Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Better Get It In Your Soul

Canterbury House, The Episcopal Student Center at the University of Michigan, played an integral role in my development while at Michigan, and has supported me financially in my Nicaraguan Adventure. It's an unusual place---where modern jazz and world music are blended with ancient chants and liturgy---which, in combination, have the tendency to leave one breathless and rejuvenated at the same time.

Now, my priest and music director from Canterbury House, Reid Hamilton and Steve Rush, have 'written the book' on incorporating Jazz and other groovy music into modern Liturgy. It will be published and available in September. Better Get It In Your Soul has received endorsements from a number of musicians, liturgists, and theologians, including Ornette Coleman, Sue Mingus, Don Saliers, and Tilden Edwards. Do be sure to check it out!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

More from THE PRODUCERS

Here's a little news reel for those of you who didn't get a chance to see THE PRODUCERS this summer. If you keep a sharp eye out, you can catch a few glimpses of my purdy face...or rather, my bum...pun intended. For the last ten seconds of video, I'm hunched over with my tush to the camera, dressed like a bum in an overcoat. Enjoy!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

THE PRODUCERS at the Muny in St. Louis

I just wrapped up a performance at the St. Louis Muny in their production of Mel Brooks' THE PRODUCERS. It was so invigorating to get back on stage after such a long break. I'm extremely grateful to the Muny for inviting me back, bringing me out of my brief "retirement" here in Nicaragua, and also to my funders at the InterExchange Foundation for allowing me to take the time off. And most of all, many thanks to my Aunt Shelley and her family, for opening their home to me yet again, and to Tommy, for giving up his bedroom without even making me feel bad about it! The show was a smash hit, of course! Check us out on Playbill.com, and then ake a look at the review, here. (They call me SUAVE!)

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Summer at the Muny, 2007

While I was in St. Louis at the Muny in 2007, a couple of local news programs covered the shows I was in. The first clip is from our production of HELLO, DOLLY!, and was featured on the web version of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I don't show up until about six minutes in, but the whole clip is worth watching. They filmed it on one of the first days of rehearsal, so you can see my scene partner and I reading through a scene for the first time together. (I promise it was a lot funnier once we figured out what we were doing!) The second clip is from a local entertainment program, "Show Me St. Louis". It was a story about the rehearsal process for LES MISÉRABLES. They interviewed me for the segment, so I get some pretty good face time in. Enjoy!

HELLO, DOLLY!

LES MISÉRABLES (Video no longer available)