Happy Spring everyone! The pear trees here on 23rd Street are just starting to buy this whole equinox thing and they're blossoming up a storm. It's a beautiful world out there, but hold on! Before you tear off your garments and frolic with the forest animals, pour yourself a saucy beverage and settle in for this monthly e-journey, and when we reach the e-conclusion, oh yes, there will be the usual 2 (by which I mean five) items of interest for FODs!
Capering with Commercial Agents..
I've started freelancing with Michele Bianculli at Stewart Talent for on-camera commercials. The agency has just the right welcoming feel and can-do spirit. Michele is already landing auditions for me.
Playing with Processors...
In an industrial for IBM, I voiced an old outdated computer processor (yes, the machine) who was meeting the new system upgrade for the first time. The spot was recorded at Full House Productions, which is a gorgeous facility.
Leaping with Laptops...
Shawn's getting a new laptop, I'm getting his, and you can get mine! That's right, the very laptop on which I'm typing this e-loving right now. This iBook G4 with a 12-inch screen works beautifully, has a new plug and battery, and includes several goodies about which I'll tell you when you contact me. I'm asking for $500, which is how much it is selling for on Amazon.com and eBay right now, plus you get all the extra goodies. Your new electronic pal will happily open all e-loving from his old stomping grounds on 23rd Street, and currently enjoys reading the New York Times and downloading the This American Life podcast every Monday.
Cavorting with Composers and Whisking about with Wordsmiths...
Were you raising your fist to the air, decrying that your no-good Doug was running amok and didn't give you some e-loving in March? Baby, there was really good reason! You know I love you, but I've got a lot of composers and lyricists who need my attention, Baby! I may be embracing their need for versatile role playing, wrapping my tongue around some dialect they need or caressing some notes way down on their bass clef, but I'll ALWAYS come back to YOU Baby! Dry your pretty little eyes and show me that smile. This is what I've been doing...
2010 Composer-Librettist Studio
The New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, presented in cooperation with Nautilus Music-Theater, is an intensive two-week program designed to provide an opportunity for five writers and five composers to work with professional performers (that's me!), exploring the possibilities and basic elements of music-theater. The studio focuses on the process of collaboration through a series of brief exploratory assignments for the writers and composers. The exercises are then sight-read by the performers in brief working sessions. The studio is co-directed by Ben Krywosz (Artistic Director of Nautilus Music-Theater) and music director Roger Ames (with Jake Witlen as Assistant to the Directors) . Just like when I participated in 2005, this experience was one of the highlights of my professional life. Our writers were Sharon Bridgforth, Jon Kern, Dan LeFranc, Dael Orlandersmith and John Walch. Our composers were Anna Jacobs, Rachel Peters, Jeff Tang, Mark Weiser and Zhou Juan. April Armstrong, Sarah Corey, Adam Kantor, Lori Wilner and I had the pleasure of being the vehicles of their 24 music-theater creations. Please take a look at the article I wrote on the experience for The Savvy Actor: Sing Your Way to a Stronger Support System!
Knots
Also just finished a reading of KNOTS for the NYU program in Graduate Music Theatre Writing. This delicious nautical romp of fun gave me a chance to be everyone from an exuberant Dutch ship captain to a suave Gentleman Dance Host. Music by Dimitri Landrain, Words by Felice Kuan. Direction by Stephen Nachamie, Music Direction by Gillian Berkowitz, Stage Management by Leah Miles, Jamie Cowperthwait and Kevin Velez. The actors with me in the aforementioned "romp of fun": Sandy Binion, Stephen Bogardus, Anne Fraser Thomas, Julie Hanson, Ravi Roth, and Tim Shew.
Temping!
Take a tour with Kristina Latour through her life of temping...well, everywhere. There's one more performance of this reading with music at The Metropolitan Room this Saturday, April 17 at noon. Written by and starring Kristina Latour, Music by Bert Draesel, Arrangements by Mark Sensinger, Directed by Jody Madaras, Music Direction by Jared Hansen. Kristina's menage of bosses, co-workers, family, and street vendors are comprised by Janet Anderson, Alexis Field, Jacob Moore, Frank Stellato, and myself. By the way, guess who's another very talented actor who has also temped and has brilliant computer skills? Alexandra de Suze! (Surely you've heard of Alexandra de Suze!)
RIP!
Next in my festival of one-named readings of new musicals is RIP! It's my fourth go-round with this wonderful setting of Rip Van Winkle during the Revolutionary War, with words and music by Dan Furman. I'm also back with the Nach! (Stephen Nachamie as director, that is...). Music direction by Jeff Biering and Stage Management by Alexis Qualls. The Revolutionary cast includes Michael Blackmon, Mark Emerson, Amanda Flynn, Chris Gunn, Rob Langeder, Stephanie Lynne Mason, Michael Dean Morgan, Kimberly Stern, Carey Van Driest, Chris Vettel, and me as the somber reverend. We'll be performing the reading Wednesday, April 21 at 7:00 pm at the TaDa Theatre, 15 West 28th Street. Admission: $10.
The Witches of Lublin
A reading (with live music) of a "Feminist Magic Realist Klezmer Musical Radio Play": The Witches of Lublin by Ellen Kushner, Yale Strom, and Elizabeth Schwartz. The cast currently includes Adrienne Cooper, Chris Delaine, Fiona Jones, Anne Bobby, Sam Guncler, George Guidal, and myself. This reading is not open to the general public, but if the subject matter tickles your fancy, let me know and I'll try to get you in on Wednesday, April 28.
How Green Was My Valley
I don't know. How green WAS your valley? [drum hit]. Roger Ames of the Composer-Librettist Studio asked me to join him in this one and I get to be married to Joan Barber! Everyone should want to marry Joan Barber...(but if you're intimidated by her real-life other half...actor Norm Golden...you should at least take voice lesson from her.). Roger has written the music, Elizabeth Bassine the words. It will be directed by Ben Krywosz. The cast currently includes Nisa Ari, Wren Marie Harrington, Tim Jerome, the aforementioned Joan Barber, Jonathan Hays, Eric Larivee, Renee Claire Bergeron, Lori Wilner, Ellen Bullinger, Lili Klein, and some more men TBA. If you are interested in attending the open rehearsal on May 16 or are a producer interested in attending the Industry reading on May 17, please let me know!
Coaching with Clients...
Such clients I've got! In my side career as a career consultant with The Savvy Actor, founded by two fabulous actor/business mavens Jodie Bentley and Kevin Urban, I have been helping my savvy clients set up systems for themselves to treat their acting craft as a business through classes, coaching and seminars. (Yes, we coach by phone, too.) As a result, they're getting their Equity cards, booking Independent Films, taking the steps to responsibly leave their "survival jobs," and dancing across the United States. Interested in doing this work for yourself? Click this link to set up a free half-hour intro session with me. Let's get your career going too.
And speaking of getting your career going, my next webinar: Mailings - Faster, Smarter, Cheaper! is coming up on Sunday, May 16 at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time and you can be there from your own computer (or this computer if you'd like to buy it from me). Click this link to register for this webinar!
Dougbytes
***Animator extraordinaire Ken Truhan has completed the animated storyboard and continues to create the animation for the second installation of DougToons (Give him time, this one takes a bit longer and there are a lot of characters)! In this episode, the character Doug is sent on an audition by his agent, only to find out that he is applying to be a henchman to the evil Mr. Mayhem! If you have yet to see the work of animator Ken Truhan, writer Crystal Skillman, producer/engineer Brett Barry and voice actor me, the first installment of DougToons is also on YouTube. Please log on to the YouTube site, give it a rating, and share with your friends!
***CHAMBERET FOR EQUALITY!
What do we want? MARRIAGE EQUALITY!
When do we want it? NOW!
When will we do the planned benefit? UM...LATER!
The Chamberet will indeed return, this time as a fundraiser for Marriage Equality New York, but it has been postponed from June to some time in October/November. We started booking other work and wanted to make sure we didn't slap you with something sloppy. So, be patient a little longer and Jennifer Wren, Marissa Rosen, Karla Mosley, Michael Morgan, and I, along with Musical Director Paul Stephan, violinist Yury Shubov, and Director Ilana Becker, will bring the work of my FOD composers and lyricists to the masses. To tide you over until then, go to YouTube and enter "The Chamberet" in the search engine or just Click Here for some of the bits a friend was able to get with his video camera.] I love my husband and value the commitment we made before the rabbi and our friends and family, so it's time to take action and raise some dough. Still in the planning stage. More details to come.
***I participated in a cabaret presentation at The Duplex, singing "An Artificial Tree" with Nicholas Levin. This incredibly sweet and funny song has been nominated for a MAC award in the Special Musical Material category. Keep your fingers crossed!
***I've been studying voice with the amazing Jeff Halpern. In the past few readings I've done, I haven't needed to ask the music director to transpose anything down. I've even taken the higher male voice part in TEMPING! Oh, Jeff is just great.
***I'll be returning for the 2010 season (my tenth year!) with The Barnstormers. I'll be playing Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, La Flèche in The Miser, and Sasha Smirnoff in Room Service. Tamworth, New Hampshire--here I come!
***My contract has been renewed and I will continue to be the voice of the lobster in the live production of FINDING NEMO: THE MUSICAL at Disney World in Florida. I'm also all over the cast album which you can purchase on iTunes. The Show was written and composed by FODs Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Shawn and I will be seeing it again in early June when we go down there for Gay Days 2010.
***I continue to monitor casting sessions, train readers, and meet casting directors weekly at The Network. I said it before and I'll say it again, I cannot recommend this organization highly enough.
***On Mondays at 8:00 a.m. I have a phone gathering with fellow voice actors Brett Barry, Cristina Doikos, Tercio Bretas, Marc Garber, Lucien Dodge, Maggie Phillips, and Jamie Hurley. We have our own demo CD! Let us know if you would like one for your casting needs.
***I continue to sing Sunday mornings at The Madison Avenue Baptist Church with choir director Paul Stephan, singers Helen Lyons, Karen Rich, Christopher Preston Thompson, Brian Long, and Alexandra de Suze! (Surely you've heard of Alexandra de Suze!) The congregation is led by the fabulous Reverend Susan Sparks. The sermons are now podcast! (The choir is not.)
Please Don't Panic! I'm busier than a chiropractor at The Lion King-- but for you, I'll find the time. Should you need me to speak the spot, give face time for the photo, or sing the song, let's create something great together.
And now the monthly Two (by which I mean Five) Items of Interest for FODs...
A Little Lovin' from me to you...
I authored another article for the Savvy Actor newsletter this month: Sing Your Way to a Stronger Support System! It's about my experience with the Composer-Librettist Studio and how you can build your support system in the industry by helping fellow artists achieve their vision.
There. Thou has been coached.
The Savvy Actor Career Manual...
It's here! The founders of The Savvy Actor, Jodie Bentley and Kevin Urban, have created the ultimate manual to help actors become savvy business people. The Savvy Actor Career Manual goes beyond career books to give you a step-by-step guide to every element the professional actor needs to turn talent and training into a successful career. There are over 140 pages of advice, guidance and worksheets including: Define Your Career Vision, Discover Your Unique Brand, Create Marketing Strategies, Design Your Support System, Manage Your Finances, Customize Organizational Systems, Ace the Agent Interview and more. I love the work we do and am so excited about this tool to enhance the work we do one-on-one and in our classes, or as a tool for actors who are outside of the major acting markets. Oh--parents of actors who are nervous about how your actor kid is going to make a living? Get the book! Okay, you click this link to purchase the The Savvy Actor Career Manual, and I'll go get a glass of water to cool off.
A webcast I'm loving...
I know the thoughts that keep you up at night. "What goes on backstage at a Broadway show?" "What is the daily life of a New York actor?" Not you should worry anymore! You can go on a video journey behind the scenes with Kimberly Faye Greenberg and Brian Childers on www.BroadwayBlogspot.com. I had the pleasure of working with them as the twelve Jewish men in the life of Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine in The Kid From Brooklyn and now they're currently starring Off-Broadway in the same roles in Danny and Sylvia. Currently there's a backstage pass (via video) behind the scenes for the Broadway Show Billy Elliot.
Amazing resource for accent work...
So, a week ago, I found out that I needed to have a Dutch accent for a musical I was doing. Luckily, the golden-toned Barbara Rosenblat pointed me towards the International Dialects of English Archive. There's a wide variety of actual native speakers from all over the world (and all areas of the United States) reading the exact same copy. Then, some of them talk a little about themselves. Great resource! And what's our favorite word? FREE!
You need financial guidance. Might as well give my husband a call.
Of course I must brag on my man. After eighteen years as an actuary, Shawn brought his industry savvy to the people side of the business five years ago to be a financial advisor. His business has grown wonderfully and he is helping a lot of people start to save money and protect their loved ones. Have you been reading the news lately? Perhaps it's time to talk with him. He knows his stuff, will not try to sell you something you don't need, and is quite easy on the eyes. Send him an e-mail at scowls@mac.com to start the conversation.
Life is good here. Shawn and I will be heading out of town a few times in the next couple of months. If you're in St. Thomas VI, Orlando FL, or Raleigh NC, let me know! And I have to share this: we're going to Orlando for Gay Days at Disney, at which a whole slew of Lesbian, Gay, and Transgendered folk, along with their families (including mine!), descend on the parks in a wonderful unofficial Disney event. Disney doesn't acknowledge it, but the Tinkerbell merchandise just happens to be pushed to the front. The crowning touch? We're staying at the Gaylord Palms. Really? Really.
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!
Enjoy Yourself!
Doug Shapiro
Fearless Mensch
