Smokey Joe's Cafe

Smokey Joe's at the El Portal Theatre

Okay, it finally happened! A show that could actually make some money this year! Steph and I went to the opening night of Smokey Joe's Cafe on Saturday night and were reminded about how great those songs are. It is an infectious evening of theater. The numbers just keep coming and you know just about everyone of them by heart. You can't help but bop your head and tap your feet. Great cast and a great time...

But don't just take my word for it, check out the RAVE in the LA Times!

Get your tickets fast as this show has a limited run. Check out http://www.elportaltheatre.com/events.html

Dreampeddler

Spring Awakening - Ahmanson Theater

Okay... I'm on the bandwagon. Big fan of this show. I haven't been taken away and washed over by the music in a musical in some time, but this score is like a pop CD. You can listen to it again and again and again...

Although this is is not a typical book musical, the exploration of teen angst is so vivid and well displayed through the outstanding direction of Michael Mayer. And the choreography by Bill T. Jones is also spot on.

This show is certainly a bit adventurous and not for the timid or repressed, but if you go you will definitely see the you you were, whatever that was, when your time for puberty came. Would never want to go back and experience it all over again, but it was sure a blast to go back there for two hours and watch it on stage. Perhaps I'm just getting old and nostalgic, but I still have a sneaky smile on my face and some pep in my step from seeing this show. In the vernacular of today's teens, it was TOTALLY AWESOME.

Dreampeddler

Smokey Joe's Cafe - The El Portal Theatre in NoHo

Hey all,

I've been doing some work for the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood (Pegge Forrest manages the theater with Jay Irwin and I worked for her in CHESS at the Long Beach CLO for my second professional gig!). They are doing a version of SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE that will be directed and choreographed by Jeffrey Polk (who I used to work with at Miceli's as a singing waiter!). Oh the days.

It will be a great show. Click here to buy tickets!

Dreampeddler

Happy Days - The Musical

Went down to La Mirada to see the opening night on Saturday night. The cast was great, especially Felicia Finley (who I worked with at the El Captain Theater in Hollywood when she was a snowflake and I was a 4 part harmony boy in the preshow before 3 Musketeers and then again in the reading of "The Joys of Sex"). She plays the role of you guessed it, Pinky Tuscadero.

It was great to see all the legends of show business that are involved with the project including Garry Marshall of course, Paul Williams, John McDaniel (we did Grease! together way back when and he was the musical director when I played Jack in Into the Woods), Gordon Greenberg, Bob Boyett as well as Tom McCoy and Cathy Rigby.

If you are looking for a family friendly show with a heck of a production budget, this one is for you. It is certainly fun to remember all those great characters and how simple things seemed way back when...

Dreampeddler

I Hate Great Potential

Went to the opening of Girl's Room on Saturday night. I have seen this show in various forms of development and it has consistently improved each time. It has reached the point now that with the performances given by Carol Lawrence, Donna McKechnie and direction by Lynne Taylor-Corbett it provides an enjoyable night in the theater. But it does make me want for more. The word that comes to mind is POTENTIAL. While I've always believed this show has great potential, I now believe it will never achieve the status of, "this show provides an exceptional theater experience." It has all the makings, but when you stir it all up and put it in the oven, you get a pie that tastes good, but won't win the coveted blue ribbon. And that is the struggle.

Over the past several years, the thing that keeps me intrigued about this business is that it is so difficult. It is so difficult to get everyone on the same page and somehow make that great script on the page become the award winning show on the boards. So many things can go wrong. Actors can help or hurt. Doug Sills' performance in Scarlet Pimpernel took an average show at best and made it fun to watch (and be in), while a new independent movie I saw recently had some of the best actors out there giving some of their worst performances ever! Same thing with designers and directors - they can help or hurt but ultimately, all the planets have to line up perfectly to hit it out of the park. But when they all do line up, it makes you want to stay in the business just from the goose bumps you get watching it all unfold before you. The last time I saw this happen was when I saw Wicked out here at the Pantages. Every part of that production lined up. The sets told the same story as the costumes and the orchestrations helped the amazing performers soar to new heights, and the story made sense from beginning to end. And I have to ask, "How did they do that?" And I guarantee any of the creators or producers involved probably don't have a clue. But somehow they were able to make that show with great potential, become "an exceptional theatrical experience."

Off to see 9 to 5 and The Women this weekend. Curious to see if the planets are lining up in those theaters.

Open letter to Actors' Equity Association re: New York Music Theater Festival

April 6, 2008

Dear Actors' Equity,

I am in a very unique position as a producer of off-Broadway shows (including the 2005 production of Richard Cory at the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF)) and a proud member of AEA (performer in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grease! and King David under the production contract) and am writing to express my concern regarding the issue of increasing upfront costs to showcase productions specifically done at NYMF.

As a member of the production contract negotiating committee in 1999, I long ago saw the writing on the wall regarding the seemingly endless escalating costs to mount a new show due to salaries, rent, health insurance, advertising - everything. And since all the costs are rising, where is the first place producers go to cut costs? Development. But what is the most crucial part of any new show’s fragile life? Development. As an artist AND a producer, I am tired of seeing the endless stream of singing mermaids, dancing plates, chimney sweeps and tired second rate movies being the only thing considered for Broadway musicals IN NEW YORK. It is time for all of us to grow up, and that includes Actors’ Equity.

I, like many of my fellow AEA members, have an entrepreneurial spirit. Actors usually do as they are running their own micro businesses that include self promotion, advertising, training and the like. Because of that entrepreneurial spirit, back in 1999 I mentioned to Alan Eisenberg, then Executive Director of Equity, a potential plan for Equity to consider to help reduce upfront costs for a new production with exceptional gains on the back end for any member of Equity. This was a plan that only involved the “development” time for a production. I mentioned this plan to him as AN ACTOR not a producer, knowing that as an actor I was willing to help solve the problem. He simply shot the idea down saying, “Equity actors are salaried employees and will never consider lowering any rates even with the potential of higher pay on the back end.”

I believe that type of thinking was short sighted then and continues to be now. In the specific case of NYMF, they have come up with a working solution to help reign in costs for the development of shows. For going on five years now they have been able to successfully help develop over 32 shows PER YEAR that otherwise might not have been done. And they did it in a way that encompassed full solidarity across the unions. Talk about “favored nations,” everyone involved in every production produced at NYMF, including musicians, directors, stagehands, and designers, by contract made no more than any of the actors involved in the show. Everyone has been and is willing to accept minimum upfront stipends for the very short amount of time required for these developmental productions. Let me simply say this: As a producer I was willing to spend my own money to see the dream of Richard Cory be realized on stage for only 8 shows. We nearly sold-out all of our shows and we still lost money. But seeing that show get done was worth it. We even won the audience award for the show, but since it is a thoughtful piece – not a “commercial” piece, it may never be done again. So be it. But if ever I am able to get the show up for a Broadway or even off-Broadway run – I would run to give every actor, our amazing director, everyone involved in the show, the opportunity to be in that version.

I implore the union to stop thinking in the short term and think long term. Raising the stipend from 300 to 500 dollars could very well put the cost of doing the shows at NYMF beyond the threshold of the young producers trying to get these shows up. It is a bit like the almost laughable stimulus package giving the nation $600 dollars per person to go blow on consumer goods. It will not solve the problem. Trying to enforce the possibility of actors getting an extra $200 dollars now versus the very possibility that increase could actually remove the possibility of getting anything due to unattainable budgets is shooting eveyone in the foot, and maybe even in the head. This raise could even eliminate the possibility of these shows moving on to viable, real wage positions that would include contributions to the union, the health and welfare fund and weeks of work.

As actors we have to understand that we don’t get to be the only ones who get to play and participate in this wonderful thing called theater when more than 90% of all shows don’t even recoup their investments. It is a risky business, and investors are not going to continue to risk their money unless they can see the success of their shows up in front of an audience so they can see their reaction. It is time for the union to take responsibility for our portion of the “business” side of show business and understand that we have to be partners with the entrepreneurs risking their money for us to be able to do the play. I am not asking that we work for free. Hardly. I am asking for us to be smart business people and invest our time in the development process to pay off in dollars when the 10% that move on get the chance to pay us back at a more than respectable rate.

NYMF has come up with and employed a solution to the escalating cost issues of developing new works. Do not eliminate this solution for a lousy 200 bucks an actor. Actors are not being taken advantage of when participating in NYMF. They are participating as partners in the development of potential new works with the promise of a successful show down the road. If the union feels more protection is required, then demand a better package on the back end for those that are participating. Believe me, any producer there would be happy to take care of their fellow partners. If we take away this solution, we are not going to rise above singing candlesticks and dancing apes in the jungle. Not that those are bad things, but it shouldn’t be the only option.

Sincerely,


Nick Cavarra

Sweeny Todd at the Ahmanson

The show is the star in the new Sweeny Todd tour that came through the Ahmanson that I saw last night. Although there are some terrific performances in the piece, especially Judy Kaye in the deliciously devilish roll of Ms. Lovett, it is really the mind's eye of the designer/director John Doyle that shines through. And thank goodness. This is a very stylish, thoughtful piece that manipulates you down to every beat. This can only be done with a show that has a history of success and an already solidified pedigree in our consciousness. It seems to have come from the "let's do Richard III as if it were taking place in Natzi Germany" or "let's do a take on Romeo and Juliet that takes place in LA with fast cars, automatic weapons and beautiful youth." If we were not already familiar with the storyline, I am not sure we could appreciate all the thoughtful "variations on the original theme" that are taking place in this version.

That being said, it was wonderful to be in the theater and be challenged to concentrate on what was being delivered. This was not a Disney film turned Broadway musical that we know the ending before we start. This was an evening of clever surprises to what was coming next. Questions like, "how are they going to deal with all the blood that can be in this show?" - very effectively handled by slowly pouring a dark red liquid from one small white pail into another in a demonstration of symbolism (something I'm sure the stage hands appreciated). "How will they deal with the usually complicated barber's chair?" - again handled with the deceivingly simplistic use of a coffin, but broken down and arranged in intricate pieces to suggest the horrors to follow - and forces our participation as our imaginations take over to fill in the gory details.

The only detriment to the show in my book was all this thoughtful manipulation made the show almost too cerebral, demanding our respect, but not quite drawing us in. At the conclusion of the piece, I think everyone was duly impressed will all the talents on stage and the precision of the procedure, but my dentist's deft hand also demands my respect, but it still doesn't make my teeth feel better after a deep cleaning.

Dreampeddler

Jott.com

This is just a quick post about Jott.com. This is amazing new service andit is free on the internet, so for all you bloggers out there, all you have to do is speak into your phone and it will post automatically to your blog site. Pretty amazing stuff. Also, will work great if you have a family - especially kids - and you do not wanna do texting while you're driving. Jott.com is hands free, just call the toll free number and speak your message, so it's hands free. The voice recognition software from Jott will send them the message as a text message. You should check it out, Jott.com.

Melody Moore, the new Fanny at Kalliope Stages

Here is a quick interview with Melody Moore, the new Fanny at Kalliope Stages.

Dreampeddler: Congratulations, Melody, on being cast as Fanny in the Kalliope Stage production of Fanny Hill. As the original producer of the show in New York, I know how challenging the role of Fanny is. What do you feel is the most exciting part of playing Fanny for you?

Melody: The most exciting part of playing Fanny is that this character gets quality stage time with EVERY character/actor in the show! As an actor, getting to work intimately with so many different people can challenge you and help you grow. Through Fanny I also get to portray a woman that goes through a very significant transformation. I'm very excited to bring this to life on stage!

Dreampeddler: What do you think will be the most challenging part of playing Fanny?

Melody: Ed Dixon wrote a very challenging vocal score for this character. My vocal chords are literally being stretched to places they have not gone in years!

Dreampeddler: Ed no doubt is a master at writing music that is intricate yet melodic. I think his best talents shine when he writes duets, trios and choral numbers, as he has a real talent for writing intertwining harmonic lines with multiple characters. Only in a musical can you have more than one character "speaking/singing" at the same time and still understand what is going on.

This is a return engagement for you at the Kalliope Stage having played Queenie in their last year's production of Wild Party. What is it like to work at Kalliope Stage?

Melody: I have grown more as an actress at Kalliope Stage than I have working ANYWHERE. Paul always hires amazingly talented people to be part of the Kalliope family. This includes production staff, artistic staff as well as the actors and musicians. To work with them is a privilege. He also creates a very safe space that is focused on bringing out the best in everyone. The size of the theatre is very intimate as well and it forces the actors to be truly honest in their work. There is nothing like being able to reach out and touch an audience member...literally!

Dreampeddler: I understand you live in Manhattan with your husband. Are you from Manhattan ? Are you there to pursue Musical Theater?

Melody: Yes, I live in Manhattan with my husband and our little schnauzer, Mozart. I am originally from Carbondale, Illinois where I attended Southern Illinois University and graduated with a degree in musical theatre. Yes, I am in NYC to pursue a career in musical theatre and after six years am FINALLY getting some nice juicy Broadway callbacks! I have also been taking a fantastic acting class the past three years with Craig Carnelia. My husband is a singer/songwriter and it's wonderful to be able to pursue our dreams in NYC together!

Dreampeddler: I have heard nothing but amazing things about Craig Carnelia's class. I love a lot of his music and back when I was still acting, I would sing "Diamonds" his song about baseball. Got a lot of gigs with that song. He is a wonderful talent.

Thanks again to Melody for taking the time out of her busy rehearsal schedule to answer some questions. Tomorrow is Feb. 1st and they will be down to 2 weeks before opening!

Break a leg!

Fanny Hill The Musical at Kalliope Stage

As promised, here's an interview with two gents who run The Kalliope Stage in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the first regional production of Fanny Hill! Paul F. Gurgol, Artistic Director of Kalliope Stage and Rex Snider, Managing Director of Kalliope Stage.


I love the spirit of these guys and their positive attitude toward the real challenges out there to run a professional theater in Cleveland. The same problems arise for all theaters everywhere, where do we get our audience and where can we get funding? As Rex said, maybe we should all start selling our blood! And we all need to get more sleep!


Dreampeddler: Tell me a little bit about yourselves.


Paul: Besides rehearsals for Fanny I also work in the education department for Opera Cleveland. Its a wonderful program . I teach master classes to college students. We spend a day with the students from the theater, music and dance departments and create, rehearse and perform an operetta in a day. It is a very rewarding program. It really keeps my skills sharp.

Rex: By day I am an Engineer with a large company in Ohio where I am a mentor and engineering administrator. That is how I get money to pay our bills. Also during the day I manage the theater as best I can, sneaking in a few mins. here and there to put out fires and deal with business concerns between the projects I have with my employer. All my nights and weekends are spent running the theater. I average 3 to 4 hours sleep a night. I am an officer on the board of trustees of Kalliope Stage as well. I am not a paid employee of Kalliope. I do this for Paul and the love of theater.


Dreampeddler: How have rehearsals been going for your production of Fanny?


Paul: Things have been a little hectic on my end. Fanny is going great. The cast sounds amazing. I start blocking this Sunday. We are going to do a sing through of the show today. Melody is going to be wonderful as Fanny. She has the right balance of innocence and sass. She is so like able on stage. The cast seems very excited about working on the show. A lot of development in character is happening already. We work around the table daily to get everyone working in the same style. We are having a lot of fun developing through the phrasing of the music. Adrienne Brockway is doing production design for the show. Sets, lights and costumes. She is building all the costumes from scratch. She is working her tail off at the moment. When I first read the show last spring I just loved it. I laughed out loud. Once I heard the music I was sold. I had to do this show. It has a wonderful sense of operetta, pastiche, sex farce as well as comedia. As always we are working to find the truth as well as a style appropriate for the show. I think Fanny is a wonderful cross of Candide and Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. I am working for a fast paced seamless production. We need to take the audience on a ride. I welcome the challenges this show gives me as an artist.

Dreampeddler: How many people do you have on staff?

Rex: Staff is very expensive and not easy to find that is self motivated and cares about the company. We currently do not have any paid staff and only a few dedicated volunteers including myself. We used to have one hired office person that handled box office, communications, minor levels of accounting and facilities housekeeping. Since the down turn in support for the arts in Cleveland we found it necessary to lay her off. I now do all that too!


Dreampeddler: Where do you find your actors and actresses? Are they NYC transplants? Students? Recent Grads?

Paul: For Fanny Hill we have an incredible cast of New York and Cleveland actors- the best we've had at Kalliope to date. Melody Moore, who played Queenie last season to rave reviews in our production of Andrew Lippa's Wild Party, is Fanny, and Erin Stewart and David Dewitt are joining the cast as Phoebe and Charles. They both come to us after completing a national tour of Phantom of the Opera as Christine and Raoul. Jared Leal, who player Billy Bigalow in the national tour of Carousel, is playing Will, and David Vosburgh, who was in the original cast of A Little Night Music and the revival of 1776, is playing Croft.

Dreampeddler: Where do you find funding for your organization?

Rex: Besides contributing constantly myself sources are varied. I have not started selling my blood yet.

Thank you guys for your candid responses. I look forward to speaking to more of the cast and following your production up to opening night on Valentine's Day!

Dreampeddler

Teaser

Although my posts have been less frequent of late, that is about to change. I have been working hard on two new projects that will be featured on the blog, and one announcement for a staged reading.

1) Behind the scenes run up to the opening of Fanny Hill in Ohio at the Kalliope Stage. Fanny's First Time in the regional theater market. Interviews are underway with the creative staff and cast. This will be a great play by play for getting a show up and running. Should be a lot of fun.

2) I will be running a new feature on the blog with my dear friend Ed Dixon. There are 2 kinds of famous people out there, one being the celebrity that is known by legions of fans and exposure but has probably had little interaction with all the people who know them, and then there are those folks that literally KNOW legions of people, have actually worked with them and interacted with them. Ed is one of these people. And the stories he can tell about all of these legions, both famous and infamous, are amazing. Well we will be sharing those stories here on the blog under the new feature, "How do you know Ed Dixon?" (working title). This will be a blast. Check out his site at http://www.eddixon.biz/

3) I interviewed DJ Salisbury in December about his upcoming project Super Chix. They will be having a performance of the piece at the Zipper Theater on February 1st. Check out the following facebook event page for more details, http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=7919778004&ref=mf

See you again soon!

dreampeddler

First Regional Production of Fanny Hill

Kalliope Stage in Cleveland will be the first regional theatre to put up Fanny Hill. I am very excited to see Fanny start getting the exposure she deserves. As one of the original producers of the show in New York, it is very rewarding to see a show that we put so much hard work and care into start to have a life of its own. Our Fanny is growing up!

If you are in the area, go to the tickets page on the Kalliope Stage website and enjoy!

Opening night is Valentine's Day, 2008, exactly 2 years after our premiere in New York City!

As producing theater is a collaborative effort, one of the ways we get Fanny Hill out there for regional productions is through Miracle or 2 Productions. They have a catalogue of shows that they represent including Fanny Hill and another of Ed Dixon's shows that I produced, Richard Cory. I am going to interview the founders of Miracle or 2 soon so they can explain exactly what it is they do and how they develop relationships with all these great regional theaters.

Stay tuned and...

BREAK A LEG, FANNY IN OHIO!

dreampeddler

Striking 12 - Amazing

So Striking 12 was amazing at the Zipper. Val, Brendan and Gene are in top form and the show is still in great shape. They are always just an inspiration to see. So much talent as musicians and performers. Rare qualities!

As for some movies Steph and I saw while we were there, both Sweeney Todd and I Am Legend are worth their ticket prices. Especially if you go see Legend on the IMAX. Always very cool to see an action flick on that big of a screen.

Am diving into 2 new scripts for writing, so my posts may become limited over the next month, but if I see something good or hear of a great new piece, I will let you know.

Dreampeddler

August: Osage County on Broadway and Striking 12

So I'm finishing up my time in New York for the holidays and saw August: Osage County yesterday. As the New York Times said, it truly is "THE MOST EXCITING NEW AMERICAN PLAY BROADWAY HAS SEEN IN YEARS."

It is billed as a limited engagement so if you get a chance, run over to the Imperial Theater and see this play. I cannot recommend this show enough. Simply brilliant and wonderfully acted. It is theater like this that gives me hope for the future of Broadway and reaffirms that there are artists (writers and actors and theater companies, Steppenwolf for this one) that are still devoted to thinking and producing theater that is outside of the "commercial" box. This show is no Good Vibrations, or some other weakly adapted, somewhat famous or infamous film. It is truly one of a kind and a treasure.

Am going to see another treasure this evening, the amazing and now Ovation Award winning writing and performing team in Striking 12.

Dreampeddler

Writers Boot Camp

So last night was the last night of my 6 week Writers Boot Camp course. If you are interested at all in screenwriting, you must take this class. The tool kit they provide is just exceptional and finally gave me exercises I could use on the blank page instead of just sitting there staring at it wondering what will or should come next. Do the exercises, you will create material. That simple.

Their motto is this: The secret to writing... is writing.

Now I just have to figure out how I can afford to take their 2 year course.

dreampeddler

Final Question Regarding the T Fellowship

One last addition. After emailing John one more time with his answer to one of my questions, it begged for one more question:

DREAMPEDDLER: What does Hal Prince and the committee see as the biggest problem on Broadway and what is it they'd like to see changed?

JP: The big problem they're trying to tackle is that the job of the producer has evolved over the past thirty years to be primarily about the money and financing. While that's always be a key part of the job--no pay, no play, whether it's 1907 and you're Lee Shubert or it's 2007 and you're John Pinckard--the degree to which the financial side has become dominant has taken its toll on the artistic integrity of the work on Broadway. Hal's position is that Broadway, and commercial Broadway at that, has traditionally been the best of both art and commerce. That's a homeostatic balance that I think the fellowship is trying to restore.

Here's to hoping they can! My thanks again to John for his candid answers. I'll be back in NYC one week from Saturday and hope to see many shows. I'll review as many as possible.

Dreampeddler

John Pinckard and the T Fellowship

As you have seen on the blogsite, I love to interview directors, actors, creators and other producers to get their take and experience with getting a project up. There is a brand new vehicle called the T Fellowship that is intended to help develop the next generation of producers.

"The T Fellowship honors the legacy of Broadway producer T. Edward Hambleton and is designed to support the development of gifted emerging theatrical producers."

"The T Fellowship is committed to sustaining the finest traditions of creative producing. Although the environment in which theatre is produced continues to change, the underlying principles that have historically shepherded great works of American theater continue to have validity today and must be understood and adapted if the art form is to thrive."

Below is my interview with John Pinckard, one of the winners of this brand new fellowship.

DREAMPEDDLER: How did you hear about the T Fellowship?

JP: I had been producing and directing shows in the Off Off Broadway scene for a couple years by the time I produced Silence! the Musical at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2005. That production garnered a remarkable degree of attention from the commercial sector, and one of the people who saw the show was Hal Prince's assistant. He invited me in for a meeting and told me about the fellowship, which was at that time still in development. He said, "When the program is ready, you need to apply: you're exactly the kind of guy they're looking for." And here we are today.

DREAMPEDDLER: How long was the application process? How many steps did you have to take? Application submission, 1 or 2 interviews?

JP: The application is pretty lengthy; you can see the requirements at http://tfellowship.com/tfellowshipApply.php. Eight applicants were invited in for a pre-screen with the Chair of the Theatre Division at Columbia University, Steven Chaikelson. Five of us were invited back for finalist interviews with the full panel: Steve, Hal Prince, Margo Lion, Edwin Wilson, Tori Bailey, and Gregory Mosher. They intended to select only one fellow, but they awarded the fellowship to me and another candidate, Orin Wolf, after both of us came back for a second interview with the full panel. It's been especially nice, because Orin is a dear friend of mine.

DREAMPEDDLER: How is the fellowship assisting you? Specific classes, networking events, stipend?

JP: The centerpiece of the fellowship is really the project development, where the fellowship committee basically gets behind you as you develop a new project and produce it for Broadway. Now that I have a project selected, Hal and the others will be mentoring me throughout the course of the year as I work with the composer/lyricist/bookwriter team to develop it. Near the end of the year, they will be introducing me to the financial people who will work with me to make the show happen.

There is also the marvelous opportunity to audit classes at Columbia for the MFA in producing/arts management as well. The networking and support component of the program is all about putting me in touch with the contacts I need to get the project done. By way of example, I have a lot of research I need to do to get up to speed on a lot of historical and musicological aspects of the period and location that my project is going to be set in. Rather than fight my way blindly through the catalogue at the New York Public Library, I was able to call the head of the Performing Arts Division of the NYPL, who arranged a meeting for me with the heads of the music and theatre departments. I walked out of there with, shall we say, a highly curated reading list of books! They have set me on to researching things I didn't even realize I needed to be researching...the support has already been invaluable.

There is a stipend as well, $14k in installments throughout the year.

DREAMPEDDLER: As the fellowship is helping you to develop the project, will they have some type of "producer profit participation" in the final work? I ask this as the Nicoll Fellowship in Screenwriting (probably the most prestigious writing contest out there) gives a $30,000 a year stipend for up to 6 winners a year for their fellowship year. They do NOT participate, option or own any part of the project though, so it is completely altruistic in nature.

JP: There is no profit participation in the final work. The T Fellowship is solely about cultivating the next generation of producers; Hal and the fellowship committee are really invested in using the program to make the changes they'd like to see on Broadway.

DREAMPEDDLER: What is your deal structure with the composer/lyricist/bookwriter? Are you commissioning the work and therefore owning the copywright? Sharing some of the creation credit such as co-writer?

JP: It's a little early for me to discuss deal points, but of course the arrangement will be largely based on the Dramatists Guild APC. In terms of my participation in the creation of the show, the authorial team will hold the copyright. I look at the creation of Cabaret, where Hal Prince wanted to do a musical adaptation of "I Am A Camera" and got John & Fred to write it with Joe Masteroff. That show will always be "by" Kander & Ebb, but the show came to life on Broadway largely through the lens of Hal's vision.

DREAMPEDDLER: Have you decided on a particular project to produce through the fellowship yet or are you still considering your options?

JP: I have just picked my project, after two months of deliberation! I'll be working with Chris Miller, a very talented composer/lyricist who I've wanted to work with for almost ten years. We're just getting to work now. His show "The Burnt Part Boys" is expected at the Vineyard next summer if an upcoming reading goes well.

DREAMPEDDLER: I understand you are provided with a budget for a reading. How do you anticipate mounting that reading? Independent of any other readings? Mounting it in NYMF if it is a musical, or mounting it at the Fringe or the Summer Plays Festival?

JP: There's a budget ($20k) for development, but it's not necessarily for a reading. There will be "some" kind of a presentation at the end of the year-long program, next September, but that is dependent on where in the musical's development cycle we happen to be. Chris and I are developing a brand new show, almost from scratch, with source material in the public domain. He works very fast though, and he's actually arranged for us to do a workshop in May at Elon College in North Carolina (his alma mater), so I imagine we'll have a full draft by then. Depending on how that goes, we could be ready for a full backers' read in September. That would obviously be ideal, but I'm not going to force a presentation that we're not ready for; that would be profoundly counterproductive.

The Fellowship is meant to introduce a young producer directly to the backing he needs for a worthy Broadway project; as such sending the musical to NYMF or Fringe would be redundant to the Fellowship. Festivals are more useful if you don't have interest and are looking to grab someone's attention; I have the attention of the best people in the business! I'm very fortunate.

DREAMPEDDLER: When did you receive the fellowship and by when do you have to mount the reading?

JP: I found out in June, but the official announcement and commencement of the program was Sept 17. The program is a year long, so sometime next September I imagine we'll be doing the reading.

DREAMPEDDLER: Is there an anticipated date for others to apply for the 2nd T Fellowship?

JP: If they keep to last year's timeline, they'll put the call out any day now actually. My deadline was Feb 2. But Orin's and mine is the first year...they're still making this up as they go along in a lot of ways.

History Boys and 9 to 5

So we're off to see History Boys at the Ahmanson this evening. I am definitely looking forward to it. One of the most important things to do as a producer is to attend other shows as much as possible to see what other producers are up to and how the "market" is reacting to works. It is always cyclical. Remember when there was nothing but jukebox musicals coming out? Perhaps the producers of the Beach Boys musical, Good Vibrations, would have been better served to not come into the market after so many others had already opened, and quite frankly, made the critics very resistant to giving a good review to anything resembling this type of musical. They closed 44 performances after they opened.

The new trend is to base a musical on a famous movie. Next year, the Ahmanson is jumping on board this trend, producing the upcoming 9 to 5 with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. They have a powerhouse cast lined up including Allison Janney (one of my favorite actresses from West Wing and many other shows) and Megan Hilty from Wicked. From an investor standpoint, this is probably a pretty good bet (although investing in theater is always gambling). But from an artistic standpoint, I would be very concerned.

It all started with the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast and Grease! We all know these stories from beginning to end before we even step foot into the theater. And because of that, these shows are not required to truly tell the whole story on the stage. What happened with Grease! was since the production was not required to show you the relationships of the characters on the stage because everyone already knows what is supposed to happen, all the numbers became these flashy, Vegas production type numbers that were there only to wow the audience, not inform the audience or push the story forward. With Beauty and the Beast, if you have not seen the movie, I would venture to guess you would be quite confused by the stage version as there are countless holes in the show that are easily filled in by audience members who know the story already so the holes are certainly forgiven if even noticed by those audience members.

My hope for 9 to 5 is this: Remember to show us the whole story in a unique way employing the special storytelling elements and medium of musical theater to entertain the audience. Don't just be a bunch of showy numbers about 3 women who get back at their terrible boss. If it falls into that category, it will be a terrible show. It it falls into the former, it has a shot to be something special.

Dreampeddler

Strike 2007, revisited, IATSE vs. the Writers both vs. the Producers

Just a bit more on the Writers' strike and IATSE. I'm sure you are thinking get over it, Broadway is back up and running, but that's the whole point of this post.

Back to IATSE. I wrote about both strikes a couple of weeks ago and pleaded for IATSE to put their demands into the public arena so we could decide if we wanted to support them or not. Funny, they didn't do that. And I imagine if they did, we all would have laughed them away from the bargaining table (are you kidding, you want the producers to pay for a guy who only has to raise and lower the curtain?). But they did get a deal done. And that is something.

The Writers on the other hand, did put their viral messages out there and won the PR war (63%-4% according the this post) but there is no deal on the horizon, and probably won't be anytime soon. The difference is this though... The Internet has to be dealt with and it will be. If the producers don't settle this now with the Writers, they'll have to deal with it with the Directors and if they can't get a deal with them, then they'll have to deal with the actors, who supposedly are all lined up to strike unless the Internet thing is addressed.

Well in the marketplace, it will be dealt with, and there will ultimately be a deal and settlement. Just like IATSE got their deal, the Writers' will get theirs too. I just hope it is equitable for all and that quality writing can get back to work... they've never been able to raise and lower a curtain, but they have always been able to make me laugh, think and even cry. They deserve the big bucks when they do their job right!

Dreampeddler

DJ Salisbury directing Super Chix Reading

Web 2.0 is an amazing thing. Facebook, Linkedin and MySpace all allow for us to get back in touch with folks we have worked with from way back. It's just great. Recently, I was able to reconnect with DJ Salisbury who worked with me forever ago on GREASE! As so many of us who started as actors/performers in the theater, DJ too has moved "to the other side of the table" as a director/choreographer. This happens so much in the theater as I think about my friends from Scarlett Pimpernell. Many of that cast have gotten into producing, casting, directing and even writing. This is such a challenging business that you have to wear as many hats as possible just to stay in it!

I spoke with DJ about his new project in development:

DREAMPEDDLER: What is the name of your project?

DJ: Working title is SUPER CHIX. Written by Lourds Lane. She tours with her band Lourds and has developed a following in New York and elsewhere.

DREAMPEDDLER: What is it about?

DJ: A comic book artist, distraught over how a recent break up has robbed her of her self-worth, finds new strength and possibility through the irreverent 'wisdom' of a band of off-center superheroes.

DREAMPEDDLER: Do you have any actors or other name talent attached?

DJ: Frenchie Davis (American Idol) has agreed to play one of the Super Chix and all of the other singer/actors are front women for existing rock bands.

DREAMPEDDLER: What is your position for it? Director/Choreographer/Writer/Producer?

DJ: I am the director and dramaturg. There will be dance in the form of modern adagio (one couple appears throughout the show) and we are still in search of a choreographer. In our reading, we will not have dance but rather a person describing the dances and theatrical visuals.

DREAMPEDDLER: How did you find the project?

DJ: I was recommended by one of the attached actors. Her name is Kacie Sheik (yes, she has a famous music industry relative) and I directed her in a show about four years ago. She has been singing more often than acting since then and has developed a following. I recall hearing that I was one of three directors the writer/singer/actor met. We hit it off and she was drawn to my vision for the expansion of the piece.

DREAMPEDDLER: Do you have producers attached?

DJ: Since we are in the early stages, there is no producer attached as yet. Lourds has said that she has some interest and she does have an angel or two to help us put up a reading at the Zipper Factory in January.

DREAMPEDDLER: What are your goals or steps in place to get it up and running, i.e. staged readings, putting it into NYMF, doing a regional production to hopefully move?

DJ: Staged reading in late January. I do not think we'll go into a festival setting...given that the talent is from the music industry (i.e., of varying schedules) and that the visual concepts will be important to the overall experience, it would not be well represented in a minimal showcase. Our model is more like De La Guarda or a small scale Cirque in terms of visual realization. A multi-media theater "experience" more than a book musical.


Thanks again to DJ for spending some time on the blog. I'll check back in with him as the show progresses.