President Obama Surrounded by Security and ARTISTS

We all watched it and I can only believe we have all been moved. The last line from my favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption, echos in my mind, "I hope."

What struck me most though in his inauguration ceremony was not the wall to wall crowds of hopeful and inspired citizens, not the wall to wall security phalanxes and guards, not the back to back to back entrances or arguably the most powerful politicians in the world.

What struck me most was that for this most important and historic event, President Obama was surrounded by ARTISTS. Aretha Franklin (legendary singer), Itzhak Perlman (Violin), Yo-Yo Ma (Cello), Gabriela Montero (Piano), and Anthony McGill (Clarinet). All artists at the height of their careers and at the height of their abilities to express their talents. And again, "I hope."

"I hope" that we will understand the need for the support and expansion of the arts for our children and for our whole society. As we have seen on Wall Street, capitalism without oversight is ripe with corruption and creates a society that only focuses on profits and short term gains. We cannot continue to go down that road. We need education and discipline. And the arts represent that in so many ways. Just try to be an accomplished musician without discipline. Just try to write a play or musical without a keen respect for education.

In our capitalistic market and society, "I hope" to continue to find brave and forward thinking investors that are willing to take a chance on art. It is so important to have it in our society, the President was compelled to surrounded himself with experts at creating it.

dreampeddler

West Side Story Review in Variety

Well you don't get much better reviews than the one they published in VARIETY. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this show that holds a special place in my heart. I did a tour of this show a while back and it was an incredible experience. It was directed by one of the original cast members, Alan Johnson, and it was the first time a director demonstrated to a cast that every word, every dance step, every high note was written by the authors with a specific acting intention. This is not a show to use your own musical riffs (no pun intended), show off your own dancing style (stop popping the hip, Cassie), or improv your acting. It is all on the page so just don't screw it up. Who'd have thought that journey would actually be freeing as an actor? No worries about if you're "feeling" it or not, just do it! And when it is done right there is no other show like it.

The show opens in NYC in February and we'll see if the NYC critics love it as much as VARIETY did! I hope so.

dreampeddler

Gloom and Doom on Broadway

Well it has been a while since I have posted and it is mainly because the news has been so heartbreaking about all the closings of shows. Many friends and associates are out of work and the prospect of new shows is certainly smaller in number. (Click here for the list of closings in January from BroadwayWorld.com)

But do not lose hope! There are new shows on the way (West Side Story and Minsky's should be good) and those shows that do stay open will have less competition for their ticket prices. And maybe, just maybe, ticket prices just might start coming down - or at least producers are certainly going to have to get creative in their marketing to pry out patron's money from tightened purse strings and wallets.

But theater will rebound. It always does and the reason is this: we need it. Theater, more than any other entertainment form, has been with us from the very first storytellers were spinning their tales over the open flames near the cave dwellings. As a whole, we humans need to have both artistic expression and the communal experience of sharing our collective conscious. This challenging time will provide for an explosion in the quality of upcoming productions as we hopefully rid ourselves of the selfish consumer spend, spend, spend, morally and spiritually bankrupt society we have become. Reflection and a return to necessity will be a good dose of medicine for us all to take, and what better place to swallow your dose than in the theater!

So get writing, or get acting, or get producing, or get to the theater! It will be a powerful couple of years ahead.

Dreampeddler

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

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks

http://www.falcontheatre.com/six_dance.html

I love going to the theater and getting a pleasant surprise. You're there because you know someone in the show who is very talented and want to support them but you're just not sure if the show will be any good. Well this show was... and Jason Graae was hilarious and charming... and Constance Towers also was a joy to watch. This is a very fun piece with heart and lots of laughs. The program notes say it has been optioned as a film so I wish the author great success in moving it to the screen. And I'll keep my fingers crossed for Jason to be cast in it.

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