Interview with Rob Hartmann and Farah Alvin of "Vanishing Point"

By Byrne Harrison

On November 4th, 54 Below will present a concert version of Rob Hartmann's musical "Vanishing Point," featuring Farah Alvin, Katie Thompson and Kate Shindle as Agatha Christie, Aimee Semple McPherson, and Amelia Earhart.  I had a chance to speak with Rob and Farah about the genesis of the show, some recent productions, and this latest version.

Rob and Farah, thank you both for taking the time to discuss your upcoming show.  First, Rob, could you tell me a little about "Vanishing Point"?

"Vanishing Point" imagines that three women, who all vanished at one point in their lives – Amelia Earhart, Agatha Christie and evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson – all meet in "the vanishing point", a sort of limbo between worlds. There they replay the stories of their lives, and decide whether or not to go back. It's very funny but also very wrenching at times -- I always describe it as a high-wire act for three powerhouse actresses. As they replay their lives, the three actresses play all the additional roles -- instantly switching to play each other's mothers, husbands, reporters. Since this is a concert, we only will see a bit of that, but it's always awesome to see it in production -- the three women create everything out of nothing. It's a marathon.

What was the inspiration for this show?

When I was getting my MFA at NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, my collaborator Scott Keys had a book called "Among the Missing" which was all about mysterious disappearances. He made the connection among the three women: Agatha Christie, who disappeared for 11 days in 1926; Aimee Semple McPherson, who disappeared for three weeks that same year; and Amelia Earhart, who vanished in 1937. Agatha and Aimee never spoke about what happened during their disappearances; Amelia of course was never seen again. 

He noticed that they made a natural trinity -- like mind, body, spirit. One disappeared on the road, one in the sea, and one in the sky. In our show, the opening number is called "Adventure, Spectacle, Mystery" -- the things that they brought to all our lives.

Scott wrote a one-act with another composer that was the germ of that idea (it ended up being just about Amelia Earhart). After grad school we wrote two shows, and when we were looking for an idea for our next show, I immediately jumped on "Vanishing Point." 

Some years ago I attended a staged version at Symphony Space, and there have been several productions since then.  In fact this was a particularly busy year for the show, with several productions which I understand you've attended.  Could you tell me a little bit about those?  In particular, how involved were you in the productions?  And what did the different casts and directors bring to the productions?

This year we had a production in Madrid in July, a college production in Dayton in August, and a professional production in Baltimore in September. It was great to see the show in three wildly different productions so close together. I saw all three but really wasn't involved in any of the rehearsal processes. That is a good sign -- that the show doesn't need me or my collaborators around to find its own way.

L to R - Laura González Serrano,
Isabel Fonseca Gómez, Justi Vega

Each company created its own distinctive version. In Madrid, the director Carlos Herencia designed it as an homage to silent film -- pale faces, a black and white feeling to the setting, footlights, theatrical gestures. In Dayton, director Marya Spring Cordes (directing it for the second time) used a very bare space. It was staged in a thrust, with just a few cubes, a few props, a ladder, and some very powerful projections. 

In Baltimore, director Ryan Haase dreamed it up as though it were taking place in a mysterious overstuffed attic. He did it all with natural light sources -- lamps, candles -- which gave it a dreamy shadowy feel. We talked about Alice falling down the rabbit hole -- in illustrations, she's always falling past cupboards and bookshelves and mirrors and sconces. It felt like they were falling down their own rabbit hole.

Photo by Spencer Grundler

Each production was completely different, yet they each found the truth of the piece. It's about discovering your passion, and the difficulty of following that passion when the world makes its inevitable demands on you. Each of the women is almost destroyed by following her calling -- but they return to the world stronger.

I'm particularly interested in the one in Madrid.  Did you work directly with the translators?  And what was the reaction of the Spanish audiences?

Isabel Fonseca Gómez

Isabel Fonseca Gomez, whose theater company produced it (and who played Aimee Semple McPherson, brilliantly), did the translation along with Carlos Herencia, the director. I believe they split the work between them -- Carlos I think did Agatha's patter songs (god bless him.)  I know enough Spanish to understand it in performance. I had a multi-lingual friend come with me and he said the translation got the spirit exactly. With a lot of the patter songs, they kept the rhythm and didn't worry about trying to translate exactly. Agatha has a song called "Red Herrings" in which she comes up with a cover story for each of the women when they're ready to return to the world. There isn't an exact translation of that in Spanish, but they have that concept -- it was called "Sin Pistas" ("Without Clues.")

The Spanish audiences really seemed to love it. The audiences were very energized by it -- there was always a crowd in the street outside the theater talking about it after the performance.

And what about the other productions?  Well received?

The college production in Dayton ran for just a weekend -- I went out to see two of the performances. The college audiences were screaming their heads off for the trio of actresses -- seeing their friends take on these huge roles and pull them off wonderfully. Even though those actresses were all young for the parts (the characters were all late 30s at the time of their disappearances), they brought a real sense of power to the show. Each one of those three found sharp, specific moments that I had never seen done in exactly that way before. They made it their own.

The Baltimore production, produced by a young theater company called Stillpointe Theatre Initiative, got some of the best reviews the show has ever gotten. The three actresses in that production are all members of the company, and they happen to all be good friends. You could tell they had an immense amount of trust in one another -- which you need for this show!  

Can you tell me a little bit about the actresses you've had involved in the show in the past?  It's a pretty illustrious group.

I have been really fortunate to have had so many great performers give their time and talents to develop this show over the years. We've been working on it quite a while -- it's had ten full productions over the years, along with workshops and readings. 

Alison Fraser did one of the first concerts of the show, playing Agatha Christie (she also sang on the demo recording we have.) It was one of those experiences where you hear someone sing a number and it sounds so distinctive that it's like a cast recording. She has been an amazing supporter of the show. Nancy Opel and Ann Morrison also did very early readings.

For Amelia Earhart, some of the actresses who have taken on the part in some way or another include Julia Murney, Barbara Walsh, Lynne Wintersteller, Cristin Hubbard and Leenya Rideout. Our Aimees have included Emily Skinner, Klea Blackhurst and Sally Wilfert.

Patty Nieman has had the distinction of playing two different roles in the show. She was our original Agatha in the first Minneapolis workshop; in 2012, we had a production in Florida in which our Amelia lost her voice and couldn't continue with the run. On literally a day's notice, Patty agreed to come in. She flew in on a Monday, and by Wednesday was on in the role. It was astounding.

So tell me a little about the actresses in this latest production?  How did you choose this cast, and what was it about this combination of actresses that seemed to complement your show?

I'm always interested in seeing what actors bring to the role -- each performer who takes on these parts shapes them in their own way. Farah, in fact, did a one-day reading of the piece (playing Aimee.) We were doing a reading that was basically testing out a new song for the top of Act II. Farah was traveling between New York and LA -- she basically said, I'm insane to try to fit this in, but I want to give it a shot. I sent her the new song to look at -- the only one we really needed her to sing -- but I included the other songs that Aimee sings, just so she would have some context.

That day in the read-through, we got to one of Aimee's songs, and Farah nonchalantly said, "Oh, let me just give it a try," and proceeded to blow us all away. Farah is like that. She has an incredible force to her -- and is one of the most down-to-earth people you'd ever meet.

All three of these women are forces of nature in their own right. I've known Katie Thompson more or less since she moved to New York from LA. She comes and does readings of new work for us at NYU whenever she can -- and of course she's always incredible. I've thought of her in the role of Aimee Semple McPherson for a long time. If anyone could convert you to her own personal religion, I think it would be Katie.

I haven't worked with Kate Shindle before, but of course have seen her everywhere. Besides her Broadway outings, she turns up often in concerts of new work. She is always clear and specific in her performances -- I had had her in mind for Amelia for quite a while too. There's something interesting to me about Kate's personal knowledge of being an American icon -- as Miss America -- brought to the role of Amelia. In Vanishing Point, we see more of Amelia's driven, high-strung side -- we see all the pressure she was under to live up to a manufactured image. I think Kate can understand that.

We met over e-mail last year when I was trying to put a different concert of Vanishing Point together (which didn't ultimately work out for scheduling reasons.) I sent Kate two of Amelia's songs to listen to. She went to the show's website and listened to all the material on her own -- not just the two songs but the entire score. Who does that? Nobody. For someone to take that time to research the project carefully -- it told me that she's someone who cares very much about which shows she chooses to appear in.

Which brings us to the amazing Farah Alvin.  How did you come to be involved in this production?

Rob has been a friend through working at NYU. A few years ago, (maybe 2008?) Rob had been doing some rewrites and asked if I would come in and cold read the role of Aimee. She has a very difficult song called "The Heat" and Rob said,"It's really difficult. Just read the lyrics, don't worry about singing it. I just want to hear it in context." But I had already learned it by the time he told me that! I think I may have done some recording of Aimee material as well. So now that I'm playing Agatha, it's a totally new experience.

What is it like playing Agatha?  Do you find there are things about her that resonate with you?

I love that what Agatha feels very confident about is her intelligence and creativity. She feels strong about her intellectual abilities and her vulnerabilities are aggravated by her inability to understand them. I can relate to feeling power in creativity. And wanting to rely on logic to solve emotional problems, even when you know, logically, that's unlikely to work. I love that Rob and Liv and Scott have chosen three dynamic and smart women to theatricalize. That's rare. And special.

I've always been interested in how an actor prepares for a role.  Do you have a particular approach?

I would love to tell you that I do lots of research and learn what Agatha Christie ate for breakfast. But the truth is, I am not playing the actual Agatha. I am playing the version of her that these writers have envisioned. So I have to base my character on the the elements the writers have presented. For this piece, I'm trying to find action that gets me invested. So I'm thinking about, if Agatha was responsible for her own vanishing, what hurt so much that she had to literally disappear? Or if not hurt, frightened, angered? That's my loop in to finding emotional truth in a character who is abstracted here.

And how has it been working with Kate and Katie?

I haven't actually been in the room with them yet! This is what happens when you try and compile a cast of busy ladies. But I know both Katie and Kate and have worked with them both multiple times. They are smart, amazing actresses and PERFECT for the parts they have been cast in. I'm really looking forward to singing with them. I think it's going to be pretty thrilling.

Going back to Rob for a moment, what is your favorite thing about this production?

I think just bringing this incredible group of actors together, along with our music director, Gillian Berkowitz. Gillian has worked on the show for a long time, and brings an incredible musical depth to the piece. In this concert we also have cello and clarinet -- a treat because so often you can only have piano. Gillian can play anything -- and her musical instincts are always right on. I'm actually right in the middle of adjusting one of the orchestrations with feedback from Gillian -- she calls me in her spare minute between shows -- and leaves a voicemail with sixty seconds of brilliant insight.

Farah, what about you?  Is there something in particular that stands out for you?

I love the theatricality of "Vanishing Point." I love the idea that maybe these three ladies all went to the same place to work out their stuff. And relied on one another and learned from one another. It's kind of a brilliant use of the device of a musical. It takes a mysterious story, three mysterious stories and explores an implausible but totally magical explanation. That's cool.

What else is coming up for you this year?

This year is nearly over which I can't believe. I had a baby this year so the fact that I'm performing at all right now is sort of surreal. But right around the corner in 2015, I am performing with the Naples Symphony, the Omaha Symphony and the Phoenix Symphony. Concerts and other projects are always popping up. People can keep up with me on my website, my Facebook fan page and on Twitter. If anything new happens, it'll all be there!

Rob, what about you?

I've got a few things cooking in the early stages -- one project I'm having a lot of fun with is writing a show for high school performers, with my collaborator Katie Kring. It's called Kelly the Destroyer Vs the Springfield Cobras, and is like Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets '70s glam rock.

And what about Vanishing Point?  What is next for the show?

Now that we've been polishing it in various productions around the country (and the world), I really want to do it in New York in some way. So what's next is, we're making that happen.

So here is the lightning round.  Five questions for each of you.

Farah, favorite show you've been in?  

"Sycamore Trees" by Ricky Ian Gordon, world premiere at Signature Theatre in DC in 2010.

Rob, best show you've seen this year?

You know, I really liked Rocky. And so far I have been really behind in seeing the shows that have opened this fall. I have a long list of must-sees.

Farah, favorite song in "Vanishing Point"?

I love "When I Am the Wind" (Amelia's song).

Rob, actor or actress you'd most like to work with, but haven't yet?

That is a tough question. Hmmm.... I don't know how this would come about, but let's say Angela Lansbury. I was obsessed with "Bedknobs & Broomsticks" as a child, so...

Farah, role you'd most like to play someday?

Mrs. Lovett.

Rob, first show you ever saw?

My first Broadway show was the original production of "Into the Woods," which I saw the day after Christmas, a month after it opened. I thought, "a whole month, I hope some of the original cast is still in it..." because when you're in college, running a month seems like a very long time. I flew to New York for one day in order to see it.

Farah, next show you want to see?

I gotta hustle and see "Here Lies Love"!

Rob, favorite theatre you've worked in?

I have to cheat and give two answers. One is, Porchlight Music Theatre in Chicago. That theater was founded by Jill Moore, one of my roommates in college -- and it's still going strong all these years later. They have produced three of my shows, including the first-ever staging of "Vanishing Point." I have great memories of Chicago, putting on shows in the basement of a bar. They are close to my heart.

The second answer is -- the theater where "Vanishing Point" played in Madrid, Teatro Lara. It's a gorgeous grand old-school theater -- all red and gold, velvet curtains, gorgeous murals. You really felt a sense of history there.

Farah, favorite theatre experience?

Martha Clarke's "Garden of Earthly Delights." Two minutes into the revival, I leaned over to my husband and said, "This is the greatest show I've ever seen in my life." And it was.

Rob, same question.

I have too many to list. I teach at NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, and am privileged to be able to see incredible new works of theater being created each year. Watching the performances of those, I regularly cry like a sap. Because there's so much passion in everyone who is working in this art form. It makes you fully alive.

Thank you both for your time, and I'm looking forward to seeing "Vanishing Point" next week.

"Vanishing Point" will be performed at 54 Below on Tuesday, November 4th at 9:30 PM.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the 54 Below website.

Canadian Burlesque Star, Rosie Bitts, Makes New York City Debut

Canadian Burlesque Star, Rosie Bitts, makes her New York City debut in her new solo-show, Stories of Love and Passion which is being presented by the Untied Solo Theatre Festival. Stories of Love and Passion is written and performed by Rosie Bitts, directed and dramaturged by Suzanne Bachner and accompanied by Jeff Poynter. Rosie will be donating 5% of all profits from her solo work, Stories of Love and Passion, to local organizations that advocate for sex workers.

The Fabulous Miss Rosie Bitts mixes jazz and burlesque with raw seduction in these heart-breaking, hilarious and taboo tales of sex work, unplanned pregnancy, loss of virginity and more. With live accompaniment by Jeff Poynter, Rosie creates a night of entertainment that is a luscious pleasure to the senses while also being subtly subversive, perfectly frank and completely titillating.

Stories of Love and Passion had its first view as a workshop in Best Bitts' Sexy Factory Fest, then its official World Premiere in the UNO Festival in Victoria, BC which is run by Intrepid Theatre (which also runs the Victoria Fringe). Stories of Love and Passion just finished a successful run at theCome Inside, the first Sex-Positive Theatre Festival in the US in Portland, Oregon.

The creative team includes lighting design by Theodore R. Sherman, costume design by Kerri Derksen and technical direction by Chasmin Hallyburton.

Performances take place at Theatre Row/Studio Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street (between 9^th & 10^thAvenues) New York, NY 10036. Subways: A/C/E to 42^nd Street. Tickets are $19.25 (including a $1.25 theatre restoration charge) and are available at the Theatre Row box office, or at 212-239-6200 – www.telecharge.com

Show Date:

Tuesday, October 21st @ 7:30 pm

Running time: 60 minutes

More info available at www.bestbitts.com or www.unitedsolo.org

Rosie Bitts (Writer/Performer) is a performer, producer, author, and educator, and one of the pioneers who brought the art-form of burlesque to Vancouver Island. Rosie's first solo show, The Fabulous Miss Rosie Bitts, garnered her critical acclaim and was a multi-award winner across Canada. Her newest work, Stories of Love and Passion, which premiered at the end of May at the prestigious Canadian Solo show Festival UNO Fest, has opened to critical acclaim, adoring crowds, and standing ovations. She is looking forward to touring with it across the United States in the fall of 2014. She was a co-founder of the award-winning Cheesecake Burlesque Revue and the first burlesque teacher on Vancouver Island, having since taught hundreds of women—and now men—how to release their inner Diva and connect with their Sexy! As well as teaching locally, Rosie has also been a guest teacher at BurlyCon Seattle many times (North America’s only burlesque education convention).  Rosie is a keynote speaker and speaks on subjects from “Releasing Your Inner Diva” to “Getting Your Sexy Back after Kids”. In 2013, Rosie turned her talents to writing and, in collaboration with indie author Bruce Blake, has created the historical-pirate-erotica-adventure serial The Lady Corsairs. Rosie started her production company,  Best Bitts Productions (co-owned with Bruce Blake), in 2008, and has since toured Western Canada with her popular shows as well as bringing headliners from all over North America to further titillate and educate her audience. She runs Canada's only Sex Positive Theatre Festival: “The Sexy Factory,” which will be looking forward to its 3^rd year in 2015. An active fundraiser, Rosie also advocates in the community for local and international causes. In this spirit, Rosie will be donating 5% of all profits from her solo work Stories of Love and Passion to local organizations that advocate for sex workers.

Suzanne Bachner (Director/Dramaturge) is an award-winning playwright and director. She is the director and developer of Bob Brader’s acclaimed solo shows including the award-winning Spitting In The Face Of The Devil. Her play, CIRCLE, ran for five months Off Broadway, was performed nationally and called “ingenious” by The New York Times. Her new 2-actor production of CIRCLE is currently optioned for production in Australia following a 4-month 7-City Sold-Out International Tour during which it was awarded Most Daring Show of the London Fringe. Playwriting and directing: a six month NYC run of her cult hit, Icons & Outcasts; a five month NYC run and international tour of BITE; her epic new play, Brilliant Mistake, a San Diego commission, which the Coast News called "A work of pure genius!" and her celebrated kaleidoscopic memoir play, We Call Her Benny, which Broadway World called “the future of theatre”. Her plays have been seen at PS NBC@HERE, the Duplex, the National Arts Club, the Michael Weller Theatre, the Samuel French Short Play Festival, Pulse Ensemble Theatre and 20th Century Fox at the Coronet Theater in LA, among others. Directing: Frank D. Gilroy's The Subject Was Roses at the Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles and the short film, Jennifer Monroe, P.I., a finalist in Flicks on 66. Suzanne studied playwriting with Romulus Linney and Adrienne Kennedy and holds an MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School at the New School University. Suzanne’s plays are published on Indie Theater Now. She is a four-time OOBR Award winner, a Madeline Sadin award winner, Resident Playwright Emeritus at the Actors Institute and a member of the United Solo Academy and the Dramatists Guild.  www.jmtcinc.com

Jeff Poynter (Accompanist) is a multi-instrumentalist, educator, and artist manager based in Victoria, BC, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria, with a major in Saxophone Performance. He is also the Chairperson of Music For Youth Works Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing music lessons to children who could not otherwise afford them. Jeff performs regularly with the popular indie-folk group West My Friend as well as with burlesque performer Rosie Bitts. As an experienced pianist, accordionist, and guitarist, Jeff was the music director at Pilgrim United Church in Colwood BC for five years, was the Assistant Music Minister at Oak Bay United Church in Victoria, and now leads music at Cadboro Bay United Church with Louise Rose. He regularly tours Canada and the US, and plays many styles of music, from classical to funk, latin to celtic, and jazz to folk.

About Best Bitts Productions

Best Bitts Productions is an entertainment production company headed by Rosie Bitts and Bruce Blake. We are dedicated to producing top quality cabaret, burlesque and theatrical shows that mix the best talent of Vancouver Island with international performers to create a truly unique entertainment experience.

About the United Solo Theatre Festival

United Solo, the world’s largest solo theatre festival, celebrates its 5th anniversary season and its dynamic expansion in scope and popularity. Over 130 shows from six continents are staged at Theatre Row: 410 West 42nd Street, New York City.

Broadway Meows: A Concert for the Humane Society of New York

The FIFTH Annual BROADWAY MEOWS

a Concert for the HUMANE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK

Featuring the songs of SETH BISEN-HERSH

starring:
KARMINE ALERS (Rent)
JUSTIN BARNETTE (Encores! Fiorello!)
SETH BISEN-HERSH
BRIAN CHILDERS (Danny and Sylvia)
DANA COSTELLO (Jekyll & Hyde)
BRANDON J. ELLIS (Once)
KIMBERLY FAYE GREENBERG (One Night with Fanny Brice)
AMY GRIFFIN (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
TERESA HUI
LARA JANINE (Rock of Ages)
AARON KELLER
KAITLIN KIYAN (Hair)
MIRIAM KUSHEL
MELISSA MITCHELL (Giant)
RORI NOGEE (Showgirls! the Musical)
CASSIE OKENKA (Bonnie and Clyde)
DAVID PERLMAN (Baby It's You)
ADAM SHAPIRO (2013 MAC Award Winner)
STACY SHIRK (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog)
HALEY SWINDAL (Jekyll & Hyde)
ELISA WINTER (Sweeney Todd)

MONDAY, JULY 22nd AT 7PM

$15 Cover/ 2 Drink Minimum (cash only)
Don't Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St.
Call for reservations after 4: 212-757-0788 or online at donttellmamanyc.com

Produced by Dennis Fowler
Directed by Melissa Eli
Stage Manager: Heather Ber

The 5th Annual Broadway Meows Concert for the Humane Society of New York will be presented at Don't Tell Mama, one night only, Monday, July 22nd at 7pm. The evening will be comprised of songs by composer/ lyricist Seth Bisen-Hersh. Bisen-Hersh will be joined on stage by a phenomenal cast including Karmine Alers (Rent), Justin Barnette (Encores! Fiorello!), Jaime Cepero (Smash), Brian Childers (Danny and Sylvia), Dana Costello (Jekyll & Hyde), Brandon J. Ellis (Once), Kimberly Faye Greenberg (One Night with Fanny Brice), Amy Griffin (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Teresa Hui, Lara Janine (Rock of Ages), Aaron Keller, Kaitlin Kiyan (Hair), Miriam Kushel, Melissa Mitchell (Giant), Rori Nogee (Showgirls! the Musical), Cassie Okenka (Bonnie and Clyde), David Perlman (Baby, It's You), Adam Shapiro (2013 MAC Award Winner), Stacy Shirk (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog), Haley Swindal (Jekyll & Hyde) and Elisa Winter (Sweeney Todd). The concert will be produced by Dennis Fowler, directed by Melissa Meli, stage managed by Heather Ber.

The audience can expect to hear 20 songs from Bisen-Hersh's catalog featuring songs from Love Quirks, More to Love, Stanley's Party, Malka, If Adele Can Do It, So Can I, The Final Frontier and more. Songs will include "Um, Yeah...", "Dear Facebook", "It's Not You, It's Me", "Can You Believe I Was Ever Sad We Broke Up?" and the popular youtube hit, "Hey!".

All the proceeds for the evening will go to the Humane Society of New York, which has "cared for animals in need when illness, injury or homelessness strikes" for over 100 years. The Humane Society saved Bisen-Hersh's cat, Smee's, life in 2009, and this annual benefit is his way of saying thanks.

For more information, please click:

http://www.sethbh.com/broadwaymeows
http://www.humanesocietyny.org/
http://www.sethbh.com/see

Interview - Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj of "The Little Rock Nine Project"

By Byrne Harrison

After reading about the upcoming Little Rock Nine Project, I spoke with Red Shirt Entertainment's Producing Artistic Director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj to find out more.

What was the genesis of The Little Rock Nine Project?

I have a relationship with the Little Rock Nine.  I wrote a play called The Little Rock Nine which tells the story of their first year integrating in Little Rock Central High School.  I wanted to create a work that told the story of the Little Rock Nine crisis and its legacy on children today.

Tell me a little about what the audience can expect to see at this concert?

A soul-stirring concert that blends together original poems, music and monologues that will warm your heart and touch your soul.

Original member of the Little Rock Nine, Ernest Green, will be attending the performance. How did he come to be involved?

He is a mentor and friend of mind.  He heard about the project and wanted to support me and the kids.

Speaking of the kids, what was it like working with members of the Camp AmeriKid Leader-in-Training program?

It was one of the most important, inspiring journeys I have had in my life.  It's changed my artistic DNA!

If you could say one thing to your potential audience about this performance, what would it be?

You will learn about history and realize that each of us have the power to change the world, just like the Little Rock Nine did in 1957.

Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj is an Indo-Caribbean American artist, educator and activist.  He is the Producing Artistic Director of Red Shirt Entertainment (www.redshirtentertainment.com) and has numerous directing/choreography credits. 

His commissioned works include: Diss Diss and Dis Dat, a new hip hop musical inspired by the music of the Funkie Natives (Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theater); Grey and Twenty-Five (Ensemble Studio Theater NYC); BlackfootNotes (Sloan Grant/Ensemble Studio Theater NYC); Little Rock (Arkansas Repertory Theater/TCG/NEA New Generations); Children of the Dream (Alliance Theater, ATL).  Co. Written and Co. Conceived work: History of the Word, a new spoken word play with music; Exposures, an urban spoken word choreopoem.  Adapted work: Ghosts by Ibsen “Jamaican adaptation” (Rebel Theater Co.); Abortion by O’Neill “Mississippi Night” (Rasa Theater Co. & Sign of the Times); Black Nativity by Langston Hughes “Darfur Nativity” (Goodman Theater & Congo Square); the poem Willie by Maya Angelou “Spook” (Rebel Theater Co.); Daisy inspired by the life and legacy of the indomitable Daisy Lee Bates. Straight Outta Denmark (Hip Hop Hamlet Red Shirt Entertainment); Holocaust Project (a trilogy focusing on the genocides in Germany, Rwanda and Darfur).

He is the founder of a children’s arts group “Be, Do, Fly” that provides free performing arts access to children in need across America. Maharaj is the founder and the artistic advisor of River Voices, an African American Latino playwriting festival in collaboration with Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  He is also an artistic consultant for the Arkansas Repertory Theater. Maharaj has been featured in American Theatre Magazine, Yale Review, New York Times, The Star Ledger, The NAACP Crisis News, Chicago Sun Times, Ebony, Arkansas Times, Uptown Magazine and has been featured on the Hot List as a New York Theater Artist to Watch, Amsterdam News and Variety for his work in the American theatre.  

Red Shirt Entertainment Announces New Concert Piece - "The Little Rock Nine Project"

Red Shirt Entertainment, in association with Camp AmeriKids, Be.Do.Fly! and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, is announcing a new concert piece entitled “The Little Rock Nine Project.” The event will take place on Saturday, July 13th at 7:00PM at the historic Nuyorican Poets Cafe, located at 236 East 3rd Street in New York’s East Village.

The project will honor the legacy of the Little Rock Nine, the Civil Rights group that challenged racial segregation at Little Rock Central High School in 1957, through original monologues, poetry, letters and music. In attendance will be Little Rock Nine member, as well as Congressional Gold Medal and NAACP Spingarn Medal recipient, Ernest Green.

"It's an incredible honor to have a Civil Rights icon and dear friend, Ernest Green, attend our event and to have several politically-conscious organizations come together for this common goal,” said Red Shirt Entertainment Artistic Producing Director and Be.Do.Fly! Founder Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj.

Parties involved in the conception of the project include Maharaj and participants of the Camp AmeriKids Leader-in-Training (LIT) Program. AmeriKids is a non-profit group devoted to enhancing the lives of young people coping with the challenges of HIV/AIDS and sickle cell disease. LITs range between the ages of 16 and 18. The performances are meant to parallel the struggles in their lives with those of the Little Rock Nine. All proceeds from the night will go toward AmeriKids, in addition to Be.Do.Fly! and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe – both non-profit organizations, as well.

“This adds to the list of meaningful work spearheaded by each of the respective organizations involved with this project,” said Frank O’Brien, Executive Producer of Red Shirt Entertainment and recent recipient of the AmeriKids “Making a Difference” Award. “We at Red Shirt are pleased to continue our relationship with each of them as we attempt to change the lives of these youngsters in need.”

Please reserve tickets and make your $20 donation by visiting www.redshirtentertainment.com.

TOSOS Benefit a Loving Tribute to Doric Wilson

By Byrne Harrison

Last night's benefit performance of Street Theater was a fitting and touching tribute to playwright and TOSOS founder Doric Wilson.  Wilson, who passed away in 2011, was well-loved by his many friends and collaborators, so it is no surprise that they put every ounce of effort into this annual benefit supporting TOSOS and the LGBT Community Center.

It was a labor of love, and it showed.

Wilson's play about the Stonewall Uprising is wildly funny and whip-smart.  The performance featured a very talented cast of award-winning TOSOS and downtown theatre regulars under the direction of TOSOS Artistic Director Mark Finley.

This is an annual event that I look forward to, not just because of the many familiar faces I see onstage and in the audience, but because it is an entertaining tribute to a legend in New York theatre--one that I was honored to know.  It's also just a lot of fun.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Street Theater
By Doric Wilson
Directed by Mark Finley
Stage Manager: Jennifer Marie Russo
Costume Consultant: Chris Weikel
House Manager: Robin Kaufman

Featuring: Christopher Borg, J. Stephen Brantley, Rebecca Nyahay, Eilis Chaill, Jason Pintar, Chris Andersson, Travis C. Artz, Jeremy Lawrence, Michael Lynch, Tim Abrams, Ben Strothmann, Chad Austin, Russell Jordan, and Desmond Dutcher

TOSOS to present a special performance of Doric Wilson's "Street Theater"

On Thursday, June 20th at 7:30 PM, TOSOS and the LGBT Center will present a a special presentation of Doric Wilson's award-winning satire about Stonewall, Street Theater.

A participant in the Stonewall Uprising, Doric Wilson wrote Street Theater not so much as a history of the event but as a record of the people he knew and the incidents he was involved in on Christopher Street in the months, days and hours leading up to the night gays fought back. The play focuses on a panorama of drags, dykes, leathermen, flower children, vice cops and cruisers— the innocent and not-so-innocent bystanders who would turn June 28, 1969 into Stonewall—the D-day of gay history. 

Frequently called the “father of modern queer theatre,” Doric Wilson’s 50 year dedication to queer culture was recognized with the first Robert Chesley Award for Lifetime Achievement in Gay Theatre; the 2007 IT Award for Artistic Achievement; in 2009, the ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) Career Achievement Award for Professional Theatre; and last year the Fresh Fruit Festival presented playwright Doric Wilson with the 2010 PassionFruit Award for Enduring and Continuing Pioneer Work in LGBT Theater.

This performance benefits TOSOS and the LGBT Center.

Tickets - $20 in advance

https://mycenter.gaycenter.org/my-center/cultural-programs/event-registration-street-theater

$25 cash at the door

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street 

(between 7th Ave. and Greenwich Ave)

Directions: http://www.gaycenter.org/contactus

Facebook invite:

https://www.facebook.com/events/336453583148272/

About the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

A beacon of hope for 29 years, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center builds and supports our community through arts and culture, wellness and recovery, HIV/AIDS services, family services and life-saving youth programs designed to foster healthy development in a safe, affirming environment. The Center envisions a world where LGBT people will no longer face discrimination or isolation because of who we are or who we love. We offer a welcoming home to 300,000 visitors each year and we are committed to serving all LGBT people through a variety of programs, services and activities that are designed to meet existing and emerging needs. The Center is many things to many people. We invite you to experience our home at 208 West 13th Street in person and online at gaycenter.org.

About TOSOS

In 1974, playwright and gay activist Doric Wilson founded the first professional gay theatre company. It was called The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS for short). In 2002, directors Mark Finley and Barry Childs and Wilson resurrected the company, rededicating it to an honest and open exploration of the life experience and cultural sensibility of the GLBT community and to preserving and promoting our theatrical past in a determined effort to keep an important literary heritage alive. TOSOS has presented a number of critically acclaimed plays by playwrights David Bell, Meryl Cohn, Linda Eisenstein, Mark Finley, Robert Patrick, Chris Weikel, The Five Lesbian Brothers, Lanford Wilson and Charles Busch. TOSOS also runs the highly successful Chesley/Chambers play reading series under the directorship of Kathleen Warnock. The program is a recipient of grants from The Dramatists Guild Fund. For more information about TOSOS visit www.tosos2.org.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/tososnyc

Twitter: @TOSOSNYC

Website: http://www.tososnyc.org

Email: tososnyc@gmail.org

Brooke Davis in “I’m So Sorry… For Everything” at the Metropolitan Room, March 25th, 2013

By Rob Hartmann

Cabaret at its best allows the singing actor to create an evening which flows effortlessly and inevitably from their own stage personality. It’s no surprise that some of the most interesting cabaret performers are those who, for one reason or another, do not fit handily into any existing musical theater mold.

Brooke Davis, in her show “I’m So Sorry … For Everything”, which played March 25^th at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, takes the traditional “story of my life” theme and gives it a hearty twist. From the opening moments - a mini radio play in which we listen in to the delivery room, as stunned doctors (“are those the shoulders?”) bring a trilling baby Brooke into the world – it’s clear that Davis is making the cabaret form her own. The title refers to Davis’s habit of apologizing for taking up too much space in the world – having grown to six feet by age ten. With musical director Darren Cohen and director Barbara Grecki, Davis has crafted a hilarious evening which intertwines song with comic set pieces in which she creates an entire supporting cast of characters.

From a well meaning wide-eyed drama teacher (“ooooh my! You’re a big girl,”) who introduces Brooke to the wonders of theater, to a Dolores Umbridge-style professor who brings every conversation back to her own career, to a woman who drags Davis’s husband aside at a bar mitzvah to comment on the six-foot shiksa – the characters pop effortlessly out of the well-honed dialogue. First time cabaret performers sometimes veer too far to one extreme or another with their spoken material – either coming across as too tightly scripted, or else fumblingly winging it. Davis strikes exactly the right balance – the narrative has clear structure, but with the sense in the off-hand delivery that Davis is sharing it with you over a martini (or three.)

Most impressive is how smoothly Davis transitions into and out of the songs. Musical director Darren Cohen has created gorgeous, sophisticated arrangements – including a striking transformation of “In My Own Little Corner”, the cheery Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, into a darker, meditative jazz piece unwinding from an insistent bass ostinato. (Mr. Cohen, at the piano, is joined by Matt Sharfglass on upright bass, and Jeff Roberts on drums.) The song selections range from more Rodgers & Hammerstein (“Shall We Dance”), to Maltby & Shire (“A Girl You Should Know), to Sondheim (the sharply driving “See What It Gets You” from Anyone Can Whistle, and a hilarious re-contextualization of “Beautiful Girls” from Follies.) Davis also takes a turn through R&B (“Shop Around”) and even Pink’s “Glitter in the Air”, wrapping her crystal-clear mezzo around each style equally well.

One of the highlights of the evening is the Beatrice Lillie classic, “There Are Fairies at the Bottom of our Garden.” Brooke Davis in many ways is a modern version of the madcap Ms. Lillie (who made her name in comic revues and in the works of Noël Coward), mixing a sense of elegant arched-eyebrow absurdity with a strain of Will Rogers plain-speaking (owing to Ms. Davis’s Arizona upbringing.) Ms. Davis is like an alchemist’s combination of the dry humor and depth of Allison Janney; the bubbly warmth of Judy Kaye; the vaudevillian silliness of Jo Anne Worley; and the elegance and vulnerability of Barbara Harris. Her voice is a pure, youthful mezzo mix, which rises with ease to clear high notes, and becomes warm and clarinet-like in the low register. At times, she evokes the crystalline, heartbreaking sound of the great Victoria Clark (with whom Ms. Davis has studied, and who was in attendance on Monday night). But Ms. Davis always puts her own particular spin on the music, singing with true authenticity.

Director Barbara Grecki deftly shapes the evening with lighting that underscores the changing moods, while never intruding. The Metropolitan Room, as always, provides smart, attentive service in a comfortable venue.

Brooke Davis has appeared most places you’d expect to find up and coming New York actors: turns on Law & Order, One Life to Live (before its untimely demise), and appearances in regional and touring productions. One can hope that wise casting directors can find a way to bring Ms. Davis’s unique combination of wicked wit, sweet vulnerability and boisterous humor to New York audiences soon.

Brooke Davis in “I’m So Sorry … For Everything”, March 25^th, 2013. Musical direction by Darren Cohen. Directed by Barbara Grecki. Mr. Cohen on piano, Matt Scharfglass on bass, Jeff Roberts on drums. Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22^nd Street, New York City.

--Rob Hartmann is a writer/composer/lyricist based in New York City.

Limited Number of Tickets Available for Tonight's "Broadway Backwards"

BROADWAY BACKWARDS

OFFERS DAY-OF RUSH TICKETS

SELECT SEATS ONLY $20

ONE-NIGHT-ONLY EVENT

BENEFITS BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

AND THE CENTER

MONDAY, MARCH 18 AT 8 PM

AT BROADWAY’S PALACE THEATRE
(302 WEST 45^TH STREET)

An extremely limited number of $20 rush tickets to this year's star-studded BROADWAY BACKWARDS will be released for sale at 6:30 PM Monday, March 18, 2013. The rush tickets will be sold in the lobby of the Palace Theater (1564 Broadway). They will not be available at the box office. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, cash only and are limited to two tickets per person. The show begins at 8 PM.

BROADWAY BACKWARDS is a one-night-only performance produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and benefiting BC/EFA and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York. Now in its eighth year, BROADWAY BACKWARDS is an annual celebration where gays and lesbians see their stories onstage, told through the great songs of musical theatre, sung by their favorite Broadway performers.

This year's star-studded line-up has been honored with five individual Tony Awards, 34 Tony nominations, seven Emmy Awards, 25 Emmy nominations and one Academy Award.

This year's performers include Ward Billeisen (Encores! It's A Bird...It's A Plane...It's Superman), Stephanie J. Block (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), John Bolton (A Christmas Story, The Musical), Jake Boyd (Rock of Ages), Mo Brady (The Addams Family), Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange), Jim Brochu (Zero Hour), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid), Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd and TV's "Blue Bloods"), Robert Creighton (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Victor Garber (Damn Yankees, Argo), Malcolm Gets (Amour), Anita Gillette (Chapter Two, TV's “30 Rock”), Judy Kaye (Nice Work If You Can Get It), Jose Llana (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Kyle Dean Massey (Wicked), Jan Maxwell (Follies), Brian Stokes Mitchell, Stacey Oristano (TV's "Bunheads," “Friday Night Lights”), Estelle Parsons (Nice Work If You Can Get It), Eve Plumb, Doris Roberts, Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Howie Michael Smith (Avenue Q), Anthony Warlow (Annie), Josh Young (Jesus Christ Superstar), Karen Ziemba (Curtains), comedian/writer Bruce Vilanch, former Paul Taylor Dance Company principal dancers Patrick Corbin and David Grenke, and teen poet sensation Noah St. John.

Advance tickets are sold out. A limited number of regularly priced orchestra, mezzanine and balcony tickets may be available the door.

BROADWAY BACKWARDS creator Robert Bartley will again direct and choreograph with music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and music direction by Tim Rosser. The creative team includes co-choreographer Amy Jones, additional music directors Laura Berquist, Mat Eisenstein, Brad Haak and James Sampliner, lighting designer Paul Miller, costume designer Ryan Moller and sound designer Lucas Indelicato.

The presenting sponsor of BROADWAY BACKWARDS is Lifetime Networks with generous support from The New York Times and United Airlines.

ABOUT BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $225 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/BCEFA, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/BCEFA, watch us on YouTube at youtube.com/BCEFAtv and pin us on Pinterest at pinterest.com/BCEFA.

ABOUT THE CENTER

Established in 1983, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is at the heart of the LGBT community in New York City, providing quality health and wellness programs in a welcoming space that fosters connections and celebrates our cultural contributions. We strive to serve the LGBT community with a full-service, multi-faceted approach to programming, from hosting arts and entertainment events, advocacy groups and family gatherings to offering youth, recovery and overall wellness programs. Each year, the Center welcomes more than 300,000 visits to our building in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan from people who engage in our life-changing and life-saving activities. We are proud to be your community Center. To learn more about our work, please visit gaycenter.org.

"Love, Redefined" Tonight - New work based on traditional love poems

By Byrne Harrison

Poetic Theater Productions brings back it's popular Love, Redefined for a final salute the Valentine's season.

Expect to see some amazing work.

I spoke with Alex Mallory and Jeremy Karafin, Co-Artistic Directors of Poetic Theater Productions, about the production.

I understand the original Love, Redefined was Poetic Theater Productions' first show in 2010.  How did it come to be?

Alex: Jeremy moved to New York in 2009 and reconnected with former California poets Daniel Silber Baker, Edward McWilliams and Christine Hatch who introduced him to the New York poetry scene. In February of 2010, he recruited several of them to do a show that would provide an alternative to the traditional Valentine's Day commercialized concept of love. This seed of connection between poets and theater and the extremely positive feedback from both artists and audience launched the concept of Poetic Theater Productions, so Love, Redefined has a very special place in our company's history.

How has the show developed over the years?

Jeremy: We skipped Love, Redefined in 2011, when Alex came on board and we began a shift towards producing more theater, and brought it back in 2012 with the idea of using traditional sonnets as inspiration for new work. The unique thing about this event was that it offered the opportunity for actors to perform poetry - both classical and brand new, and create their own theatrical moments within it, in addition to the infusion of music, dance, multimedia and the fantastic Josh Henderson on hip-hop violin playing the transitions. 

We were so thrilled with the results that we decided to keep the structure this year and are thrilled to incorporate many of last year's artists performing new pieces as well as an incredible array of artists we have been wanting to work with and those new to our community.

How many artists will be participating in this year's version?

Alex: 42 artists performing 40 pieces including playwrights, poets, actors, singers, a dancer, a beatboxer and musicians on violin, guitar and ukulele. 

The artists will be performing original pieces based on poems by a variety of poets.  Who's work will be used for inspiration?

Jeremy: William Shakespeare, Pablo Neruda, John Donne, Ghandi, George Herbert, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and E. E. Cummings.  

What kind of audience are you looking for and what sort of reaction do you want from them?

Alex: There's something for everyone in this show - whether you love Shakespeare or think he is theater's most famous impostor, whether you're deeply in love or despise the word. We are looking for people who want to be inspired by the incredible wealth of talent this city has to offer and the funny and heartbreaking stories they have to tell. 

Poetic Theater Productions presents


Love, Redefined

Remixes, Re-imaginings and Riffs on Non-Commercial, Non-Traditional Love


Join us for a thrilling evening of familiar sonnets turned into original spoken word poetry, theater, dance and music!

featuring new work by
Mia Anderson, Scotty Arnold, Mickey Bolmer, Mahogany L. Browne, Darian Dauchan, Maurice DeCaul, Sarah Duncan, Safia Elhillo, Madeline Fendrick & Brian Peck, Kate Foster & Anna Gothard, Nicole Goodwin, Ish Islam, Joell Jackson, Ryan F Johnson, Kashi Johnson, Teniece Divya Johnson, David Trevor Lawson, Mary McCarthy, Margaret McCarthy, Christine J. Schmidt, Vassilea Terzaki, Tanaya Winder, Catherine Weingarten, and Donte Wright da Storyteller

based on traditional sonnets and love poems by William Shakespeare, Pablo Neruda, Ghandi, John Donne, George Herbert, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and e. e. cummings.

also featuring Jenny Aaron, Amanda Berry, Samantha Cooper, Dontonio Demarco, Karen Eilbacher, Kristen Islas, Wade Ray, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, Temesgen Tocruray, Nabil Viñas, Leal Vona and more!

with Josh Henderson on Hip Hop Violin and beats by Leal Vona

Wednesday, February 27 at 8PM
The Wild Project – 195 East 3rd Street