OH, BETTER FAR TO LIVE AND DIE

A Bon Voyage Concert

2015-09-05T18:47:00.001-04:00

Since I've been back in the Wichita area for a bit, I've met a great many talented, driven people who are daily, actively working to make Wichita a better place for artists and creative types in general. Visual artists have it easier, here, but Roxy's Downtown is working to be a place for not only the performing arts but artists of all disciplines to have a place to develop and grow. John Hammer, the CEO, and the good people at Roxy's are giving me this sendoff on Tuesday which will essentially be the standard one-man concert show I used to do all over the place, but with a few adaptations for the smaller house and no orchestra - just my good friend Rich Bruhn on keys. I'm very grateful for the gesture and will continue to work to help Roxy's succeed from wherever I am.

I haven't posted on this blog in some time, but I noticed they'd linked my website from their page instead of the event page, so I thought I'd link it here.

Click here for details about Tuesday.

Back from the Dead.

2015-05-13T10:54:00.000-04:00

I have basically forgotten about this blog in deference to my Facebook artist's page and other such nonsense. I'll try to do better.

I've said that before.

In the meantime, this is my latest creation:

Photos from the road...

2013-10-23T14:32:00.001-04:00

A little bit of the tour thus far...

Don't call it a reboot

2013-08-29T10:16:00.001-04:00

I have taken a long unintentional hiatus from this blog. Though let's face it, the whole site has been a bit less than current for some time. I'm heading out on the road now with Mamma Mia and am determined to return to regular updates. Will I succeed? Tune in next week, true believers. Or tomorrow. Or whenever. I don't know. Sometime. It will happen.

Your Christmas Card(s)

2012-12-17T13:50:00.002-05:00

Here are your Christmas cards for this year. I made a few, so you can share if you like. Enjoy via IT'S CHRISTMAS, DON WINSOR!

Wrong Color Pants

2012-12-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm gonna be one of those people, writing about this on the internet. Please excuse this digression from my normal "come see my show" and "look! funny/disturbing!"

I know that today a lot of you will be remembering those affected by the tragic events in Connecticut.

Whether you're praying or simply thinking or whatever it is you do, maybe you could find it in yourself to include a few thoughts about the person responsible and especially his family. If only he'd been able to get help, or help could've found him. I'm not saying sympathize with the guy, at all, just think "what can we learn from this?" This feeling comes to me courtesy of a conversation with my mom. She talked to me about how things used to be, regarding care for the mentally ill. I realized later that she's been involved directly or indirectly with caring for the mentally ill throughout a great deal of her life. She was a bookkeeper for a facility that dealt with mentally ill people for many years before I was born, and since 1995 or so has taken in a great many children with developmental and/or behavior disabilities as a therapeutic foster parent. She doesn't do that quite so much anymore, since she and Dad adopted a family of four kids several years ago, great kids who would otherwise have been split up by the system. Some of the children she cared for, though, are kids that scare other people. Me included. Seeing how she handled and treated them, I wondered how on earth she did it. There are children who've come into her care basically abandoned by a system that tries to "mainstream"everyone. Children who, in another time, would've been institutionalized. This word - "institutionalized" - sounds cruel, but even with the boundless and mystifying love my mom has for all children (especially those with problems) she believes that it isn't and wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I've seen her deal with children who cannot communicate through anything but phrases they've learned from TV commercials. Children who never develop emotionally beyond about age three. Even children whose unpredictable violence lies underneath an innocent, placid surface and strikes out suddenly and without warning. I've been afraid for my parents to have some of these kids in their house, but they have love for all of them. I don't know how the hell they do it. Often I don't know why they do it, but thank goodness someone shows these kids some love and compassion. When Mom and I were talking about everything that happened this week, she said she thinks that it is cruel to put a child - or anyone - who lacks the tools to function in the world out into society under some illusion that it's better for everyone to be in the mainstream. She's seen children so damaged mentally that they lack the capacity to even feed themselves or use a bathroom pushed through the system in an attempt to "mainstream" them so that the state can wash their hands of them. They'll wind up on the street. Pretending everyone can be independent just because you believe everyone deserves independence is childish. "Things used to be better," she said. "There were places people could take someone who needed help, public places. Now, everyone's 'mainstreamed.'"

I'm thinking of all this today because I read an affecting article from a blogger HERE that I'd like you to read. It's from a mother increasingly afraid of her own child, and it's about her trying to get him help. It's worth a read, and maybe it'll get people talking about this in a constructive way The media would use this sort of tragedy to whip us all into a frenzy of finger-pointing and knee-jerk reaction, but if we can start a productive conversation about why these things keep happening, we can honor those affected with a promise of real progress.

A Valid Point

2012-12-02T19:47:00.001-05:00

This guy raises some thought-provoking questions. I agree with most of what he says.The Wal-Marting of American Theatre What are your thoughts?

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That Dickens may have been on to something.

2012-11-30T16:19:00.004-05:00

A CHRISTMAS CAROL opened last night at The Forum, and I'm really proud to be a part of this show and this new tradition in Wichita theatre. Someone just posted the first review I've seen, and I think she liked us. Tickets are selling fast - some shows already sold out - so make your reservations ASAP! Here's our first review:

Wichita (Lucinda Dahliarimple WTBN Entertainment Correspondent), November 28, 2012

Tonight’s opening of A Christmas Carol, A Spirited New Musical, presented by The Theatre Company at The Forum Theatre was a splendid holiday treat full of

music, dance, exceptional performances; and, incredible technical elements.

From the moment you enter the theatrical space, a feeling of Christmas and Dickens surrounds you. From the excellently decorated lobby to the carolers singing in traditional Dickens garb to the figgy pudding and hot apple cider offered for concessions before the production, I felt that I had stepped back into Victorian England with the sights and sounds of Christmas around me.

The show, deftly directed by Kathryn Page Hauptman moves along at a brisk pace and takes just a little over 90 minutes from beginning to end, without intermission. We see the rise, fall and ultimate redemption of this character that so many of us are familiar with, Ebenezer Scrooge.

Paul Jackson’s Scrooge is human....hard, defiant, resigned, compelled; however, you always have the feeling that there is some compassion underneath which makes his redemption believable, compelling, and heartwarming. The difference in his portrayal from other Scrooge’s this reviewer has seen, is that it is much more palpable, an exciting change and remarkably fresh performance for a character so well known by the majority of the adult population. His voice, strong and clear, brings chills to audience’s arms as he sings to his beloved Belle (played by Catherine Bartomeo, a beautiful young girl with lovely innocence and hope), his nephew Fred (outfitted in plaid and looking so completely positive and opposite of his cantankerous uncle), and the ghosts who help him find redemption.

As the ghosts, Ray Wills portrays Marley with complete power and portrays a man whose weary journey goes on and on. Full of desire for Scrooge to repent, his entrance is strong, a bit scary, and he never lets up as he commands Scrooge to beware and be ready for the ghosts of past, present and yet to come.

Cary Hesse is lovely and beguiling as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Costumed in white with beads and feathers, she is a beautiful and beguiling ghost taking a willing Scrooge backward in time to reminisce about his childhood, sister, love, and first employment experience. Her song, “Remember”, is haunting and beautifully sung.

Karla Burns, (a Tony nominated actress) as the Ghost of Christmas Present, is indeed a present...to the audience. Her song, “Celebrate” and her costuming in red and white, outfitted with decorative elements that look like little gifts all around and a staff that looks like it must be 10’ tall and weight 150 pounds, which she yields with incredible ease and uses as a comic element throughout. Her powerful voice, laughter, and comic moments bring a light- heartedness to this ghost that makes us believe Scrooge has little to fear, until she surprises him with the ignorance and want all around him that he chooses to ignore.

As the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Marina Fox is a lithe and scary spirit - enticing Scrooge to watch the dance of life as it happens all around him and her dance is a nice
change to the arias of the prior ghosts. It keeps the element of surprise alive for us and for Scrooge.

Some other outstanding performances include Don Winsor’s Bob Cratchit....handsome, lilting, and soft, his Cratchit delights and allows the audience to feel the ultimate compassion for this man who finds joy in every sorrow. Megan Parsley’s Mrs. Cratchit is winsome and teasing, with inner strength and reprimand for her husband’s tolerance of Scrooge’s treatment. Ted Woodward is delightful as Joe, the Ragpicker and the three ladies (Katherine Randolph, Stephanie Dennis, and Megan Parsley) have a show-stopping scene and an engaging song. Dan Campbell’s Fezziwig is charming and quirky.

There’s fine work among the ensemble and the remaining cast with double and triple performances by several showing the talent amongst this finely assembled cast.

The set, by Ben Juhnke, is very fitting and encompasses the entire stage area feeling as though we are in a much larger venue than the intimate Forum Theatre. Lighting by Tyler Lessin is full of mood enhancing and illuminating moments which keep the pace of the show moving forward with ghost entrances and exits. Sound by Nick Smith had incredible effects that further kept the audience involved and jumping with anticipation for the next moment to happen.

The orchestra, conducted by Tim Raymond and in full view of the audience house left, had eery musical elements that encompassed the mood and enhanced this production greatly.

This reviewer is so pleased at all the theatrical Wichita Christmas offerings and can’t wait to see the other productions around town this month and review them. White Christmas, around the corner at The Crown Uptown, plays until December 23. Cabaret Oldtown is showing Crazy Christmas until December 22 and Shakespeare's MacBethlehem Christmas or Wherefore Art Thou Saint Nick? is playing at Mosley Street Melodrama until December 30. Watch for my reviews of those shows in the upcoming weeks; however, make sure you don’t miss this delightful offering at The Forum. It’s sure to become an annual tradition for Wichita’s audiences.

Logic

2012-11-27T02:58:00.001-05:00

Turkey. The food, not the place this time.

2012-11-22T13:31:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning in my own bed, and went downstairs in my robe to make some pumpkin spiced coffee and turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while sending warm wishes to a few friends. Later, lots of food and stuff with family and drinks with friends. Pretty typical, for most people.

To me, though, Thanksgiving at "home" is a novelty. Such a novelty that, well, I feel the need to put "home" in quotation marks. The way schedules normally work out, I'm usually away on Thanksgiving and often am actually working, doing a show (or two) on the day.

That doesn't mean I miss out, though - Thanksgiving for me has come to mean something different. Every year, no matter where I am (assuming there are other Americans around) people pull together and spend some time celebrating and being grateful. Doing a show in some random place, living in hotels or actor housing/apartments, sometimes even on a ship, and despite the fact that you may have only known one another for a couple of weeks at that point, you become a bit like a family on this day. Everyone pulls together and cooks as well as possible given the circumstances and contributes to some sort of feast, usually before or between performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL or IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE or _______ THEATRE'S HOLIDAY WHATEVER. I've spent a lot of great Thanksgivings with great people in strange and wonderful places, and today I'm remembering all of you and hoping you're having another thankful day full of life and food and gratitude.

A(nother) Christmas Carol

2012-11-11T15:28:00.000-05:00

I have not been diligent about keeping the blog up with work updates and scheduling, but I'm striving to be more diligent about that. I'm currently taking some time off at The DonCave, and it happens that my time off fits in with the schedule of a new theatre here. So, I'm going to be Bob Cratchit in The Forum Theatre's A Christmas Carol: A Spirited New Musical.
This is also a great chance for me to do a show in Kansas again. LEADING MEN DON'T DANCE was my first show in the US since 2006, which is when I came back to Kansas for LARAMIE PROJECT at Great Plains Theatre Festival. Two years before that I'd come back to Wichita to play Harold Hill at the Crown Uptown for Ted Morris, before which I'd not returned for a show in my home state since 1995. Also, this is my first Christmas Carol in a decade (discounting the readings of the book I've done at bookstores a few times.) I've done at least seven different productions of at least five different adaptations over time, starting in 1996 as Young Scrooge at The Great American Melodrama in Oceana, California and on to the most recent as The Ghost of Christmas Present on the national tour with Big League Theatricals and the Nebraska Theatre Caravan in 2002. I've played every male character in the story at some point, except for Fred, so I should say I've played all of the interesting male characters.
Every time I do a version of this show, I'm reminded of the great people I've worked with in the past and the laughs we've had. I remember the sincerity and tearful moments as John Clemo watched his younger self lose his best chance at happiness and the manic insanity of Matty Kamprath's transformation and frantic attacking of that rocking horse. I remember the creepy dancing dolls on NTC's tour and the mentally ill manchild Dick Wilkins as presented by Travis Ploeger. It should also be said that only Travis Ploeger could make Fred really interesting, mainly because you were somewhat afraid of him. I remember many things that the audience should never, must never know from the street scenes; I remember the times when my son Tiny Tim was played by a girl who would sneak away between scenes and put on a ton of makeup because she didn't like being dressed as a boy and wanted to be sure people could tell she was a girl. I remember being Scrooge myself to thousands of Floridians and stealing shamelessly from other Scrooges I've known.
The Scrooge this time around will be Paul Jackson - a really talented guy I've been acquainted with years. Paul also wrote the music, and has written some gorgeous stuff here. It will be performed by a great cast including Tony nominee Karla Burns, the fantastic Ray Wills, Dan Campbell, and some jerk named me.
The Theatre Company at The Forum is a new company with a great space and a great season ahead. If you're in the area, get your Christmas on by seeing our show. There's a ticket drive going on right now, so if you ARE planning to come, buy your tickets before November 16 and you'll really help them out. When you reserve, mention my name. It's a bit of a competition.
Check out their site at http://www.forumwichita.com/

Dust storm

2012-10-18T20:12:00.001-04:00

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Location:E Harry St,Wichita,United States

LEADING MEN DON'T DANCE now through October 14

2012-10-02T11:23:00.001-04:00

Two more weekends of this great show. I am really pleased to share the stage with these gentlemen.Tickets and info: 941-544-0164

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Leading Men Don't Dance

2012-08-21T07:01:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note for the moment, with more to come soon.

Getting ready to finish contract with the Italians to head back to the USA to do a run of LEADING MEN DON'T DANCE with my good friend John Smitherman. More info to come.

Also, pre-orders for my new concert CD are open, and you can find more info here, or drop me a note.

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As promised

2012-01-28T02:17:00.001-05:00

Amongst other madness, I am still in the midst of pouring through all the live tracks I've accumulated in the past year or two to see what if anything is worth remastering to use on a live CD. As promised, here are a few preview tracks: I Don Quixote, My Way, If Ever I Would Leave You, Mack the Knife, and a nice, intimate version of Faithfully with Penn Farmer on guitar.

I'm linking you the tracks, which are on bandcamp, through my Facebook fan page. While you're there, please give it a "like" if you haven't already, and feel free to share the link with others to do the same. I'd really appreciate the support, every little bit helps! Click here for the tracks. (I believe I Don Quixote is the first track to load, and the rest are linked underneath.)

On the horizon

2012-01-26T11:29:00.000-05:00

Like my fan page on Facebook for updates on the new live CD and upcoming announcements about dates and appearances in 2012. News coming soon!

Music Lessons

2011-11-15T12:35:00.001-05:00

While I'm in Macau, you should learn about music. Teachers, this is for you - put this filmstrip on, leave the kids to learn, and go have a drink.

Great job, EINSTEIN.

2011-11-15T06:20:00.001-05:00

"Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights." - Albert Einstein

I'm in fracking MACAU

2011-10-23T01:08:00.001-04:00

So, I'm working in Macau for the time being. It's... well... To keep things a little separate, I've started a tumblr where I'll be blogging mostly photos about my experiences here in what I call Las Vasias.

An American Baritone in Macau

If I were not upon the sea...

2011-09-26T13:21:00.001-04:00

So I'm in an airport in Quebec, sipping some Tim Horton's and thinking how great it will be to be in my own bed tonight and how little time I'll actually have at home this time. It's sad but I'm torn between my home being where my condo is and wherever a certain Australian is in the world, so there's a little bit of homesick in either direction.

The news of the day? Well, I'm working on a completely redone version of my first CD, The Hardest Part of Love. It will become my third CD - or second, as we will then ignore the fact that the first ever existed, much like they do with so many superhero movie franchises. The track list will be much the same with a few tweaks, based on what people have asked for. Details to come, but I think it's worth destroying your old copy in favor of a new one. In fact, if you bought the old one back in 2007, I'll do my best to give you the new one at (my) cost. That's how much more confident I am in it. Again, details to come.

In other news, I'm about to embark on a whole new adventure working and living in Macau... It's a swiftly emerging entertainment market and there is ample opportunity there to get in on the ground floor of a very good thing. I haven't mentioned much about this as I hate to jinx things, and while I will say more in time that's all you get for now. I leave for Macau in mid-October, and will be there for at least six months to begin with. Could be more, we shall see.

And now, to the point: for years, this blog was called "Truthpumping," which is an obscure reference to a satirical acting text/memoir called "I, An Actor" by the fictitious Nicholas Craig. Since I began making my living primarily from ships, at some point I changed it to the current title as a reference to... Well, I don't need to explain that reference, it isn't obscure. What I'd like now are suggestions for a new title for this blog, as things turn in another direction...

And now, vacation.

Location:Rue Principale,Quebec,Canada

Donald Conrad

2011-09-16T13:40:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday evening, September 14, my grandfather Donald Conrad left this life to be with his greatest love, Doris. Whatever happens after this life, I know he's there with Mimi and they're both happier for it. Poppa gave so much to all of us and never really desired nor accepted credit for it. This meant that, I think, we all took his generosity a bit for granted at times. We probably took him for granted at times, generally, but I hope he knew we all loved him very much and that the love he and Mimi shared is an example of how I want to live.

If you want to honor him, raise a terrible beer (Budweiser, Coors, or Olympia if you can find it) and remember a man who worked hard all his life and loved another person so completely that you could still feel the hurt of his loss whenever you were in his presence, years later.

Mimi passed away in 2003 and he desperately missed her. He was sure he'd go soon, to follow on her heels, and kept up the talk about how he was just waiting around. I remember in 2007 when I was in Kansas for a bit and spending a good bit of time with him, he would send me out shopping for him to buy things he didn't need. We were reading the Sunday paper once and he saw a laptop special in the Best Buy ad and decided he needed a new computer. He asked me what he should get and then picked a better one. I said, "That's good, but you don't really need all that. This cheaper one would be more than enough for you."

He shook his head and matter of factly said, "Well, I won't use it much and I want whoever winds up getting it after I'm gone to have a good one."

Poppa, I love you, but that was bloody depressing.

Goodbye, Poppa. I know Mom read you my letter, I hope you understood I wish I could've been there. I meant every word, and I don't think I want that laptop. It's out of date, by now, anyway. :)

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Please help the Wayside Theatre.

2011-09-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

The Wayside Theatre Emergency Campaign
Too many great theatres have closed in the past several years. Whether you're an actor or an audience member, it's apparent that it's no longer sufficient to support the arts through just your performance or attendance. Please help these great people if you can.

THE STATELY CLOCK is now available

2011-03-19T14:17:00.004-04:00

All pre-orders have now been fulfilled, and I am proud to announce that THE STATELY CLOCK is now available for purchase here and via many online and retail outlets. Digital distribution is complete and you'll find the album on iTunes, Napster, MySpace Music, last.fm, and pretty much every other online music seller as they add it to their catalogues in the next few days/weeks.

“The Stately Clock” celebrates and breaks down the lyrics and melodies of popular songs from every era in a way that used to be common. I’ve chosen a number of songs that are already standards and had the help of a very talented musical director in giving some more modern songs that baritone “standards” treatment. To me, the lyric has always been the most important part of a beautiful song, and each of these songs has been chosen for that reason.

The lineup:
Night and Day
Heaven Can Wait
Faithfully
The Luckiest
My Way
One For My Baby
I Won’t Send Roses
Some Enchanted Evening
Grapefruit Moon
If Ever I Would Leave You

Hear samples and buy digitally online via iTunes and CD Baby

If you prefer having to actual CD, THE STATELY CLOCK CD is available here for $15.

"The Stately Clock" is on its way

2011-03-08T23:01:00.002-05:00

UPDATED 3/12: Just received confirmation that the album has been uploaded for digital distribution (via iTunes, Amazon, and pretty much anywhere else you can get music online) and that the physical copies will be delivered Friday. This means that sometime next week it will begin to appear online, and the official "release date" is now this Friday, March 18, 2011. Even so, I will still honor the pre-order offer below until the 20th!
___________________________________________________________________________________

The tracks and artwork for THE STATELY CLOCK have been released to the manufacturer, and that means release is coming soon. You can still pre-order the CD directly from me until March 20.

“The Stately Clock” celebrates and breaks down the lyrics and melodies of popular songs from every era in a way that used to be common. I’ve chosen a number of songs that are already standards and had the help of a very talented musical director in giving some more modern songs that baritone “standards” treatment. To me, the lyric has always been the most important part of a beautiful song, and each of these songs has been chosen for that reason.

The lineup:
Night and Day
Heaven Can Wait
Faithfully
The Luckiest
My Way
One For My Baby
I Won’t Send Roses
Some Enchanted Evening
Grapefruit Moon
If Ever I Would Leave You

If you pre-order, directly from me, you'll get it for $12. That's $4 less than what it will sell for on Amazon, CD Baby, or anywhere else.

The pre-ordered CDs will be shipped between March 18th and March 24th. The album will not be officially "released" for about a month after that, so you'll not only get it cheaper but also before you can buy it in any online retail outlets. (Payments are secured through paypal, and you can pay with any credit card without a paypal ID.) Thank you very much!

Updated: Pre-orders are now closed.

Pre-order my new album!

2011-02-21T14:46:00.006-05:00

On Sunday, February 27 I will be going into the studio with a group of very talented musicians to record my new album “The Stately Clock.” This means release will follow within a month, and I am pleased to announce that I am opening up pre-orders right now. With your early support, you can help me cover the initial costs of recording this project, which I'm very excited about. “The Stately Clock” celebrates and breaks down the lyrics and melodies of popular songs from every era in a way that used to be common. I’ve chosen a number of songs that are already standards and had the help of a very talented musical director in giving some more modern songs that baritone “standards” treatment. To me, the lyric has always been the most important part of a beautiful song, and each of these songs has been chosen for that reason. We are currently planning for twelve tracks, and the preliminary track list includes: Night and Day (made famous by Frank Sinatra and others) Heaven Can Wait (made famous by Meat Loaf) Faithfully (originally recorded by Journey) The Luckiest (by Ben Folds) My Way (made famous by Francis Albert Sinatra) One For My Baby (another Sinatra tune) I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face (from My Fair Lady) I Won’t Send Roses (from Mack and Mabel) Some Enchanted Evening (from South Pacific) Grapefruit Moon (by Tom Waits) The following options are available for pre-order of the new CD: Option one: $12 for the CD alone, which is as much as $4 less than you’ll find it anywhere after release. Option two: $20 for a signed copy of the CD plus digital downloads of all the tracks as soon as they’re available – BEFORE you receive your CD and BEFORE they are available on iTunes. Option three: $50 for two signed copies of the CD, the digital downloads, plus two exclusive digital tracks which will not be on the CD or released elsewhere and a copy of my first CD, "The Hardest Part of Love - Live" Option four: $100 for all of the above (two signed CDs, digital downloads, exclusive tracks, Live CD) PLUS your name listed under “special thanks” in the liner notes of my CD and three more exclusive tracks. Also, you’ll get the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting an independent artist. Your early support will go a long way toward helping me take good care of the other artists involved, and to be able to create the best product we're capable of. I expect the CD will be released before March 24^th. (Payments are secured through paypal, and you can pay with any credit card without a paypal ID.) Thank you very much! Updated: Pre-orders are now closed.