Long time, no update! Sorry about that--
First and foremost, I'm very proud to announce that two songs with
music and lyrics by yours truly have been included in the score of
URBAN COWBOY, the musical, which had its world premiere at the Coconut
Grove Playhouse this past month. It's a wonderful adaptation of the
John Travolta film from the 80's, with a score by many people, not the
least of which are Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks, Clint Black, and the
amazingly talented Jason Robert Brown, who also serves as the musical
director. I have to tell you, it's a real thrill to sit with an
audience and hear people laugh at
and clap for jokes and songs that came out of my weird little head.
The show is masterfully overseen by that very brilliant (and adorable)
director, Lonny Price, and has wonderful choreography by
Melinda Roy (NYC
Ballet star from the 80's). There are fantastic performances from the
principals: Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Colella, Marcus Chait, Rozz Morehead,
Jodi Stevens, Leo Burmester,
and
Sally Mayes, as
well as an amazing ensemble chock full of killer dancer-singers who are
so much fun to watch.
And here's the big news: word has it that the Shuberts have promised
Chase Mishkin, the producer, a
Broadway house for this season, so come this spring, I can officially
call myself a Broadway songwriter! :-) By the way, my songs are named
"I'm Gonna Like It Here" and "Corene's Commandments."
As the production details roll in, I will update.
I'm happy to announce that I have been selected to participate in the
Dramatists Guild's Jonathan Larson Memorial Musical Theatre Fellowship
program. We've been meeting for the past few months, and it's been a
really lovely experience.
A couple of other interesting tidbits: As an actor, I spent a few
weeks working on a new project called THE TUTOR this fall. THE TUTOR is
an original musical written by Andrew Gerle and Mary Rose Wood, two
super-talented writers I got to know at the O'Neill Conference in 2001,
when I was there working on THE ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD. They were the
recipients
of the 2002 Rodgers Award for THE TUTOR, a funny, off-beat story about
the relationship between an SAT's tutor, his teenage goth-girl student
and
her parents. Great songs, great script, great cast, lots of fun.
The other bit of acting I did this fall was a commercial for
Computer Associates. It involves a very
bald me, sitting at a computer. An interesting side note: the
version that is running is not the original version that we shot, which
was too risqué
for television, I guess. To see that version, copy
this
link location and then paste it into Windows Media Player.
Bonus points if you can figure out who's doing the voice over....Hint:
we've worked together on Braodway.
I continue to take classes at Landmark Education, a wonderful company
that offers a weekend-long course called the Landmark Forum that will,
no kidding, change your life. Some of the benefits I've gotten from
this seminar are: clarity about what's important to me, a way of
communicating that has strengthened my relationships, and the
experience of really loving my life. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COURSE.
Any questions about it, please ask me. Or visit the website:
LandmarkEducation.com.
Oh - I have a new niece!! Lilly Grace. Which makes a total of three
little angels:
Daniel, Maddie and Lilly, not to
mention Ollie, the beagle.
Family and friends are all well, happy, healthy. That's what I'm
grateful for this Thanksgiving....
Hope you all are having a wonderful end of 2002!
Best-
Jeff
PS Oh my gosh, I forgot to tell you all about my summer in Japan,
performing
A CLASS ACT. In a nutshell,
it was
great fun, a real adventure. (More
pictures
here.)
The Japanese were incredibly gracious, the theatre personnel and the
audiences alike. The show was very well-received, and I got to see
things
and go places that I'm quite sure I would never have been exposed to
otherwise.
One bit of advice, though: try to avoid travelling in Japan in
July/August.
It is prohibitively hot and humid--like nothing I've ever felt in my
life.
Other than that, go go go!
