November 30, 2005

Happy Holidaytime!

Geez, I always wait so long between writing these, and I forget all the things that happened, but here goes:

Summer was mostly about finishing up the songbook, which I'm sure you must realize is OUT because you've probably passed by 45 links to it on your way to this page. I'm really excited about the way it came out, and I'm happy to report that it has been selling quite well here online, as well as at Colony in NY, at Hollywood Sheet Music in LA, and at concerts where I've performed. I'm thrilled to have sent copies all over the US, not to mention the UK, the Netherlands, and an APO (Army Post Office)!

Thank you for all the wonderful feedback I've received. I'm so happy to think that my music might be sung/heard outside my own music room.

This fall was filled with many exciting performing and music events for me. I'll try to do these in order, but my memory's a little fuzzy.

First off, to kick off the publication of my songbook, I made my debut appearance at Jim Caruso's Cast Party, which was a blast! I knew there was an open mike element to the show, but I didn't realize how amazing everyone was going to be! All the singers I heard while I was there were killer! Major jazz chops - same for the pianist and bassist! I was really impressed, and I felt kind of square with my musical theatre material, but the audience was very generous, and I'd go back in a second, to sing and/or listen. In fact, the space is so great that I'm going to be doing an evening of my songs there on February 13 with some special, soon-to-be-announced guest stars. (Check my upcoming shows page.)

The next two events were part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. There was an evening of music featuring writers from the BMI Workshop, in which I was happy to be included. That took place at the theater at 59E59. Also, I did a set in an evening called TRUNK SONGS at the Duplex, featuring myself, Craig Carnelia, and Andrew Lippa. I was truly honored to be paired up with Craig and Andrew, as I am a big fan of them both. Their songs were really wonderful, and they performed them brilliantly.

In early October, the Guggenheim Works and Process program presented a tribute to poet Paul Muldoon, and I was one of four composers commissioned to set his poetry to music. (The evening's other songs were by Kirsten Childs, Michael John La Chiusa, and Stephen Flaherty.) The songs were sung by the virtuosic Darius deHaas and accompanied beautifully by Steve Marzullo (piano) and Peter Donovan (bass). All the settings were entirely original and wonderful, and Mr. Muldoon gave a great interview and was amazingly generous to us composers, especially considering he was hearing the songs for the first time that day!

Mid-October, I got to hear two brilliant performances of my songs at the New Voices Broadway Babies concert. Rebecca Luker broke hearts with her gorgeous interpretation of "I Won't Mind" and then Judy Blazer killed with her hysterical rendition "It'll Work for You," aka "the Leonard Bernstein song."  The concert was a treat, start to finish. Joel and Doug and Jen and Annette should be commended for the great work they're doing, putting together these concerts. If you haven't attended a New Voices Collective concert, go! They're definitely worth it! Great singers/musicians and new, interesting material - a winning combination!

The end of October brought me to Chicago for the Chicago Humanities Festival, where I participated in the ASCAP Cabaret show, Take It Away! What a perfect weekend that was! I haven't been back to Chicago a whole lot since having attended college there in the 80's (well, it was actually in Evanston - Northwestern University). In any case, I got to visit my alma mater, I got to spend quality time with college friends who live out there, I got to see some of the new "stuff" in Chicago (that Millennium Park Gehry concert hall and bridge are spectacular!), I got to eat an apple pancake at the Original Pancake House (where I ran into fellow NU alum Ana Gasteyer who's playing Elphaba in Wicked out there), and I got to perform in that wonderful concert and sing a duet with one of my all-time favorite singers, Liz Callaway. When I was in college at Northwestern, Baby was playing on Broadway, and I was OBSESSED with Liz's performance on that recording! So to be singing one of my own songs with her ("Recuerdo") was an absolute dream. And for the record, she was perfection! Everyone who performed that night: Liz, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, David Loud, and the terrific songwriting team Paul Loesel and Scott Burkell, everyone knocked it out of the park, and the audience was sold out and fantastic. I had so much fun performing for that crowd and hanging out with the other singers/writers. Thank you again to Michael Kerker of ASCAP and to the Festival for such a great experience!

That brings me to November. There was a quick appearance at the MAC/ASCAP Singers and Songwriters event at the Lighthouse, hosted by the great Jamie deRoy. This concert cemented my friendship with my new favorite person, Christine Lavin. If you don't know Christine's music, it's time. She's a classic singer/songwriter in the folk/pop vein, and she's terribly clever and tuneful and a great storyteller. And such charm!

There was a quick trip to LA for a friend's birthday party and an early peek at The Drowsy Chaperone, a charming new musical now playing at the Ahmanson. TDC is directed and choreographed by my dear friend Casey Nicholaw, who did a spectacular job. Fingers crossed that they can get it back to NY this season, because I think this show will charm the pants off the Broadway crowd.

While I'm talking about my friends, can I just brag for a second? Two more best friends are having incredible seasons right now: my best college buddy, Tracy Christensen, designed the dazzling costumes for Souvenir, the Judy Kaye vehicle on Broadway right now. Don't miss her series of wonderful outfits in Act Two! And, after two years of standing by for and playing the role of Mme. Morrible in Wicked countless times, my other dear friend Adinah Alexander leaves Wicked (tonight actually!) to join the cast of the Broadway-bound The Wedding Singer! I'm so excited - and proud!!

Back to me.

:-)

For Thanksgiving, I was in Florida (Boca) again this year. My parents and I drove up to Orlando to catch another show for which Tracy designed the costumes, Blue Horizons at Seaworld, which features people doing unbelievable things with dolphins and whales and birds, and dolphins and whales and birds doing unbelievable things with people. Oh, and did I mention the costumes are GREAT???

The other exciting news is that I wrote a new song with the brilliant lyricist, Beth Blatt (The Mistress Cycle). It's called "Lovely Lies," and Rebecca Luker is going to premiere it at her upcoming concert at Feinstein's, December 12-15!!

The only thing I haven't discussed is reality TV. (If you're not a watcher, skip this next part. It will mean nothing to you.) All I want to say is: JD may have won, but Marty, you were the best. Lisa and Kim, you were robbed. Rafe, you rock. Martha, I would've watched a second season. And Donald, what's with the Kamikaze group firings? Can't wait for Project Runway II.

Happy Merry!!

XOXO

Jeff