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Guys and Dolls on top of a Mountain


July 3rd, 2010

Recently, I had the pleasure of experiencing one of the most unique theatrical events in the country, the Mountain Play in Marin County, California. A Broadway classic, Guys and Dolls, marked its return to the Mountain Play after last being seen here in 1995.

An annual event, the Mountain Play’s thousands of patrons come from all over the greater Bay Area and beyond. The performances are held near the top of Mount Tamalpais in the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, which seats roughly 3,500 people. With views of the San Francisco bay and the forest, the setting is remarkable. The seats consist of stone and grass, so the most prepared patrons bring cushions. While we neglected to bring cushions, we did bring a delicious picnic lunch and a bottle of wine. 

Of course, the main event was Guys and Dolls. For the unlucky few who have not seen this great musical, the story revolves around the gambler, Nathan Destroit, who is desperate to find money to pay for his floating crap game. He bets Sky Masterson a thousand dollars that Sky will not be able to take a local Salvation Army girl, Sarah Brown, to Cuba. Sky ends up falling in love with Sarah and tries to reform his gambling ways. He bets all the members of the floating crap game that if he wins his roll of the dice, they will all have to go to church and repent. If he loses, he will give them each a thousand dollars. He ends up winning and all the gamblers repent and become changed men.

Because of the distance between the stage and audience, the artistic staff and actors were given a very challenging task. Luckily for the audience, they succeeded mightily. The show was great! A special ‘hats off’ to choreographer Rick Wallace and costume designer Pat Polen. The actors moved brilliantly in exaggerated and extreme ways. In a small theatre, this movement would look weird. But in a giant outdoor amphitheatre, the movements worked well. Meanwhile, the costumes consisted of suits and dresses in sharply contrasting colors red, yellow, blue and green. This brilliant costuming made the show fun to watch, even from hundreds of feet away.

The Mountain Play occurs every summer on Mount Tamlpais and is not-to-be-missed!


Posted in acting, musicals | No Comments »


2010 Tony Award Winners


June 27th, 2010

In case you missed it, the 2010 Tony Award winners were announced a few weeks ago. For better or worse, movie stars took many of the plumb awards. For example, Denzel Washington won Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his work in Fences, Catherine Zeta-Jones won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in A Little Night Music and Scarlett Johansson won Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for showing her acting chops in A View from the Bridge.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Play – Red, John Logan
Best Musical – Memphis
Best Book of a Musical – Memphis, Joe DePierto
Best Original Score Written For Theatre – Memphis, David Bryan, Joe DiPiertro
Best Revival of a Play – Fences
Best Revival of a Musical – La Cage aux Folles
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play – Denzel Washington, Fences
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play – Viola Davis, Fences
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play – Eddie Redmayne, Red
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play – Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in Musical – Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Best Direction of a Play – Michael Grandage, Red
Best Direction of a Musical – Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Best Choreagraphy – Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Best Orchestrations – Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis
Best Scenic Design of a Play – Christopher Oram, Red
Best Scenic Design of a Musical – Christine Jones, American Idiot
Best Costume Design of a Play – Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family
Best Costume Design of a Musical – Marina Draghici, Fela!
Best Lighting Design of a Play – Neil Austin, Red
Best Lighting Design of a Musical – Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Best Sound Design of a Play – Adam Cork, Red
Best Sound Design of A Musical – Rober Kaplowitz, Fela!
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Acheivement in Theatre – Alan Ayckbourn, Marian Seldes
Regional Theatre Tony Award – The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Waterford, CT
Isabelle Stevenson Award – David Hyde Pierce
Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre – Alliance of Resident Theatres/ New York, B.H. Barry, Midtown North & South New York Police Precincts, Tom Viola


Posted in Broadway, Movies, Tony Awards, acting, television | No Comments »


2010 Tony Award Nominations


May 10th, 2010

The 2010 Tony Award Nominations have been announced! Here is the list of nominees:

BEST MUSICAL

American Idiot

Fela!

Memphis

Million Dollar Quartet

BEST PLAY

In the Next Room, or the vibrator play

Next Fall

Red

Time Stands Still

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Finian’s Rainbow

La Cage aux Folles

A Little Night Music

Ragtime

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Fences

Lend Me a Tenor

The Royal Family

A View From the Bridge

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

Everyday Rapture, Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott

Fela!, Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones

Memphis, Joe DiPietro

Million Dollar Quartet, Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATER

The Addams Family, Music and Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

Enron, Music: Adam Cork, Lyrics: Lucy Prebble

Fences, Music: Branford Marsalis

Memphis, Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro and David Bryan

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Jude Law, Hamlet

Alfred Molina, Red

Liev Schreiber, A View From the Bridge

Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane

Denzel Washington, Fences

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Viola Davis, Fences

Valerie Harper, Looped

Linda Lavin, Collected Stories

Laura Linney, Time Stands Still

Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles

Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises

Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles

Chad Kimball, Memphis

Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Kate Baldwin, Finian’s Rainbow

Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture

Montego Glover, Memphis

Christiane Noll, Ragtime

Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

David Alan Grier, Race

Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences

Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts

Stephen Kunken, Enron

Eddie Redmayne, Red

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Maria Dizzia, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play

Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family

Jessica Hecht, A View From the Bridge

Scarlett Johansson, A View From the Bridge

Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family

Robin De Jesus, La Cage aux Folles

Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian’s Rainbow

Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet

Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim

Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises

Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music

Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away

Lilias White, Fela!

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Michael Grandage, Red

Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall

Kenny Leon, Fences

Gregory Mosher, A View From the Bridge

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Christopher Ashley, Memphis

Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime

Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles

Bill T. Jones, Fela!

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises

Bill T. Jones, Fela!

Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles

Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles

Aaron Johnson, Fela!

Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises

Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family

Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter

Santo Loquasto, Fences

Christopher Oram, Red

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Marina Draghici, Fela!

Christine Jones, American Idiot

Derek McLane, Ragtime

Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me a Tenor

Constanza Romero, Fences

David Zinn, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play

Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Marina Draghici, Fela!

Santo Loquasto, Ragtime

Paul Tazewell, Memphis

Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

Neil Austin, Hamlet

Neil Austin, Red

Mark Henderson, Enron

Brian MacDevitt, Fences

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Kevin Adams, American Idiot

Donald Holder, Ragtime

Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles

Robert Wierzel, Fela!

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY

Acme Sound Partners, Fences

Adam Cork, Enron

Adam Cork, Red

Scott Lehrer, A View From the Bridge

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles

Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!

Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music

Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

SPECIAL TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATER

Alan Ayckbourn

Marian Seldes

REGIONAL THEATER TONY AWARD

Eugene O’Neill Theater Center

ISABELLE STEVENSON AWARD

David Hyde Pierce

TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATER

Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York

B.H. Barry

Tom Viola


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The Audition Journey


January 31st, 2010

I recently had the joy (and pain) of auditioning for one of my favorite musicals of all time: Rent. Since the rights to perform Rent opened up recently, hundreds of community theatres have taken up the challenge to put on Jonathan Larson’s masterpiece.

The audition took place at a semi-pro community theatre 5-minutes from my house in Northern California. It seemed like the perfect opportunity.  It had been a few years since I had auditioned for a Broadway musical, so I was nervous.  I had spent the past few years performing in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and focusing on my day job as a Marketing Manager.  Would I have a chance to be accepted back into the musical theatre community?

I prepared for weeks for my big audition.  The first challenge was choosing an audition song. Given that Rent is a rock musical, singing a traditional musical theatre piece did not make sense. I eventually settled upon Desperado by the Eagles.  I sang the song for whoever would listen: parents, girlfriend, friends and unwitting strangers.  Finally, I had mastered my song.

The next step was to produce my resume and take some new headshots. Taking headshots was enjoyable – except for the stark reality that I had gained 10lbs since my last formal headshot.  Putting together my resume was less painful. With the help of the StageAgent resume builder, creating a professional-looking resume was a snap!

The day of the audition was thrilling. I loved the tension in the waiting room where various young artists prepared to make the best of their 2-minutes of fame.  When my name was finally called, I confidently stood up on the stage and aced Desperado.  Immediately, the Director handed me a packet and said that I was called back next week to sing for the lead role, Roger!

The week before the callback was so much fun! I studiously listened to the Rent CD over-and-over and memorized the songs in the callback packet. My voice felt in tip-top-shape.

Finally, the day of the callback arrived.  Not surprisingly, the production staff was behind schedule, so I spent hours again in the waiting room.  Eventually, they were ready to hear the Rogers. To my amazement, they had only called back two other potential-Rogers.  I actually had a chance of getting cast!

My excitement quickly ended. Due to a clerical error, they had given me the wrong packet of songs to learn!  I tried sight-reading, but it was clear that I was completely unprepared for the songs the Director wanted to hear.  After the callback, one of the potential Mimi’s told me not to worry – they couldn’t possibly blame me for their error! Well, she was wrong. In the hyper competitive world of musical theatre, Directors are always looking for an excuse not to cast someone. Not only was I not cast for Roger, I was not even offered a spot in the chorus.

Oh well. Even if I did not make it to the destination, the journey sure was fun!


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Tips on Maintaining Good Vocal Health


November 24th, 2009

Just like an athlete who stays in shape, performers need to ensure that their voice is in tip-top shape at all times.All actors should establish and maintain excellent voice care habits.Following are tips on how to maintain good vocal health.

Don’t:

  • Clear your throat vigorously.
  • Yell, cheer, or scream. Avoid talking in noisy situations: (e.g., at noisy parties).
  • Try to lecture or speak to large audiences without the aid of a sound amplifier.
  • Sing beyond comfortable pitch and loudness ranges.
  • Grunt during strenuous physical exercise.
  • Speak beyond a natural breath cycle: avoid squeezing out the few words of thought without sufficient breath.
  • Whisper and make “special effects” sounds with your voice (i.e., motor noises,cartoon voices, very high or low pitch sounds, etc.
  • Use your voice extensively when you have a cold or when you feel tired.
  • Expose your throat to excessive pollution: cigarette smoke, chemical fumes, etc. Avoid alcohol.
•    Ignore prolonged symptoms of vocal strain, hoarseness, or throat pain.
  • Try to sing loudly at any high pitch that you cannot manage at a quiet volume.

Do:

  • Drink frequent sips of water to clear mucus and moisturize your throat.
  • Use non-verbal noises (such as clapping or ringing a bell) to attract attention
  • Move close enough to the person you are talking with to be heard without yelling.
  • Reduce background noise.
  • Always face the person(s) you are talking to.
  • Use a microphone for public speaking.
  • Breathe out slowly or purse your lips to hold your breath.
  • Speak slowly, pausing often, at natural phrase boundaries. Don’t forget to take a breath.
  • Use a soft voice instead of a whisper.
  • Rest your voice, with the rest of your body, when you’re ill or tired.
  • Maintain proper moisture in your throat. Smoke dries the throat.
  • Drink plenty of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages.
  • Consult your doctor if you experience throat discomfort or hoarseness for more than fourteen days.

Posted in Singing, Speaking, Vocal Health | No Comments »


Phantom of the Opera Sequel


November 9th, 2009

The Phantom of the Opera sequel titled “Phantom: Love Never Dies” is soon to become a reality. The show is scheduled to premier at London’s Adelphi Theater on March 9, 2010 and then opens in New York on November 11 and in Australia in 2011. An opening in Shanghai, China is also in the works which would be groundbreaking for Broadways’s push into the China market.

The Phantom of the Opera is based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux. The show originally starred Sarah Brightman, Lloyd Webber’s former wife, and Michael Crawford.

According to www.thephantomoftheopera.com, Lloyd Webber’s musical version of The Phantom of the Opera is the  most successful piece of entertainment of all time, produced in any media. The Broadway production played its 9000th performance on September 17, 2009. It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages.

Love Never Dies continues the story of The Phantom, who has left his lair at the Paris Opera House and, 10 years later, is haunting the fairgrounds of New York’s Coney Island.

Ramin Karimlooo will play the Phantom in the sequel, having performed in the original in London, and Sierra Boggess, who played the lead in Disney’s Broadway musical “The Little Mermaid,” will play Christine.

Sadly, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoing treatment. The Oscar-winning 61-year-old, who wrote hit songs including “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from “Evita” and “Memory” from “Cats,” said that his latest work did not return to the original Phantom score barring “a couple of tiny, musical moments.

My personal thoughts: Lloyd Webber is taking a big artistic risk with this sequel. I absolutely loved Phantom and hope this sequel is nothing less than amazing. More often than not, sequels disappoint (i.e. the most recent Star Wars movies). If Love Never Dies flops, it would be a major blemish to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s distinguished career.


Posted in Openings, Phantom of the Opera | 1 Comment »


Do Stand-Up Comedians Make Better Actors?


August 11th, 2009

I love stand-up comedy. Recently, I had the privilege of attending live performances by two great comedians, Greg Giraldo and Chelsea Handler. Both comedians kept me laughing constantly during each of their hour-long sets. They both were masters at exposing their own vulnerabilities and truly making it feel like they were just having a friendly conversation with the audience.  While the comedians clearly had some scripted material, it was their ability to improv and roll with the punches that truly showed their greatness.

After watching these two stars in action, I realize why stand-up has historically been a great way to break into acting.  Performing stand-up comedy is clearly difficult.  Rising to the top of the comedy industry requires tenacity, luck and tons of talent.  But there is no doubt that mastering stand-up comedy can lead to success as an actor.  Stand-up comics are masters of stage presence.  Even without an agent or leading roles on their resume, successful comics can build up their reputation within the entertainment industry.

Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Bill Cosby and Ray Romano are just a few examples of comics who have transitioned into sitcom stars.  These comics have mastered the ability to NOT act.   Whether they are on stage or on screen they always look like real people with real vulnerabilities having real conversations.

Of course, there are plenty of successful actors who are not good at stand-up comedy.  But I believe that all actors can learn from stand-up comics.  And anyone who is serious about acting should study and excel at improv.


Posted in acting, comedy, sitcom, television | 1 Comment »


Introducing StageAgent Pro


August 3rd, 2009

Over the years, we at StageAgent have worked tirelessly to provide the best audition preparation tools on the Web. We have built up libraries of thousands of plot summaries, character descriptions, monologues, songs and audition listings. Casting directors have raved about our talent search engine, and we love hearing from our members who have found gigs due to the exposure they received on StageAgent.

However, the economic realities have slowly sunk in. Providing all of StageAgent’s content for free to all members has simply become impossible.  In fact, we are losing money every day StageAgent stays online as a completely free site.

Thus, it is with great excitement that we are introducing StageAgent Pro.  While many features remain available at no cost to our Basic members, StageAgent Pro is a membership option for people who are serious about taking their performing arts career to the next level.  Pro members get exclusive access to audition listings and character breakdowns, along with increased exposure to casting agents.

Benefits for Pro members include:

  • Access to audition listings
  • Access to detailed character breakdowns
  • Top placement in talent search/browse profile results
  • Your profile eligible to be featured on the StageAgent web site & newsletter
  • A profile badge to indicate to talent scouts that you are a serious performer.
  • A printer-friendly resume
  • The ability to contact other StageAgent members

If you are truly passionate about performing, StageAgent Pro is a very wise investment.  Pro membership starts at as little as $4.99/month and can really give you a leg up on the competition.

To upgrade to Pro, sign in to your StageAgent account and go to stageagent.com/Account. In the upper-right corner you should see your Membership Status with a link to ‘Upgrade to Pro’.  Click on this link, follow the instructions and within minutes your membership will be upgraded to Pro!

If you have any questions/comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I very much appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

Sincerely,

Jason
Founder, StageAgent.com


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King and I At Broadway By The Bay


August 3rd, 2009

5 stars for Broadway by the Bay’s recent production of Rodger & Hammerstein’s The King and I!

In 1862 Siam, an English widow named Anna and her young son arrive at the Royal Palace in Bankok. Anna has been summoned by the King of Siam to tutor his many children and wives. Can Anna and the King stay true to their own cultures while learning from each other? One of the great musical love stories of our time, The King and I is a richly textured and uplifting tale with a gorgeous score that includes “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance,” and “Hello Young Lovers.”

Jared Lee was great in the starring role of The King of Siam. And the childrens’ chorus was appropriately adorable.

Broadway By the Bay has long established itself as one of the premier theatre companies in the San Francisco Bay Area.   Each season the acclaimed theatre company presents three full-scale musicals and one intimate composer/lyricist series. Broadway By the Bay has won numerous awards, including over 40 Theatre Critics Circle Awards.



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Tosca and the Popularity of Opera


June 30th, 2009

Wow. I recently had the privilege of witnessing a great production of Puccini’s classic Tuesday night. And in a sign of life for opera, the house was completely sold out.

In Tosca an idealistic artist, a celebrated singer and a corrupt police chief engage in a fierce battle of wills in this tempestuous tale of cruelty and deception. With its themes of political intrigue, sexual intimidation and official hypocrisy, Puccini’s great melodrama set in 1800 is anything but dated. Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, praised by The New York Times for her “lushly beautiful sound and poignant vulnerability,” made her Company debut in the title role.  She and the whole cast were truly amazing.

But also amazing was the size of the audience - most people paying well over $50 a ticket. Clearly, even with a bad economy and numerous other social outlets available, demand for opera is still strong. The San Francisco Opera has smartly helped fuel interest in opera by organizing free simulcasts, young adult opera clubs, advertising online and offering ticket discounts.

Opera is clearly not going away anytime soon. Thus, opportunities for singers will remain.  So do your vocal lessons, learn some Italian and check StageAgent.com regularly for auditions!


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