A Nearly Flawless Opening Night,

That's the amazing cast and Foley crew of It's a Wonderful Life. The show opened to a decent sized crowd who just loved it. I say 'nearly flawless,' because there was one pre-recorded music cue that didn't happen, which no one noticed, except me. The mikes all stayed on; no one dropped or kicked anything before they were supposed to and all the live sound gags worked beautifully. With an audience to feed them, the cast just took off and ran. 

It's late and I'm tired, but I thought you might like to know. There are three performances left and seats are still available.

More, anon.

Prospero

The Search for Appropriate Period Music

That's the cast of the upcoming JTMF production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, December 3rd through the 5th. Part of the proceeds from the four performances will be donated to our newest beneficiary, The Trevor Project, a charity near and dear to Uncle P's heart. In the photo, from left to right: Sean McGrath; Glen Calhoun; Damian Gaeta; Judi Parrish; Sarah Stryker; Jennifer Barron and John Maurer.

Part of the fun of doing a staged radio play is having a live Foley team, creating sound effects with physical props (tiny doors; cornflakes on a cookie sheet; a hand-cranked wind-machine). Joe Landry's script has plenty of opportunities for that kind of thing, but also calls for incidental music, underscoring and scene transition music. There are 20-odd scripted music cues, some of which I managed to judiciously cut, leaving me with exactly 20. The company that holds the rights to the show offers the show's original score on CD, but charges an outrageous royalty fee to use it. So, I am now scouring my (thankfully large) CD collection for public domain music that is appropriate for our needs (I'm listening as I type this, actually), a time-consuming task, to say the least. But one which I have done for plenty of shows I've directed and is usually quite effective when the right piece of music is found.

Luckily, rehearsals for the show (which only runs about an hour) are shorter than most, and I get home relatively early at night, so I should be able to finish by tomorrow night, giving our sound technician (not our Foley team) Tuesday night to burn the disc and Wednesday and Thursday to rehearse with it (I hope). 

And since the show opens Friday, my posts here will drop off a bit towards the end of the week, but I will be posting every night over at the JTMF blog, if you really need a fix. I'm off to listen a bit more prudently (nothing on this particular CD is hitting me, so far).

If you are in the greater Trenton, NJ area, we'd love to see you at the show. Tickets are available by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333, online at www.kelseyatmccc.org or at the Kelsey Box Office one hour before curtain. If you're unable to attend but would still like to help, you can make a safe, secure donation via Paypal at our website, www.jtmf.org. And don't forget to search for "James Tolin Memorial Fund" on Facebook and become a member. Okay, today's Shameless Self-Promotion is over and out.

More, anon.
Prospero

It's a Wonderful Flashmob?

I know, I know... The Turkey of the Week will just have to be on Friday this week. So sue me. I have more important things on my mind right now.

That's the poster for the JTMF's first Winter production, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. The graphic artist who does our posters is just terrific and always seems to manage to distill our shows into a single perfect image. I only wish I could remember his name (It's Brian Something-- not to hard for me to forget that much, at least) so I could give him proper credit. I can't wait to see what he comes up with for next summer's production of Die Mommie, Die!

It's been interesting directing such a bare-bones kind of show. We're recreating the experience of seeing a live radio broadcast, just as a studio audience would have seen in the 1940's, complete with a live Foley (sound effects) crew and actors reading from scripts into microphones. The six actors in the show are playing several dozen characters, which means they must create a different voice for each character, not an easy task, even with a script in hand. Four of them are JTMF returnees (with my Dear D setting a JTMF performance record at 6 shows) and two are JTMF virgins, though I know both of them well and most recently directed one of them in Top Girls. Of course, it's the Foley team that will garner all the attention this time around, especially given the myriad props and devices they'll be using, including a miniature door; a massive wind machine; ribbon candy; tubs of water; cornflakes and high-heels. Our first truly family-oriented production is going to be quite a nostalgic treat for those who remember radio broadcasts from the period, and a fascinating look back on the past for those who have grown up with MTV, X-Box and the Internet.  If only I had the time to organize a flashmob to promote the event. 

And (what a segue) speaking of flashmobs, Joyce Maynge (Australia's slightly less glamorous Rupaul) is back with another one of her amazing flashmob events, this time featuring a medley of Kylie Minogue songs on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.

Can you say "fabulous?" Sigh... maybe next summer.I've got 7 months to plan... Anyway, if you are in the Central NJ area and want tickets to see It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, please visit www.kelseyatmccc.org. For more information about the James Tolin Memorial Fund, please visit www.jtmf.org or search "James Tolin Memorial Fund" on YouTube.

More, anon.
Prospero