SPOTLIGHT ON: Jared Weiss of Oklahomo!

Hey friends!

So, the final week of the festival is upon us, but that doesn’t mean we’re winding down yet! My show, Show Choir!, closed this past Monday and I can honestly say it was one of the greatest theatrical experiences I’ve ever had. Grateful. I’m also appearing in the NYMF concert If It Only Even Runs a Minute 4 tomorrow night at 7! Plus co-creators Kevin Michael Murphy and NYMF Associate Producer Jen Tepper are reuniting the team behind the 1975 musical Truckload at the 5th edition tomorrow at 9:30! I’m seriously tweaking out. Get your tickets while you can! NYMF just rocks so hardcore sometimes I can’t even deal.

Anyways, I digress. I thought it would be awesome to interview the ever-wonderful Jared Weiss of the NYMF @ NITE show, Oklahomo: The Adventures of Dave and Gary this week. Jared is ridiculously talented with a fantastic half-Jew ‘fro (see the picture located below if you do not believe me).

Q: Hey Jared! Tell all the readers out there what Oklahomo is about.

A: Oklahomo is a one-act rock musical by Jesse Gage (an insanely talented, straight up dude) about two gay guys from Oklahoma named Dave and Gary. Dave and Gary are very much in love, and want to be accepted for who they are, differences and all. Dave is bestowed with super powers while tripping out on acid at a Journey Concert and becomes OKLAHOMO—a superhero. Naturally, this jump-starts Dave and Gary’s journey to change the world. The show promotes gender equality without shoving it down your throat. Universal Love can be achieved if we accept and embrace each other’s differences. The message is simple: It all starts with love.

Q: That is a fantastic message. I wholeheartedly enjoy that. So who do you play?

A: I play Brady. I work at Spencer’s Gifts in the mall in Oklahoma. For reasons that will become clear when you see the show; Brady is required to impersonate a biblical figure. Which one? Well darling, you’ll just have to come down and see the show to find out.

Q: Have you ever been involved in a NYMF show before?

A: No I’ve never been involved with NYMF. A while back I heard that they slaughter kittens and turn them in to erasers, so I never got involved. Then I heard that was a lie and that NYMF actually loves kittens. Honestly though, NYMF is good people. They do a great job at promoting new work around the city. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.

Q: NYMF totally loves kittens! That eraser business is utter slander!  Now, Oklahomo is a NYMF @ NITE event, does that mean you’ve had less rehearsal time than a full production? What’s the process been like?

A: The rehearsal process has been just as involved and professional as any other I’ve been a part of. We’ve been hard at work rehearsing every night for the past three weeks. The show is shot out of a cannon, so there’s not a lot of time to stop and think about what comes next; especially for Dave and Gary leads, who are onstage for basically 90 minutes straight. The cast, crew and creative team are totally committed, amazingly talented and just bold enough to pull this thing off. I can’t say enough good things about everyone involved. Granted we only have three performances; but they are going to be three fucking Earth-Shattering Performances.

Q: Yes they are. Everyone should get there tickets NOW. Any funny anecdotes while working on the show that you’d like to share?

A: Funny Anecdote… Wow, I’ve got two words for you: Singing Labia. How do you pluralize labia?

Q: Hm, I’m not entirely sure. Add an S? We can Wikipedia that later. Now for the most important question: how do you keep your hair looking oh so good?

A: Honestly? A combination of luck, genes and walking against the wind.

Check out Oklahomo this weekend at Urban Stages! For more info on the show and how to purchase tickets, visit the Oklahomo show page at http://www.nymf.org/oklahomo!

Above Hell’s Kitchen – A Conversation with Jonathan Spottiswoode

Jonathan Spottiswoode takes time during a rehearsal break to talk with Robert about Above Hell’s Kitchen. Jonathan is the Composer, Lyricist, Bookwriter, and stars as the main character DJ. Check out the video to hear the interview!

Spottiswoode grew up in London and now resides in New York. His songs have been covered by numerous artists and featured in a variety of independent and Hollywood films.

The New Yorker has called him a “genius” and a “downtown ringleader.” S&M, his recent duo collaboration with Riley McMahon, was voted the Best DIY Release of 2007 by Performing Songwriter Magazine and nominated for an Independent Music Award. He has also put out two solo CDs, including the 2010 Old Soul release, PIANO 45.

Spottiswoode’s 7-piece band, Spottiswoode & His Enemies, has released four acclaimed CDs, toured nationally and internationally, played at Lincoln Center, and performed residencies at some of New York’s most prestigious venues. In 2008, in honor of the band’s tenth anniversary, Spottiswoode was profiled on NPR’s “Weekend Edition.”  In 2009, the band and six actors performed a staged reading at Joe’s Pub in the Public Theater of his new opera, ABOVE HELL’S KITCHEN. The project has been selected for the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Spottiswoode is also a filmmaker. He flew to Los Angeles two years in a row to thank the Academy and receive consecutive Student Emmys for music videos he wrote, produced and directed. THE GENTLEMAN, an anti-romantic comedy he subsequently wrote and directed, screened at the BBC Short Film Festival and played for several years on the Independent Film Channel. He currently has two feature film scripts in development: UPPER PENINSULA, a Midwestern domestic drama to be directed by Brian Dilg, an NYU Film School Graduate; and THE LONG WALK, a dramatic and lyrical portrait of New York City on a Friday night, with the Cesar-nominated French actress, Audrey Dana, attached.

There are still chances to see Above Hell’s Kitchen! Get your tickets now before the festival ends!

Tuesday, Oct 12th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Friday, Oct 15th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, Oct 17th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

- Robert (Marymount Manhattan College)

One minute with the dashing Jennifer Tepper of If It Only Even Runs A Minute!

Co-Creator Jennifer Tepper answers your burning question about her Concert Series at NYMF (COMING UP OCT. 14th at 7 +930)

1.Tell us a little bit about the show

If It Only Even Runs A Minute is a concert series celebrating rare and inspiring songs, photos and stories from underappreciated musicals. We are doing our 4th and 5th editions of the concert as part of NYMF. Each concert includes several original cast members of the featured musicals singing songs they originated and talking about their shows.

2.How did you originally come up with this idea?

During the summer of 2009, I became obsessed with the idea of doing a concert celebrating songs from musicals that I loved, but that I didn’t feel like a lot of people knew. I’m always trying to get my best friends to listen to The Goodbye Girl or A Class Act, and this seemed like a way to make a whole room full of people listen!

Also, I had been doing this “Rare and Inspiring Photo Album” project on facebook, filling albums with photos from all eras and types of theatre history. I thought it would be unique to produce a concert that also included photos and stories, as well as songs.

As soon as I came up with the title, which is a lyric from my favorite musical, Merrily We Roll Along, I knew I had to do it. I talked to my multi-talented friend Kevin Michael Murphy about doing it, and he had some great ideas about how to shape the evening as well.

Then, there was this concert/ party for the Glory Days CD release, and the title song from that show, by my friend Nick Blaemire, was going to be sung by musical theatre writers Joe Iconis, Brian Lowdermilk, Benj Pasek, and Adam Gwon. Because of some circumstantial things, they didn’t wind up singing “Good Old Glory Type Days” in that concert. I was sad, because this sounded like it would’ve been epic and wonderful. So with Nick’s permission, I decided to make this song the “centerpiece” as it were, of our first If It Only Even Runs A Minute concert. This moment was extremely special, and I remember Craig Carnelia, one of my favorite writers of all time, who was also featured in the first concert, was so moved by these 4 writers singing the song of another young writer. Craig got on stage and said, “Look around this room. If a bomb went off, Broadway would have no future.” That’s when I saw that by celebrating these underappreciated shows, we could also celebrate our current musical theatre, and the continuing legacies of shows we all love.

3. How is this show different than the one you did in January?

We did our first edition in January at the Beechman, and our second edition in May at the Beechman. By our third concert, we needed a slightly larger space, so we moved to Le Poisson Rouge. Now, our fourth and fifth editions are at NYMF! It’s been quite a journey.

4. Is there anything you want people to know about If It Only Even Runs A Minute before they see it?

Our fourth edition is at 7pm on Thursday the 14th, and our fifth edition is at 9:30pm that same night- but they are totally different shows with two different line-ups!

5. What are you most looking forward to during the performances?

One of my favorite things is always looking in the audience and seeing my best friends and my family and also people I haven’t met yet, discovering these songs and listening attentively to these fascinating backstage stories. During our third concert, I caught a glimpse of my mom and sister in the audience, both with tears running down their faces, as Liz Larsen spoke about and sang from Starmites, which she originated the lead in on Broadway in 1989. Starmites was one of the first musicals I was obsessed with, and it was the only musical I ever played the lead in- at camp when I was 11-years-old. I remember I said something about these evenings being dreams coming true, one after the other, because I was no longer listening to Liz Larsen on my “boom box”, with my mom and sister in the next room, I was on stage while she performed her huge number, that she herself hadn’t sung in 20 years. Making musical theatre history come alive is something that Kevin, Caleb, and I, as well as our whole team, love making happen. One of the centerpieces of our 5th edition is a “Truckload Reunion”: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/143703-Truckload-Reunion-Will-Be-Part-of-If-It-Only-Even-Runs-a-Minute-Concerts

The best parts of the evening are when my mind is actually blown by things happening, that have been in my imagination since I was a musical theatre nerd kid. Truckload Reunion?!?!?! 15-year-old Jen Tepper, reading her copy of “Not Since Carrie”, would actually faint.

Also, I look forward to the moments when I somehow figure out how to improv!

BUY TICKETS FOR IF IT EVEN ONLY RUNS A MINUTE AT: http://www.nymf.org/Show-1520.html

- Lina (Brooklyn College)

OUR COUNTRY–Buy your tickets today!

Good afternoon everyone! I have just found out some awesome information about the NYMF show “OUR COUNTRY”

Please read these amazing answers from TONY ASARO (music, lyrics, and original concept)

1) How did you come up with the idea for your show and how long ago did you start the process?

The answer to this question is a long one.  I first had the idea for a gay country western show in 2001!  Back then, I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.  My good friend Liana had formed an alternative country western band with her boyfriend.  (In the early 2000s, alternative country music was all the rage with the young hipster crowd in San Francisco.)  Liana invited me to one of their gigs.  I had never really thought much about country music before, but it sounded like a fun excuse to drink with friends.  Well, their duo was pretty terrible, but some of the songs were funny.  Also, I noticed something that I had never noticed before: country songs are story songs.  They tell a narrative like musical theatre songs.

I was inspired.  I started writing my first country western song.  Having read an article on the secret lives of gay truck drivers in Out Magazine, I set about writing “The Ballad of the Gay Trucker”.  The six-minute song featured a touching story about rejection, perseverance, blackmail and Mexican prostitutes.  I had so much fun with it, that I wrote a few more. I was surprised to find that I really found a voice writing gay country songs.  I started thinking that this could be a fun idea for a show.

I began asking myself, what would happen if a country crossover star got caught in a George Michael-esque scandal?  George Michael was able to bounce back from his sex scandal because his following was comprised largely of liberal-minded and gay-friendly followers.  But, what if a country star was caught in a similar scandal?”  The conservative audience of country music turned its back on the Dixie Chicks for a single negative comment about George Bush.  What would their reaction be if one of their own were discovered to be a sexual deviant?  More importantly, what would be the journey of the outed celebrity? The country music scene is hostile to homosexuals; it was this hostility that drew me to the genre—it was rife with dramatic possibility!  With “Protect Marriage” coalitions making their presence felt all over the country, I began seeing the landscape of country music as a metaphor/microcosm of the United States as a whole. Immediately I saw the potential for a thought-provoking comedy that is timely and poignant.  That’s how OUR COUNTRY was born.

2) Is this your first experience with NYMF? If so, how has it been? If not, how has it been different from past experiences?

This is my first experience with NYMF (unless you count crashing the opening night party last year!)  My bookwriter, Dan Collins, had a show in NYMF two years ago called WOOD.

3) Have you always had an appreciation for country music? Is the score all “country” style?

Oddly enough, I didn’t really get into country music until I was doing research for the show.  Now however, I have a very strong appreciation for country music.  The show is written mostly in a pop-country style, but infused throughout with musical theatre story-telling.

4) Is there anything you want people to know about “Our Country” before seeing it?

I want people to know that this isn’t your average gay theatre piece. In fact, it’s a reaction against a lot of the gay theatre I’ve seen.
Often times, I think that writers are so intent on making “gay” theatre that they forget to make “good” theatre.  This show is timely and thought-provoking, but above all, it’s entertaining.

5) What do you want people to walk away with after seeing the show?

I want audience members, gay and straight alike, to walk away laughing, humming, and knowing that gays and lesbians have an equal place in the fabric of America.  The gay civil rights movement is happening right now,and I hope that this show will inspire people to get involved.  Maybe, if we can reach a big enough audience, we’ll see the effect of this show at the polls.

 

GO TO http://www.nymf.org/Show-1529.html TO LEARN MORE ABOUT “OUR COUNTRY” AND BUY YOUR TICKETS ASAP!

THANKS!

-SARAH  (MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE)

Spotlight on Trav’lin

Hey Guys, Here is a special interview with the co-author of Trav’lin Allan Shapiro. Hope you enjoy and hope to see you at the TBG theatre Oct 11 at 8, Oct 12 at 1pm, Oct 13th at 8pm, Oct 15th at 4:30 pm Oct 16th at 1 pm and Oct 17th at 4:30pm for the run of this amazing new musical!! ~Kimberly

Is this your first experience with NYMF?

We submitted TRAV’LIN to NYMF last year but were not accepted.  We were not even aware a Next Link applicant could become an invited show.  When I read the e-mail from Lily, I didn’t go past the “We are sorry to inform you . . .” until Gary called that evening and asked what I thought she meant by an invitation.

How have you enjoyed your time in the festival so far this year?

With a strong drink in my hand.  Bada-boom.  But seriously, it’s been an exciting, exhilarating and exhausting trip.  I am so grateful to the amazing group of people who have come together to make this happen.  Attending rehearsals has been joyful, partly from sharing the process of discovery as the show has come to life and partly from the sheer delight of spending time with these wonderful artists.

Tell us about your journey to NYMF, has the show Trav’lin had any other incarnations before the festival?

My journey to NYMF began in 1984, when I was practicing music law and a young man and an older woman with a lovely British accent came to see me about licensing a song catalogue for a musical.  It turned out, of course, the visitors were my co-author Gary Holmes and J.C.’s widow, Julie Johnson Nash.  I was immediately intrigued when I read the script and thought it would be of interest to people I knew in the industry.  However, it was 180 pages long and not yet ready to pitch, although the three couples in their 20s, 30s and 50s and key plot devices were there from the start.  I offered to join the project as a creative producer and worked in that capacity with Gary for a few years.  Then around 1990, life happened, he and I went our separate ways and TRAV’LIN went on the shelf.  Around 2003 I received a call from him, out of the blue – he had tracked me down and wanted to know if I’d like to restart the project.  He asked me to become a full co-author and I jumped at the chance.  We worked on the project for a number of months, working mainly by telephone, until life happened again, this time in the form of a family illness, and the show went back on the shelf until 2005.  We picked it up once more and committed ourselves to finishing the script.  In 2009, we had the chance to participate in the York Theatre Company Developmental Reading series, our first public performance, and had a return visit this past May.  We learned a great deal from our audiences – much of it encouraging, and much of it showing us what we had to do better – and we continued to refine the show through August when we froze the script to start production.

What drew you to the music of JC Johnson?

I enjoy music of the era generally so perhaps I was an easy sell.  But three things about his writing attracted me in particular.  One is its jazzy, tuneful character. His melodies have a natural bounce and swing that is infectious.  Second is the strong dramatic point of view of many numbers.  Just the titles – “You Better Finish What You Start With Me” or “Hold My Hand,” as examples – instantly put you in the story.  This aspect of his work lent itself to dramatic settings and allowed us to weave the vintage songs seamlessly into the new script.  Third, and maybe most important, is the emotional quality of his music.  Working on the material all these years, what comes through to me is a wonderful gentle soul.  I find a great deal of empathy for the human condition coupled with wry humor about how silly people can be, especially about love.

I see that there are characters named Billie and Ella, are these based on Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald?

Not in so many words, although they are named after those singers (as George refers to George Whiting and Ros to Rose Morgan).  The characters are entirely fictional, but grounded in people J.C. knew or who are famous Harlem celebrities.  Billie, for example, sells food from a street cart as did the real Lillian Harris Dean, who was known as Pig Foot Mary and opened a phenomenally successful Harlem restaurant. If you visit our web site, http://travlinthemusical.com, the “Characters” page describes their historical antecedents.  The “Music” page also explains a bit about the history of the songs.

How has being an entertainment lawyer shaped your creative career?

Thank you for suggesting I’ve had a creative career.  I will say that I could not have pulled off being a producer as well as a writer for TRAV’LIN without that experience.  Although I never got into the daily details to the same degree as a lawyer, I did learn a lot about how the business works and what it takes to put a show together.  I would go over production budgets with the GMs when I was preparing offering circulars, which gave me insight into all the moving parts as well as the finances.  Negotiating contracts with the Dramatists Guild and with Actors’ Equity gave me chance to see the process from several different perspectives.  I found being an entertainment lawyer to be something of a mixed bag, though: I loved dealing with many of my clients but most of them were having a lot more fun at work than I was.

Is there anything else we should know about your show? Why should someone see Trav’lin??

Here are a few things I’d like people to know.  First, even though we’re using vintage songs, and in many cases exactly or very close to the original lyrics, one key writing objective has been to integrate the score with the book to drive narrative and character in the manner of a contemporary musical.  Our goal is for the audience to experience the piece holistically, where the old and the new blend seamlessly together. Second, something of a corollary, is that we have endeavored to remain faithful to the gentle and generous spirit of J.C.s work.  We have striven to create characters that have the same genuineness as the music.  We have tried to introduce humor – and we have reason to believe the show is funny – that arises from people being who they are rather than from actors telling jokes.  Lastly is why people should see the show — beyond having a good time and hearing terrific music sung by a enormously talented cast.  Not to get overly serious, we are living in a period of great divisiveness and partisanship.  TRAV’LIN is about people connecting across their differences, both in the narrative of the play and the roots of the project in Gary’s relationship with J.C..  Although the show is set in a specific time and place, the story is universal.  If we have succeeded, the show will touch the audience in a way that reawakens their appreciation of the people they care about.  See it with someone you love, and you’ll love them a little bit more.

Go to www.nymf.org/travlin for tickets! Or, as always, there will be $10 student rush tickets subject to availability.

Above Hell’s Kitchen

Happy Opening to Above Hell’s Kitchen! A group of SLP members went to see the show last night and we all enjoyed it tremendously. I was fortunate enough to talk to some of the cast and creative team before seeing the show so I could report back to the blog readers and encourage you all to see the show as well as give some insight to the NYMF process and to learn about the various aspects of the show.

First, here’s the plot synopsis for those who know nothing yet about the show.

“In order to grow we must confront our demons… An eccentric therapist is on the brink of falling in love for the first time in years when a neurotic rock musician comes to call. Dream play? Ghost story? Romantic comedy? Gothic Tragedy? Jonathan Spottiswoode and his cult band, Spottiswoode & His Enemies, bring a sexy expressionist twist to Don Giovanni that is tinged with jazz, blues, rock, gospel, classical and punk. They say love is a game – so who can you blame for playing?”

We talked for a long time with Jonathan Spottiswoode and we’re going to feature some of our conversations in an upcoming video blog, so be sure to check back for that post soon!

We then talked to Jeffrey Lodin, the vocal arranger of the show. He has previously worked on four other NYMF productions, making this is 5^th. He has also worked as the music director for several of those productions. He has enjoyed working on the show because it is “outside of mainstream musical theater.” Since the music for the show is true rock music, the combination with musical theater is an exciting way to approach working on the show.

Hayley Finn, the director, gave us a great picture of her vision for the show. She is excited to be working for the first time on a NYMF show. The rehearsal process is very short compared to many other productions of the same length. She says that it is a challenge, but has been working extremely well so far.

Just so you guys know how many hours a week they are rehearsing 6 days a week for 5 hours a day for only a couple of weeks. It’s amazing how talented everyone involved with NYMF is to be able to create such great work in such a short amount of time.

We wanted to know the most exciting thing about directing the show is and she says that it’s exciting to direct a musical with such a large band, 7 members! It is a different process because the band is referenced throughout the show and some members even act in the show.

We asked Hayley what her biggest challenge was working on the show, and she told us that it’s trying to tell the story the best way possible, but within the parameters of budget and short rehearsal time. She hopes that people will connect to the story and characters without the use of extravagant sets or props.

Elizabeth Ward Land plays Ethel in the show, who is quite a unforgettable character. Elizabeth describes her as a, “comic, sex crazed villainess.” She’s excited to be working on her first NYMF show, especially with such a great character. Ethel, being the sex-crazed woman she is, gets to do some crazy things on stage such as a hot striptease to sizzling dance. She’s excited to get in touch with her wild side and to see how the audience reacts to it. Her character is not one to miss!

There are still plenty of opportunities to see the show, so take advantage of student rush and go see it! Don’t forget to sign up for our student exclusives list by emailing slp@nymf.org

- Robert (Marymount Manhattan College)

Did you know there is a TAP MUSICAL in NYMF?!

(a little about the show:) Tap virtuoso and chronic womanizer “Toes” Macgrath and relationship-tormented pianist “Fingers” St. Claire have less than two weeks to create a song and dance show about Love for a big audition with a Broadway producer. But when triple-threat Molly Molloy joins them to play their ingénue, their plans spiral out of control as real romantic entanglements turn the creative process upside down. It’s a modern day Singin’ in the Rain!

We caught up with Logan Medland, the writer/composer/producer of the ADORABLE tap show, “Fingers and Toes.” Logan was previously super involved with the Shaw Festival in Niagara and has conducted for the National Tour of “Crazy for You” among other awesome shows! Here’s why you should see his show!

About writing the show:

“I wanted to write a show that had universal appeal. A show that was funny and charming, and that my parents might actually go to, but that was still cool enough that my theatre friends would also go and see it and love it. It’s also a really good show to take a date on, as the theme is “Love” and there is a lot of comedy in it. The inspiration for this show came suddenly to me. I have worked on many shows from the “golden age”. I’m also a huge fan of tap dancing, and I love well-crafted comedies. So one day I thought of a show I’d like to see: a new musical, with it’s roots in golden age musical theatre, with lots of tap dancing, all wrapped up in a well-crafted comedy script. Not as easy as it sounds. Comedy is very hard to write.”

Why NYMF?

“I’m originally from Toronto, so I’ve been looking for a way for this show to get exposure in the U.S. Fingers and Toeswas produced a number of times in Canada, but I haven’t yet developed the necessary connections to get it produced in the U.S., since I moved here. NYMF is a perfect vehicle, to get exposure and to meet some producing partners.”

See you at the show!

<3 Lauren