Crazytown

BIRTHDAY NIGHTMARES

It was my birthday yesterday.  It was a big one.  And here's why I did nothing.
By Rachel James (Treasurer/Writer)

I have to tip my hat to fellow Crazytown citizen, Melissa.  She had a great post on birthdays that just so happened to publish on my birthday.  She had a lot of great tips, and I especially love the idea of doing whatever you want.  But here's the thing: I hate birthdays.

Well, not all birthdays - just mine.  Maybe it started in high school when all my friends hung out on my birthday without me.  Or when I got into a fight with my best friend on my 25th birthday that ended our friendship.  Whatever it is, bad things seem to happen on the day of my birth.  And I usually end the night feeling like Martha Plimpton's character, Monica, at the beginning of 200 Cigarettes.

I will try to not work on my birthday, but then I just feel this overwhelming pressure to be happy.  As if because it is this one day, suddenly glee should be omnipresent.  Because it is a day that's "all about me" I should be doing things I like.  But I'm far too much of a people pleaser to actually relax into the joy.  And I seem to spend the whole day trying to make the happy happen.  In the end, I'm exhausted and I just want to be done with it.

TONY TALK

Three drunk gay guys try to predict the Tony nominations... It's just like THE VIEW, but a lot more messy!

by David Davila (playwright / songwriter)

[Barbara Walters voice] I had an idea for a show... a bunch of gay guys sit around and talk about the Tony Awards. I call it TONY TALK.

Seriously though, I've been wanting to do a dumb talk show about the Tony Awards for several years now. Finally two friends and I were drunk enough, after a long night of celebrating a successful fundraising event, to pull out the webcam at four in the morning and start talking. There was a lot of vodka and pizza involved in this shoot. It was grueling.

What you are about to see are the drunken ramblings of a few queens who saw EVERYTHING on Broadway this season! ENJOY!

 

SEASON REVIEW: Drag Queens & Children

  

 BEST MIXING, BOOK, & ORCHESTRATIONS

WHY WE TELL THE STORY

Shameless plug time: I have really talented friends.  And a bunch of them are working on a show together.  You should go!
By Rachel James (Treasurer/Writer) 

We choose our own lives.  I have to remind myself of this constantly, especially when navigating through professional artistic endeavors.  I chose to do this for a living.  And with that choice you find that you begin to make certain sacrifices for your happiness and your artistic life so that you can reach the next level.  Or just so you can pay rent that month.  When you’re a professional artist, you don’t always love every job you do. But you tell yourself it’s worth it for the jobs you do love.  

But what if we started pursuing stuff not to get ahead, not to reach the next rung on the ladder, but for fun?  Remember fun?

It’s very easy to get lost in the maze of success in being a professional artist.  And one can get so lost that you forget why you did this in the first place.  Because you loved it.  Because creating and exploring your artistic abilities was enjoyable and brought you pleasure.  You didn’t HAVE to go to a show, you WANTED to go to a show.  You didn’t HAVE to meet a deadline or sing in a showcase or take a class, you WANTED to do all those things.

 
I burst into tears during this number when I saw the show.  I think everyone feels this way at some point. 

I was reminded of the pure pleasure of making art while talking to my friend, Nikki.  For the uninitiated, Nikki Rothenberg is a director extraordinaire and the world’s foremost expert on all pop culture knowledge related to the 1990’s.  She is currently directing a production of Once On This Island for Brooklyn Players Community Musical Theater.  That’s right, folks... community theater in New York City.  It is a thing and it is awesome.  Working in New York theatre, you sometimes forget that not everyone wants to do it professionally.  Sometimes people do theatre because they love to do theatre.  Sometimes people want to try something new.  These and other reasons are why it’s important to support our local community productions.  Because this is how we pass on the story.  This is how we continue the fun.

Also involved in the production is the ridiculously talented Akilah Williams.  How talented? 

 
Best medley ever, arranged by Akilah and Gregory Jacobs-Roseman.

Once On This Island will also feature the amazing sound design prowess of Crazytown’s own Gregory Jacobs-Roseman.  I honestly can’t wait to see how many ways Greg has figured out to produce thunder.

 
This is what I found when I googled "How to produce thunder."  Hope this helps!
*Scurry off into a corner while Greg does actual designing of sound*

Once On This Island is playing April 27th and May 4th, two shows each day.  You can purchase tickets here, and I really suggest you do.  I think it’s time we all had a little fun.

RACHEL JAMES is a native New Yorker and theatre baby. Her plays have been produced by The 52nd Street Project and Starfish Theatreworks. She currently makes a living as a Broadway treasurer.
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FIGHTING FOR CHANGE WITH CREATIVE

Or, how I started my business twenty years ago...
by Loren A. Roberts (guru of multi-hyphenate media)

Yeah, now I feel old.

I don't often talk about my work or business here on Crazytown, not because it's not interesting, but because it's a little out of the wheelhouse of a blog that is designed mostly for performing and writing creatives in New York (with the exception of a few of us out-of-towners). But today I am honored to celebrate a milestone: I started my business exactly 20 years ago. On April 1st (ha!), 1993, I took a big risk and said "no thank you" to being employed by someone else, and never looked back. So I'll talk a little bit about business, my business, and activism -- because they are very related.

ORIGINS OF HEARKEN CREATIVE

Graduating from Occidental College in the early 1990s, I was a product of a school that placed great emphasis on two things: excellent scholarship, and social activism (President Obama was a student at Oxy a generation before I was). So, when I got laid off multiple times during the last great recession (1990-1992), I decided that I could run a better business than my former employers. But because of my roots in activism, my business became a conduit for me to help change the world. I have always been passionate about education and kids and poor neighborhoods, so early clients were colleges (Occidental, USC, APU, Fuller Theological Seminary), museums (Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, L.A. Maritime Musem), and social services agencies that work with kids (Para Los Niños, El Centro de Acción Social). That's originally how Ryan and I met: I started volunteering with the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program because I saw Ryan's commitment to helping at-risk kids through musical theatre. I'm also a "social justice Christian" and have traveled to places as diverse as Haiti and Sri Lanka to both work and film relief/development work for clients like Asian Access and Grizzard (a major nonprofit marketing agency). When I started to "go Hollywood" it was again helping to stories of faith and social action in movies like The Fair Trade and Purple State of Mind. Many of these clients have been with me for much of the twenty years that I have been in business, which is either a testament to my skills, or a sign of laziness on my clients' part; I choose to believe that I have taking care of them pretty well.

So it's twenty years...but, what do you actually do?, you ask. I am a graphic designer, a marketing guru, a filmmaker, a film editor, a sound editor, a sound recordist, a composer, a social media expert, and, most importantly for my clients, a project manager that can get it done. (If you want to see some of the world I have done over the years, check out my website or subscribe to my company's Facebook page -- I will highlight some of my favorite projects on Facebook over the next several weeks.)

MAKING WORK FULFILLING

Along the way, I have picked up clients that aren't necessarily about social activism; these for-profit companies have become great friends as well. The thing that defines my business now is relationship -- I work for people that I like working for. And that, in and of itself, makes working fun: instead of simply valuing my clients for their potential financial benefit, I really do enjoy the community of my business network. So I get to do good, and enjoy my time working.

WHY CRAZYTOWN?

Crazytown has become something close to my heart, because it encompasses many of the things that I hold dear: performance, artistry, activism, comedy, and community. I have offered my design services over the past few years to Crazytown, and have been designing the banners that you see at the top of the blog and the top of every day's opening post. For this quarter, we themed the blog with Spring and activism.

WHY RIBBONS?

You might notice a bunch of ribbons in the header. Not just one ribbon, because there is not just one cause that we are about. I am passionate about education, preventing child abuse, and fighting human trafficking, among other things. You might be passionate about something else. Check out what some of the ribbons mean here.

The thing that binds us together are a) a belief in basic human rights for everyone, and b) a belief that we can change the world. One cause (or all of the causes) does not necessarily define this CrazyTown blog, because we are all artists and businesspeople and friends and loved ones as well; I believe, however, that we are at a time in history where major change can come about, and we (in whatever way we find appropriate) choose to support that.

So, to re-cap: 1) Happy Birthday to Hearken Creative, my 20-year-old business, and 2) let's enjoy the diversity and passion that makes this community world-changing. More power to you as we all work to change the world!

LOREN A. ROBERTS produces films, videos and music, designs magazines and logos, plays and sings in a Doobie Brothers tribute band, and is a student of what happens when science and technology and the arts and culture collide. www.hearkencreative.com
EMAIL HIM |  GOOGLE |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAVID DAVILA'S 52 SONGS: MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Had another concert at The Triad Theatre featuring Broadway's hottest and buzziest talent. Here are some of the highlights!!!

by David Davila (playwright / songwriter)

 (David Davila and Jose Sepulveda)

When you want something in life, you have to put it out there in the universe. You have to speak it. I'm a playwright, songwriter, performer, producer, and I want to share my stories with the world. When it comes to my songs and plays, and their future in this industry I won't take no for an answer. Instead, I'll build my own doors to open, and create my own opportunities.

You should too. There are no excuses. You've got to just MAKE IT HAPPEN!

 

Jose Sepulveda sings "LOVE THEME FOR ADAN Y JULIO"

 

Margot B sings "MAGIC TIME MACHINE" from CORNER GIRL: THE MUSICAL

 

Brian Charles Rooney sings "WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE ME" from CORNER GIRL: THE MUSICAL

 

Brandon Ellis sings "PARKING" from CORNER GIRL: THE MUSICAL

 

Desi Oakley sings "WHAT I DO FOR MONEY" from FUCKING BEAUTIFUL: THE MUSICAL by Havrilla & Davila

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH: THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Oh, Jackie. I love when you recap.
By Gregory Jacobs-Roseman (Composer-Lyricst) 

Today on the Ides of March, the fateful day when Julius Caesar met his maker at the hands of Marcus Brutus, I considered continuing my New York series of the past three weeks into a fourth installment devoted to the now overturned soda law – a development that made me quite annoyed this week. But so much happened this week – what with Mercury in retrograde or something, that I figured the time was right to do a week-in-review post. So here’s what went down this week by category, through the eyes of yours truly.

LOCAL/U.S.: Food Fight

Unless you were living under a rock this week, you heard that Mayor Bloomberg’s so-called “soda ban” (an awful name for the law) was struck down by a judge.

Everyone has their opinion on the law, but talking to friends and hearing the media this past week, it seems few people actually understood what the law was trying to accomplish. This law was aimed at stemming obesity in kids living in poorer neighborhoods of the city – kids who often buy their meals at fast food restaurants and other local establishments. I for one say limiting the amount of sugar and calories they can imbibe in one sitting is a good thing, and could have gone a long way to promoting healthy living.

But we live in America, and this story was ripe for media outrage. It was sold as if the government was telling adults what they could and couldn’t drink, which is the opposite of what it was going to do. No one was going to stop a grown adult from getting a refill on his or her 16-ounce soda. But don’t tell that to the anti-education, FOX News-watching yahoos out there, because in an effort to do nothing more than give a big middle finger to Michelle Obama and what Sarah Palin dubbed “fake America,” Mississippi lawmakers approved what they call the “anti-Bloomberg bill,” a law that bans Mississippi cities and counties from enacting legislation limiting portion sizes, banning trans fats & the like, or posting calorie counts on menus. Really, Mississippi? Hey, how’s that whole being the state in the nation with the highest rate of obesity thing working out for you? You better be thankful the healthcare law passed, otherwise your entire state would be diagnosed with a pre-existing condition.

It’s the children that really suffer in all this, and that’s what makes me crazy. A bunch of so-called “freedom-loving” adults are content to watch their kids grow overweight and develop disease just so they can enjoy their big gulps. I have yet to hear a convincing argument for why kids should be consuming that much sugar on a daily basis.

 
Here's the only kind of sugar you need (any excuse to include a little Hedwig). Also: are there any Musical Theatre songs about soda? I can't think of a single one.

WORLD: Does The Pope Shit In The Woods?

I'll have you know, dear readers, that I searched long and hard for a video clip of the "does the pope shit in the woods" quote from The Big Lebowski but it does not appear to exist online in a form I could find. There's this one from Californication but it's just not the same.

Did you hear? There’s a new Pope! Pope Francis was selected on Wednesday as white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney, and this guy reportedly walks the walk – the first ever Pope from the New World, he’s also a Jesuit which means he’s super into poor people or something and doesn’t even like fancy cars or those Prada shoes all the Popes wear.

Now here’s the thing: I was raised Jewish, I’m currently agnostic, gay, and a socialist, so I shouldn’t give two fucks about the Papacy. And yet, I’m also a student of history, so I can’t help but be in awe of the historical moment for a deeply flawed institution that has been around for centuries. Yeah. The dude is awful on gay rights and women’s rights and whatnot. But remember that this is the Catholic Church we’re talking about here. It took them 400 fucking years to forgive Galileo for suggesting the Earth revolves around the Sun. I’m not saying that gives them an excuse, I’m just saying this is an institution that doesn’t take kindly to change. A new Pope isn’t gonna suddenly catapult them into the modern era, and anyone who thinks he can is being a little naïve.

But hey, unlike the last guy, this one wasn’t a member of the Nazi youth. So, you know… that’s something.

Growing up Jewish and gay, this was my only exposure to Catholicism. Thus I assumed that all nuns behaved like this all the time. (Also, Rue McClanahan, I still love you.) 

LIVING FOR THE 30 SECONDS: LIFE LESSONS FROM SINGER MICHELLE CANIGLIA

A mean customer at a restaurant told Michelle to quit acting and move on with her life... and Michelle's response was inspiring...

by David Davila (playwright / songwriter)

Actress, singer, and popular cabaret artist, Michelle Caniglia, is NOT the best. You can ask her. She's well aware; but she doesn't care. Singing, acting, and dancing were never about being the best to her, they were about creating art and living in it if for just a moment.

 
(Michelle Caniglia sings KEEP THIS LOVE by Stephanie Nash at UNFINISHED: THE MUSIC OF STEPHANIE NASH live at The Drom)

Recently a customer at one of the restaurants Michelle works at to make ends meet, insulted her and told her to quit acting. Michelle responded whole heartedly to the customer, and posted her response on facebook for all her friends to see.

The post went viral among NYC acting circles, as actor after actor saw themselves in Michelle and continued reposting. Her little facebook status even evoked responses from successful Broadway actors like Christopher Jackson of IN THE HEIGHTS, who took a moment of his own time to encourage her. In reality even successful performers are still living the same life as Michelle, 30 seconds at a time.

Here's Michelle's original post:

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAVID DAVILA'S 52 SONGS: COLLEGE EDITION!

The most talented college students in NYC perform some of my original songs!

by David Davila (playwright / songwriter)

We auditioned and rehearsed the most amazing singers from AMDA, PACE, Wanger, LIU, Montclair, and NYU. I had the most amazing time working with them! Here's a few of the videos from our show on Feb 27th at the Underground Theater.

 

 Katharine Bragg sings MAKE IT HAPPEN

 

Hayley Anna Norris sings BURN THIS LOVE from 52 SONGS!

 

Steve Raymond sings MONSTER from 52 SONGS! 

 

Payton Sherry sings TEXAS RAIN from TALES FROM HIGHWAY 281

  

 Daniel Quadrino sings REMEMBER from 52 SONGS!

OSCAR THE GROUCH...

Will be played in this performance by...Kristen Stewart.
By Alisha Giampola (Actress) 

Well. The Oscars happened. And K-Stew was NOT AMUSED.

In all fairness, girl was on crutches, and maybe it's hard to wash your hair when you're on crutches?

SINGERS WHO CAN SANG! MAKE IT HAPPEN EDITION

Meet the famazing singers from David Davila's 52 SONGS: MAKE IT HAPPEN... then come see them live Sunday night...

by David Davila (playwright/song-writer)

This Sunday is a super awesome night of totally super awesome songs sung by totally wicked awesome singers from Broadway, TV, and beyond… beyond Midtown, that is.

That’s right, this Sunday is David Davila’s 52 SONGS part 2: MAKE IT HAPPEN!, a totally awesome concert experience that’s taking over the Upper West Side at Stage 72 at the Triad at 9:15pm and I hope you’ve made plans to come and share a sweet make-out session with me over IPAs and catchy pop tunes.

This year I’ve got a whole bunch of new songs plus a few old favorites, and I've rounded up a gaggle of great singers to perform them for you. There's some familiar faces from some of my past concerts, plus a bunch of awesomely talented new peeps who you may recognize from a Broadway stage or TV set near you.

Here’s a sneak peek at who you can expect to see:

Brian Charles Rooney made his splash on Broadway in THREE PENNY OPERA, but most people know him from his memorable off-Broadway turn in BEDBUGS: THE MUSICAL, and his many concert appearances singing the music of Seth Bisen-Hersh and Ryan Scott Oliver... here he is singing everything from every musical EVER. This must be seen and heard to be believed...

  

I am obsessed with Lacey Angerosa. She's just so freaking good. She sounds good  singing everything. You might have seen her in my last show, or at one of those many TRL concerts at Joe's Pub. She's also been getting stopped on the street a lot lately because her new TV show, FRENEMIES on ABC Family. Here she is BELTING "Out Tonight" from RENT like no other. Like seriously, it's not normal for those high notes to be belted. They're normally in a soprano, or soprano mix. THIS IS CRAY!

  

You may have seen Carmen Ruby Floyd during her five year run in Avenue Q as Gary Coleman or more recently as Mariah in Porgy and Bess. You may even have seen her in the Tide Super Bowl commercial where she washes her husband's stained jersey to his dismay. She'll be singing the title track to MAKE IT HAPPEN, a song I wrote just for her.