Mae West, Tallulah Bankhead, Peggy Lee, Liza Minnelli, Katharine Hepburn, Dame Edna , Little Edie Beale, Gwen Verdon, Helen Reddy.

Which ones are your favorites? Why? Which are the most challenging to pull off?

They all have a special place in my heart. Each one is so uniquely different from the other. I love Tallulah because she was so no holds barred and raunchy. Peggy Lee had such an ethereal quality to her as she got older. It was as if she were in a trance or slightly out of focus, (but still brilliant ) in those later years. It was all about the lyrics with Peggy, what a story teller! In an evening where I do 5 or 6 of them that’s the biggest challenge. Making sure that each lady is her own individual self. Judy is without a doubt the crowning jewel for me.

Anyone you're working on that you'll be adding at some point in the near future? Care to share?

There are definitely new divas coming up for me. Some are musical theatre/film stars, some historical celebrities and a few fictional divas as well. There always has to be a connection for me, which is key. I don’t even think that I pick them anymore rather they pick me.

Tell me more about the play you did in New York that was the basis for Becoming Judy and when do you intend to mount that here?

The show Judy and Me is my autobiography. A six person play .It really is a story about intolerance and the homophobia that I suffered in school and that so many young kids are still plagued with. Twice I contemplated suicide between the ages of 12 and 16 because I couldn’t take the abuse anymore. I attribute a large part of my survival to Judy’s music, movies and her wit. People respond to the show very well…both gay and straight audiences. If you were ever the odd kid out people seem to relate to it. I am hoping that the show will play the west coast eventually. It is such an important story.

Do you like singing as yourself or do you prefer the dress up shows?

I am simply a stage whore, HA! I love any chance to perform. I do enjoy performing as “me”. Don’t forget when I was 15 I started studying voice with the brilliant David Sabella and he taught me so much and helped to mold the tenor I’ve grown into. That being said I went into this business because I love make believe. How’s this? I would love to do a 4 week run of Damn Yankees and play Lola for two weeks and Joe Hardy for two weeks!

Tell me about your wonderful costume designer. How did you two get together and how do you work? I mean, do you give her detailed ideas of what you want, or do you just feed her and she comes up with the goods? They all look terrific!

I’ve worked with several wonderful costume designers over the years. All who have been instrumental in helping to bring Judy to life. I really feel I am in the business of replicating and so I have recreations of several of Judy’s concert/television gowns. Garland fans go wild for that kind of thing. It makes my pretend work that much easier. Just recently I started working a talented young lady, Athena DeCocq, who recreated Judy’s Valley of the Dolls/1967 Palace outfit (top photo) for me and she is already working on two more iconic outfits.

How is it different to do the show at the Gardenia and then at Oil Can Harry's? You must have two totally divergent audiences!

It never ceases to amaze me how audiences will vary. Something that works well at one venue may not at another. Tom Rolla’s Gardenia is wonderfully intimate and iconic. It’s the longest running cabaret venue in the country, so that’s an honor. Oil Can Harry’s is whimsical and the demographic is different. I often use Oil Can’s as a workshop for new shows. Both venues are a delight to play.

What plans do you have for 2012 as you fulfill your Gardenia contract?

There are several new theatrical concerts we have planned for Judy in 2012. One in particular I’ve been hoping to do for some time. BUT you will just have to wait and see. I love my audiences to be surprised.

Anything else to add?

You’ve given me this great opportunity to say whatever I want? My you’re a brave man! What I do is a lot of fun and very rewarding and I’m extremely proud of my work but I do wish it were regarded a little higher in the cabaret circuit. There are those who do look down their noses at it. Though I don’t consider myself (and have been told I’m not) a drag queen what I do is an extension of that particular art form and yes, it is an art form. It is a shame that Drag is considered a four letter word and that in some circles female impersonation is a poor bastard relation to be avoided.

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See Peter Mac as himself in Home the weekend of November 25, 26. 27 after Thanksgiving @ the Gardenia and then in The Judy Garland Christmas Show there December 12-17.

Spotlight on Pulling Leather's Ted Ryan

2011-10-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Actor Ted Ryan's Pulling Leather is currently on stage @ the Actors Forum Theatre in NoHo. In his first full-length play Ryan has written quite profoundly about love and also plays the central character in the dramedy. In our chat, he tells about what motivated him to pen Pulling Leather.

Give me your background—where you're from, acting training, stage experience, films you've done, etc.

I'm originally from Phoenix, Arizona. I caught the acting bug around the age of fourteen, but my family will tell you I was always the center of attention at holiday parties. I formally trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, both in New York and California. Over the years I’ve done several stage plays including Glengarry Glen Ross and Box 27. Recently, I played a serial killer in the film The Cellmate.

Did Pulling Leather start as a one-act? Or were some of your one-acts related in theme to this play?
Pulling Leather was conceived as a full-length two-act play, but was quite short at first. Over the years it evolved, lost a character, and gained a rhythm I’m very proud of.

What propelled you to write Pulling Leather?
The metaphor of struggling to stay on the horse, as it related to my own personal struggle with life's challenges at the time, just made immediate sense to me. I wanted to write a play about love, loss, and passion. The idea of making the main character a saddle bronc rodeo rider came to me when I saw the movie Brokeback Mountain. It was playing on the television and I became fascinated with the rodeo scenes. So I Googled ‘rodeo’…and have since been to one.

Are any of the characters based on real people, or is it all fiction?

Some, yes; others were just compiled from folks who have come and gone throughout my life. For example, the character of Beth, played with such eloquence by Tess Christiansen, was based on an old friend. Dr Kitner, played compassionately by Larry Lederman, is based on a therapist I used to see as a child, who remains a very close friend to this day. All the characters have stories of my life in them.

What do you want audiences to take away with them—especially regarding love?
The play’s theme is ‘How much would you give up for love?’ I would like the audience to walk away with hope—hope that love and personal passion can happen at the same time. While this may seem like something that should happen, it doesn't always work out that way.

The play is compelling in that your character has a lot of issues to deal with. What do you feel is at the core of Jacob's emotional weakness?
Because of recent circumstances triggering a repressed memory, he finds himself losing his confidence. At his core, Jacob suffers from a sense of loss and a longing for clarity.

Do you have a favorite playwright? Writer?
Sam Shepard, Edward Albee. My two favorite plays are True West and The Zoo Story.

What about actors? Any idols?
There are so many awesome actors out there, but Al Pacino is by far my favorite.

Tell me about Audrey Singer's Tuesday workshop at Actors Forum and how an actor benefits from participating in it.
The Tuesday night workshop is a place for artists to work on their craft. We have singers, writers, actors, dancers... We have fun there. We do good work. We care about and love the theatre.

Anything you care to add?
I’ve been lucky to have this opportunity as an artist. Pulling Leather is very special to me. I look forward to this play’s future.

Actors Forum Theatre
10655 Magnolia Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA 91601-4066
(818) 506-0600
http://grigware.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-pulling-leather.html

Interview with John Leguizamo

2011-09-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Irrepressible actor John Leguizamo certainly needs no introduction. A star of TV, such films as Carlito's Way, To Wong Foo and Moulin Rouge, and on Broadway with his own plays Mambo Mouth, Sexaholix...A Love Story, Klass Klown, and most recently Ghetto Klown, Leguizamo will be reviving Ghetto Klown @ the Ricardo Montalban Theatre on Vine St in Hollywood September 30-October 16. Ladies and gentlemen: the one and only, John Leguizamo!

Tell me about your award winning solo turn with Ghetto Klown and how this show differs from the other shows you've performed.

I was trying to do a whole life in less than two hours. Like a Wikipedia version of myself and make it about career, the ups and down, the success and failures, the people who helped me and those that cock blocked my career. The loves, the losses. I wanted to be an example of what not to do. I wanted to be a living cautionary tale. The difference from the other shows is that this one is about my career. the movies, like Carlitos Way,To Wong Foo..., Romeo and Juliet and all my plays, plus I'm doing impersonations of Pacino, Swayze, Baz Lurhmann, Steven Segal, etc.

You are a brave performer relating your career and personal life for all to witness, and if I'm not mistaken been called a little man with a big mouth. Kind of a Colombian Lenny Bruce. How did your comedy roots take shape? Did you always envision yourself changing the world, a sort of revolutionary?

I love being a rebel, thanks. You only hope of making a difference and I think you gotta really have that upfront when you do your work. You gotta say I wanna make this to change peoples way of thinking and looking at things and then hope it's mad funny too. I started performing in improv groups, performance art spaces and comedy clubs. I was doing it all but the place I really found myself was the down Ps 122, the home, kitchen... here I was able to tell a whole story and people had the patience to let you be as out there as possible.

Who are your heroes of comedy?

Oh, I love to pay tribute to them.. Richard Pryor who brought the raw and the urban and personal to comedy.. Spaulding Gray who brought the whole thing into a narrative. Lily Tomlin who made it into a play... and Whoopie who brought the ghetto and the poetry. They opened those doors for me and passed on the baton. Now hopefully when kids watch me they can take that baton and run.

Speaking of film, do you have a favorite of the ones you've done?

Yeah, I really like my work of late. I feel like I"ve entered a new stage in my life where I'm doing work that's a little closer to myself and really digging it. Like Where God Left His Shoes - I'm a boxer who loses his job and ends up being fired from every job and evicted and he's got a beautiful family but his issues keep him in hock, even though he's so well meaning and The Take - where a Brinks truck driver is set up as the suspect of robbery and he has to clear his name even though he wasn't sure if he was guilty himself because of the injuries to head he has sustained.

I loved you in To Wong Foo... Any memories of that you care to share? Funny ones? Memories of Patrick Swayze?

Swayze was a trip. He wanted to look so hot as a woman that it was funny. And we all looked our best in the morning but by the afternoon, we needed shaves and the make up started to cake over - we looked like roaches in a bakery - all white powdered and we were all pms-ing and cranky from the gender bender apparatus to hide our primary male attributes....

Any film or TV projects currently in sight for you?

I'm a boxing manager with Katherine Heigl as a bounty hunter in Jersey.

Your LA appearances seem to be very few. Is there any particular reason for that?

Yeah, I live in NYC. I actually really dig LA, I just haven't been performing. I had a bad experience and stopped doing live, but hey, now I'm on top of my game and hitting out of the ball park.. ‘cause people in LA get where I'm coming from. We have very similar life experiences in NYC. We have the big melting pot, tower of babel international cultural cross pollination that makes these two cities trend setters.

Do you think it is any easier for comics/actors of Latin heritage at this point in time? Are they getting the work they deserve?

We got an audience that is very appreciative and hungry to hear their own stories and their contribution to this country and they have the money and numbers to support a huge comedy revolution... touring America and being Latin has never been more soulfully and financially enriching.

Much luck with the tour and I look forward to the show. Anything you care to add?

I'm also going to start doing an international tour for the first time... I’m going to London in November and South America - gonna do it in Spanish for the first time... This show is going to be my magnum opus. So far, people are telling me they have never felt more inspired from anything they've ever witnessed, so there should be millions of story tellers out there ready to tell their story and remember, John sent ya...
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Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 16

The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre/1615 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028
Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm; Sundays at 5pm
$42.50 to $115; premium available.
Web – www.tix.com
Phone 800-595-4849
Box Office information – 323-461-0663

Information: Visit www.ghettoklown.com

www.twitter.com/ghettoklown

www.facebook.com/ghettoklown

Interview - Levi Kreis

2011-08-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Appearing at The Ford Amphitheatre as part of Chris Isaacson Presents New York's Finest - The Leading Men of Broadway concert September 16, Tony Award winner singing sensation Levi Kreis is on his way to becoming one of our nation's top hit vocalists. He talks about the concert, his appearance in Million Dollar Quartet on Broadway and other musical endeavors.

What's life been like since winning the Tony for Million Dollar Quartet?

Busy. Thanks for asking. I moved back to the West Coast in March to begin my 4th studio album and plan the next tour. No down time yet: I'm looking forward to holiday season for that very reason. LOL.

Might you be doing the show out here in LA at some point in the near future?

I won't be, but I believe the touring cast has been decided and I know there are some remarkable triple threats coming to this coast. Personally, I would entertain a limited engagement with the Chicago cast. The Apollo Theatre has been running MDQ for nearly 3 years now. My fondest memories of the show are there.

Was Jerry Lee Lewis a real challenge for you to play? How did you prepare for him?

I had the opportunity of playing a 20-year-old Jerry Lee which allowed me to discover an entirely different angle from what we are used to seeing. Framing his brazen qualities with an not-yet-tarnished innocence was interesting for me. It allows the audience to see the purity of his soul, and really root for him. It was also lovely to finally have an outlet for the southern humor that has been a staple in my real life, and I loved working with Hunter. He is a great actor to learn from and grown with.

Tell me about Leading Men at the Ford - and the recent concert at the Rubicon. What did you sing and what will you be singing on the 16th?

I'm a big lover of New Works Programs. The Rubicon Theatre and the Village Theatre really have a commitment to that. I was grateful to have a sold out fundraiser this week. As far as the Leading Men of Broadway show, I kind of feel like it's play time. LOL. These guys are all so fun to perform with. I haven't met Brandon Victor Dixon yet. I'm excited for that: I know he's a really talented man. Truly, this is going to be a one-of-a-kind evening. Personally, my most anticipated moment is singing "For Good" with David Burnham. I've always adored that man's heart.

I understand the new CD is different from your previous ones. How so?

Perhaps playing the role of Jerry Lee brought a wild abandon out of me. I have finally managed to stop taking career so damn seriously. We are put on this earth to absolutely love what we do and do it uniquely. My only concern anymore (thank you Mr. Quincy Jones) is vibrating at the highest level of excellence that I possibly can. Nothing else matters. When this becomes tarnished by an obsessive need for approval, you forfeit your greatness. A Tony Award will never be "that thing" you need to "believe in yourself" if you don't believe in yourself right where you are! Self-love is the theme of this new album. The entire execution of the writing, recording, and marketing not only invites a higher vision of excellence, but an individuality that is me and me alone. I've been recording since I was 15 years old, and I'm having more fun right now than I have ever had in my life. I also find that my heart for our LGBTQ youth is expanding to a call for action. I'm not sure what that looks like for me yet, but I know they are the inspiration behind the new songs.

Tell me about your association with Del Shores. Didn't you compose music for Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife?

The amazing Joe Pat Ward composed music for ...Housewives. I composed music for a play prior to ...Housewives called Southern Baptist Sissies. It was about 4 boys in the Baptist church, each dealing with the religion vs homosexuality conflict in four very different ways. I had just moved to Los Angeles, and friends of mine drug me into the Zephyr Theatre to see it. By intermission I was nearly on the floor in a fetal position, balling my eyes out. After 6 years of "reparative therapy" to become 'straight", and living with the angst of a young man with a passion for God, yet being an "abomination" to God at the same time, it was very healing to see this piece. I met Del that night. He invited me to see it as many times as I needed to help process the pain. I must have come back 36 times. Eventually, I wrote the theme song for the piece, "Stained Glass Window", which won me an Outmusic Award and is featured on my last CD "Where I Belong".

If I'm not mistaken, your music from the past has been of a very spiritual nature? Tell me about your background and how music affected you growing up?

The first record I ever remember hearing was Mahalia Jackson. My grandaddy played it for me, along with Andrae Crouch. Gospel is nothing more than putting your deepest convictions to song. No pretense, no show, no polish. It's raw emotion and complete connection. That's how I cut my teeth, so baring my soul in song will always be the way I have to do it. It's all I know. I know it's also helped me find an authenticity as an actor.

What's up next? Another show? More concerts?

Taking the time to pour my best efforts into a new album followed by touring domestically and overseas. I also plan to spend more time discovering where I can be of service to our LGBTQ youth.

Anything else you care to share with us?

Yes I do have something to add as a matter of fact. Just a couple of quick love letters. I send my sincerest thank you to Ms. Whoopi Goldberg for being gracious, supportive, and kind during my time on Broadway. You will never know the inspiration you've been to me. To all my B'way friends, I miss you. Keep doing you! You're the best one for the job.

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New York’s Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway will play one performance only, on Friday, September 16, at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Los Angeles, 90068. Showtime is 8:30pm, and tickets are on sale now. Admission is $40 for reserved seating, and a $75 VIP package includes premium seating, post-performance artist meet and greet, and much more. Student and senior discounts are also available. To purchase tickets, call (323) 461-3673. Tickets for reserved seating purchased prior to September 9 receive a $5 discount.

Interview with Bryce Ryness

2011-08-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

Bryce Ryness appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair (Woof, Drama Desk nom) and Legally Blonde(Aaron, Emmett u/s). Other credits include the NY premiere of Drama Desk-award winning See Rock City... (Jess/Cutter), Crossing Brooklyn (AJ, Transport Group) and the national tour of Rent (Roger). Los Angeles musical theatre credits include the world premieres of Dangerous Beauty at the Pasadena Playhouse and Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson Theatre, as well as the Los Angeles premiere of Floyd Collins. Bryce fronts a rock band called Ryness and has sung backup for Roger Daltrey, Sarah Brightman, Frankie Valli, Marin Mazzie, and Josh Groban.He will star as the MC in Reprise Theatre Co's Cabaret opening their new season September 14 at The Freud, UCLA.

Tell me about the MC in Cabaret and what is challenging about playing him.
And give away all my secrets!? What kind of magician would I be? Kidding.
First and foremost, he's human. He has thoughts, feelings, and opinions. And, in this particular production, I think audiences will be delighted and/or outraged by my/our take on him- I gladly take either reaction. I think he's a cautionary figure. And, hopefully, if I do my job right, he'll make you quite unsettled... all the while giving you that funny feeling in your tummy. So that, ultimately, is the challenge: to make this guy human, subtly terrifying, and irresistible.
Is this perhaps the most challenging/difficult role for you to date? Why? or Why not?

in Hair

Well, it's certainly daunting… but then again I wouldn't have auditioned for the show if I wasn't terrified of the role. I've always been attracted to roles (and shows) that force me to confront an overwhelming fear; about myself, my abilities, my stamina, my resolve, my moral paradigms, etc. Roles are like children- each is challenging in its own unique way! Iconic roles (like 'The Emcee' or 'Pippin' or 'Roger' or 'Reno Sweeney') present a unique challenge to the actor that lesser known roles avoid: preconception. Ironically, this has nothing to do with the actor. Iconic roles carry with them a built-in bias, generally chained to another actor's work. So, realistically, the notes aren't any higher or the choreography any more difficult than the guy before you- the challenge becomes undoing the preconceived notions the audience member brings into the theater before the show even starts! Can my characterization disarm the audience member and allow them to live in this moment anew? Or will it merely be a further academic exercise for him/her in "compare-and-contrast"? In addition to learning this entire show in 13 days, that's maybe the largest challenge I face.

Do you feel he is the key to Cabaret's message?
Subjectively (read: selfishly) speaking; of course! With the way we're telling this story- and we're telling it as historically accurate as we can- he's the guy you gotta watch out for, the one who's expertly trading on people's hopes and fears… devoid of empathy.

You have done quite a few ground-breaking shows. Talk a bit about doing Hair and then Rent.
They were fantastic! Both experiences were fully three-dimensional. I spent enough time doing both- at a certain zenith of their exposure- to be fully immersed in all the joy and pain that a massive, hit show can bring. Shows are kind of like lovers. You spend somuch time getting to know them, learn their ins-and-outs, know how to please them, that each show feels like falling in love. Both HAIR and RENT were like being in relationships with a well-known celebrity: really attractive and popular but demand A LOT of time and attention because everyone knows them and (oftentimes) thinks they can do it better than you… but if you love them with truth and sincerity (and don't listen to the haters) they give back an ocean in return.

Legally Blonde must have been a real switch. Did you enjoy it? In what ways?
Oh man, I loved it! I afforded my wife and I the chance to stay in New York City! We were on the verge of running out of money and were praying- literally, on our knees on the cracked parquet wood floor of our Woodside apartment- in November of 2007, asking Jesus to provide us a way to stay in New York. Exactly one month (to the day) after that pleading I got a call from my agent saying that I'd be making my Broadway debut on January 2nd, 2008. The divine comedy is that when I first got the call to go in for the audition, my response was, "Legally Blonde? What am I going to do in that?"

What is your favorite role so far in musical theatre?
Floyd Collins.

Do you have a favorite composer? A favorite show, whether you've done it or not?
I love Once On This Island. I'll never be able to do it (for obvious reasons) but I love every note of that score and all the lessons it imparts. I also love Jesus Christ Superstar. Not so much for its take on the gospel but the music is epic.

Favorite Composer: John Foreman.
Tell me about your band. Do you play gigs regularly? How does that fit in to your schedule as a musical comedy actor?

in Dangerous Beauty (right)

RYNESS is Robin Lai (drums), Jae Ko (bass), Jeff Washburn (guitar), and me. It's the best group of musicians I've ever worked withspanning both my onstage and offstage life. True friends. I write the majority of the songs but I'd be nowhere without them. They're all based in New York so playing gigs when I'm doing out-of-town productions is a bit tough. I think we've played out, as a band, once in the last year. But, when everyone is in the same quadrant of the U.S., we generally play out once every month or so. It started as an opportunity for me to be creative while in the midst of bartending, cater-waitering, and banging my head against brick walls (read: starting out in New York as an auditioning actor). It matured into this wonderful group of friends who love to create music together. We've got two albums out: Live @ Joe's Pub was recorded in September of 2008 and is available at our shows and A Fire In The Night came out in May of 2009 and is available on iTunes and Amazon. We're in the process of writing a third...

You were wonderful in Dangerous Beauty. Tell me your feelings about playing that role and the show overall.
Thank you! It was a wonderful confluence of events: being back in Pasadena (where my wife and I lived after we were first married), at the Playhouse (where I'd always wanted to work), working with my college roommate (James Snyder), on a new piece (yay, creativity!), directed by Sheryl Kaller (who I love). Every single person- from the lead producers to the 'Friends of the Playhouse' volunteer ushers- were sincerely loving, supportive, and ready to make something cool and new. It was a golden episode in our life. We were also walking distance from Vroman's Bookstore and their story-time in the kids section was the jam. (our daughter) Mercy. loved. it.

backstage with James Snyder before a performance of Dangerous Beauty at Pasadena Playhouse

Anything more to say about Cabaret before signing off?

I hope people are getting excited about our production of CABARET. I think it's going to blow your mind/heart. Whatever happens, you won't leave unaffected!
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CABARET

Theatre: The Freud Playhouse at UCLA, conveniently located in Macgowan Hall

Dates: September 13-September 25
Tuesdays through Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm & 8:00pm,
Sundays at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm

Tickets: UCLA Central Ticket Office: 310/825-2101

Prices: September 13 preview $63.00; September 14 opening night - $78.00;
Tuesday through Thursday Evenings - $73.00;
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, (all performances) - $78.00.
Student/Senior rush $20, 15 minutes before showtime
(subject to availability).

More Info: www.reprise.org

Interview with Lee Lessack

2011-08-03T11:28:00.001-07:00

Singer Lee Lessack was my choice for Best Cabaret Artist - Male for 2010 for his Chanteur merveilleux. Now he is releasing the CD Chanteur on August 9. He discusses the show and CD in depth in our chat.

Tell me briefly how and why you wanted to put Chanteur together. What was particularly engaging about the music involved?

My dear friend and colleague, Brian Lane Green, actually came up with the concept and wrote and directed a concert for me which then became the basis for the new album. I had mentioned to Brian that I felt I was ready to create a new concert and since Brian and I have shared the stage with "3 Men and a Baby…Grand!" for many years, he knows where I live vocally and as an actor and he thought of this idea and I loved everything about it.

Talk about your experiences mounting the show in London and Paris.

It was truly a magical experience. I've performed in London several times but it's been about 5 or 6 years I believe. The shows were completely sold-out which is always exciting - and the crowds were crazy for the material so it was just a London-Lovefest. Heading to France I was a bit intimidated. Our first stop was Lille and the audience was not fluent in English so I had to streamline my patter and stories. It was a matinee and they were very reserved and quiet during most of the songs so I was worried that they didn't enjoy my performance. But, alas, it was just that they didn't understand much of what I was singing. When the show ended, this very docile audience bounded to their feet and demanded 3 encores (and I had none prepared). Paris was a dream come true. I've always wanted to perform there and a friend of mine who lives in Paris came on board to produce the event. It was at a lovely theatre called Le Sentier des Halles. Every moment of the night was just perfect and the audience was phenomenal. Can't wait to go back!

Does the CD contain the whole show?

The CD is selections from the show plus some additional songs that will be added to the concert as we have now expanded it to a full 2 Act show for performing arts centers. Some of the arrangements have also been modified as I wanted to create a listening experience and a mood that was slightly different from the "tour-de-force" concert presentation.

Is this the best work you've done so far, do you think? Why?

I never like to comment on my own work as that just feels awkward. But I will tell you that I am really enjoying this recording. I don't normally listen to my albums once they are mastered, but I've spent a bit of time with Chanteur and I'm quite pleased. I think it's probably some of my best work. It's very simple and sparse, which leaves room for me to really touch the listener's heart, which I hope I have achieved.

Are there more concerts of the show planned for the immediate future?

Yes! I'm most excited about our upcoming concert in Los Angeles at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on October 7th. I'll be sharing the stage with the magnificent Amanda McBroom in an evening titled Chansons d'amour.

Talk a little about your record label and your investment in it. Does it bring you as much joy as performing yourself?

Well first of all, I am thrilled that LML Music has sustained in the ever-changing marketplace for over 17 years. I never dreamed it would become what it is today, or that we would be distributing for such wonderful names like Lucie Arnaz, Kathie Lee Gifford, Lea Salonga, Tom Wopat and Stephen Schwartz. It's been a very exciting journey and one that has allowed me to offer a vehicle of distribution to lesser known talents. Voices that I truly believe should be heard, but artists that don't necessarily have the name recognition to get them a record deal with a major label. So that brings me great joy.

Who is your favorite composer?

Johnny Mercer

Who are your favorite singers? Of the old school and contemporary!

Old School Male: Mel Torme

Old School Female: Rosemary Clooney

Contemporary Male: Jason Mraz

Contemporary Female: k.d. lang

What's up next in your career?

Well in addition to the record label (LML Music) I am partners in a concert production agency called Spot-On Entertainment. We book and produce concerts all over the country which feature mostly Broadway vocalists "in concert". We've got a busy year ahead which I'm excited about.

How precarious a state is the music business in right now, in your opinion?

It's interesting to watch the music industry change so rapidly. When LML started in 1995 we were still manufacturing cassette tapes and I wonder what will happen when CDs become old school. The digital world has brought wider spread recognition and accessibility to artists, and social media has provided a venue for the independent artist to create quite a loud voice in the marketplace. Every day brings a new adventure and something new to tweet as they say.

to order Chanteur:
www.leelessack.com

Old Interviews - 2003, 2004 - with Playwright Ernest Thompson

2011-07-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

Up soon!

Interview with Sam Harris

2011-07-27T07:49:00.001-07:00

Chris Isaacson Presents New York's Finest -The Leading Men of Broadway directed by Sam Harris @ the Ford Amphitheatre on September 16. Harris certainly needs no introduction. His brilliant performances on stage/TV over the years have dazzled audiences worldwide. In our chat, he talks about this exciting show and other theatrical interests.

Let's talk about New York’s Finest - The Leading Men of Broadway on September 16. As director, give us a little preview of what we can expect to see from these great singers!

Well, we titled it “New York’s Finest” for a reason. Not only are these guys immensely-freakily talented, they also happen to be immensely-freakily sexy too. So the word “finest” has multiple meanings. This is not your mother’s “Theatre Under the Stars” kind of thing. There’s a very provocative opening number sung very seductively by our only lady, Frenchie Davis, where we put a brassy Broadway song in a mashup with Alicia Keyes and Lady Gaga songs. I think it’s going to be very hot and also let the audience know what they’re in for.
Also, we’re trying to construct the sense of a real show - where you feel the performers have a chemistry and know and work together. There are duets and trios and groups songs. As far as the cast, I am a lucky director. Levi Kreis takes my breath away. Such an incredible musician. Frenchie(Davis) is so available. She’s got that great voice and she’s willing to go to unpredictable places. David Burnham is striking and powerful and then hysterically funny. Brandon Victor Dixon is like silk. And he moves me to tears. Keeping Ace Young clothed has turned into a challenge in itself… I feel I will lose this battle. I don’t want to give too much away.

Is there any chance you might surprise us by singing a song or two on stage?

I don’t think so. It’s come up from time to time and, while I’m flattered and would love to sing with these amazing talents, my role needs to be from the outside in. Believe me, they don’t need me on the stage.

SAM at the Coronet was such a great show and I believe you wrote that. Is this your first directing and creating for the stage outside of your own shows?

Thank you so much. Yes, I wrote and sort of self-directed SAM, although Oz Scott came in at one point and really helped me rethink, dig deeper and go further. In addition to creating my own shows forever and directing a few things that I’ve written, I’ve contributed material or concepts to other performer’s shows – for instance I wrote a lot of Liza’s Palace show a couple of years ago. But officially directing is definitely not my usual thing. And I really love it. I love structuring. I love writing. I love communicating and exploring new avenues of material with actors. I love twists in subtext and circumstance. I love to connect things through juxtaposition and arc. But I am not remotely technically savvy when it comes to lighting and that whole end. So I am learning a lot as I go. Thankfully, I’m surrounded by experts and this cast is so gifted that they make up for any shortcomings I may have.

I understand you are again planning on doing Jolson on stage. Talk a little about this project.

I’ve been involved with it for some time and it has gone through several incarnations, and I can honestly say this show coming to fruition is a dream come true. As most of the people who come to Broadway World know, mounting a musical can take years. It’s a ridiculously crazy and arduous task, which requires tenacity and belief beyond beyond. Richard Winkler, who is our producer, is the real deal. A man of rare commitment and integrity. And our director, Matt Lenz, is an incredible visionary and smart smart smart. And I’ve been like a dog on a bone – I believe in it so much. The show is dark and complex and yet buoyant and redemptive. It is a period piece told with an absolutely contemporary style and device. We will be announcing our plans for 2012 soon and our intention is, of course, taking it to Broadway. I continually cross everything, including my eyes, which makes it difficult to read and drive.

Do you have a favorite show - one that you would like to star in but haven't? And what about a favorite composer?

There isn’t a show, per se. I love Jason Robert Brown (who lives up the street from me) and Michael John LaChiusa (who doesn’t live anywhere near me) and anything Sondheim. I’d love to originate something by Steven Schwartz. But as far as specific roles - well, Jolson is the role I dreamed of. I’m not just doing PR. I said that even before it was written. I always thought, “I want to play Al Jolson.” He had an exuberance – an insatiable need to perform – that I relate to. That need is the devil I’ve kept in check while I’ve built a real life of balance for myself – but I know it’s there, lurking. And tapping into it is thrilling and scary. Also, Jolson was such a vital part of American entertainment history, probably more so than any other person in the 20th Century. His personal story, and the time in history he came up in, are so fascinating. You don’t have to know who he was for it to be powerful. This very human story stands on it’s own. I joke about this being one of those “be careful what you wish for” dreams. All the things I love about it – the very difficult original score, the Jolson “give-all-you-got” songbook songs, the emotional rollercoaster the story takes – the father issues – basically the haunting and breakdown of his mind and memories and ego and purpose, are quite a ride for an actor. When I do get to realize the dream of actually doing this show, (kineahora, knock on everything) I will probably say “What!? I have to do this 8 times a week?! It’s not human!” Kidding. It will be a dream and an honor. And I am ready to come back to New York. I miss it a lot. Like a person.

I thought you were wonderful in The First Wives Club at the Old Globe in San Diego and put you on my year end list as Best Featured Performance. Did you enjoy doing that? Is it still in the planning stages for a Broadway run?

I didn’t know that I was on the list. Thank you! Is there an actual award that you need to give me? A statue? A plaque? A vase? A certificate?

Sorry. But I'll give you a great big handshake or hug, whichever you're in the mood for, when I see you.
(we both laugh)

I had a great time playing with that cast. What a solid, intelligent group of actors: Barbara Walsh, Karen Ziemba, Sheryl Lee Ralph, John Dossett, Brad Oscar, Kevyn Morrow, Sara Chase. And book by Rupert Holmes. I mean there were enough Tony noms and awards in that cast to furnish a museum! I always learn so much from working with creative people. It’s the thing I love most about this business. There is always something to acquire, see, steal, explore. As far as the show itself, I think the concept and the story are good and very commercial. It had problems that were not fixable in the situation we were in. I don’t know what the plans are for the next stage. I remain very friendly with the producers and I know they want very much for it to go forward. I hope it goes for their sake.

What about TV? What Sam Harris appearances are slated for fall?

I was just on Rocco’s Dinner Party with Liza Minnelli, Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhardt, Kenneth Cole and Marvin Hamlisch, but I don’t think eating and gabbing count. After New York’s Finest, my fall will be spent touching up a pilot I wrote which was optioned by a prominent producer, another TV show in development, and some concert dates. Also I am putting together a new live show with a certain amazing legendary performer who happens to be one of my best friends, and we’ve been talking about creating a duets show for a long time. We’re planning on trying it out in NY for a night or two in the Fall, somewhere small and casual to see what we have. Guess who! All that and raising a child too! It’s a full life. I’ll rest when I’m dead.

with partner Danny and infant son

Bless you for all of your AIDS charity work and now what you are doing for Equal Marriage Rights. You wrote a song called “My Reclamation, ” after Prop 8 passed in California. (http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=YKVXXfw2nAI) As an openly gay and married man - with a son - how do you feel about the progress that has been made? Are you satisfied? What more needs to be done?

I don’t think any of us can be satisfied until there is no more anti-gay legislation and equal rights are the given. My son is 3 ½ years old and I watch him with his friends at preschool. There are observations, but there are no judgments. The fact that he has two daddies is just that – a fact. Just like some families have single parents or multi-racial parents, or grandparents in parental roles, or whatever. It is the adults that teach the hate and fear of “the other.” What’s that song from South Pacific?

“You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are 6 or 7 or 8
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught”

And one day someone will tell our son that he is wrong and that his dads are bad people. And it will kill me because he won’t understand that kind of judgment. But I hope that, by then, we will have given him enough foundation and tools to understand what love and family and equality really are, and recognize that some people just don’t. I would put up the quality of our parenting and the love and family Danny and I create in our home against anyone’s. I could never have dreamed when I was a kid growing up in Bible Belt Oklahoma that we’d have come this far. But we have so so far to go.

It all boils down to love, but it's such a struggle to get some people to understand that.

Yes, and the best thing anyone can do is live their life honestly, with the love they seek in others. At this time in history, when same-gender couples are finally getting legally married and having children and are open in their workplaces, we are under the microscope. Just like at the beginning of integration, when racists were sure it would be the end of society. Being an example of strength and love and patience is, well, like being a parent. Being your best person. And that goes for straight people too. Civil rights are never won solely by the oppressed minority. It is the right-minded majority that really makes change. People need to speak up and stand up. And leave the room better than you found it. It ain’t always easy. But it’s worth it. How did we go from show biz to politics? I guess it’s all the same thing. Capturing and demonstrating the challenges and foibles and triumphs of the human spirit. And of course I love a big production number too…
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

New York’s Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway will play one performance only, on Friday, September 16, at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Los Angeles, 90068. Showtime is 8:30pm, and tickets are on sale now. Admission is $40 for reserved seating, and a $75 VIP package includes premium seating, post-performance artist meet and greet, and much more. Student and senior discounts are also available. To purchase tickets, call (323) 461-3673. Tickets for reserved seating purchased prior to September 9 receive a $5 discount.

www.fordamphitheatre.org/en/events/details/id/289

Sam and family now

Interview with Dee Wallace

2011-07-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Actress Dee Wallace, best known as the mother of Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore in Steven Spielberg's E.T., is not only an award-winning actress but renowned acting coach and healer. The healing part of her career came out of the needs of her own personal turmoil. She has written three books, the latest called Bright Light. In our chat, she talks about the roots of her healing process and its components, Bright Light and her best loved work onscreen.

When I read that you were a healer, it surprised me. Forgive me, but I have not kept up with all the details of your busy life. Tell me how it all began. Was it a religious thing for you?

No.It was a desperation thing for me. In a nutshell, I was raised in a very poor family. My dad was an alcoholic all my life. He ended up committing suicide. Before he had even turned 55, I lost my husband of 18 years, Christopher Stone. (1995) He's the father of my daughter. When that happened I just dropped to my knees and in despair said, "I don't want to be this way anymore. I don't want to be a victim. I don't want to be angry.I want my life back." My dad had always called me bright light. And I always was, but when shit happens to us, we turn our light down. We lose ourselves. I was just sick of losing myself and not being who I was anymore. I said I want a way we can heal ourselves, and I swear to God, the next day, information started pouring in. I was raised a methodist in Kansas, so we went to church, but seriously until this happened, I never got what Ask and you shall receive meant. I want to do this, I want to know it, I'm gonna move, I'm not going to misuse energy anymore...that happens, and you get guidance from yourself, from others, from the world, I mean, it's weird to me. If you were to ask me twenty years ago, are you ever going to be anything but an actress?...I would have said, "What? Are you nuts? Like this doesn't consume enough of my life?" At the time, I also had one of the largest acting studios in town. All of my students embraced the creation process. They wanted it. I'm sure during hard times, I had a full studio when a lot of other people couldn't keep going ... because of this work. When you hear the truth, you want it. Anyway, I started doing it within the studio, and everybody's life and career were changing so exponentially, they went from "Can you do one for my girlfriend? Can you do one for my wife?" And it started to grow from there. Now it's going out all over the world every day, and I'm finishing my fourth book on it.

When you say you're asked to do one, will you describe specifically what the process of doing it entails?

What my specialty is...is I'm able to extrapolate from someone's energy by listening to their words and the vibrations that they say them with. Putting all the pieces together...I had one woman say "I've been in therapy for ten years, and I've gotten further with you in one hour." But the people who come to work with me are the people that are ready to take responsibility for their own lives. It's not, "Can you do some mumbo jumbo and save me and heal me, so I can stay in my victimness?" That's not what I do. I want a way we can heal ourselves. So, I bring in the information, and they choose whether they want to shift their lives or not. And that's why I wrote Bright Light. It occurred to me in this divine flash that the technique I use in my acting is exactly the technique of the creation process. And I thought "How brilliant" -she says humbly (she snickers)- "to combine the two worlds." You can go on amazon.com and read the testimonials, because basically what so many of them say is "It's your story, Dee, but it's my story." I get it. When I shut down, I know who hurt me, I know when I decided to lose my life, I get it...and I get that it's up to me to empower me again.

Did you have an abusive father?

No. He was never physically abusive, but very mentally and emotionally abusive to my mother when he would get very drunk. Never to the kids. But...

You were in the presence of it...

Absolutely. So I witnessed every night my dad getting drunk, running around naked, berating my mother...and my little brother getting very frightened, because there would be a lot of yelling...rescuing him and being the guardian of everybody, and pulling my dad off my mom and having to put my naked father into a cold shower to sober him up so he could keep a job...those aren't pretty things for a young girl. But you know, I want to be very clear...that's my story, and if I keep going back to my story and hanging on to my story and using my story to limit myself, I never create myself in this moment. And that's what so many of us are doing, and we don't understand why the creation process isn't happening, 'cause we're still trying to fix all the old shit. You just have to go, "That's what happened. I honor it, there's a reason, and the reason is I've got to learn the lesson that nobody or nothing can define me ever. I always get to choose to define me. How do I want to write the virtual reality of my script now?"

You do it in the lab and also privately?

I do three to five privates a day from Tokyo, London and Australia, Canada, all over the United States.

You do them on skype?

On skype, on the phone and in person. I just had my first training weekend on how to do this work. I had twenty people in my home and twenty people online at a pretty good, hefty price, I must add. It's incredibly empowering work...I started with one master class, so many people were asking me...and shit, everybody's working now! Creation can and should be very fast and miraculous. But you have to believe that that's a possibility in order for you to create that.

Tell me about the other two books previous to Bright Light. How are they different?

Conscious Creation is all channeled heady material, very much focused toward the spiritual community. Bright Light I wrote because I wanted to reach a larger audience and tell a story that would relate to their story and that they could enjoy. Look, if you're just an acting fan of mine, you'll love Bright Light as much as somebody who's looking for a spiritual lesson. I tell all the great stories of all my great directors and stuff that happened on the sets, so Bright Light is a much more accessible book. The Big E I wrote with one of my healing partners Jarrad Hewett, and it was just a lot of fun. We take all the things of our lifetimes that we've been raised with, that our mothers espoused overtures over and over again and go, "Look, this is what they used in order to teach you the wrong thing. The true understanding of creation...this is what it means." I call it my toilet book. It's great to sit on the toilet with - it's only a page, page and a half, each one...but you get it, you get it through the humor.

Let's switch over to acting for a while. I recently rewatched 10. You were so funny in that and by today's standards you should have been nominated for an Oscar for Supporting Actress.

Thank you. A lot of people thought I should have been put up, but I wasn't with an agent that was big enough. Nobody was taking care of me.

Too bad!

Stephen King says that about Cujo on his website; that's his favorite film that was ever made.

Any new film coming up?

I had a great zombie film that I really have high hopes for; a distributor of horror films just picked it up. It's called Exit Humanity. I also just finished a film with Doris Roberts, which is a cute little comedy called Margarine Wars.

You're always working, and now with the healing, you're busy 24/7.

Pretty much, and I love it all. I just love...it...all.

You seem to be having fun. You radiate warmth from within. You always have. You glow and have such a positive effect on everybody.

Thank you. That's the best compliment you can give anybody.

As well as being a great actress, I've always imagined that you are a truly great person as well.

I am. (we laugh) I faked my life for a long time. What you see now...people come up to me all the time, strangers in the airport, literally and say, "I just wanted to say hi. I don't know why."

Do you have a favorite film of the ones you've done?

Cujo. As an actor, I went about as far as you can go. I'm truthful in every moment. I adore E.T. and I adore The Howling; I love all the films that I've done that are worth anything, but Cujo (1983), I've got to say...what it asked of me was so much more than I knew I had to give. I did it well I can claim that.

Anything that you want to add for our readers about Bright Light?

If you truly want to get out and create what you want, love yourself. The first thing is to love yourself. Every day you get up, you go, "How can I love myself more?" ...'cause none of us are every taught to do that. And that truly is the creation of your power...you love, your light. When you know that, you know that you literally are the creation of you. Knowing you're the creation of you, there's nothing you can't create.

Dee Wallace will be appearing at Vroman's in Pasadena on August 30. Don't miss her! In the meantime, visit:
www.iamdeewallace.com

Interview with John Stamos

2011-07-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

In the Hollywood Bowl's production of Hairspray August 5, 6 and 7, directed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, John Stamos will play the super suave TV Host Corny Collins. Stamos starred on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Cabaret, Nine and Bye Bye Birdie and is known for his television work on Full House and ER, and this season on Glee and Law & Order: SVU. In our chat, he talks about Corny and his favorite theatrical ventures.

Describe Corny Collins in Hairspray.

Corny Collins is a DJ, a host of a radio show, the host of a live television music show...he's sort of like a straight Ryan Seacrest. (we laugh) The first time I saw the show I was in Cabaret, and it was a gypsy performance of Hairspray. I was in between shows; I felt like I still had some sparkly makeup on my nipples from the MC in Cabaret, and I saw the gypsy run through of Hairspray. I remember thinking "Oh my God, I have witnessed something magical. This is going to be a smash hit."

How do you intend to make your Corny stand apart?

I haven't started rehearsals yet. I was thinking about that this morning. He's a clearly overconfident, sort of cocky, sure-of-himself kind of guy. It's fun to play a guy who's very overconfident. I'm a hair guy anyway.

You've been a heartthrob in your roles on TV and on stage. Do you ever tire of playing that kind of character?

I don't feel that Albert Peterson (Bye Bye Birdie) ...clearly I wasn't the heartthrob of that show.

Right. I had that one listed as a real exception.

I loved playing Albert Peterson because he's a quirkier character. I went from Full House from playing Uncle Jesse to J. Pierpont Finch (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying). I remember at the time it was a choice of playing Danny Zuko (Grease) on Broadway or J. Pierpont Finch, and the idea of playing a nerdier, kind of physically different guy was much more appealing. When I started to prepare for Finch, I started with his walk, his physicality. I did the same thing with Albert in Bye Bye Birdie. What was inside of me was a quirkier, wiry version...

congratulating the current Broadway J. Pierpont Finch Daniel Radcliffe

(I interrupt) Without trying to imitate Dick Van Dyke's interpretation.

(we laugh)
I love Dick Van Dyke. I always get excited playing these characters... and have played some bad guys that weren't so attractive and so cool. I think Corny is pretty cool. He doesn't have to be quirky; he thinks he's pretty cool. I've always loved doing that DJ voice. I'm going to tap into...what was the name of that homeless guy they found on the side of the road recently who has that great voice? ...Ted Williams. He was on all the TV shows and they gave him some work as a broadcaster. He has that deep Broadway voice...he's my inspiration for Corny Collins. (we laugh)

Talk about the MC in Cabaret. That's a great stretch. I wish I had seen you do that.

That was hands down so far the highlight of my career. It was the perfect time of my life, the perfect show for me at that time. I was trying to get away from the Uncle Jesse character. I remember scaring the shit out of people that were coming to see Uncle Jesse because it was not long after I had finished Full House. I remember thinking that I didn't want to upset them, so I should give them what they wanted. But Sam Mendes (director) said "No. You're not servicing the character by servicing the audience. Be true to the MC, and they'll come around, and eventually they did. I couldn't wait to get to the theatre to do that show. I wish I had done it longer. I can't remember why I stopped. Then they asked me to come back, but I had the choice of going back or taking over for Antonio (Banderas)

in Nine. I hadn't done that, so I took it on, but that was a bigger...I think I wasn't mature enough to play that role yet. I was barely 40 and I hadn't gone through enough in life to play that role properly.
But Cabaret was the best time.

Let's switch to your love of music and playing with the Beach Boys. How did all that begin?

I started in '85. It's been 26 years. I still play with them. I just got off a month tour with them. It's been one of those great things that have been continuous in my life. The Beach Boys really painted the tableau of California and surfing. When I grew up, they were my favorite band. I met them when I was on General Hospital. They said, "Do you want to come and play drums?"
That was the beginning of a long beautiful relationship. I played a little more and had them on my television shows, I recorded with them and toured quite a bit with them in the 80s and 90s. My goal has always been to introduce the Beach Boys to a younger generation. With the downfall of radio, where are kids going to really hear them? Right now I'm producing a feature film with Fox. It's sort of a teenage love story with their music intertwined, kind of like Mama Mia.

That sounds great. What's your favorite TV role?

Don, no one has ever asked me that. I would have to say I love Blackie, the first character I ever played, on General Hospital. Over the two years of being on a soap opera, you get to play every emotion on the planet and with twenty to thirty takes a day...it was my first job and a very exciting time for me. I loved playing him.

What do you think is your mission as an entertainer?

I like to make people happy. I'd rather someone say I'm funny as opposed to better looking and make them laugh rather than cry. I'm fascinated by comedy. I love being around comics, comedians. Stand up comedy, I love. It's much harder to do comedy than drama. It's almost mathematical with all the rhythms.

You've done several courageous projects that I laud you for. One in particular was The Wedding
Wars on TV.

I'm very proud of that movie. One of my best friends Neil Meron who produced that and Chicago
with Craig Zadan... I give them credit for bringing the musical back: Chicago, the movie of Hairspray. They also did all the great TV musicals like Gypsy, The Judy Garland Story. I did Raisin in the Sun with them. They came to me with The Wedding Wars, and I said "Yes! I believe in the cause. I believe in gay marriage and want to get the word out there." That was a no-brainer. I jumped right on it. I wish they would replay it. It didn't get as much credit as it should have. I don't want to get into politics, but I was upset that it didn't get promoted enough. The message is so important, especially now.

Catch John Stamos as Corny Collins in Hairspray, co-starring with original Broadway stars Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur at the Hollywood Bowl.

HAIRSPRAY will have three performances only -- Friday and Saturday August 5 and 6 at 8:30pm, and Sunday August 7 at 7:30pm. Single tickets are available in person at the Hollywood Bowl box office, by calling 323.850.2000 and at HollywoodBowl.com.

Interviews with Wildfire's Denise Crosby and Jamie Rose

2011-06-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

The world premiere presentation of REVISITING WILDFIRE, written by Kari Floren and directed by Eve Brandstein, will play a limited 4-week engagement as a guest production at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles. Performances begin Friday, July 8 and continue through Sunday, July 31, 2011.

Presented by Right Down Broadway Productions, REVISITING WILDFIRE stars Denise Crosby and Jamie Rose. Crosby is best known as Lt. Tasha Yar on Star Trek, The Next Generation, and Rose as Vicki Gioberti on Falcon Crest. I interviewed both actresses about the new play.

Denise Crosby (Pam) created the role of Lt. Tasha Yar on one of the most popular TV series ever, Star Trek, The Next Generation. Denise co-starred alongside Fisher Stevens and Jennifer Tilly in the Fox series Key West and played recurring roles on the acclaimed series NYPD Blue, The X-Files, Mad Men and Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman. She has guest starred in numerous TV series, most recently, Law and Order:LA, Dexter and Bones. Denise made her film debut in 48 Hours and went on to work with Blake Edwards on The Man Who Loved Women and Skin Deep. Other film credits include Pet Semetary, Jackie Brown and Deep Impact, and such indie films as Miracle Mile and The Red Shoe Diaries. Denise’s extensive stage work includes Last Summer At Bluefish Cove (Ovation nomination for Best Actress), Tamara (title role), Stops Along the Way, Epitaph for George Dillon, Beggars in the House of Plenty and most recently the L.A. Drama Desk Award nominee for Best Revival, Orpheus Descending.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Tell me about the play and its challenges.

It's been a very long time since I have done an original piece of work. That is always thrilling and challenging. It has its own obstacles. You're breathing life into a character that's never lived before. You've got a lump of clay in front of you. Fortunately, we have a writer who is open and willing to try things, and very interested in the best outcome possible for her baby.

What is your character like?

Pam is a woman who very much started her life by moving to New York at 18, jumping into the scene in the West Village; she was a journalism student at NYU, an aspiring writer, very creative. She and Theresa (Jamie Rose) are soul-sister friends. We've gone through everything together, have had the same passions, have had that real girl friendship that only women know about. There came a fork in the road, I married and went to Cleveland; I went right and Theresa went left. However, we still maintained our deep love for each other, as our lives went in very different directions. So the story is about them at this point in their life where they're both having their own sort of change and crisis. It's not unlike what women experience right about hitting 50. It's a re-examination: are they living the authentic life that they hoped they would be?

What are the playwright's expectations?

I think she wants this play to touch you in an emotional way that you realize how much friendship can contain. They didn't tolerate certain boundaries. If it's true, it's true. It's OK to be vulnerable and to really need one another. We often view that as a weakened condition. Especially my generation of women. We've grown up under this...you can have it all...kind of expression. We kind of expect it...to have it all. What does that mean? It's a very tough one. You find yourself hitting some walls, and you feel like a failure. You need to cut yourself a break here.

Is there a favorite role you've played over the years?

In the theatre, there are some deep, resonant parts for women. But I certainly have enjoyed playing certain television roles. One of my favorites was in a short-lived series on Fox called Key West. I played the mayor; the show was so far ahead of its time. She was a wonderful character, challenged, conservative in a free-for-all kind of place. She was struggling with alcoholism...and at the same time incredibly funny. I like characters that don't have it all together, who are vulnerable and have some obstacles to overcome.

Jamie Rose (Theresa) made her professional acting debut at age six portraying Little Girl #2 in the TV series Green Acres, where she appeared alongside television luminary Arnold The Pig. Since then, she has worked extensively in theater, television and film. Her many TV appearances include starring roles in the series Falcon Crest and Lady Blue, recurring characters on St. Elsewhere and Chicago Hope, and numerous guest star roles. Favorite film credits include Tightrope with Clint Eastwood, and Chopper Chicks In Zombie Town with Billy Bob Thorton. Recent TV credits include guest stars on House MD, ER, and Two and a Half Men. Favorite theater credits include: Room Service at the Pasadena Playhouse, Detachments at the Tiffany, Shim Chong at the Getty Center, Sunrise In My Pocket at Playmakers Rep in Chapel Hill N.C., It’s Just Sex at the Two Roads Theatre in Studio City, and Hercules Furens at the Getty Villa in Malibu. Also an author, Jamie’s memoir/self-help book titled Shut Up and Dance! about her experiences learning the Argentine tango and how they affected her relationship with her husband is being released September 15th 2011 by Tarcher/Penguin.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Tell me about the play and its challenges.

To keep it all kind of succinct, what attracted me to this material was that this woman is turning 52 and I'm turning 52...

You don't look it!

Thank you very much. Victor Hugo said, "Fifty is the old age of youth and the youth of old age". It's so true. I still have youthfulness, and I thank you for the compliment...but old age is in sight. With the time left, what do you want to do with it? My life has changed in an incredibly remarkable way. I have my first book coming out in September. Writing was something I came to later in life. And then in December...it was written for me by my friend John Putch...a movie, a comedy...and I've never had the chance to do a lot of comedy. I got kind of pigeon-holed into the one-hour drama mode. I play a very goofy, funny kind of person in this movie. And then I had a chance to do some classical theatre, which I love, but never do, and now this play was offered, so this year has been my full personal expression. And that's the theme of this play. This person I play has spent her life doing one thing. She started as a driven artist in fashion design, but instead got involved in a lot of big money. She didn't really completely sell her soul, but she comes to the point where she says "This is the youth of my old age and what do I want to do with the rest of it?" I was experiencing the same thing in my own life. Someone asks "Who are you doing this play for? Who needs to hear it" My answer is "I need to hear it." When I approach the journey of my character, it's: What is she going to try to discover that I, Jamie Rose, also need to discover? Our journeys are very similar, and that's what attracted me to the part of Theresa. And I also get to be funny. Please God, let them laugh! One of my idols in theatre is Laurie Metcalf. Her comedy onstage...no one can touch her. I just keep praying to my altar of Laurie Metcalf in playing this character. I'm trying to conjure her spirit, even though she's still alive. (we laugh) I get to do some crazy, zany stuff.

Is this the playwright's message, about the youth of old age?

It's about understanding that 50 is not the end of your life. It's the beginning of perhaps a second life. You can really recreate your life into whatever you want it to be, but it's up to you to do it. I think it resonates with men too, but especially with women past menopause, who can no longer bear children and create another life. Instead it's about ... creating another life that maybe I can hold within my own ... Oh my God, how poetic was that! (we both laugh boisterously)

Tickets for REVISITING WILDFIRE, which range in price from $20-$30, are available online at www.RevisitingWildfire.com or by calling the Odyssey Theatre Box Office at 310-477-2055. Performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 South Sepulveda Blvd. in West Los Angeles.

Old Interview with Barbara Minkus (2005)

2011-06-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Actress/singer Barbara Minkus is a charmer on and off stage. Currently
treading the boards as Jennie Grossinger in the world premiere musical
Saturday Night at Grossinger’s at Theatre West, Minkus delivers a
star-making performance. She also happens to be a delightful lady
who entertained me with a plethora of amusing stories throughout our chat.

My father owned a department store in Chicago – Leslie’s Department
Store on Armitage Avenue – and my mother was his biggest shoplifter.
She had a room in our house, which she called the secret gift room,
because she had half of his inventory there. Whenever he couldn’t find
the right size in the store, he would call my mother and ask her if she
had it. And then I learned that it’s not right to cheat dad (she laughs,
practically in tears) …but I was never arrested. (continues laughing)

That’s so funny. Tell me how the Grossinger project came your
way. Wasn’t there another show about Grossinger’s a few years
ago?

A big Grossinger’s. This show was originally in a very big form with
20 people at Casa Manana Playhouse in Texas. I suggested to the
writers, who were my friends, to do a smaller version because they
couldn’t sell such a big production. Smaller shows are more economical.
When they finished it, I was involved in Picon Pie. I saw the non-equity
production in Long Island, and it’s gone through even more changes
since then too. I was able to get a production at Theatre West,
because I’ve been a member here for 25 years. I was thrilled to be
able to do it here, but I first had to finish my contracted obligation in
New York with Picon Pie.

Now…there have been many twists and turns to this whole story.
One of the writers of the show is Rita Lakin. When I first met her,
she was doing the NBC soap The Doctors. I was 17 years old,
in my first show in New York – You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.
She sublet my apartment in New York because I was coming out here
to do The Danny Kaye Show. She saw me in Charlie Brown and told
me I was an incredible talent and that she wanted to do something to
help me. I said, "Sure, sure, sure…just sublet my apartment." Many,
many years went by. I did many shows in New York and she was out
here writing for television, but we kept in touch. In fact, she recommen-
ded me to the woman who wrote Picon Pie: Rose Leiman Goldemberg.
I had left the business several years earlier while my kids were growing
up, so Picon Pie was the second show I did after my return. And then
when Grossinger’s came along, she said, "Let me know when you’re
ready for this, ‘cause you’re Jennie Grossinger." Want to hear another
coincidence?

Sure. I’m loving every second of this.

When I presented this show to Theatre West to do here, the chairman
of the board was the producer who hired me years before on Love,
American Style – Arnold Margolin.

Everything comes around again.

By the way, of the writers of Saturday Night at Grossinger’s, only one
is still alive: Stephen Cole. I was very fortunate to meet Claibe
Richardson before he passed away. He gave his go ahead for me to do
the role. I was so honored because he was a very famous composer.
I didn’t know it would be the last time I would see him. The same thing
happened with Doris Silverton who was Rita’s partner – they conceived
the show. It’s very special for me that I was able to have that connection
with those people.

Did you ever meet any of the Grossingers?

I got involved in meeting the existing Grossinger family. And here’s the
funny thing – Jennie Grossinger’s great, great niece lives here. And she
was my children’s kindergarten teacher. Really. And she had the This Is
Your Life, Jennie Grossinger" recording with Ralph Edwards that’s used
in the show.

Talk about six degrees of separation! How long were you away
from performing?

I didn’t work for over 20 years.

But your voice is phenomenal. You must have kept up your singing.

I’ve always taken singing lessons with my cantor Nate Lam, who’s a won-
derful teacher.

Do you feel that you are somewhat like Jennie Grossinger?

(She laughs) To tell you the truth, I think I am because she was a real
go-getter. She was a dynamo. She was little (like me). She had a
vision and she went for it. I had a vision with Picon Pie. I researched it,
I went for it, and I did it. (It’s still running off-Broadway.) I had a
vision for this show too. I brought it to these people and they did it -
with no money up front. I raised with June Sattler (a great producer)
over $25,000, just on pre-sales: going to seniors and groups, talking
about the show. I made an arrangement with Grossinger’s, I sang it,
and I went down to Florida. I think that’s the way Jennie Grossinger
was - a hustler. I got the tuxedos for free, the food for opening night.
I think what’s happened in the world is that people need to help other
people. Jennie Grossinger in her time was that way. She was the first
person to open up a hotel that wasn’t segregated. Everybody was
welcome. She was the first woman to bring in star entertainment.
This was long before Las Vegas. She was an innovator. They had
an airstrip for famous people to fly in, but she treated everyone like
they were important. They were all equal. It was a wonderful quality,
and if I have it like her, I’m honored.

Saturday Night at Grossinger’s continues on at Theatre West on
Thurs, Fri and Sat@8pm and Sun @2pm ~~through May 15~~.
Extended through July 31. It should have a future.

Interview with Debby Boone

2011-06-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Triple Grammy Award winner Debby Boone will appear at the Welk Resort in Escondido from June 22 to 25. In 1977 she skyrocketed to fame with "You Light Up My Life" and has never stopped recording since. In the 80s it was gospel and Broadway into the 90s and more recently Reflections of Rosemary, a CD that honors her late mother-in-law all time great singer Rosemary Clooney. Boone has had a varied career, running the gamut from country to Christian to pop - Broadway and standards - and will soon record a Big Band Swing album. In our chat, this talented gal talks about her music and her childrens' books, which she wrote with her husband illustrator, Gabriel Ferrer.

What is in the show? Primarily songs from your CD Reflections of Rosemary?

That's the focus. I've been out doing it around the country. It's definitely a tribute to my mother-in-law, and I am using a lot of the songs from the CD, but a lot of other things too-on topic but not on the CD. Then we sidetrack a little; it's a well-rounded show.

You're including "You Light Up My Life"?

I think people would be really upset with me if they came to my show and I left that one out. (we laugh)

Tell me what it was like growing up with your dad (Pat Boone) and your mom (Shirley Foley, daughter of Red Foley) and singing as a little girl. You were exposed to such a mix of pop and country music.

I don't know that it's been strategically planned, but the variety has been wonderful. Being in a musical family was the greatest, because I was exposed to wonderful music from as far back as I can remember...and primarily from my mother, because she was in a musical family and loved tight harmonies. As soon as any of us could talk, we were learning four/five part harmony. And traveling around with my dad and seeing him do what he did, going to Vegas and seeing his show, his peers and their shows. It was exciting and wonderful and yet all at the same time I had a really normal home life, a family life that was completely set apart from show business. I had the best of both worlds.

That is unusual. Many performers do not have a family life growing up. You were so lucky.

Exactly right. I'm very fortunate.

And you credit the country side of your career to the influence of your maternal grandfather Red Foley. Tell us about that!

Right, right. It was more natural for me (to sing country) than I even anticipated. I've been having so much fun. I've incorporated some of his music into my Rosemary show. I talk in the show and in the liner notes of the CD that Rosemary and Red Foley had the opportunity to share the same stage, and I have a picture of it in my front hallway... at the Grand Ole Opry, when she recorded "Half As Much", a Hank Williams tune. They had a strong connection. Coming from Maysville, Kentucky she came into contact with a lot of country music. It's kind of a genetic thing for me too when I started to incorporate a few Red Foley things into my show. It just felt so absolutely part of who I am.

What are some of those songs?

I do a huge hit of his called "Tennessee Saturday Night", and I recently added what another huge hit for him and Elvis Presley, "Peace in the Valley".

After your success with country, you segued into gospel in the early 80s, correct?

That's probably a fair estimate of what happened. I was raised in a Christian family, and that's always been an important part of my life. And because I had had success not only with "You Light Up My Life" in the pop field, I had also recorded with my sisters in the contemporary Christian marketplace. A couple of companies approached me about doing some Christian themed music, which I was excited to do. I never looked at it as a career move or career change. I never saw myself leaving secular music, but it kind of looked like that because the music industry was changing rapidly. My music and my image became not that appealing for the programmers of Top 40 stations. Music was changing, and I wasn't getting much air play there. But I was getting a lot of air play on the contemporary Christian stations, and I went out on the road and did tours of that music. I never gave up one for the other; it just evolved that way.

I read somewhere that when you had such tremendous success with "You Light Up My Life" and after they made a movie with the same title, calling the song romantic... you said it was not romantic for you, but you sang it to God. Is that right?

That is the truth. I never did it with any agenda, like "I want people to know this" or that I somehow wanted to evangelize the world with it (she laughs) or anything like that. It was my private interpretation. I never thought the song was going to be a hit. I was just excited somebody wanted me to go into the studio and record it. So when it did become a massive hit, people started to ask me "Who were you singing to?" I never expected to answer that question, but when it was there, rather than make up some story...the truth was the lyrics lent themselves to a prayer-like quality, and that was my interpretation.

You also did Broadway. You did the musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" on tour. How did all that come to be?

Some regional theatre did it before I got involved. My name got thrown in the hat as somebody who could star in that show. I was then approached about doing a summer stock tour and I had never done any musical theatre, and very little acting. It wasn't an audition; it was an offer, and I ended up having the time of my life. I was very well suited to it, which I had not anticipated. It was very successful, so several producers decided to do a big tour and take it into Broadway. Then the history did not bode well. (she laughs) We landed two weeks on Broadway. We had a very successful cross country tour for a year, and then we got killed in the New York Times so we were shut down. But I so don't regret it. Since then I've done many runs of The Sound of Music, Meet Me in St. Louis, South Pacific, Camelot...

What's your favorite of the shows you've done?

The King and I.

Why?

That show of all the ones I mentioned is so well constructed from beginning to end. I loved doing Sound of Music and playing against type as Rizzo in Grease, for the crazy kick of it, but there is something so incredibly beautiful in the arch of the character of Ana and how she evolved and what she learned . It's such a beautiful story with such a beautiful message. It has everything from beautiful costumes, dancing and cultural differences...the King grows and learns, and she grows and learns...everybody makes transformations in that show. It's a huge undertaking to do. When that show starts, from the time you set foot on the stage to the final bow, it's like riding a wave, it's so well written. You go with it.

And that Rodgers and Hammerstein score!

Yes!

Let's go back to Reflections of Rosemary. When you recorded that in 2005, it was a few years after Rosemary Clooney passed. Why did you wait?

Everybody was too raw when she first died. It was too early. It was a rapid decline, and I'm glad for her that she didn't have to go through years of suffering. To tell the story, to sing the songs, I emotionally couldn't have done it any sooner. Bette Midler came out with one pretty quickly. (she laughs) Hers was of a completely different nature. It was exactly the right tone and only someone like Bette could have done that with a novelty record with a character song like "Mambo Italiano" and "C'Mon a My House". Mine of course is much more personal and intimate.

Rosemary Clooney

So it really was the perfect time for me. It came out just as my youngest daughter went off to college. It was the perfect time for me to hit the road and not feel like I was shirking responsibility or leaving somebody's needs unmet while I did it.

I heard a Big Band Swing album is in the works. Are you in fact planning that?

I am, and I'm so excited. It's a show and a CD I'm working on simultaneously. Swing This. The basic idea of the show is the throwback to Las Vegas in the 60s with all the great swing music and the glamour and the fun of what it was like to go to Vegas in the glory days when The Rat Pack was there...glamour girl singers like Peggy Lee or Julie London...that kind of music, Louis Prima and Keeley Smith and the fun of the interplay with the band and the audience. I am having a blast!

When can we expect this show?

Even though I'm not finished with the CD or the planning for the show, I'm booked as early as October.

Wonderful! Summing up, what do you now consider your favorite genre of music? Is it what you're doing now?

I really do. I definitely am going into the studio one day and do a Red Foley tribute. Much more country than what I'm doing now but very much infused with a little bit of the jazz field. The arrangements I do now in my show are that, and they're working so beautifully. Musical director John Otto works with me on everything and a musical director will be working with me as well on the next show to make sure all the fat is cut out and everything is working the way it should work.

Tell me about your childrens' books. Your husband Gabriel Ferrer illustrated with you. Are you still writing those?

My kids were the inspiration. We took polaroids of them and that's where all the illustrations came from. Not exclusively...my husband created a few little baby characters, but the kids were pretty much the inspiration and as they got older, we stopped doing the books. When I become a grandmother, I hope we'll reintroduce ourselves to that. The old ones are out of print, but we're looking into buying back rights and reissuing them. Kids and what they love I don't think really changes from generation to generation as long as it's true and honest. Of course, some books are popular at one time and not another, but I think these books have a real ageless quality to them. I'm so proud of them.

Debby Boone is a very talented singer and wholesome human being that you do not want to miss in person. Remember her show will play the Welk Resort in Escondido June 22-25. Matinees every day at 1 pm preceded by a wonderful breakfast/lunch buffet in the Canyon Grille.
visit:
www.welktheatersandiego.com
for tix and info

Interview with Jennifer Leigh Warren

2011-05-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Triple threat Jennifer Leigh Warren will sing the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey in Diamonds Are Forever: the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey at the Renberg Theatre of the Gay and Lesbian Center in Hollywood beginning June 16. Known for her incredible performances on stage including most recently in NoHo the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella Panto and the extraordinary new ensemble musical Having It All, this lady is going places. In our chat she defines the Bassey show, emphasizing quite clearly that she is NOT impersonating Shirley Bassey.

How daunting is it to do Shirley Bassey?

I'm not playing her. It's not a life story, a bio or an imitation. It is to quote Richard Jay -(Alexander) "a gentle nod to the brilliance of the material and unique delivery of some of the greatest songs ever written." This was an idea of mine that I had for a very long time, and I started singing some of the songs @ Upright Cabaret. I went to Chris Isaacson with the idea, and he thought it would be great. Then I thought of Richard Jay-Alexander to direct, because he is the perfect person for something like this. He came into town; we had a meeting; it went very well. We did a rehearsal with just a pianist and me singing some of the songs and him going over them with me. It just clicked. So, we're off and running. The Gay and Lesbian Center is the perfect setting for it; it's a beautiful theater, and some of the proceeds will go to help the Center with their LGBT homeless Youth programs. What is daunting is that it's a new thing. It's sort of like a hybrid with all these talented people. Besides Chris and Richard, Kenneth Crouch is going to be music director, and the gowns...are going to be by Ali Rahimi of Mon Atelier. He's amazing. He's designed for Madonna and most recently for Jane Lynch on Glee. (she pauses) The singer out there, with the band around her, and the beautiful lighting, those beautiful gowns, and these beautiful songs... and just having fun.

Why Shirley Bassey? Have you always loved her?

Oh come on, there are very few African American women like her. She has this strange accent. Her style is dramatic. No one can imitate her. I'm not even going to try. I have this love for her choice of songs. As publicist David Elzer said, "It's a diva's dream come true!" It's celebrating that era, that talent. I've always been known for having a big loud voice and I remind people of Shirley Bassey. The women with the big voices.

Are you going to do "This Is My Life"?

I can't tell you. I can say there will be songs in there that you love. Her catalogue is immense. Whittling them down has been daunting. I just think it's going to be interesting and different and fun.

With you singing, it will be wonderful. Let's switch gears and talk about Having It All. What's that been like?

That's a labor of love too. Especially to do the show with the four other wonderful women. What's great about it is everyone is rooting and cheering each other on. And how often do you get five women as leads in a show? Serious story lines. It's comedic and it's fun and to be able to play that character I play - Hey! Potty mouth - telling it like it is, no holds barred. That's so exciting! Wouldn't we all like to be able to

do that?

Sure! What are the future plans for it?

Lots of Broadway producers are coming. It's like the third extension right now. I'm with it until the 10th until I leave to do this.

What about Cinderella Panto? Did you enjoy that?

That was fabulous, and I hear that it's coming back. Maybe another Panto from the same people, the Lythgoes. That's in the works. It's so weird; it's all of a sudden things exploding all at the same time.

That's great! You keep working! Do you have a favorite role?

They've all been so different. Doing Crystal and seeing the beginnings of Little Shop (of Horrors) was amazing. And to have Roger Miller write me a song for Big River. C'mon, Hey! (she laughs) Talk about a dream. I just love 'em all. I love my character in Having It All. She's strong, she's funny, she's fun. She's the woman you love to hate, but you also love her because she's telling you the truth.

So would Shirley Bassey!

Diamonds Are Forever. I feel seriously blessed and excited! People like Chris Isaacson have pushed to try to make it classy and stylish and as beautiful as it can be.

Had you worked with Richard Jay-Alexander before?

The only thing I did with Richard...a few years ago, he brought the original girls from Little Shop of Horrors back together for a benefit at Joe's Pub. They flew us in. That's how he knew of me. Our styles kind of mesh together, he felt. In my heart, I now it's the perfect blend, because he has the classy and stylish eye for this kind of show.

Let's switch back to other aspects of your career. If you get offered a nonmusical role, do you get disappointed?

Look, I love acting, but I started in musical theatre, so of course musicals are my favorite. It will always be my heart. And everybody wants to be in a musical now. That's fine, because it shows just how important they are to society. And kids, when they get involved in this, there's something wonderful...I can't say what it is... just like ...porn...(she laughs) ...remember when the Supreme Court said "We don't know what it is, but you know it when you see it." Musicals that grab your heart, that connect with you...I'm just a musical theatre person.

You seem so different from the characters I've seen you play. I like to see an actor/actress go on stage and be something different. I don't like to see the actor be exactly the same as in life.

Thank you so much. That's such a compliment to Rod Alexander who was my professor at Dartmouth. That was the whole thing, no matter what you're being or doing, you try to be that character. Some people make a living off of being themselves. That's cool. It's a living. That ties in to the whole thing with Diamonds Are Forever. Those songs are acted. Shirley Bassey acted those songs and exuded each character...

I can't wait to see this tremendously talented gal - Jennifer Leigh Warren singing - and acting - these great Shirley Bassey songs. Those chosen, since I chatted with Miss Warren, include, according to producer Isaacson: "Diamonds Are Forever", "Goldfinger", "Big Spender", "This Is My Life" (yeah!), "Let Me Sing, I'm Happy", the early "Please Mr. Brown", and stuff recorded by Barbra Streisand and some other early gay rights songs. Remember June 16 at the Gay and Lesbian Center!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Chris Isaacson and the Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center Present: THE LOS ANGELES PREMIERE! DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER:the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey Starring Jennifer Leigh Warren Music Director Kenneth Crouch Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander


THE RENBERG THEATREJune 16-19 Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8 p.m. • Sunday at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $30 Call now for Tix! 323.860.7300 or purchase online at http://www.UprightCabaret.com/events 4 PERFS ONLY \| JUNE 16-19 \| THE RENBERG THEATRE AT THE VILLAGE AT GOULD PLAZA In The Heart of Hollywood’s Theatre District (One Block East of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Blvd) 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA

In addition to directing and co-creating "Diamonds Are Forever: the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey" for its Los Angeles debut in June 2011, Director Richard Jay-Alexander is currently re-vamping Pop Music icons Donny & Marie's Las Vegas show AND directing their individual solo national tours which kick-off this summer.

FYI -both Warren and Sam Harris will be singing for Upright Cabaret during Gay Pride Weekend on the 11th of this month at 5: 30 pm in West Hollywood Park. Warren will be premiering songs from the show.

Interview with Harold Sanditen

2011-05-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

Former UK producer/singer Harold Sanditen brings his celebrated cabaret act 'Round Midnight to the M Bar on Friday June 17 for one night only. In our talk, he tells of his amazing journey from behind the scenes to spotlight center stage.

How did you come up with the title of your show Thoughts 'Round Midnight?

It was 4 am on a Wednesday morning. I couldn’t sleep. I’m not an insomniac, but I’m not the soundest of sleepers either. Rather than complain, I try to make effective use of my time during such late hours, and interestingly enough, some of my best and most creative work is done late at night.

Mine too. Tell me about your exiting change in career and how it began.

Several years ago I realized that after 20 years of producing theatre, it had begun to lose its luster. I think that all began when I was producing one particularly difficult diva. Then some more difficult divas came along, and I decided that life really IS too short to put up with that kind of nonsense. It was time for a change. But what? … I always knew that one of the reasons I produced theatre was because I was a frustrated performer. I didn’t have the confidence to get on stage. In fact, I had stage fright, so the next best thing was being next to or behind the stage. It wasn’t really acting I wanted to do, it was singing. I’d always loved to sing. I always had a melody going through my head. I sang in the shower, around the house, to our dog! It’s amazing how you can fit a dog’s name into the lyrics of almost any song…..

That's an amazing leap of faith. Had you always been that courageous?

Looking back, I’d already made one major career change. In the mid 80s I received my MBA and went to work in New York City as an investment banker. That was a fairly short-lived career. From there I moved to London, set up shop as a theatre producer, and I’ve lived here ever since. It was in 2006 when I was producing Celia Imrie (and she’s NOT a diva!!!) in New York, that one of my fellow MBA students told me she had decided to become a cabaret performer and was doing a show. I went to see her. Seed planted.

When did it actually start to happen?

The seed began to germinate in 2007 when I attended my first “cabaret boot camp” in….Tuscany. Wow! So, one can sing, as well as tell a story?!!! It’s acting to music. Each song an individual monologue, with some personal relevance.

Tell me more about the current show.

Last spring, during another late night, I came up with the idea of a new show, exploring those late night thoughts that can keep us up. It had the potential to be a wrist-slitting experience, but I mapped out all the emotions I thought were important to cover, and then found comedy songs for the most serious thoughts – even suicide! It’s difficult for me to keep from laughing when I’m performing some of the comedic songs.

Has your experience as a producer helped shape you as a performer?

I have to admit I was perhaps a bit naïve when I made the switch, thinking it would be all artistic, but it’s not called show BUSINESS for nothing! Basically, becoming a singer and cabaret performer has meant that I still have to do all the things I did as a producer, and on top of that, be artistic, keep in shape, etc….. plus, you have to become a ruthless self-promoter, which is very different than promoting a show. My background as a producer has been a major benefit, so in the end, it’s all fallen into place quite nicely.

Whether or not anyone realizes this, it really is hard work being a diva or divo, an “artiste”, and that’s without the diva behavior. In the end, it’s the diva you know, whether that diva wears Prada or nada!

THOUGHTS ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT “mini world tour” (Toronto, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palm Springs!) commences on 14^th June 2011. Los Angeles performance at M Bar, 1253 Vine Street, Los Angeles, 90038. Doors open at 7.00 pm, shows begin at 8.00 pm and 10.15 pm. Book online on www.brownpapertickets.com/event/167761 , or by phone on (323) 856-0036. Tickets $15

Interview with Gary Cole

2011-05-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

An actor's actor Gary Cole, who made a big splash as Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald in TV's Fatal Vision in 1984 and has never stopped working since, will soon open at the Geffen in Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts. Whether it be drama like In the Line of Fire on screen, the TV series Midnight Caller (1988-91) or Letts' August Osage County on stage or comedy as in the theatrical film The Brady Bunch, Cole is comfortable in every medium and makes the work look easy. Usually cast as a psycho or abusive husband, in Donuts he plays the aging Chicago shop owner, a role which brings him closer to his roots in Chicago. He was an original member of the Steppenwolf Theatre, along with John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf and Gary Sinise. In our chat, Cole talks about the play, his favorite roles and the process of acting.

Tell me about Superior Donuts and the character you are playing.

It takes place in Chicago in a neighborhood called Uptown, that's been up and down in transition. Superior Donuts is the name of the shop that it takes place in. I play the store owner. He's kind of a dinosaur. Arthur's this aging hippie and the donut shop is from another era. It's getting pushed out by the Starbuck's culture that's creeping into the neighborhood. There's 8 characters total, a couple of cops; there's a homeless woman who frequents the donut shop, and then there's a young man by the name of Franco from the neighborhood who's working there. The center of the story is his relationship to Arthur and what we start to find out about both of them as the story moves on.

Is your character a shady man or one with devious intentions?

No...Arthur's a draft dodger and really hasn't changed much since 1968, except he's an old man. Well not old, but he's pushing 60. There are shady characters who are involved with the numbers racket in Chicago and that's part of the plot. I won't reveal that. If there's a darker element in the play it's basically those two characters.

You do so well playing the bad guy. Is Arthur a stretch for you?

It's a good fit for me. It's a complex part; there's a lot to it. It's very textured, so, yes, it's a challenge for me, for sure, but it's not something that isn't identifiable for me. I'm from Chicago as well, and I spent time in that neighborhood Uptown. I'm slightly younger than Arthur is scripted, but not by much. I mean a lot of the stuff that he's dealing with I saw it through the eyes of a younger, almost adolescent. But it's still pretty vivid to me. And after looking at it, studying it...that period of time still interests me. I've read a lot about it. It's a great part...and like most of Tracy's (Letts) plays, it's really solid but very different from anything else he's done. I think the trademark of Tracy is that all of his plays don't seem to be coming from the same person. They're very different from one another. The last time I was onstage, I did August Osage County... in London, and then last fall in Australia, which was good. That was very different from this.

Talk about Steppenwolf, from which you and these plays have emerged so successfully. Do you still go back and perform there?

Well, sure. Basically, even though the August production was on tour, it was a Steppenwolf production.

It was all Steppenwolf people that I've known forever, for 30 years. I haven't done a play at the theatre in a while. It's been a decade. But that's just logistics and schedules and finances and all that other stuff. I still maintain a relationship with the theatre; I still see people. I actually just did a project co-produced by Steppenwolf films. Now they have a little bit of a film division; they've produced a few things. This last one stars Dennis Farina and it's called The Last Rites of Joe May; it was just at the Tribeca Film Festival. So, even though I haven't done a play in the building, my relationship is still close with the company.

Do you have a favorite play that you've done?

August Osage County was pretty special for me. And I'd have to say, and that may be because it was so recent, but being in that play, touring it in a couple of other countries, but particularly sitting around that dinner table and looking around the table and realizing that most of the people at that table I've known over 30 years...being able to share that and being onstage doing that and having audiences react to the play like they did...also the fact that it's a brilliant play. I have to call that a highlight. If you talk about ensemble...and that's what Steppenwolf is noted for...there's nothing more ensemble than a scene like that. That's a group in chaos, but it's directed so well (Anna D. Shapiro) and put together so well by Tracy, I always enjoyed the audience reaction...you could just feel the crowd leaning forward in their seats, and as the lights went down, there was a pretty universal "Oh my God, I can't wait to get back for the third act."

Do you have a favorite playwright like Williams or Mamet?

I did a lot of Williams in college and I've done Mamet's American Buffalo and Speed the Plow at Remains Theatre in Chicago. During my college years Sam Shepard was even more established than David Mamet. We were kind of weaned on Sam Shepard. He was the playwright at the time for college students to study. I also did many of his plays at Remains.

You did True West, correct?

I did it in New York. I played Austin and Jim Belushi played Lee.

True West in New York in 1983 with Jim Belushi

Interesting combo! I wish I had seen that! Do you have any acting mentors? Someone above anyone else that you look up to?

When I look back to when I first started coming up in Chicago, in terms of learning a lot and experiences, I always think of Gary Sinise. True West had been open for a while, and it was the first time I had done a play longer than 8 weeks. I did it almost five months. Working with Gary (the director), he was the one who really came up with the structure, which made it into the success that it was. He brought the best out of that play; he brought more comedy out of it than I think most people had before. Another play I did that I think he elevated was Orphans. I also did that in New York for several months, and you learn a lot when you have to do a play that long and try to keep it fresh for the audience, fresh for yourself. I was able to do that because of the way Gary directed both plays...moments and characters and the logic between them...I've always felt that he was a really great teacher of theatre and acting and the way to attack things.

Do you feel comedy is harder to do than drama?

I don't know that it's harder to do. What is harder is to disguise it (laughs), if it doesn't work. If it's supposed to be funny and it's not, it's deathly. If it's supposed to be dramatic, and we're not sure if it is or not, you can kind of hide behind the fact that it's a murky play or something. I've never felt that the job is different. You're playing a character, and whatever the material is supposed to result in...if it's supposed to result in people laughing, then the last thing you want to do is try and be funny. That's another curse. I've never looked at it as doing it differently. If there's something in a comedy that's not funny, people are trapped in their seats and want to kill themselves.

Anything changing, evolving in theatre today?

The people sitting in the seats, whole culture is changing. Technology and instant information and attention spans...all of that stuff, the content of what's being written, it changes a lot of things. I think playwrights, and actors and everybody else adapt with that. I don't think it's anything new, but the culture changes greater than it used to...I think it's pretty healthy. I think if you put a good product out there, that engages people, then they come see it. If it's lame, or stale, and people have seen it before, they may not make their way there. They want to know what's out there and if it's something thats got buzz, they'll go see it. If it's not, theatres and marketing have got to adapt to all that.

What's up for you in TV and film?

with Christine Baranski in The Good Wife

I did a few episodes of The Good Wife. I have no idea if I'm coming back. Based on the last scene I did, it seems like a bit of a swan song. I'm in the opening of True Blood and also Curb Your Enthusiasm

a couple of weeks later on July 10.

I loved American Gothic. That was a favorite of mine.

In terms of playing a character every week, if not my favorite character, that was certainly at the top of the list. American Gothic was ahead of its time. Audiences were asked to root for the devil, a dark and sinister hero. Now there's nothing but anti-social, bad lead characters. Back then in the mid-90s we were always getting notes from the network about its being "interesting, but how do we root for this character?"

as Lucas Buck in American Gothic

What is your mission as an actor?

Whatever I'm doing at the moment to make it work, so that when people see it, whether they're moved or not I don't know, but hopefully they're compelled to see it through to the end. That's my mission... to engage whatever the material is so that people will get something out of it. To make stuff work!

Any role that you haven't played that peaks your interest for the future? Any of the classics?

I'm not a big classics guy. I never had a big talent for it, but I'm not one of those actors that goes "Oh, Shakespeare is the best." I don't really feel that way. I feel there's about 12 people in the world who do it well, and everybody else is just spinning their wheels. At this point, I don't have any ambition for it.

What about contemporary classic plays?

Sure. If those opportunities came up. We'll see. You just have to kind of go with life. I've got to look at reality, at what's going to be available. There's only so much shelf life you have on TV. If theatre becomes bigger later in my career, and I kind of imagine that it will, maybe I'll look at it. I don't really think about it that much. I just react to what happens.

You always make the work look easy. I never see the work.

Thank you. You want people to pay attention to the story, and not what you happen to be doing as an actor.

A fine actor who really loves the craft! See Gary Cole in Superior Donuts by Tracy Letts. Previews begin Tuesday, May 31, with opening weekend set for June 8-12.

www.geffenplayhouse.com