Junie B. Jones and the Tacoma Childrens Musical Theater

In 2006 The Tacoma Musical Playhouse launched the Tacoma Children's Musical Theater. I was very lucky to be in one of the first productions when it launched, "The Wind and the Willows" directed by Nancy Wilkinson. One of my fellow actors in that show, Chris Serface, is now the Director of Education for the TMP and directs June B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, the children's show currently running at the theater. Adapted from the book by Barbara Park with book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing the story follows Junie B's difficulty in accepting a new member to the family while at the same time deciding what to bring for show and tell.

She won't have anything to do with her new baby brother until she hears Grandma refer to him as the "cutest little monkey." Junie B. can't wait to bring the best show-and-tell to class: a real live monkey! With lessons of identity, change and the inevitable trials of childhood woven with a little mischief ("monkey business"), this show is not to be missed!

The Tacoma Children's Musical Theater was an opportunity to bring more fully produced musical shows to the South Sound, specifically aimed at young audiences and families. Junie B. Jones is not only a fun show full of great actors, (everyone does a great job, but the Show and Tell scene is not to be missed) ((Taylor Niemeyer who was "Dorothy" from TMP's The Wizard of OZ is a PERFECT Junie B) but it is a testament to the work done to bring children in to see musical theater. We had a sold out show last Sunday, a full house on Tuesday and had to add an additional performance on Thursday to accommodate all the elementary school classes that wanted to come see the show. This weekend is close to selling out and it is a shame to have to turn people away at the door, especially with a 300 plus seat theater.

What has also been fun is the atmosphere in the lobby after the show. Whereas in the mainstage shows it is a tradition for the actors to great folks after the performance in the lobby, in the kids shows it is a bit like a character greeting at Disneyland. The actors who play Junie B, Lucille, Grace, Meanie Jim and Crybaby Williams are all big draws, and get to sign autographs and take pictures.

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Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
Directed by Chris Serface

Junie B. Jones : Taylor Niemeyer
That Grace : LaNita Hudson
Lucille : Jessilyn Carver
Meanie Jim : Taylor Richmond
Crybaby William : Jon Huntsman
Mrs. : Kae Blum
Boss of the School : Charlie Long
Mother : Carol Richmond
Father : Andrew Fry
Grandma Miller : Susan C. Smith
Grampa Miller : Dan Engelhard


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Here is a bonus Rat and Toad picture from 2006

Show People do "Curtains" at the TMP

photos by Kat Dollarhide

I am excited to be heading into the second weekend of performances for Curtains, at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. The musical is set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts and follows the murder investigation of cast and crew when Jessica Crenshaw, the supremely untalented star of "Robbin' Hood of the Old West", dies during her opening night curtain call. Making things more interesting is the clever and competent detective in charge of the case, Lt Frank Cioffi, who is just as interested in seeing the musical succeed (while falling for a young starlet) as he is in solving the case.

This is an ensemble piece and the cast is full of great characters and talent. I have worked with almost every member of the cast before on other shows and am having a wonderful time working with them here. In "Curtains" there are two stories playing out at once, the show within the show, "Robbin Hood", which has been savaged by critics and in need of a work over, and the whodunnit of the murder. Highlights from "Robbin Hood" feature some great dance numbers including amazing young talent in numbers like "Thataway" and "Kansasland".

Anyone and everyone who was part of the curtain call of in the first scene of "Curtains" finale of "Robbin Hood" is a suspect, including the Producers of the show Carmen and Sidney Bernstein, the backer Oscar Shapiro (me), the esteemed director Christopher Belling, the once married song writing team of Aaron Fox and Georgia Hendricks, the stage manager Johnny Harmon or any of the cast members, including lead dancer and choreographer Bobby Pepper and starlets in waiting, Niki Harris and Bambi Bernet. To make matters worse, they have to contend with horrible opening night reviews, including one from the Darryl Grady of the Boston Globe, and an intrusive investigation led by Det. Frank Cioffi

Sooooo... quick lists
These are the actors playing the roles mentioned above. To give a sense of how theater people build friendships and connections I am listing (guaranteed incomplete) shows that I have done with them in the past.

Carmen Bernstein : Karen Christensen (vocal powerhouse)
Babes in Arms
The Phantom Tollbooth
A Musical Mystery Dinner


Sidney Bernstein : Darrel Shephard
This is my first time working with Darrel but I love what he is doing.

Oscar Shapiro : Andrew Fry
This guy is hot or cold depending, but I have done every show with him.

Christopher Belling : Jon Douglas Rake
Radio City Music Halls - A Christmas Carol
Jon is the artistic director of TMP so many shows directed by.

Aaron Fox : Gregory Conn
South Pacific
The Producers

Georgia Hendricks : Heather Malroy
Pinocchio (I was the Fox, she was the Cat) great song.

Johnny Harmon : Chris Serface
The Wind in the Willows (I was a Toad, he was a Rat)
My Fair Lady
The Phantom Tollbooth (he directed)
The Producers

Bobby Pepper : John Huddlestun
Urinetown
My One and Only

Niki Harris : Ashley Coates
The Producers
My One and Only

Bambi Bernét : Hailey Hays
The Producers

Daryl Grady : John Miller
South Pacific

LT Frank Cioffi : Mark Rake-Marona
The Boys From Syracuse
The Fabulous Fable Factory
Urinetown
My One and Only

And for good measure:

Randy Dexter : John Hunstman who sings "Kansasland"
Big River

So when we sing "Show People", pictured above, early in the first act, I am certain we all relate to the sentiment and to the experience working with each other throughout the song.

It is an honor and a joy.

One challenge I was concerned with at the first rehearsal was that many of the scenes take place on the stage as simply that, the stage. The set is the stage we are on and when you are used to rehearsing with set pieces it can throw you off the top. But it didn't take long to accept it as the stage in Boston in 1959 where the previews of Robbin Hood were being held.

When they rehearse the numbers from the show, the set pieces reflect those of the show within the show, and I have heard a number of comments from folks who have seen the show that they were impressed and entertained by them. But then, "who doesn't love red."

There is also a scene played behind makeshift curtains, which is a hoot to say the least. Here is a picture.



Prior to that, Jeffrey Stvrtecky, who along with being musical director and orchestra conductor, plays Sasha Iljinsky, a character in the show. The audience last Sunday loved him.

As for going to a show. You cannot beat a live orchestra, and once again the folks in the pit at the TMP do a engaging, wonderful job.

A "Glorious" Evening of Wonderfully Wretched Singing

Monte Python would announce it as "And now for something completely different" from the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. I knew it was a Northwest premiere and had an incredible run in London, and I also knew it was based on a true story, but in general I didn't know what to expect from "Glorious" by playwright Peter Quilter. Jon Douglas Rake, the managing artistic director at the TMP, had described the show to me not as a musical, but a play with music. However I did not know what that meant.

What it meant was that there wasn't the usual big song and dance numbers like you might find in most of the Main Stage shows at the theater. Oh, there was music that was sprinkled throughout, but with the exception of one Cole Porter tune, it was not the caliber you would expect from the talented musicians that you find on stage there. Especially from Sharry O'Hare, who has such a strong, beautiful voice and plays the shows lead, Florence Foster Jenkins. It was bad. I mean really bad. Wonderfully, rib ticklingly and finally hilariously bad. As I left the theater after having thoroughly enjoyed the performances, I mentioned to her with high praise "it is hard enough for a singer to sing bad, but you sing bad so well."

And that is the point. The show is about a woman whose family has cut her off in order to keep her from the thing that she most enjoys, singing and performing, due to her generous lack of talent. But when she inherits her families fortune, she spends the rest of her life doing what she loves; putting on shows, recording records and playing to sometimes raucous crowds.

She has admirers such as Cole Porter and Tallulah Bankhead and many different ladies auxiliaries. But why? Though it is left to you to decide, I believe it is because she truly loves music and wants to share that love of music. She is living her dream with gusto and critics be damned. It is fortuitous that she is so awful that her concerts actually provide perverse enjoyment to those who attend.

And to those in the real audience as well. Because there are few actors in the cast, only six, and the songs don't come every ten minutes, it builds like a play should, introducing you to the characters and letting you get to know them:

* The initially reluctant piano accompanist Cosme McMoon (a very funny Josh Anderson making his TMP debut) whose slow turn from horror to admiration is touching.

* The non-English speaking maid, Maria (Maria Valenzuela) whose expressions alone communicate all you need to know, but with the translations provided, makes for very entertaining reading.

* The British lady killer, unsuccessful actor, friend and confidant St. Clair Bayfield (Tom Birkeland).

* Her life long fan and friend Dorothy (Kat Dollarhide).

* Her not a fan at all, Mrs. Verrinder-Gedge (Jill Goodman).

I enjoy watching actors who I have worked with on stage. I was in "My Fair Lady" with Tom, "Kiss Me Kate" with Maria, and recently "The Phantom Tollbooth" with Jill. I have known Kat for many years and have admired Sharry in other productions.

It is a testament to the performers that by the end of the show I cared about the characters without giving thought to the actors portraying them.

If Florence Foster Jenkins were alive today I could easily imagine myself going to her show and truly enjoying the gaudy costumes, the pretension of fine art and the gusto with which that art was so innocently dismantled. Sharry O'Hare does it wonderfully badly so well.

The Phantom Tollbooth and the Mathemagician

Starting the weekend of January 10th and running for two weeks with shows on Saturday and Sunday, the Tacoma Children's Theater will be presenting Norton Juster's "The Phantom Tollbooth". There are also two weekday shows that have been arranged especially for school children.

Rehearsals have just started, and I will be playing the Mathemagician, ruler of Digitopolis. The book for the show does an excellent job of keeping much of what makes the children's book so wonderful. Lots of word play and a lesson that is engaging for children and adults.

This is one of my all time favorite books, so I was thrilled and grateful when I was cast in the show. I have a paperback copy from when I was a kid, and bought hard back copies for all four of mine. I read it to each of them before they could read themselves, and the older ones encountered it again in school.

A boy, Milo, arrives in the Land of Wisdom through the tollbooth, and finds it in disarray. The two Kings, brothers and rulers of the cities of “Dictionopolis” and “Digitopolis” have argued their whole lives as to whether words or numbers were more important. When the princesses “Rhyme” and “Reason” were asked to decide the question, the answer was unsatifactory to either brother and the two are banished from the kingdom, and are now being held prisoner beyond the Mountains of Ignorance.

Realizing their error, they wish Milo well as he goes forth to rescue them aided by a trusty time-keeping dog who goes tick, and whose name is Tock. The journey is treacherous and the two meet many demons along the way, such as the Trivium and the Senses Taker.

I am looking forward to wearing my robe of numbers with my Number Two pencil as a staff and singing "Subtraction Stew". I will no doubt post pictures when they are available. Could the upcoming show and the recent gains in Math reported for U.S. students be mere coincidence. I think not.

South Pacific at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse

We have dress rehearsal for South Pacific tonight at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

It is a classic musical with some exceptionally strong leads and voices. If you like "There is Nothing Like a Dame", "Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair", "Some Enchanted Evening" or any number of the Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical numbers then here is your chance to hear a 24 piece orchestra play the score and these actors sing the songs.

I was just able to squeak this show into my schedule so I was able to take on the role of Captain Bracket.

My dad, who past away a long while back, was in the military for 22 years. When I put on the costume I immediately freaked myself out by how much I looked like what I remember him to have looked like when I was a kid. I snapped a phone photo and sent it out to my sisters who in turn were given a bit of a jolt.

The show opens this Friday and runs four weeks.

Singing the Praises of Dr.Horrible

I have been a Joss Whedon fan for a long time. I was a faithful viewer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I also enjoyed the episodes of Firefly that I saw as well as the movie made for the theaters. Buffy had a great run and it was nominated fourteen times for an Emmy, of which it won two in the categories of “Outstanding Make Up for a Series” and “Outstanding Musical Composition for a Series (Christophe Beck)”. It should have won more.

In a difficult category for a drama/horror/humor show to win in, Joss was nominated for “Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series” for “Hush”, which used very little dialog and provided some nightmare fodder (for me at least).

But one of my favorites to this day was nominated again in “Outstanding Musical….” ( I have deliberately used the dotdotdot) called “Once More With Feeling”. They episodes songs were written by Joss and the episode of the show itself still has a strong following. A demon causes all the characters to break into song to express their feelings and the whole show is done as a musical. As a bit of trivia, Joss wanted to do the episode earlier but it was pushed to a later season and in its place “Hush” aired.

I loved that stuff.

And now I get more of it in the form of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog”. Showcased in the form of an evil scientist’s (Neil Patrick Harris) video blog, a lovelorn villain trys to gain entry into a prestigious evil league, and must prove himself by demonstrating his prowess through a crime. In his way is Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillian “a corporate tool”) and the woman he loves (Felicia Day). This is done with humor and drama, but most importantly song.

That this is being presented as a web series in limited episodes makes it all the more interesting to me and I look forward to reading how it succeeds in this format. Given the length of the episodes, it could have easily been a one hour television show, or part of an anthology series. I am glad they are swimming in Internet waters.

The dialog is funny, the video blog format gives way to more traditional storytelling both on the scenes of the heist and in the Laundromat. The singing is great and the three lead actors are excellent in their roles, the supporting characters that show up really lend well to the humor.

Presented in three episodes, the first two are available for viewing now. The third is scheduled for July 19th.

The Sunniest Funniest Puppet You Ever Could Hope To Know

Ah Mr. Cat.
Yes Mr. Fox.
Did you see that?
I did Mr. Fox.

A puppet who walks.
A puppet who talks.
With gold pieces under his hat.

Mr. Fox.
Mr. Cat.
Could we both have seen that?

WE DID!!! La,la,la,la,la.... and so on.

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This Saturday "Pinocchio" opens at the Narrow Theater for a two week run.

This will be the third production I've been in from the Tacoma Children's Theater, and though I do love the Main Stage, I think children's shows are a kick in the pants.

They are right up my alley, as it is hard to overact in a kids show.

When I received the script for the show, (I am a villager and Signore Volpone the Fox) it seemed familiar. Then I heard the music and smiled. I remembered seeing this particular production when I was a kid. The music is fun, the story is familiar and the show runs about 75 minutes (plus a short intermission) so it is great for a matinée.

The cast is made up of some great actors with a lot of singing and stage experience, both adults and kids. I won't start naming them all off, but I will give mention to someone I'm working with for the first time, Henry Nettleton, who is a great Pinocchio. I am also happy to be in a show with my daughter Delaney who is a villager and one of the evil toys from the Land of the Toys (as opposed to Disney's Pleasure Island).

Maria Valenzuela has done an excellent job of assembling a cast, directing and scheduling rehearsals around some tough schedules (it seems like half the cast were in other shows leading up to this one including "Man of La Mancha" down in Olympia, "Alice in Wonderland" which just finished as a TCT entry and in rehearsals for "Grease" the next Tacoma Musical Playhouse main stage show).

And, if you are wondering, there is a Monstro, and he does swallow the wooden puppet.

Here are three pictures I took during last nights rehearsal:

The Blue Fairly and Pinocchio sing "You Can Talk".




Geppetto (Lucas Blum) knocks on wood.



The toys and the Coachman (note: I wanted to show something but so many of my pictures just didn't turn out that I saturated one with effects to give an idea)



For more information check out the TMP website.

Toe Tapping to the Music Also Happens On Stage

And now for something completely different. No, I am not talking about Spamalot, as the Pythonian phrase might suggest, but rather I mean something different in South Sound musical theater. “My One and Only” opened last weekend and continues with the second week of its run tomorrow at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. It is a Tony winning Gershwin showcase from the 1980’s that originally starred Tommy Tune and Twiggy.

What makes it different is not the acting, comedy, musical numbers or costumes that you might find in any number of musicals around town. In fact, the boy meets girl, boy loses girl and then boy wins girl back story is fluffier than in many shows. And no, it is not the fabulous mustache that I wear.

It starts with the 17 piece live orchestra playing Gershwin. I could just sit backstage or sneak over to just behind the curtain and listen to these folks all day. The show could work as a stand alone concert based solely on George and Ira’s music played by these musicians.

But for uniqueness, based on its availability in the South Sound, the show is an amazing tap dance showcase. Vince Wingerter, as Captain Billy Buck Chandler, wears tap shoes in every scene he is in. That should say something right there. Jenny McMurry plays his love interest, Edythe Herbert, and the two have a wonderful dance number they perform from one scene, to scene change, to next scene that I marvel at from the wings every performance.

But, as it should be, the show stopper is the twelve minute long tap dance extravaganza (yes, I said extravaganza, though admittedly there are no fireworks, mini-tramps or animals) involving almost everyone in the cast, that is the finale of the show. Kudos to every parent who made the cast take lessons and Jon Douglas Rake for giving them a chance to show off what they have learned.

No I don’t tap dance, but everyone else does. They are a great cast and they get their due in a very positive review of the show from the Tacoma Weekly’s Krista Curry.

Thank you to Kat Dollarhide who provided me with a few photos from the show. Kat always does a great job of providing many photos of each show at the TMP.

Big Opening Weekend for Urinetown

I have been very busy over the last week, as evidenced by the sparsity of posts. During that time I was wondering how that hard work was going to pay off. That's because we were in the middle of tech week for the opening of Urinetown at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

That means that for more than a week we were running the show and reworking the dance numbers, adding the costumes and props, adjusting to the sets and getting the rhythm of the lines down. Not to mention the music. That's me in the middle there surrounded by the good folks of Urine Good Company (or UGC as it is known for short) with my character's daughter, Hope Cladwell, on the desk behind.

The week day routine was, in to work in the morning, call for the run through at 6:30pm or 7:00pm and home at past 11:00 (and for some of the cast from Seattle 12:00pm).

Last Friday was the open and this Monday, yesterday, was the first evening free of rehearsal in 10 days.

And it was a very surprising opening at that.

I remember being in New York several years back and having a chance to see a show on Broadway. My two choices that evening were Rent and Urinetown. I chose not to see either as in my mind I was looking for a classic uplifting musical. For me that meant I wasn't up for Rent, and as for Urinetown, quite frankly, it just sounded awful. When I finally did get to see Urinetown, (ten Tony nominations and three Tony wins later), I loved it. I am still kicking myself for not seeing it that night on Broadway.

So it was with my initial reaction in mind that I wondered how Tacoma, and in particular the patrons of Tacoma Musical Playhouse, were going to receive this show with a terrible title. They had come out in force to see the last show, "Meet Me in Saint Louis", and in shows I have done there in the past, they packed the place for "My Fair Lady" and "Fiddler on the Roof", but then again it was a struggle to fill the seats when we did "Little Shop of Horrors" which was more well known than Urinetown and had been reviewed well locally.

I still joke that we could fill the Tacoma Dome if we put on "The Sound of My Fair Annie's Fiddler".

Well, I have learned that the South Sound is OK with something a little different. The theater was full Friday, Saturday and Sunday (which was a near sellout). Quite an achievement for an opening weekend. I wouldn't be surprised if the excellent job the Bellarmine Preparatory did when putting on the show last year helped a bit.

The house capacity for the Narrows Theater is around 330 seats which means that is a lot of folks coming to see a show. We have three more weeks of a run, with extra matinees on the final two Saturdays. My understanding is that some of those are already nearly sold out.

Congrats to Jon Douglas Rake, Artistic Director, and Jeffrey Stvrtecky, Music Director at the theater for putting on another successful show. The cast is made up of some incredibly talented folks who are great to work with. If you have the chance, come out and see the show with the terrible title. Thanks to Kat Dollarhide for the picture.

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UPDATE: Here is a nice review by the Tacoma Weekly on the show.

And another by The News Tribune.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse Update

Back in July construction was being done at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse over on 6th Avenue . You may recall this exterior view.

Phase One of a reconstruction of the entire facility is now complete. Added adjacent to the old theater were a green room, bathrooms and dressing area for the actors (much better than having to change in the aisles backstage). For that the actors are grateful. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures.

However, at last nights dress preview of Meet Me in Saint Louis, Julie was able to snap a few photos of some of the other improvements.

The entry to the the theater has shifted to the left of the entrance where formerly a different facility existed and has added to the size of the lobby substantially.



As you enter, new floor tiling might catch your eye.



The concession stand is now on the other side of the longer lobby with far more room to serve patrons.



Now gone are the overhead tiling squares and dingy lighting. In there place a higher ceiling and beautiful lights with accents and recessed lighting surrounding room.





To do it justice you have to see it, but here are the artist conceptualizations that represent the larger view.




But in the end, the single greatest improvements to the theater going experience were to ...........

.... the bathrooms.

Anyone, especially if you are a woman who had to deal with a line during intermission created by the grand total of two stalls, can appreciate these changes.



And there is a SECOND line of them on the other side.



I suppose that it is fitting that the next show I will be in at the theater is Urinetown. More on that at another time.

These improvements benefit greatly the experience of the actors and patrons of the theater. In the next phase, an orchestra pit for the fine musicians who make live accompaniment a hallmark of the shows performed at this musical theater.

A "Bama Breeze" in Las Vegas

“I took off for a weekend last month, just trying to recall the whole year”

Julie and I and some friends of ours headed to Vegas this weekend. The precipitating event was the Jimmy Buffett “Bama Breeze” concert at the MGM Grand Arena Saturday night. We stayed at the MGM Grand itself, which made getting to the concert that much simpler.

"Yes I am a pirate, 200 years too late. The cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder, I'm an over 40 victim of fate".

There were far too many Jack Sparrows loose on the grounds. What we didn’t think about, but surprised us, was that for Vegas, this was Halloween Weekend. The number of people roaming about in costume all over the town was amusing and funny. There was also a big Halloween costume party at Studio 54 in the hotel which just added to the concentration of costumes. Angels, devils, cheerleaders and lots and lots of pirates were everywhere. Someone dressed in a maids outfit looked like they were trying to break into our room, so I chased her off.

At 6:45am on the day of our flight back there was this lone vampire just getting back in and he definitely looked like the living dead.

“I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Hines 57 and French fried potato.”

The food was amazing. We tried to keep the dining casual but two meals stood out. We went to a place called "Corsa Cucina" at Wynne's and had a Wild Mushrooms pizza made from mushroom puree, robiola cheese and white truffle oil, some Mozzarella di Bufala made from marinated heirloom tomatoes, basil, balsamic, extra virgin olive oil and split a huge hand cut Kurobuta Pork Chop with roasted butternut squash, raisins and apples.

The wine was incredible but the side potato dish fell short.

"In days of old, when knights were bold,
and journeyed from their castles,
Trusty men were left behind,
Knights needed not the hassles.
They helped themselves to pig and peach,
and drank from King's own chalice.
Oh, it was a stirring sight
these gypsies in the palace."

We were at the Wynn to see Spamalot. We missed the opportunity to see it at the Paramount when it was just here so I begged Julie and we made it part of our plans for Friday night. It was fun and entertaining and left me singing much of the songs from the show. Last year, Jill, a faculty member of the school of business, and I sang “A Song That Goes Like This” as part of a performance here at the UWT campus, so it was great to see the song in the context of the show.

A word of warning. They have cut down the show and removed the intermission for the Wynne theater version. The good news is that at 95 minutes long, it means you’re done early enough to go out on the town. The bad news is that something did seem missing. More than just the Arthur line “Have a drink and a pee, we’ll be back for Act Three”, “Two, sir” “Two, Run away, run away, run away.”, some of the songs seemed to have been shortened.

Nevertheless, check out half price tickets and hit the balcony and it is still a good deal.

“At a moment like this, I can’t help but wonder, “What would Jimmy Buffett do?”

After Spamalot, we met up with friends at Margaritaville Café and got a surprise.
The members of his band were all there on stage providing the music for the evening.
Nadirah Shakoor who sings vocals was the headliner, announcing a CD she was releasing, and introduced Tina Gullickson, who also provides vocals. Michael Utley, Mac McAnally, who was just admitted to the songwriter’s Hall of Fame (and recently discovered he was a second-cousin in law to Elvis) were on hand with several other band members. Jimmy would wait until the concert to make his appearance.

“You got fins to the left, fins to the right, and you're the only bait in town.”

I am used to Corona sponsoring the concert so I was surprised to see it sponsored by LandShark Lager. LandShark Lager, which has replaced Corona as Jimmy Buffett’s beer sponsor, is brewed by Anheuser-Busch. I am a little disappointed by this, but in the scope of the world, I think I can adjust.

“We are the people, our parents warned us about….I’m growing older but not up”

The concert was great. Very solid set and the music did not stop. Many of my favorite songs, which are quite a few, and some rarely heard ones. The only time Jimmy left the stage for a break, Mac McAnnally took over with Piece of Work, which Mac wrote, and another song. They played for nearly three hours with two encores (per usual) and the place was rockin’. The crowd has grown older along with Mr. Buffett, and it was evident only in looks but not attitude. There are always young fans coming on board, but this night was definitely skewed toward the veterans.

My favorite fan sighting had nothing to do with costume, though the prerequisite flowered shirts, coconut bra, leis and funny hats were being worn. No, it was the multiple piercings and the dark makeup that made me take notice. Those were the first Goth Buffett fans I have encountered.

All told, a truly fun weekend.

Which Exit did the Art Commentary Take?

This blog may have seemed a little tech heavy lately, or at least not as focused on the arts as it has been in the past.

I am still writing about arts events and theatrical interests, though the entries oftentimes are found at a new address. I have been making contributions to the B side of the south sound community blog www.exit133.com. Having a B side concentrating on the arts and entertainment scene is an interesting endeavor by the regionally focused site. It has evolved and been treated as a media outlet by organizations and event management, and is in many ways looking more familiar as such.

I provided a review on a local theatrical production when it launched and contributed to the film reviews for it's Tacoma Film Festival coverage. This week I wrote about the following...

Murder, Mayhem, and Some Really Nice Wines

Departing from Tacoma’s Freighthouse Square aboard a vintage 1937 railroad car christened the Cascade, my wife and I headed toward Mt. Rainer to Lake Kapowsin on a three hour round trip. Throughout the cabin, people were celebrating birthdays and anniversaries; we were seated at a table with two nice young people celebrating their first year of marriage.

Get A Clue

But this was no ordinary train.

Interrupting the conversation, a loud and rather large ex-jockey (James Dean) came down the aisle soliciting our support to get him rehired by the rancher Buck Jackson (Bob Yount). After all, his horse, Dances with Speed, had never lost a race. It wasn’t long until Buck and his sociable wife, Candy Cane (Kay Ethan), came from the other direction and the accusations began to fly.

Suddenly us passengers were faced with some hard questions to mull over. Why had the horse never lost? What’s the real reason the jockey was fired? And who was behind the death of a certain private investigator?

If you haven’t already guessed, we were aboard the Spirit of Washington Murder Mystery Dinner Train.

For the rest, take the 133B Exit.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse Looking Good Backstage as Well

The reviews are in for this Summers show at the TMP and they are awash with praise over Beauty and the Beast. The actors, costumes, sets and direction are all heaped with praise. But adjacent to the small, crowded lobby of the theater, where patrons have squeezed through to watch humans become animated inanimate objects, something else is transforming as well.


In just a short while, hopefully by the Fall show, that cramped lobby and small concession area will grow to several times its size. The lines will shorten during intermission as the restrooms will contain four times over the number of stalls. And for someone like myself, who occasionally has the honor of walking out onto the stage, there will be larger dressing rooms and a green room for the cast and musicians.


Congratulations to Artistic Director John Douglas-Rake and Musical Director Jeffrey Stvrtecky for not just the great Summer show in Beauty, but for the magical transformation that has been going on for 13 seasons at the Narrows Theater and will continue the years.


Reviews of Beauty and the Beast:
Tacoma News Tribune TMP presents its ‘Beast’ with beauty
Tacoma Weekly Fairy tale enchants audience
Weekly Volcano ‘Beast’ is a feast

Completely Non Virtual

For all the time I spend thinking, talking and writing about technology and the virtual world, you might wonder where a tangible world balance comes in.

Balance is about work/life, yin/yang, give/take.

For me, the quest for something tangential comes through live theater and musical theater in particular. When doing theater you are at a heightened state of the senses for a predetermined period of time.

You are hyper aware of everything around you because you are being counted on to hear the cue, sing the song, grab the prop, move the scene around and quite often (gasp) dance. Picking up the pace or the dropped line requires you think on your feet and that you can understand visual cues from the other actors. I would mention the taste and smell aspects of it, but if anyone has been backstage in a crowded dressing room you know I don't need to go there.

Most of my experiences come from shows at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Though I have been in other shows in different venues, I consider that stage my home base. I hope that my good fortune in being cast in shows there continues.

Currently, and for one more weekend, I am in the Tacoma Children's Musical Theater production of The Fabulous Fable Factory as Wadsworth, the Word Worker (and Lion, and Ant and Mouse). A bonus goes to the fact that Cassie, the Character Conceiver (my wife) is in the show with me. Not to mention the cast and director are great to work with.

If you're in the South Sound and have small children, bring them on by for one of the two remaining matinees. If you are interested in knowing more. The Volcano and the Tacoma Weekly both have reviews posted.

That is not to say that technology and the web haven't changed how theater is sold, supported, managed and produced. But that's for another time.

Quick Corrections

Alec was very good about handling the correction. He has subsequently posted it on his blog.

http://www.alecclayton.blogspot.com/