Doug here, reminding you to turn your clocks back on Sunday, November 4 at 2:00 am. The extra hour of sleep is my gift to you.
For my FOD's (Friends/Family of Doug) near Manhattan, I'd like to introduce you to two lovely music makers: Amanda Baker, who makes music with the group Blue River, and Joan Barber, who makes music come out of your mouth. Read on and meet the ladies!
Reminder: You yearn to take a look at the shiny new DougShapiro.com. (Surprises are on the way, too.)
Back in NYC for a few months...
Rejuvenated by the wide open spaces of Colorado (or possibly propelled by all the Mexican food we ate), I hit the ground running again. I saw as many shows as possible featuring the work of FOD's in the New York Music Theatre Festival as well as Pygmalion and Xanadu, shared some singing and soul in many auditions and callbacks, waged violent battles with iPods and printers and hard drives (oh, my), and deftly applied my theatrical training to seven seconds of walking away from the camera in the deep background of the upcoming Sex and the City movie. But wait, there's more...
The Salon in Philadelphia...
No, I'm not here to tell you about heading south for an artificial tan. Please. Only the Sephardic Jews "tan". The rest of us Jews "red." I'm talking about the "salon" which is a regular meeting of the creative minds in the Villanova University Department of Theatre. Professors Michael Hollinger and Harriet Power invited me down to speak to their Graduate theatre students about the business side of theatre. My fellow panelist was Elizabeth Pool, casting director and resident dramaturg for People's Light and Theatre, and together we covered topics ranging from seeing yourself as a product (and choosing your audition materials accordingly) to techniques of non-icky networking through informational meetings. Afterwards, there was food. I do so love food.
I also believe in the responsibility of mentoring the next generation of artists and was very touched by this subsequent e-mail: "I wanted to thank you for coming to our first salon to talk about the acting profession. The practical advice you gave was immensely encouraging, and you've really inspired me to focus on acting again. I was really discouraged and disillusioned after graduating college. However, since starting the M.A. program, and especially after having you and Elizabeth come and talk to us, I've decided I am going to pursue it again."
This event hit a chord with me and I am looking forward to doing more of the same. If anyone knows of a school that can use my business of theatre perspective for a seminar or wants to talk one-on-one, just let me know.
The Voice of The New York Times...
I now have a regular gig with InTouch Radio (reading news and periodicals for the visually impaired over the air). 20-Year InTouch veteran Jill Burk and I are the voices of the Thursday New York Times every week at 7:00 am. We already have a good rhythm going and I'm feeling very NPR. (Do you know who else is applying to work with InTouch radio? Alexandra de Suze!!! Surely you've heard of Alexandra de Suze!).
Song Stylings Yet to Come...
Styling #1: A selection from Impossible But True, an adaptation of Rip Van Winkle by Dan Furman and Mary Liz McNamara, for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Styling #2: Pinocchio of Chelsea, [music by Mark Janas, book and lyrics by Peter Napolitano, and directed by Robert Bartley] which reinvents the classic children's novel as a contemporary urban fantasy about a wooden teenager searching for a world in which he truly belongs.
Musical Mondays Monday, November 19, 6:30PM Snapple Theatre Center, 210 West 50th Street, Corner of Broadway Reserve at 212 989-6706 or musicalmondays@aol.com Admission $10.00
Styling #3: Caroling caroling through the town with the The Yuletide Carolers. (By the way, Brittany Noelle Mayer saw my casting notice in this newsletter last month, auditioned, and will be singing with me! I'm kvelling up a storm.)
Please Don't Panic! I may be busy, but I'm not unreasonable. Should you need that Thanksgiving Pilgrim voiced, Quirky Office Guy photographed for your ad campaign, or Baritone Love Kitten role sung--I'm here. Papa Doug will provide.
This just in! Styling #4: After three callbacks, I just got the call for the lead role in a backer's audition for a swell new musical. I'd say the name, but I just got the news and I'm not sure how to punctuate the title of the show. Stay tuned for November update with Doug for details...
------------------
Let's talk about the Ladies of Song...
Joan Barber. I have been studying voice with Joan Barber and got two call backs the week I started. If you are looking for a terrific, reasonably priced voice teacher who has been there, done that, is still doing it and will custom tailor your lessons to bring out the best in what YOUR VOICE can be--go to www.joanbarberstudio.com.
Amanda Baker. This delicious and talented chanteuse sings with Blue River. (She also sang at our wedding) Amanda, along with David Wander and Dave Rubin, will be delivering Blues, Honky-Tonk and Swing at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Harlem. November 3, 2007 at 10:30p.m. I plan to be there taking advantage of the fried green tomatoes and the extra hour from Daylight Savings Time before singing in church the following morning. (You know who will also probably be there? Alexandra de Suze!!! Surely you've heard of Alexandra de Suze!).
------------------
Life is good here. Shawn and I are about to have the bathroom redone and will be moving in with our designer in Hoboken, NJ for the duration. I was not consulted on design concepts because I would have suggested purple walls with muppet decals and the bathtub from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. (Hit the link and then scroll down to "Fifth Floor, prefects' bathroom". Warning: Harry Potter fans' lives will be eaten by this site.)
Take some breathing time for yourself, tell me your birthday, and thanks for being in my life. Please let me know what's going on in yours!
As Always,
Doug Shapiro
(917) 929-0998
www.dougshapiro.com
doug@dougshapiro.com
Doug's LinkedIn Profile
Doug's MySpace profile
Doug's song stylings on BroadwayDemo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment