making my first niece 1 of 103

You see, she just had her 39th birthday last Tuesday.

Today, I bestowed upon her two of my favorite kickstarter rewards.

Both are musicals... and she and I love those!

We 'inherited' the love of that genre from my Mother, her Grammy.

Gifting these two musicals to Christina Ann can actually be considered a gift not only from me, but also from Mama, as well as my stepdad.

That's because they were the source of the 'free money' that allowed me to become Fliss of Kickstarter, after all.

(smile!)

So, just what does that title mean?

That refers to me being 1 of 103 backers who donated $150 to Stuart Murdoch's quest to turn his album concept into a musical film, way back in 2012.

For my belief in, and support of, his dream, I have received a digital postcard that was so gorgeous that I printed it out and framed it;  my name listed on their website with all who supported the project; a lovely t-shirt and two beautiful pins; a preview of the movie at a small cinema, in the company of my blue-sky cousin Penny and my physicist bfe; and, after the festival run was through and she had won awards and viewers' hearts, my very own copy of the movie on dvd.

Now, as of two hours ago, the dvd belongs to my dearly loved first niece.

Forever.

What's the movie all about?

The girl on the left is Eve, a talented young woman who lands in trouble when she moves to a new place and stops eating, among other things.

At a concert on a day away from the institute she meets James, a musician as well.

Then she is introduced to Cassie, a quirky and joyful person taking music lessons from James.

Next thing you know, the trio has formed a band, and all is working out well, until Eve takes a fancy to a a fellow to stuck on himself to treat her right.

That leads to a backslide on her part, but James and Cassie are right by her side, supporting her musical talents and goals.

When the summer ends, Eve is going off to study music at an academy, James is following his own path, and Cassie... is her same delightful self.

It's such a good film, and I do so love the pop tunes throughout, and I am sure my niece will, too!

(smile!)

So, what was the other musical?

Well, as well as being a long-time favorite of mine - like, for a dozen years now - it's a short, clocking in at just under 20 minutes.

Honestly, I think that may be one of the things my niece loves most about it.

She's never owned a short film before!

And she'll be 1 of 7  to possess an autographed copy of this one.

That's right, Adam Hall signed it!!!

That makes this video even more special, as if "Sudden Death!" wasn't already priceless to me.

Now, Christina will get to watch the singing and dancing, the formation of the 'death blossom' (shown in the photo and caused when the folks afflicted by the 'musical theatre disease' suddenly collapse and die), and the unfolding romance between two of the scientists... and she'll get to do so over and over and over!

It's a short!

Every time she needs a break, she can pop it in and watch!

I sure hope she'll invite me over for one of those viewings!

(smile!)

pardon my swoon - GHT Girl has arrived!!!

Is it Christmas? My birthday? Some other special occasion?
You betcha!!!
It's "G H T G Day" at my house!
i thank You, God!

No more
traveling to other towns
for the movie!

No more
paper copy
of the "Cast & Crew" pin!

She arrived early, too! I was not expecting her until this summer, honestly. Stuart had sent a message about the distribution date being April 14th, so I figured that meant just a few months longer. I was still hoping for her to arrive before my birthday at the end of May, but if a tad later, that would be fine.
How lovely it is to be wrong!

GH the girl travels to Tallahassee

At long last! "God Help The Girl" is in the United States and will holiday this very weekend in Tallahassee, Florida!
Of course I will be there.
I'll even be sporting that snazzy badge I made. Cool, right?
Oh, come on, I won't be getting my real enameled "CREW" pin until the DVD has been made and released. That's when I, and one hundred two other collaborators at this reward level - will receive our special packages with the DVD, the T-shirt, the enamel pin badge, and "the exclusively designed poster from the film". The actual date is rather up in the air, as it is dependent upon the date of the DVD's release in my area of the world.
So, until then, I shall make do.
That is, I shall make my own badge, based on the photo of the enamel pin badge created for the musical.
I am traveling with my bfe (that's best friend extraordinaire) and will be staying with my blue-sky cousin and her family. It is my ardent hope that we shall all go to the Saturday screening at the All Saints Cinema. With good fortune on my side, I hope we can view it one more time, early Sunday afternoon, at that same location, before the bfe and I head back to Savannah.
The Tallahassee Film Society is hosting the screenings. I have no idea how they came to do so. Perhaps the proximity of Florida State University, with its College of Motion Picture Arts held some sway over the booking? Perhaps Stuart Murdoch's collaborator Barry Mendel has ties to the area?
I honestly do not know.
I'm just elated that the musical will soon be close enough to set my toes tappin', while also allowing me time to visit with family I see too seldom.
I'm going to enjoy seeing my name in the credits, too.
I hope to get a screen shot of that.
If naught else, it will be quite wonderful to have my cousin, her family, my Aunt Linda, and my bfe sitting right there with me on a fine Saturday evening in the South, witnessing the work done with some of Mama's money.
I know she will be there, too.

the dreamer and the devil quickens

I have, at long last, indulged in this tale of two men, both in Chicago in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition.
It had actually arrived at the tail end of November last year - a time of year extraordinarily busy for those of us who grade papers and write tests and coax students for that one last push before semester's end. Then the holidays arrived and piles of received mail and graded papers and unopened magazines all found their way into a different room... and were promptly forgotten until just recently.
Seriously. That is my excuse for not diving into this kickstarter-born fruit prior to now. I have had the disk by the computer, patiently waiting to regale me with the tale woven by Jenny Seidelman and Jonathan Wagner.
The wait ended today!
While I listened to the soaring music, the emotional lyrics, the fabulous vocabulary, I was struck by one thought: I know a theaterical troupe here, right here in my Hostess City of the South, who could bring to life this chiaroscuro musical set in the history of Chicago. Oh, if only they could!!
In my town of ghosts, this cast of characters could truly be released from the page and live once more! The beleaguered, but charming, architect, whose creative partner dies, leaving him the monumental task of creating the White City to celebrate Christopher Columbus' voyage to this country. The psychopathic, but charming, doctor, hellbent on creating his own monstrous monument of gas chambers and murderous chutes, which would pose as a hotel for those coming to the Fair. Add a desperate man who helps the mayor get elected, dreaming a job in his own future, instead becoming a devil and killing the very man he put in office.
Oh, my, yes! Can't you just see it? Can't you hear it?

sweet dreams, rip van winkle

This is how the conversation went on fb,
Monday, 24 Feb 2014:

me: Wow! Thanks, Bryan!
What a treat to find it here,
sleeping soundly in my mailbox,
cuddled in the latest issue of "Time"!
Coincidence??? :D

Only later did I find that he had
actually placed the dvd in the mailbox
two days earlier (Saturday evening),
but I had misread his fb nessage
to me at that time.
What dvd, you ask?

Well, the kickstarter reward I wrote of last summer, of course! Savannah Stage Company has been quite busy, with new productions, improv, and fundraising since their project launched in 2012.
I've attended several events they've hosted, but those were improv shows and a fabulously fun fundraiser. Sadly, though, my schedule had not yet allowed me the distinct pleasure of seeing them enact a cohesive performance.
That has now been rectified, as I have watched the troupe perform "Rip Van Winkle: A New Musical", on my own schedule, and will doubtless watch it again and again. You see, it is not quite the same old anti-sloth story we know from reading the works of Washington Irving in our grade-school days.
Oh, no.
For starters, it's been reinvented as a musical. The multi-talented men - and women - of Savannah Stage Company use the musical lyrics to move your toes, as well as the story, along a merry path from the village, up the mountain, and back down again. With only four players, and minimal costume changes, they bring to life more than double that number of distinctive characters.
There are no bowling dwarfs in this version, either. Instead, enter the trickster Diedrich Knickerbocker, the one who will make all of your dreams - whether good or bad - come true. We see the villagers recoil from the mere utterance of his name, as if he is the devil incarnate.
Well, not so to Rip van Winkle, nor to his son, who is growing up listening to his dad weave tales instead of tapestries. In fact, we see that Rip doesn't do much in the way of work, and what little he does is done so poorly that it would have been better left undone. That's just the way he likes it, too. If he had his druthers, he would tell tales in the village square all day, every day.
Washington Irving was quite a tale-teller, too. As a matter of record, he even used several pseudonyms, allowing him to write in different styles, different voices. This musical pays homage to two personae of the prolific writer. Take the trickster, Diedrich Knickerbocker - he was "a Dutch historian", famous for having written "A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty". The "historian" was also credited with the narration of the story of Rip van Winkle as one of 34 pieces collected in "The Sketchbook", by Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Neither Knickerbocker nor Crayon were any more real than van Winkle was - all products of a fertile imagination.
Pretty clever of Irving!
And very clever of the Savannah Stage Company! Thanks for making sure I did my literature research and homework!
Kindly take note, any teachers of the English language.

ght girl gets engaged after whirlwind romance

Wow... it's enough to make my head spin!
When I first backed "God Help The Girl" in 2012, I had high hopes for this musical to one day grace the silver screen.
Yes, indeed.
Now, she is doing just that on the festival circuit. And, after a marvelous reception at her very first outing, she is waltzing away a grand prize winner.
And I'm not just talking about the award created just for her.
"A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for the Delightful Ensemble Performance, and How the Director Brought His Own Unique Universe into Cinema"
Impressive, isn't it?
That Sundance award certainly attracted the attention of an ardent suitor, one well familiar with the works of Stuart Murdoch and his band, Belle & Sebastian. This suitor has wasted no time in idle chatter: he has put his money - and that of his partners - where his mouth is. Yes, he is taking her to see the world!!!
Wow... seriously, I feel a swoon coming on...
Here's the update.

Update #43
Feb 6 2014
US Distribution with Amplify!

Hello there,

We are just getting into the swing of Berlin ahead of the Generation opening screening tomorrow evening. We have some excellent news for you all tonight though. Off the back of our screenings at Sundance we've secured US Distribution with a great company: Amplify. This is such a brilliant opportunity for the film and means we can now confidently say you Americans will get to see the movie 'this fall' (if not before at SXSW or the Kickstarter screenings - dates for these tbc soon). News for release in other territories to follow - hopefully more deals will come out of Berlin...

You can read about the Amplify deal in this Hollywood Reporter article.

Or if you're really interested - read on for the full press release (you guys get a mention!).

Once again, thanks for believing in the movie before anyone else did. Feels like we've come a long way together.

xxx GHTG HQ

AMPLIFY PICKS UP GOD HELP THE GIRL FOR THE U.S. Fresh from Sundance, pop musical from Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch to hit theaters this autumn New York, NY February 5, 2014 – Amplify, the new all-rights distribution company formed in a merger between Variance Films and GoDigital, has acquired U.S. rights to Stuart Murdoch’s musical, God Help The Girl. Amplify will release the film in theaters across the US and digitally early this fall, with a home video release to follow. Written, directed, and featuring all original songs by Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch, and produced by Barry Mendel (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums), God Help The Girl stars Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, and Hannah Murray as three friends joined together by music and its possibilities over a summer in Glasgow. Premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it received a “World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for the Delightful Ensemble Performance, and How the Director Brought His Own Unique Universe into Cinema,” the film has received several additional (and shorter) accolades in numerous “best of the fest” round-ups, including Rolling Stone, Esquire, The Dissolve, Paste, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times. The film will open the Generations section of the 64th Berlinale this weekend and will continue its festival run at the South by Southwest Film Festival this March. “As someone who honestly believes that a single great pop song can save the world, imagine my delight that a perfectly-crafted musical filled with them will be one of our first releases,” said Amplify’s Dylan Marchetti. “Stuart and his team have crafted something truly magical here, and it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been hoarding Belle & Sebastian EPs since 1998 (I have) or not: if you like music, musicals, or films, God Help The Girl is going to make you very happy- it’s as simple as that.” “INSERT QUOTE,” said writer/director Murdoch. “INSERT QUOTE.” Added producer Barry Mendel, “we asked around about the people at Amplify and got all thumbs up, including from one of my heroes, Spike Lee. We’re honored to be one of the first films out from them, it feels somehow momentous.” God Help The Girl was co-produced by Carole Singer of Singer Films, executive produced by Chris Curling and Phil Robertson of Zephyr Films, and backed by Creative Scotland and 1,334 incredibly lovely Kickstarter backers (godhelpthegirl.com/mentions). The deal was orchestrated by Thorsten Schumacher of HanWay Films on behalf of the filmmakers and Marchetti, Kent Sanderson, and Logan Mulvey on behalf of Amplify. OFFICIAL SITE: godhelpthegirl.com ABOUT AMPLIFY Amplify is a bi-coastal all-rights distribution company that aims to bring the best in global independent film to theaters and beyond. Formed in 2014 from a merger of innovative theatrical distributor Variance Films (Sound City, Red Hook Summer, Go For Sisters) and leading digital distributor GoDigital, Amplify uses cutting edge marketing and distribution techniques with a focus on working directly with filmmakers to craft hand-tailored release campaigns for each film. Led by an executive team comprised of GoDigital’s Logan Mulvey, Variance Films’ Dylan Marchetti, and former Focus Features executive Kent Sanderson, Amplify is financed by Preferred Ventures, the digital media VC fund launched by FreeCreditReport.com founder and former Experian Interactive CEO Ed Ojdana with former Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly. Internet entrepreneur Charles Chase sits on the Amplify board alongside Ojdana and Kelly, with Ojdana serving as its Chairman.

How about that shout-out for those of us in it at the begining? Nice, right?
I've added the bold to make the shout out really POP!
I believe Mr. Murdoch would whole-heartedly agree with my doing so.
I sure have enjoyed being one of his collaborators!
Thank YOU, sir, for granting me the opportunity.

trek: a spoof musical beamed into a galaxy far, far away

As far as I know, my headline could be the truth!
Last month, I contacted the creators of the kickstarter project, Accio Actors, to inquire about the reward delivery schedule.
You see, it's been just over two years since I gave financial backing to the production of their musical. I was to receive the soundtrack, the playbook, and a prop from "Trek: A Spoof Musical".
Sadly, none of the items promised had yet materialized.
Today, I received this message from the group.

"12:09 AM, 27 Jan 2014
Accio Actors commented on a link you shared on facebook.
Accio Actors wrote: "Unfortunately due to disagreements with the writers of the show, it has been taken down and is now out of Accio's hands and in the hands of the writer of the musical. We tried our hardest last year but it never was able to resolve. Our apologies and thank you so much for your past support." "

How very sad that Lauren Field and Gaetano Rodriguez have opted to not fulfill their obligations toward their financial supporters. Shame on them. Actions such as theirs cast dispersions upon honest creators of crowd-sourced projects, making it more difficult for those creations to become realities.
Again I say: Shame on you, Lauren Field and Gaetano Rodriguez.

So, I boldly went in search of whatever did still exist.
Here's what I found!


This is all of the information which would have appeared on the program.
"TREK: An Intergalactic Spoof Musical

An Accio Actors Production

Story by Lauren Field and Gaetano Rodriguez
Script by Lauren Field
Music and Lyrics by Gaetano Rodriguez

Director: Lauren Field
Music Director: Gaetano Rodriguez
Producer: Katie Wilcox
Stage Manager: Emily MacAgy
Choreography: Lindsay Ingram & Anastasia Cobb


Cast:

Kirk: Jeremy Moranski
Scotty: Joe Southall
Bones: Devon Motte
Mr. Spock: Jacob Zdan
Janice: Alicia Carrillo
Uhura: Nina Brooks
Sulu: Justin Gonzalez
Chekov: Rachel Andelman
Andorian General: Tobi Easterman
Red Shirt Bob: Alex Windisch
Red Shirt Ashley: Anastasia Cobb
Flamboyant Red Shirt: Zachary Wilson
Stephanie Butts: Stephanie Pavluk
Richard Richardson: Bernie Marger
Villian/ Chorus: Geoffrey Richardson
Andorian/ Chorus: Chris Kinney
Andorian/ Chorus: Sasa Ilic
Cheerleader/ Chorus: Lindsay Ingram
Cheerleader/ Chorus: Samantha Kendall
Starfleet Officer/ Chorus: Abby Carlen
Alien/ Chorus: Katie Wilcox
Mortimer: Ian Muentener
Eugene: Jonathan Foster

Band:

Guitars: Gaetano Rodriguez
Piano: Nick Hughes
Drums: Mitchell Clark
Bass: Charlie Foti
Violin: Kathryn Hope

Crew:
Emily MacAgy
Janine Field
Todd Kozlowski
Michael Brown
Jeremy Rineheart"

I even located a bunch of stills from the show! My many thanks to Pedro Carillo Photography for graciously sharing these photos of the actors! Here they are!
If I can ever locate the lyrics of the songs, that will be posted here, too.
Meanwhile, I shall continue to hope the writers will one day live up to their promises.
As for the rest of the cast: Live long and prosper, y'all!

ght girl charms with sundance

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at the Egyptian! I do so enjoy the Question & Answer sessions at film festivals here in Savannah - the one in Park City must have been fabulous!
I'm sure the cast of "God Help The Girl" was brilliant as they responded to the viewers in the Sundance Film Festival audience. What an incredible venue for their debut!
Here, Stuart shares the news of the world's response to our darling GTH Girl.

Update #42
Jan 20 2014
Sundance

Hello Supporters!

We've been having a great time at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, where, after what seems like a very long wait, 'God Help The Girl' finally had its Premiere at the Egyptian Theatre on Saturday night. Emily, Olly, Hannah and Pierre were in town for the screening and the reception so far has been really good. We have one more screening to go tomorrow then our sights turn to the Berlinale where we open the Generation section on 7th February, our European Premiere! We really couldn't have hoped for two more perfect festivals to launch the film at and, at this point, really want to reiterate our appreciation for your support which was key in getting us this far and your patience waiting to see the movie you believed in enough to throw your money at!

If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter then we've been posting some initial press and social media responses so far. We won't bombard you but here are some links if you are interested:

Pre Sundance 'Le Monde' wrote a (hopefully) nice article we can't quite understand! The journalist spent some time with Stuart and Barry after our final test screening, and we're told he must have enjoyed it!

A nice piece in the LA Times after the premiere.

And the Guardian wrote about the film too. Only 3 stars but we did make him CRY!!!

Tonight Belle and Sebastian are playing an exclusive gig in Park City which should be lots of fun. Olly is opening for them playing some songs from his band Years and Years. We'll post some video and pictures from that tomorrow.

Kickstarter and Crowd Funded films are really visible at Sundance this year, it's very interesting to see how much that has had an effect on Independent Filmmaking.

Here are some pictures from Sundance...

The beautiful Egyptian Theatre where the film played on Saturday:

Here's the cast before the premiere, it's very casual here, which is nice, because it's also freezing cold!:

And one from the Q&A:
(shown above)

Thanks all, we will be in touch soon!

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall...

god help the girl in her sundance

The last update from Stuart Murdoch to his kickstarter collaborators was on October 18 of this year. I had referenced that update in one of the comments of my earlier post about "God Help The Girl".
As of October, the filming was completed, the musical had been scored, the film had been edited. Our GTH Girl was ready to sing and strut!
Whew!
At last, she was ready to fill her dance card on the festival circuit.
Who would be the first to twirl her in front of the world???
No less than Sundance... wow!
I am so excited for her!!!
Here's the update!

Update #41
Dec 4 2013
World Premiere at Sundance!

Hello Backers!

We are delighted to announce that 'God Help The Girl' will have its World Premiere at The Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. It's a perfect start to what will be a packed year of festival screenings, previews and a commercial release.

We know you have all been waiting a LONG time to see this film you so generously supported and are excited that will be a reality in 2014.

In other news - we have t-shirts and posters at the printers, guitars in the post and lots of other rewards in progress. It's all happening, SLOWLY but SURELY.

Once again, many thanks for your support which has taken us to this very exciting place that I'm not sure we ever imagined possible. Premiering at one of our favourite international film festivals.

We'll be in touch soon with more details for the festival and some reward updates.

Once again, so many thanks for your support from the very beginning.

GHTG HQ

How very exciting!
Her debut will be at Mr. Robert Redford's esteemed event!

Rip Van Winkle sleeps no more!

When I first backed this musical by the Savannah Stage Company, I didn't know how well it would succeed. Please do not misunstand me: I had hoped it would. But their dream was so lofty, and so different, and I honestly did not know how well the school system would accept it.
But "Rip Van Winkle: A New Musical" has done quite well!

In an update posted on October 30th of last year, we backers were told:
On November 5th, Savannah Stage Company opens Rip Van Winkle: A New Musical at the Moses Jackson Center in Savannah. Our first performance will be for a group of senior citizens from West Savannah that the Moses Jackson serves, as a 'thank you' to them for providing us a home to rehearse in. They have been extremely welcoming to us and very accommodating.
Later this month we'll perform the show 2 more times for elementary school aged children and, since we've decided to extend this tour until the end of the school year, we're continuing to book shows for next year. If you haven't been keeping up with our progress on Facebook, we encourage you to take a look at some of our rehearsal photos and be on the lookout for production photos once we open.
This tour is coming to life daily and we're doing our best to share our progress with you. Without you guys this thing would never have been possible and we're reminded everyday of how lucky we are. Thank you for your continued support. Be on the lookout for our website launching mid-November. Have a Happy Halloween!

Since then, there have been shows at an art gallery and at several libraries! I have not yet managed to catch any of these shows, but you can see my name here, on the troupe's website.
I'll keep my eye out for the postman to bring my video soon!

a better summer

For a project which is now a decade old, it sure has turned into a beautiful baby. "God Help The Girl", the brainchild of Stuart Murdoch, begins filming in Glasgow today.
Today.
Actually, as I write this I realize they are probably wrapping up the first day's shoot. Twenty-four more days on the set!
Originally, the songwriter simply wanted to write songs for girl singers to sing. Belle & Sebastian, the band he is in, is not a girl band. It has a girl in it, yes, but is not predominantly girls and Stuart is the lead. So, in 2004, he developed this concept of songs to be sung by girls, songs about girls and young women. Then, he auditioned and finally found the ones to sing on this album he was constructing, of girls singing about girls. Finally, in 2009, God Help The Girl was completed and released.
A couple of the songs made it onto other albums by the band. Here's a video of Stuart singing "Funny Little Frog", a tune found on GHTG as well as The Life Pursuit.
Even with the completion of the album, he wasn't done dreaming about it and the songs. Now, that dream was to turn the music into a film. So he started talking to the kind of people you talk to when you're trying to make a film. No one would buy into his dream.
No one.
At least, not until Barry Mendel stepped in. He would produce the film, but financial backing was needed, more than he could give.
So they tried to obtain funding from the usual sources and no one would agree to underwrite the costs of turning the dream into reality.
No one.
Not until they found www.kickstarter.com. That's where I found out about this grand dream and bought my way into it. I know Mama would definitely see the merit of this use of her money.
Now, I'm one of the collaborators on this project.
Because I "get it", as Stuart said.
I've even received two of my rewards already! I'm listed as one of the 1,334 Supporters on the website for the film. And I received a digital postcard of thanks! (I even printed it and framed it!)
I am so very grateful to have found this beautiful, hopeful project!
Break a leg, y'all!

the dreamer and the devil meet on stage

Photo 1: "We're Gonna Show 'Em"; full cast; the citizens of Chicago are eager to have their city be chosen as the site of the new World's Fair.
(Please note: photo by Rich Seidelman)

I was not one of the fortunate few who were physically present at this reading of the new musical, "The Dreamer And The Devil" - but I was certainly there in spirit! Here's the report from the website of Jenny Seidelman:
May 23, 2012
Reading of The Dreamer and the Devil a Success

An enthusiastic audience of supporters and theater-industry professionals attended a reading of the new, full-length musical The Dreamer and the Devil on May 21, 2012 at Stage 773 in Chicago. The show features book and additional lyrics by Jenny Seidelman and music, lyrics and additional book by Jonathan Wagner. Richard Shavzin served as director and Claire Shavzin was stage manager/assistant director.

The cast featured an outstanding array of talent including: Larry Adams (Daniel Burnham); Michael Mahler (H.H. Holmes); George Keating (John Root); Doug Pawlik (Sol Bloom); Kevin Gudahl (Carter Harrison); Marc Pera (Patrick Prendergast); Charissa Armon (Julia Conner); Karl Hamilton (Detective Geyer); Erin Myover-Piotrowski (Annie Howard); Andrew Roy Ritter (Ned Conner); Dave Nadolski (Ben Pietzel); Sharriese Hamilton (ensemble); Mandy Modic (ensemble); Jeny Wasilewski (ensemble); Chris Gorton (ensemble); Dave Carmona (ensemble); Ed Rutherford (ensemble).

The reading of The Dreamer and the Devil was supported through a major fundraising campaign on Kickstarter, which also helped to pay for a forthcoming cast recording.

The Dreamer and the Devil's artistic team are currently determining the next steps for the show.

Wow!!!
And here's the news from that artistic team:
Update #6
May 23 2012
"The Dreamer and the Devil" Reading is a Smashing Success!

We’re so excited to tell you that we finally had the official reading of The Dreamer and the Devil this past Monday and it was quite a success!

Approximately 100 supporters and theater industry professionals joined us at Stage 773 (1225 W. Belmont Ave.) in Chicago for this amazing event. The audience response was incredibly positive and we’re very excited for what the future holds for The Dreamer and the Devil.

Thanks to the support of our Kickstarter donors, we were able to have the show professionally recorded so that we can send c.d.s. to investors/producers/artistic directors in the Chicago area who were unable to attend the reading. (Donors of $25 and above will also receive a c.d. in a month or two.)

We were also able to hire a top-notch stage manager/assistant director, Claire Shavzin, and a truly outstanding cast of both Equity and non-Equity professionals, including: Larry Adams (Daniel Burnham); Michael Mahler (H.H. Holmes); George Keating (John Root); Doug Pawlik (Sol Bloom); Kevin Gudahl (Carter Harrison); Marc Pera (Patrick Prendergast); Charissa Armon (Julia Conner); Karl Hamilton (Detective Geyer); Erin Myover-Piotrowski (Annie Howard); Andrew Roy Ritter (Ned Conner); Dave Nadolski (Ben Pietzel); Sharriese Hamilton (Miss Halifax); Mandy Modic (Myrta Holmes); Jeny Wasilewski (Minnie Williams); Chris Gorton (O'Hara); Dave Carmona (Lyman Gage); Ed Rutherford (Angry Republican).

And, of course, the Kickstarter campaign helped us pay for the all-important copies of scripts and music, programs for the event, water and coffee for the cast, and rental of Stage 773 for rehearsals and the performance.

Now that the big event is over, we are taking a much-needed “breather” for a week or two – but we look forward to reconvening to discuss audience feedback, responses from potential producers/investors, and figuring out the next steps to take in pursuit of a full production.

As a generous Kickstarter donor, we will keep you apprised of major developments with the show – future readings, productions, etc.

Thank you again for your truly generous support. We couldn’t have done it without you!

~ Jenny Seidelman, Jonathan Wagner and Richard Shavzin ~

Wowzie wow WOW!!! I am so excited about this - just in time for my birthday, too.
Thanks, y'all!

spotlight players are flappers!

Ah! Again, my only lament is my living too far away to see this show!
Just two scant months ago, the third - and charmed - kickstarter plea went out for funding. I responded, as did eighteen others, almost tripling the funding goal! Bravo for the Spotlight "Still Got It" Players of Michigan and for Debbie Lannen!
Even though I won't be able to see the show itself, I have been treated to two previews. In the first, back in the first week of April, we see a featured player touting the joys of being a flapper. Then, in the second video, we have an ensemble singing about dancing the Charleston!
Tonight is opening night for the musical, Flapper!, and I have one thing to say: Break a leg, y'all!
But not really, okay?
(Smile!)

true flappers never give up!

The third time is the charm, right?
Debbie Lannen doesn't give up. Her theatrical troupe, composed of seniors, want to put on the musical "Flappers!" - and by golly, she is going to keep at these kickstarter campaigns until it happens!
Good for her!
And good for the Spotlight "Still Got It" Players! Sporting actors aged fifty to eighty years old, this musical, in particular, seems especially appropriate. I don't know if they'll still be able to have a Red Garter band for the music, but I'm sure it will be a fabulous show. I just wish it were closer to me.
Hey! Maybe it will be so successful that they will take the show on the road!
A girl can dream...
So, in response to Ms. Lannen and her plea, and in memory of Mother Pat Landers, I am again casting my support into this venture.
This time, I'm pledging on the very first day, too.
Here's hoping my fifty-three buckaroos, one for each year I've been on this dear blue-green orb, will help make this dream reality. A musical full of life - what a birthday gift that will be for me!

Baby One More Time!

Shaking Spears!!! Erika's goodies from her first-ever musical (first-ever play, too, I think) have landed on my doorstep, safe and sound.
Apparently, the musical was a great success in Hapesville, even winning over those inclined to disagree with its mash-up of Spears and 'Speare. It debuted on February 10, 2012, to raucous applause. Here's a review from a convert to its theme, posted on 29 Feburary. In it, the reviewer mentions having seen it twice - lucky duck!
I'm with Britney when I say "baby one more time"! Perhaps here in Savannah! I'm sure one of the theatrical groups here could bring it to life for us.
But I do have in hand my unique T-Shirt, which perhaps pays homage to yet another of the Bard's tragedies, "Antony and Cleopatra". I don't know why this play was selected, as it was not one of the four in the original project. But I do like the rich, dark purple - yum!
The Thank-you card from the writer is lemony orange, as you can see, and is autographed by three of the cast members (Lorrisa "Juliet" Julianus, Jackie "Ophelia" Lehnertz, and some indecipherable, manly, scrawl that may be David Lichty or Adam Krause or Craig Engel). Here's what the card says:
Dear Faustina,
Thank you so much for your pledge to Shaking Spears. With your help, we are sure to have the best Britney/Bard mashup to grace this particular stage on this particular weekend. (It's our first production. We aim low.)
Flip this card over for some love from the cast.
Erika Grotto
writer, director
The card was evidently written prior to the play's debut, but that's fine. I know she was a busy woman in February!
Now, to wait for all of them to hit it big so i can cash in on their autographs. I aim high!
(Smile!)

spider baby singing in my email

Well, I haven't received the poster yet, but I'm sure it'll be in the mail soon. After all, I was just contacted via email by one of the cast members! Sadly, not a big hunk of man, but a chick, man.
(Smile.)
So, here's the email:
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 11:03:31 PM
Subject: Thank you for your donation to Spider Baby the Musical

Hello, fliss,

Thank you for your Kickstarter donation to Spider Baby the Musical. Your donation reward includes the following:
Shout out on Epiphany Theatre's Facebook Page
1 Signed Poster Signed by Spider Baby Cast
A personal email thank you from a cast member
A cast hug at the show
Spider Baby the Musical is opening this week. Performances are located at Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont, Portland, OR on March 15 - March 24. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8pm.
If you are able to attend, please let us know what night you will be attendng and we will have your signed poster ready for you to pick up at the show. If you are unable to attend please let us know what address you would like us to mail the poster to you.

A shout out on the Epiphany Theatre Facebook page and a personal email thank you from a cast member will be sent out within the week. Please let us know your full name and correct spelling as you would like it to appear for the shout out on Facebook.

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks again & have a pleasant day!
Nicole "Cindy" Crawford
Epiphany Theatre Company

So, there's still a chance that an email hug will arrive in just a few days, with that alluring scent of man all over it. And maybe even a uniquely nerdy tone to it.
Meanwhile, break a leg, y'all, on this very first play you've done!!!

the dreamer and the devil: a new musical

Chicago! There's a place I really enjoyed! Of, course, it was summer then, summer of 1977. I was stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois, attending a "C" school in electronics. That place was a great, hairy armpit, surrounded by fast food joints, pawn shops, and jewelry stores - you know, as usual for military stations.
Even at the tender age of 19 I knew I needed culture and variety in my life, not the static status on the edge of Lake Michigan. Fortunately, the train went south to Chicago frequently and nearly every Saturday, I was on it. The Playboy Club, the sidewalk arts festivals, Buckingham Fountain, the statues and parks and trees - ah, almost like being home in Savannah!
Jenny Seidelman and Jonathan Wagner ask us to step back in time to the Chicago of 1893 in this musical kickstarter project, "The Dreamer and The Devil". That's right, I said it: musical. This makes the seventh musical I've backed! That should bode well for it! And it's the third musical I've chosen today!
So, let's just take a little look at these three of today, shall we?
None of them are local. Not a single one. So I am certainly not backing these musicals because I think I'll get to see them during their performances. I have no current travel plans to Michigan, Oregon, or Illinois.
None of them are promising videos of the productions, either. You know how much I enjoy film - but nary a one of these is going to deliver those. For the first two I backed, I suspect a lack of film rights is the reason the troupes aren't offering those as rewards. Those rights can be very expensive, so I completely understand. For this project, an original musical, the completion of the play and staging of a reading, rather than a live performance, is the goal. (One step at a time!)
The project featuring the aging stage actors is set to end today and needs quite a few more dollars. The "Spider Baby" bunch is already set for funding, so my little bit, as I said, is just to brag on to a friend. Both are definitely for fun purposes!
This project, though, has a very different feel to it. It's a piece of history, featuring an architect (Daniel Burnham) with high hopes, a serial killer (H.H. Holmes) with aspirations of his own, and a 400-year anniversary of Columbus' discovery of North America, as marked by the 1893 World's Fair: Columbian Exposition. "The Dreamer and The Devil" appears to have the makings of an incredible theatrical masterpiece, doesn't it? And it'll be educational, too, and probably useful for history, art, and criminal justice classes. Yes, even though it's a musical.
I'm not much on history, science nerd that I am. But I'm very much willing to add money to the pot if it means I'll have a cd of a brand-new musical to listen to on long drives. Especially as I know that to be a sure bet, as the funding goal was reached a week ago. My little bit, as well as those that follow, will just provide a little more cushion for these dreamers...

spider baby, the musical

Two things you should know about my reason for backing this kickstarter project. First, of course, is this: it's a musical. Actually, that one point would most likely have been enough, but there's something about the title, too. You see, I've actually seen the movie, "Spider Baby", billed as "The Maddest Story Ever Told." I even possess the soundtrack for it, all thanks to the Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah and Jim Reed's Wednesday night screenings at the Sentient Bean, a local coffeehouse.
Apparently, the Epiphany Theatre Co. in Oregon likes its stories off-center, too. Their goal is to bring "uniquely nerdy theatre experiences" to those who enter their spaces. This show promises to be a doozy!
"Spider Baby, the Musical" is based on the work of Jack Hill (the man who brought us the film in 1968) and Enrique Acostas, the musical madman, who published the score in 2010. Why musical madman? Click the link and you can have a free download of the songs - all of them.
So... if I can get the music for free and have no shot of going to see the play performed, why am I pushing money in their direction? And, if they have not only made goal, but surpassed it, then why add my funds to their haul?
Simple: I'll get bragging rights to tell Jim I was part of this because of him. As much as the man gives pleasure to so many so often, I know he will be pleased that he had an impact here, too.
Also, I'l get an email hug from one of the cast members.
That's got to be worth a few bucks, right?
You bet!

aging flappers need diamonds and pearls!

Debbie Lannen and the Spotlight "Still Got It" Players want to put on a musical!!!
Sure, sure, the troupe is in Canton, Michigan, so the likelihood of me actually seeing the show is pretty much nil.
However, in memory of my dear mother-in-law, Pat Landers, I am supporting this kickstarter venture. If she were still alive, I just know she would be part of this production, too. And she would definitely be there in the audience of "Flapper!"!
I'm joining this party late - the funding goal deadline is today - but I'm hoping for the best. This is the second run at funding this show. I've kicked in $69 to help make their show happen.
Fingers crossed!

god help the girl - the musical film

Wow. As Christopher Walken might say, "Wowsie Wow Wow!"
A musical, that they want to film, in England! I just may have to make some travel plans, y'all, so I can see it live on the stage first, then watch it over and over back home.
You know it!
So, I put some serious money toward this project. Serious money. Then again, when you're making something on such a grand scale, as this will be, serious money is needed. Like, one hundred thousand US dollars.
When all is said and done, I'll be the outrageously proud owner of not only the special kickstarter edition of the film on dvd, and the T-shirt, and the movie poster, and have my name in the credits, but I'll also have this sweet enamel pin to wear about.
Oh, yes, and a postcard from the writer of the musical, Stuart Murdoch. Perhaps you've heard of him? I had not, but he's a musician with the band Belle & Sebastian. No, I hadn't heard of them, either, perhaps because they were across the Atlantic Ocean and not rock and roll.
That said, they're both on my radar now. They should have been before. Apparently, B&S have contributed to the soundtracks of several movies I enjoy, like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", "Juno", "The Devil Wears Prada". Small world, right?
Speaking of such things, guess who will be producing "God help The Girl"? Barry Mendel! Him, I have heard of, mostly because of his association with some very good movies I've enjoyed. Here are a few: "Rushmore", "The Sixth Sense", "Unbreakable". Those were three of his first efforts. For him to be involved, this is going to be big.
I am so proud to be part of this.
It's only about halfway through its funding efforts right now, with almost a month remaining. Then this summer adventure of a boy and a girl and a girl, in the youth of their lives, can start living on its own power.
Wowsie Wow Wow!