Winding Up for a big year

Happy New Year!  2013 was such a blast and 2014 is shaping up even bigger.  I'm already head down tail up in preparations for:

• the first ever Drench and Launders show - my comedy duo with Stevi Cannon.  The show will open at the Royal Exchange Salon Theatre in Bolton Street on the 1st March.
• Upstairz Downstairz - a new 2-Act musical farce which opens at the RX on Sat 5th March.  Written, produced and directed by moi, it has a cast of 6 madcap residents, supported by 3 wicked musicians to take you on a quirky voyage of discovery based loosely around the "grass is greener" principle. In a nutshell - and there's plenty of nuts in this shell - our upstairs residents are bored and looking for a taste of the good life downstairs....it's when they meet the Head of Housekeeping - Madame Lash - and Sister Josephine that things begin to seriously 'hot up'! and they begin to question which side of the fence - or is it the organisation? - they'd rather linger. 
• Between the Lines which has been commissioned for a couple of shows in May and with replacement cast members
• a new show being written called "Crazy: the life and music of Patsy Cline"  which has been commissioned for the Buttai Barn in May.  The Barn has also requested a repeat of the Petticoat Pioneers show in May.  It's going to be a very busy May!

My chorus groups are all champing at the bit to get back into the swing of sing and I have a whole swag of new material for them. 
There's no doubt that MUSIC is the great panacea ... it uplifts and enthuses you beyond the scope of any illicit drugs;  soothes and restores you without the requirement of addictive, prescription drugs;  comforts you when you're feeling down;  and when you're doing it with other people you're never lonely or alone;   If you haven't checked out the SingOz page, take a look now; Sing Oz
No wonder it's true when they say "Music is vital for physical, mental and emotional well-being". 

Observing the Tribe

Just finished a great Festival weekend at Planet Dungog, playing with 2 duo's ..... Ruby Blue with Anousha Victoire ..... and 2PieceSweet with Kathy Clarke.   Like all good music festivals, I came away feeling totally exhausted, creatively overwhelmed, and musically sated.

This time, I shared the weekend with my lovely man and thus was able to experience the festival through his 'first time' perspective and it caused me to reflect on many unique aspects of a festival environment.   Like:

• the extraordinary range of characters that come together in a shared love of and passion for music.  That you could be sitting next to, striking up a conversation with, or camping beside somebody that in the real world you would never have the opportunity to connect with.... medical students conversing on equal level with a famous surgeon, well known medico, hospital cleaner.....world-traveled geo-technical experts learning a new tune from a man who drives a tractor for a living, ..... 70year old's learning from 16year old's ......and on it goes
• the tribal nature of such a gathering ....that there are so many points of etiquette followed in such an informal, almost chaotically creative, and seemingly 'no-rules' environment.....and where there is a sense of 'pecking order' amongst many who haven't yet found their 'fit' in the tribe.
• the sense of family and community .....where regular festival-goers who may not see each other from one festival to the next engage in 'reunion' type behaviours, taking the opportunity to catch up socially with each other, share news and progresses, connect new members of the community to long-time residents, teach and learn with each other...and where - for one whole weekend-  all the family loves each other, expresses a bonhomie to all, tolerates and accepts all the individual idiosyncrasies, avoids harsh thoughts or words, ignores the ego trips, and focuses on simply celebrating the joy of life and music.  

then....at the end of the weekend, it's all over til the next one comes around.  Performers shaking their heads at - and inspired by - the extraordinary amount of talent that surrounds them, vowing to work hard and  aim for a higher benchmark at the next festival {unless of course they've convinced themselves that theirs was already the highest and there's no room for improvement!:)};  non-performers determined to practices those tips or new songs they learned in the jam sessions, maybe apply for a spot at next year's event; non-players inspired to get started on a new instrument.

Despite the disparities, the community music festival environment removes barriers, crosses boundaries, brings individuals together from all age groups, cultural backgrounds, socio-economic circumstances, etc, fosters tolerance and acceptance of all styles of music and encourages all of its members.  Unlike the commercially focused event, driven by and for the almighty dollar, this is a tribe that doesn't depend on the crutches of alcohol or drugs to fulfill it's objectives.

What a shame we can't bring all of this into the general community.

A World of Music

Gosh there's lots happening in my world of music of late - and once again the Great Juggling Challenge is underway.
I'm loving working with the - now - 4 Community Chorus groups/choirs I'm coaching.  They're small groups but so enthusiastic....and I just love to hear their comments as they're leaving a session - like "gee, I couldn't have done THAT 12 months ago!"   and "this is the sanest hour of my week, I LOVE coming here"  or "I'm always learning something new here".   It really makes me feel that I'm making a contribution - on an individual level as well as to my community.

My own personal challenges lay in building 2 different repertoire/s of material for the 2 duo's I'm working in :-  RUBY BLUE   and   2PIECE SWEET .    The sounds are so very different, the material is poles apart, and with varying skills levels, each duo is progressing at different rates.   It does my head in sometimes! 

On the Theatre front..........
Currently, I'm directing a small cast for a new season of "Between the Lines" - you may have seen it when it first opened {@ 3 years ago now - doesn't time fly?!}.  The season opens on 25 October at my favourite venue The Royal Exchange Salon Theatre.  I'm fortunate in having a combination of  very experienced performers and raw recruits - more about the cast next month - bringing a new perspective and new dimension to the production.
Also under wraps is a new musical I'm writing - again for a small cast - which I hope to put into production in November for a Feb/Mar opening.  

Life in The Arts is never boring!.......and provides a never-ending fount of exciting new beginnings.

After Show Glow

Still coming down from the extraordinary experience of Money Honey - a 3-week Season, sold out before it opened, oversubscribed, wonderful review, sensational audience feedback - a WINNER!!  And it had a winning formula from the beginning - a good script, creative Direction, productive rehearsals, an excellent music director, a talented cast, and dedicated, committed teamwork.

All up, 9 months work for me 4 months of solid rehearsals for the cast ....and it was worth every moment.   This troupe - The Novocastrian Players - are truly unique in the world of theatre.   They're a tight-knit group that supports each other, they work hard, they honour their commitments and their audience/s,  and oh my oh my do they know how to play and party!!  Mostly tho', they are all simply passionate about amateur theatre.
Every show is different - it has it's own characteristics...it's own dynamic.  I can't imagine ever doing another show that would have the same buzz that this one has had. It's been such an enjoyable - albeit challenging - project. Can't wait for the next one with this troupe!   Here's some pics you might enjoy.