Godspell: Production Updates

As I've mentioned in this space before, I invested in the upcoming Broadway revival of Godspell.  This is the first time audiences will see a full scale production of Godspell since it made its debut on Broadway in 1976. (For my musical theatre historians, it debuted off-Broadway in 1971.)  It's time for a new generation of theatregoers to enjoy Stephen Schwartz's first blockbuster show.  If you are headed to New York in the fall, be sure to check out the production directed by my Stagedoor pal, Daniel Goldstein, and produced by NYU pal, Ken Davenport.  Tickets go on sale today with previews beginning October 13th and opening is scheduled for November 7th. (I will be there!)  The production will be at the Circle in the Square Theatre cleverly positioned right next to Schwartz's other behemoth production, Wicked which plays at the Gershwin.  The cast has yet to be announced, but a huge open call happened last week with over 1,000 hopefuls attending the casting call.

If you are interested in finding out more about the production, follow Ken's blog:  DAY BY DAY:  The Producer's Perspective.  Ken is documenting the daily activities of mounting the revival from 100 days until the first performance.

To purchase tickets, click here.

"Prepare Ye".

Godspell: I'm a Broadway Producer!

I never thought I would ever utter those words in my lifetime, but this musical theatre geek can finally add "Broadway Producer" to her resumé.  Godspell is being mounted for the 2011-2012 Broadway season by Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, helmed by my friend, Ken Davenport and it is being directed by my Stagedoor Manor pal, Daniel Goldstein.  While you think I may have an inside connection to helping to fund the show, I have the same opportunity as you do.  Godspell is the first Broadway show to utilize crowdfunding as a source of revenue to help mount the show.  To invest, units go for $100 with a minimum purchase of 10 units to participate. So, for $1000, you can be a Broadway producer and should the production make its money back, everyone who invests gets to share in the profits.  Cool idea, right?

Check out the wall of people who have participated so far (Can you find my name?).  If you want more information, head over to the People of Godspell or learn more about producing and marketing at Ken's site.  


I'll see you on opening night!




  

November: Monthly Wrap-Up

This has become one of my favorite segments of my blog each month.  I love to see what you have been reading and what Google searches bring people to Red Carpet Closet.  It adds a lot of comedy and hilarity to my day.  So, let's catch up on the Top 5 Most Absurd Searches for November 2010:


1.  "Are there camps like Stagedoor Manor cheaper?":  In one simple word:  Nope.  I attended Stagedoor Manor two decades ago and it is an experience that can only be replicated at Stagedoor Manor.  It was expensive then and it is expensive now.  Check into financial aid or scholarships because you are one lucky kid if you get to attend even one Stagedoor camp session.  Don't believe me? Here's what I have to say about the musical theatre camp twenty years later.


2.  "How tall is Olga Kay?":  Okay, I get it.  You like Olga Kay.  I do too. She's petite.  Maybe 5'4"?  Olga, help me out here.  Your fans want to know A LOT about you.  Here's another Olga piece I wrote.  **Update**:  Olga is 5'1".  Phew, so glad I could bring you that breaking news.  Thanks, Olga!


3.  "Term for free goodies given to celeb winners":  Um, that would be free goodies or gift baskets or gifting suites.  I guess you want to see my Emmy gifting suite coverage for Mingle Media TV?  It's here, here, here, and here.  


4.  "What would Rachel Zoe use instead of a strapless bra for support?":  Wow,WWJD has been replaced by WWRZD?  Jesus needs a reality TV show because obviously RZ is hot.  Here are some great tips for your undergarments on the red carpet, ladies.  


5.  "Old Stiletto Dick Van Patten":  I cannot even begin to fathom what you were looking for here.  Dick Van Patten is the dad from Eight is Enough.  I doubt he wears stilettos, especially old ones, but thanks for the laugh.  Here are some of my favorite stilettos for your shoe viewing pleasure.  


Well, that's it for this month.  I cannot wait to do my favorite searches for 2010.  I am sure there are a few winners in there.  Keep up the Google searching because it keeps up the laughter on my end.  

Stagedoor Manor

I just finished the book, Theater Geek, by Mickey Rapkin on my flight from JFK to LAX on Saturday night.  The book follows a summer at the infamous theatre camp, Stagedoor Manor.  The camp has become legendary due to its famous alumni, feature film, and documentary.  I was lucky enough to attend the camp in the late 1980's.  Here is my story.....

In the summer of 1987, I headed off to the Catskill Mountains in New York.  I had a lousy year in school because I didn't feel like I fit in.  Kids my age liked to play soccer and basketball.  All I wanted to do was sing and dance.  I spent hours upon hours in a dance studio while my peers were hanging out at the mall slurping Orange Julius.

Playing a "Sexy Nun" in the King of Hearts, 1988.  Yep, only at Stagedoor could I be a sexy nun as a teen.

My mom was looking into summer camps for my brother, who pretty much wanted to stay at home and hang out with my mom, while I was looking for a change.  I wanted something different where no one else knew me, a place where I could fit in.  I searched through the back of the Boston Globe Magazine under the summer camp listings.  I sent away for two brochures:  Space Camp and Stagedoor Manor.  Since I hated roller coasters that go upside down, space camp was ruled out pretty quickly.  I decided that six weeks at Stagedoor Manor was the exact remedy a theatre geek like me needed.

Indeed, it was.  I don't want to bore you with all of the details of my magical summers there because I know that some of the stories will be too personal or filled with insider jokes only reserved for Stagedoor alumni.  I mean, can you imagine sending your kid to a camp where the music director yells, "Sopranos, you sound like you have SYPHILLIS!"?  Yep, it was a different kind of camp and that quote was a little too insider, but I LOVED every minute of it.  To understand what I am talking about, read Rapkin's book. It will give you detailed chapters about the camp from inception to its current incarnation.  Everything came flooding back to me like it was yesterday:  memories, nostalgia, friendship, owners Carl and Elsie Samuelson, the beloved theatre director, Jack Romano, and my favorite musical director of all time, Michael Larsen.

With my best buddy at Stagedoor, Jenny Nevard, in King of Hearts, 1988.

I have kept in touch with many of my fellow campers from the girl who sang next to me in Pirates of Penzance to the little boy in denim overalls who performed with me in Working to all of my friends whom I have reconnected with on Facebook and who clearly remember the days when my hair was in its natural state of red.  This summer camp was the answer to my awkwardness and it gave me a sense of belonging.  I lived there, I breathed there and I carry that with me into 2010.  I sometimes forget what an impact this place had in my life, but when I run into a former Stagedoor camper, there's a sense of comfort.  They more than understand the magic that is Stagedoor Manor.  (And a big thanks to Mickey Rapkin for bringing all of that back to me--READ his book!)

If you want to see a great video about the camp, check out a post I did this summer on the CBS News piece. (I even make a cameo!)  I'll see you tomorrow with highlights from my lightning fast trip to NYC to host Women's Health Magazine's Are You Game? at Pier 46 over the weekend.

     

Weekly Wrap-Up

Welcome to Friday the 13th!  Is it supposed to be a lucky day or an unlucky one?  Since it has been a great week, I am going to vote that it is going to be a good one for us all.  Here's a wrap-up of this week's events:

Sunday:  Thanks to all of you that read and commented on my Sunday excursion to the Hollywood Bowl to see Rent.  You had a lot to say about Vanessa Hudgens as Mimi and I was thrilled to hear how many of you attended the show.  It warms my theatre geek heart.  Speaking of theatre geeks, I have always been one.  In fact, CBS News did a great piece on my theatre camp, Stagedoor Manor.  A little 15-year-old me even made the clip.  Stop at 4:28 and see if you can pick me out of the line-up:

Monday:  I spent Monday morning at the movie theatre watching Step Up 3D for Jenn Page's Movie Review Round Table.  Before you start to groan, watch the review video and remember, Jon M. Chu of The LXD directed this movie:

Tuesday:  I am in the running in Logitech's "Host with the Most".  If I win, I get to host my own show on Google TV from a beautiful loft in downtown LA.  Tough job, right?  Well, I need your votes!  You do need to have a Facebook account to vote, so if you think I would be right for the job, head here:  Logitech Host.  (And here's a secret, the site tells me who voted.  I've gotten a few chuckles that people have claimed to have voted, but they really didn't.  Facebook doesn't lie. Haha!)

Wednesday:  It's another week with Broadcom and MoreWireLess and I think we are down to the last couple of videos.  I know, I know, I keep saying that, but I think it was supposed to be ten episodes and now it is twelve.  The good news?  I finally change my shirt. Check out the wardrobe change, it's green this time.  Oh yeah, and you will learn about transferring files using Bluetooth:

I also found out that my panel proposal for SXSW Interactive had been accepted.  The title of my proposal is "Hosted Web Series:  New Opportunities for Creativity".  If you are planning on heading down to Austin and would like to attend this panel, well, yep, I need your vote again.  Sigh.  I know it is a lot to ask.  Here is the link to the panel.  I will also keep an icon up on my blog to remind you if you would like to do it another day.  Thanks!

The crazy selections at Voodoo Doughnuts...Cocoa Puffs, M&M's, Butterfinger doughnut, anyone?

The infamous Maple Bacon Bar.  Yum.

Thursday:  I am here in Portland for The Dew Tour this weekend.  I am hoping for a Shaun White sighting since I love anything related to the Olympics.  I almost had a heart attack when a co-worker asked, "Who's Shaun White?".  Do you know who Shaun White is?  Just wondering if I am out of line for thinking most people in their 20's and 30's would know who he is.  I digress. If you are in Portland.  Make sure to make a visit to Voodoo Doughnuts for their signature Maple Bacon bar. (Um, there is even a cock and balls doughnut for you adventurous types.)  Yep.  I said bacon and it is delicious.  The wait can be long, but you won't be disappointed.  I first learned about it on The Amazing Race.  The store was a stop along the way.  Remember, "The Magic is in the Hole".  

Friday:  Here is where all of the fun stuff begins.  

      1.  If you are interested in the digital space, check out Digital Chick TV for shows that produced by women.  They have a great list of web series and solid descriptions of each show.  

      2.  My lovely pal, Kristoffer Kelly, wants me on Entertainment Tonight to replace outgoing host, Mary Hart.  Why it might be a long shot, he started a Facebook page for me.  I'm flattered.

      3.  GIVEAWAY!:  If you haven't entered yet, head on over to my Online Shopping post.  I am giving away an amazing pair of City Slips.  They are perfect to slip into your bag and pull out when those high heels start to pinch.  You have until August 19th to enter.  Good luck!

Have a great weekend and I'll see you back here at Red Carpet Closet on Monday!

Behind the Scenes of MERRIme.com

We made it to Episode 20! Thank you for watching and keeping up the momentum of The Web Files. We strive to bring you the best in web series, web celebs, and new media creators. I know we haven't covered it all and our list of shows to interview continues to grow. I think it is a good sign of growth in this industry.

I have to say that I love this show, MERRIme.com. It fits into my Sex and the City sensibility. While Carrie and Samantha have moved on to the big screen, Merri comes along and fills in that chick TV mold. Kaily Smith and David Weidoff have done an incredible job with this web series. It was filmed under their production company umbrella,Red Ladders Entertainment, "dedicated to developing and producing new works for Film, TV, Theatre, and the Web." As a viewer and a fan of Web TV, what stands out to me is their high production value. Kaily and David have openly discussed acquiring financing for MERRIme.com and they worked with a budget of under $50,000. It may sound like a huge budget, but Kaily reminded me that each episode cost around $2500. When you phrase it like that, it really demonstrates the quality of work that can be done on a smaller budget.

Overall, it is a well-produced series too. The writing is tight, they hired a publicist to get the word out to higher profile publications, they entered both iTVFest and NY Television Festival, and they called in some favors to a few name actors. I am not saying these are the right steps for every web series, but I am seeing benefits to the festival circuit after talking with Nick Carlton of Oz Girl, Jeremy Redleaf of Odd Jobs, and Kaily and David. I think the festivals are really putting web series producers on the map.

My favorite photo from the shoot: Makeup Artist, Melissa Anchondo, applying makeup to David Weidoff as a bus passes by on Ventura. Hollywood is so glamorous!

Some of the fun footage that wound up on the editing room floor includes Kaily and I singing a bit of musical theatre. Maybe it is better it wound up there? No way! We both attended the famed musical theatre summer camp, Stagedoor Manor. If you listen to the two of us talk, it truly was some of the best summers of our lives. It is hard to explain if you didn't attend, but talk to any of Stagedoor alumni....Jon Cryer, Zach Braff, Mandy Moore, Natalie Portman, Josh Charles, and they will tell you the same thing. We are all musical theatre geeks at heart.

This episode was shot at Vivian's Millenium Cafe in Studio City in their backyard patio. We had to battle the noise from a furniture construction shop on the other side. They did not want to stop working while we shot the episode, but I think we won in the end. It was also our first episode with e.l.f. Cosmetics as our official sponsors, so we appreciate them joining The Web Files fold. Finally, check out our 20th episode with MERRIme.com. Thanks for watching!