G.L.U.T. News - Greater Lansing Ubiquitous Theatre

"Hear Our Cry" on YouTube - one month only

11/28/2020

"Hear Our Cry" Available To View On YouTube For One Month Only!

Did you miss Peppermint Creek's drive-in movie experience that premiered our original film, "Hear Our Cry" last month? Maybe there was a monologue or scene that was particularly moving that you wanted to watch again. Well now's your chance! (Mark and I saw it; it was GREAT! Jane)

We've posted the film on our Peppermint Creek Theatre Company YouTubepage for public viewing until the end of December. Watch the original film from the comfort of your home and relish the artistry, poetry, and moving nature of the 12 pieces offered by authors from across the country and throughout history.

Historic voices included in the film are Harvey Milk, Langston Hughes, Cesar Chavez, Hillary Clinton, Ruth Margaret Muskrat, Emma Lazarus, and a house resolution bill recognizing the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Authors who contributed to the film event with their own piece include Diane Glancy, Shawntai Brown, Brittany Rogers, Marianne Chan, and Sandra Seaton. Full author bios can be found on the PCTC website, http://www.peppermintcreek.org.

Access this original, powerful, and important film that gives voice to the truly diverse American experience on our YouTube page, here (through Dec 31): https://youtu.be/byoexJB7v-8

Last Antiracist Play LIVE Webinar 11/30 7pm

11/28/2020

Please join Riverwalk Theatre for the conclusion of our “Short Plays for an Antiracist Tomorrow” series. Unlike the first four, #MATTER, directed by Rose Jangmi Cooper, will be presented to you LIVE as a Zoom presentation. Please use the following information to join the webinar.
When: Nov 30, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81505831854
(No passcode required)
Follow the prompts to join with computer audio.
Webinar ID: 815 0583 1854
NOTE: The previous four antiracist plays can be found at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=riverwalk+theatre and also at the Riverwalk Facebook page; pull down the “more” menu and choose “videos.” I believe next Monday’s #MATTER will also be recorded and posted on Youtube and Facebook.

More on Doak's "House Left" series

11/19/2020

This Sunday it’s the 8th episode of the YouTube Theatre Dialogue series "House Left," hosted and facilitated by Doak Bloss. is called "It's Booze with a Z, Not Boos with an S.”

It will be a candid discussion of the presence of alcohol in local community theatre, before, during and after the communal creative process. This intentionally nonjudgmental dialogue will explore both positive and negative ways that drinking impinges on our participation in community theatre, from the sprightly conversations that may occur as casts gather after rehearsals and performances, to the actual presence of alcohol during those rehearsals and performances (rare, but it does happen). This topic is of particular relevance to Doak himself, having acknowledged a few years ago his own alcoholism and questionable use of vodka to prepare for his work on stage over two decades.

The episode is scheduled to launch on YouTube at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22. As of this writing, the scheduled panelists include Veronica Gracia-Wing, Gini Larsen, Amy Rickett, Joe Dickson, and Shannon Bowen.

Check out this article about Doak Bloss’s theatre discussion series “House Left” in the Lansing City Pulse:

https://www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/youtube-talk-show-dissects-lansing-theater-scene,15257?fbclid=IwAR0knPVTk0LkTL9PwdY_vM2e_Zw5t9XoRoHSTaPwxHErc5DwzYfz8Mb_UQM#.X7QJERQcv-g.facebook

Below is the lineup of past episodes and more to come:
All are/will be accessible on Youtube at:

https://youtube.com/channel/UCCB430Zt62gT0NuXOC5lpoA

1. "Don't Call it a Comeback" -- How theatre-makers in Lansing are coping with the end of theatre-as-we-know-it. Panel: Jeff Magnuson, Abigail Grill, Ndegwa McCloud, Shannon Bowen, and Connor Kelly
2. "Moments in the Woods" -- Experiences making theatre where you were utterly bewildered (as we all are now, sort of). Panel: Gini Larson, Oralya Garza, Nick Lemmer, Matt Eldred, and Abbie Tykocki.
3. "Cortisol and Dopamine and Everything In Between" -- Is theatre a viable vehicle for dialogue and culture change anymore? Panel: Joe Dickson, Jeffry Wilson, Diane Cooke, Rita Diebler, and Garrett Bradley.
4. "I Hate Hamilton" -- Plays, Composers, and other aspects of theatre that everyone loves--except for one or more of the panelists. Panel: Kelly Stuible-Clark, Nathan Tykocki, Laura Croff, Marcus Fields, and Jane Shipley.
5. "It's a History Play and You Just Got Cast" -- On the eve of Election Day, theatre makers share their thoughts and anxieties about the road ahead, and speculate what a history play about the current moment might look like. Panel: Lee Helder, Rose Jangmi Cooper, Mary Job, Connor Kelly, and Jeffry Wilson.
6. "Don't Call it a Talkback" (15 minute intermission) -- No panel; just the host yammering on about dialogue and the purpose of the "House Left" series.
7. "And Then There's God" -- Local Christian theatre-makers explore how their faith intersects with the largely secular world of community theatre. Panel: Chuck Sartorius, Nicole Martin, Shantel Hamilton, Rose Jangmi Cooper, Laura Croff, and Heath Sartorius.
8. "It's Booze with a Z, Not Boos with an S." The impact, positive and negative, of alcohol in the creative process of Lansing Area community theatre. Proposed panel: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Gini Larson, Amy Rickett, Joe Dickson, and Shannon Bowen. Premieres November 22.
9. "Every Play is an AIDS Play" -- The previous pandemic created a subgenre of theatre, the "AIDS Play" whose structure can be applied in curious ways to plays that have nothing to do with HIV. Does this tell us anything about theatre's function in a time of devastation and suffering? Proposed panel: John Hogan, Todd Heywood, Joe Quick, and two TBA. Premieres November 29.
10. "Unsung and Indespensable" -- the world of community theatre as viewed by the people backstage who truly make a production coalesce and arrive on opening night. Proposed panel: Cody Skalmoski, Diane Cooke, Josh Holliday, Marcus Fields, Anna Szabo, Bernie Lucas, and Michelle Booher Purosky. Premieres December 6.
11. "Hope and Truth" -- Shared theatre experiences that help us find the hope or truth needed to get through the cold seasons of our lives, both literal and metaphoric. Proposed Panel: Zurich Dawson, Sally Hecksel, Rachael Cupples, Jane Falion, and Matt Ottinger. Premieres December 13.
12. "Coda" -- Some final brief yammerings by the host about the series and things to come. Premieres December 20.
And stay tuned for news of the fun Theatre Trivia Tournament I'll be hosting over the holidays. Applications to compete will be open soon, and taken until the end of the Thanksgiving weekend. One grand prize to the winner: a $250 donation in your name to the local theatre of your choice.

It's a Wonderful Life by AAF on WLNZ 89.7

11/17/2020

Since 2006, WLNZ has presented a live radio show from the stage of LCC's Dart Auditorium in conjunction with the Silver Bells in the City event. The show was broadcast live on the station at 89.7FM and streamed on the internet at LCCradio.org. For the last five years the Audio Air Force has partnered with WLNZ to produce the show.

With the restrictions on gatherings now, and with the actual Silver Bells event going 'virtual' (TV only), the radio show the classic radio version of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE will still go on the air as well - Friday Nov. 20 at 8pm on LCC Radio 89.7.

This year the show will be pre-recorded, mixed and edited by the Audio Air Force. Each actor recording their lines individually from home, and the final show being produced and then the recording to be played just as if it were live. The program will be played on LCC Radio 89.7 FM beginning at 8pm, right after the virtual Silver Bells event on TV. Once the show airs it will be available to listen to at the station's web site, as well as the Audio Air Force's web site audioairforce.com.

The Audio Air Force produced a Halloween show using the same technologies. That show is still on the Audio Air Force web site for review.

For more information -
Dave Downing - Audio Air Force
517-881-9746

Cool Theatre Stuff you can watch ANYtime:

11/13/2020

Be sure to check out the two (soon to be five) “Short Plays for an Antiracist Tomorrow” at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=riverwalk+theatre and also at the Riverwalk Facebook page where you can pull down the “more” menu and choose “videos.” These are thought provoking and the first two are extremely well done. Looking forward to the next three Mondays at 7 when new ones are released!

______________

Check out Doak Bloss’s YouTube interview/discussion series, “House Left”. You will probably recognize many of the panelists from their on and off stage roles in the Greater Lansing Ubiquitous Theatre Community. Feel free to contact moderator/creator Doak via Facebook Messenger with comments or suggestions. Join the conversation!

It’s easy to catch up on the three existing episodes, now that I’ve got the “channel” and don’t have to list a different address for each one. https://youtube.com/channel/UCCB430Zt62gT0NuXOC5lpoA

Holiday at Lebowsky Cancelled

11/11/2020

In light of recent Covid precautions, The Lebowsky Center in Owosso has regretfully cancelled it’s holiday variety show at the country club, originally scheduled for Dec. 3-6. Those who have purchased tickets may get a refund or donate the ticket price to the organization. http://lebowskycenter.com

Paige Wins Triple Crown for "Apples"

11/11/2020

Congratulations to Paige Tufford for winning a "Best One Person Show” 2019-20 Wilde Award from "EncoreMichigan, Michigan’s leading theatre news organization" for Ixion Ensemble’s "Apples in Winter.”

Those of us lucky enough to have seen it will not forget Paige's amazing mother-of-the-condemned one-woman triumph, during which she combined heart-breakiing acting with the creation of an apple pie — from-scratch crust and apple-peeling and all.

She also won a Lansing State Journal Thespie and a City Pulse Pulsar award for this performance. Congrats to Paige for winning what I can only imagine is a rare “triple crown."

Director Jeff Croff says, "While this year has been long and many shows were cancelled due to the pandemic, it has been a gift to remember Paige's performance in that poignant show.”

For the complete list of winners (Including a couple from the wonderful Williamston Theatre) go to:

https://www.encoremichigan.com/2020/11/congratulations-the-2019-2020-wilde-awards/

In Memory of Paul Reekie

11/8/2020

Thanks to Tom Klunzinger for this obituary; Tom, and also husband Mark and I had the privilege of working with Paul in his brief time in Lansing. A tragic loss. - Jane Zussman

Paul J. Reekie
April 20, 1972 – October 2, 2020

Paul Reekie enjoyed a brief but brilliant career as a music director in Lansing theater in the 1990’s, working mostly at Riverwalk. He was beloved by all who knew him for his warmth, humor, intelligent insights and particularly his incredible musical talent.

While still a junior at MSU, Paul was “discovered” by West Side Story director Jeff Brenner in 1993 on an emergency basis after the original music director withdrew and opening night was just a few weeks away. Paul mastered the score in short order and the show was a resounding success.

This of course had been foreshadowed by Paul’s five summers spent at Interlochen Music Camp as well as his high-school portrayal of Mozart in Amadeus in which he went the extra mile to play several Mozart pieces during the show.

Paul’s main focus had always been on getting his computer-related MSU degree, after which he was hired by the then-giant computer firm EDS; but he also served as music director for Riverwalk’s The Cat in the Castle and LCP’s Into the Woods. He also worked with Jane and Mark Zussman to develop a “touring” cabaret-style show, Marriage Sweet and Sour.

In 1995, for a Riverwalk benefit concert of the “ABBA” musical Chess – which still had no published score – he developed an accompanying score from just listening to the cast album, then recorded it for use at Riverwalk since he could not attend the scheduled performance(!).

T.E. Klunzinger’s original musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame brought him back to Riverwalk twice – first in 1997 for a workshop concert version in support of Sweeney Todd, then in 1999 for the full version, orchestrating the entire original score.

Paul’s last appearance at Riverwalk was on March 13, 2004, to accompany future full-time opera tenor Brenden Gunnell (who had been in Hunchback) in his professional debut, on what turned out to be the day that famed tenor Luciana Pavarotti announced his retirement from the Met stage in New York.

Paul was soon “discovered” again by the South Florida theater community and over the past 15 years had music-directed many professional and educational shows in the Greater Miami area, winning many awards and the lasting affection of all who knew and worked with him.

Paul died in an accident which occurred while he was working outside his home. He was born in Argentina as was his mother; his father was a development engineer for General Motors. Although he leaves no immediate survivors, his south-Florida “family” will organize a memorial to his life and work, date and location to be announced.

The Big One-Oh

11/8/2020

Art finds a way at Okemos High School
The Big One-Oh! Online “Zoom-sical” Edition

Covid 19 has cancelled theatre productions left and right, but at Okemos High School, the shows must go on! A pandemic can’t keep these talented young performers from making art.

In its first ever “Zoomsical,” the OHS Theatre Department brings you an innovative online musical fully rehearsed and produced through Zoom.

The story tells the tale of Charley Maplewood. Charley has never been one for parties that would require friends, which he doesn’t have. But now he’s turning ten… the BIG ONE-OH…and he decides to throw a birthday party for himself, complete with a “House of Horrors” theme. Of course, things don’t work out as he plans. In trying to make friends, he ends up inviting the class bully Cougar to come, and that’s before he ruins the cake. Will Charley be able to pull it together before the big one-oh…becomes the big OH-NO!? You won’t want to miss this creative 25-minute online musical that is fun for the whole family.

The Big One-Oh! is directed by Chad DeKatch with music direction by Claire Bellamy assisted by Michaela Larsen, choreography by Karyn Perry, technical direction by Matt Ottinger and Brandon Hook, and produced by Amanda DeKatch.

The show will be broadcast online at the below times only,and “tickets” will grant viewers access to the online broadcast. For more information and other inquiries email us at mailto:ohs.theatre@okemosk12.net.
The Big One-Oh! Virtual Performances:
7:00 pm – November 13, 14
2:30 pm – November 14

The Big One-Oh! Tickets:
All tickets - $5.00/household
Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.OKEMOSTHEATRE.com.
If you have any questions regarding tickets please email us at mailto:ohs.theatre@okemosk12.net.

Ticket holders receive a password and have a two hour window to watch the show (i.e. 7:00-9:00 and 2:30-4:30). They can watch it any time during that window and as many times as they want. It's only about 25 minutes.

THE BIG ONE-OH! is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. (http://www.MTIShows.com)

Medusa Discussion Today, 11/8

11/8/2020

Note - post show MEDUSA Zoom discussion TODAY
Post-Show Discussion
MEDUSA will be presented only one more time(perhaps because of Equity constraints) this Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 pm. The program lasts one hour and tickets can be purchased (for $16.59 each) through http://WhartonCenter.com.
We invite you to join us Sunday, November 8, immediately following the documentary for a discussion of the production with Dan Smith,Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies and Dramaturgy. This discussion will take place on Zoom, a different platform than you will use to access the documentary. You can join us either online or by phone using the information below:

MedusaPost-Show Discussion
Sunday, November 8, after the documentary
https://msu.zoom.us/j/91363206184
Meeting ID: 913 6320 6184
Passcode: Medusa
Dial by your location
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 913 6320 6184
Find your local number: https://msu.zoom.us/u/acxIDodus5