Monday, May 30, 2011

Summer is coming upon us! (Double entendre intended.)



June 1 is fast approaching as is HOT, HOT weather, crappy tv (oh, wait. Tv is already crappy.) and lots of summer slash and burn guerilla theater!

First on the horizon is a recital up to the UNT with my friend Sarah Daniels. We are performing scenes from Cavalleria Rusticana and Samson et Dalilah. It's the first time I've sung them and NO, you cannot come see it! It's nice to have a break from opera chorus. I was going to sit out a production next season but we're going to have a huge break from mid-November until the end of January so I don't think it will be necessary. And quite frankly, I need the money. I'm planning on FINALLY finishing up my DMA by next May so keep your fingers crossed! It will be a major push.

This summer I'm going to be directing two shows for Ohlook Performing Arts out in Grapevine. Little Women (musical) and The Who's Tommy. as usual with Ohlook there are limited resources and a very small black box space. Where many would panic and not know what to do, I see this as a wonderful challenge. I have a real issue with those people, and I'm talking about people in and around Dallas, who try to do a big budget, high tech Broadway show on a shoestring in a space not equipped to do big, fancy broadway musicals. The results are NEVER good and it just makes the actors, director/choreographer/designers/artistic director look foolish. The question I am asking myself as I approach these two shows is this: How do you tell a clear, moving story when you have a tiny budget and a performance space with no back stage and no storage for sets? Certainly not by trying to cram a lot of scenery and a cast of thousands onto a postage stamp size stage! Do you need a large cast because that's how they did it on The Broadway? Do you need lots of big, fancy costumes like they had on The Broadway? For that matter, do you need a set like they had on The Broadway? I say no! I have some interesting ideas for both shows so if you want to see what I have cooked up I suggest you trek out to Grapevine and take in Little Women and Tommy at Ohlook!

Things in the garden are going well. In the dark of the night last night I planted seeds for two kinds of pumpkins, two kinds of melons, both red and green okra and fancy french egg plants! The cucumbers and zuccini have poked their heads above the soil and the squash plant that mysteriously started growing out of the compost has overtaken half the garden and is putting on squash! We are also picking blackberries on almost a daily basis. It's great fun and always change and NO, it's not a lot of work when you love doing it.

James is tickling the ivories at a gig in Branson, MO until the end of June and then will be working with me at Ohlook as well as music directing Little Shop of Horrors at Water Tower Theater in Dallas. It will be a full summer for all!

That's about it. Nothing earth shaking to report. Maybe next time.


Remember: Do what you love!

Jay