by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 24, 2011
Barry Lubin as Grandma
I’ve known Grandma The Clown for as long as I’ve known the Big Apple Circus. Grandma is as much a part of that circus arena as the sawdust and the trapeze rigging. But it wasn’t until I saw the PBS documentary CIRCUS that I got to know Barry Lubin – the man underneath the gray wig and pearls. Meeting Barry Lubin through the six part series was a wonderful way to see exactly how much work goes into making people laugh year after year. It’s no easy job, and the life of a clown is serious business.
Last week I spoke with Mark Gindick about Wing-Man which opens tonight and plays this weekend as part of The Brick’s Amuse Bouche 2011: A NY Clown Theatre Festival Hors d’Oeuvre. Today I follow up that interview by speaking with Barry, who directed the show. I’m thrilled that he was able to share his story with us and give us a glimpse into his world. Read on to find out what it takes to be Mark’s Wing-Man, how Barry makes a 20,000 person venue feel intimate, and how getting out of his own way is when the magic happens. Continue Reading…
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 18, 2011
Morro and Jasp Gone Wild is what happens to two teen sisters when, on their way to the beach for Spring Break, they take a wrong turn and find themselves with a wrecked car, a trunk full of props, a book outlining Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy some possibly mood altering substances, and the threat of being eaten (or possibly just cuddled) by a wild animal.
So, a quick run-down on Morro (Heather Marie Annis) and Jasp (Amy Lee) for the uninitiated – (“the uninitiated” being anyone who didn’t happen to catch their show Morro and Jasp do Puberty at last year’s Clown Festival). They are sisters. They are squarely plunked down on opposite ends of the spectrum: Jasp is a girly wide eyed innocent who dreams of have a romantic … dare I say romantical … encounter at the beach a la Sandy from Grease with the boy of her dreams while her sister, Morro is a hard core tom boy rock and roll party girl who couldn’t care less about romance. She just wants to drink some smuggled beer, and have some fun with her team as they compete in a “Save the Fish” volleyball tournament. While both sisters have different reasons propelling them they share the same frenzied desire to get to the beach. To GO WILD. It’s just your basic teen story of raging hormones as two sisters live the dream, mark off the milestones, and let the chaotic hilarity ensue when it all goes wrong. Except, you know … they’re clowns.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 16, 2011
Mark Gindick in Wing-Man (Photo by Florence Montmare)
If you were lucky enough to catch the PBS documentary Circus then you’ve already met Mark Gindick whose antics as a Big Apple Circus clown were prominently featured in that six-part mini series which followed the lives of the performers and crew during their 2008 season. Or, you may have been lucky enough to see Mark perform live as he captured Big Apple Circus audiences with his delightful Singing In The Rain routine alongside Grandma The Clown (Barry Lubin).
Of course, you may have caught any one of a number of Mark’s other great performances with Big Apple Circus or The New York Goofs. He’s also no stranger to The Brick’s Amuse Bouche having performed in their 2009 festival. He now returns to The Brick for this season’s Amuse Bouche as creator and performer of Wing-Man, a show directed by Barry Lubin. I was lucky enough to chat with these two very talented men to find out what it took to get Wing-Man off the ground.
Today I kick off the two part series with Mark. Read on to find out how he fell into clowning, what set him on the path that changed his life, and what he’s most excited about for this year’s Amuse Bouche …
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 14, 2011
The Thornhills of Park Avenue (L-R: Bill Connington, Anthony Haden-Guest, Juliette Bennett)
We recently wrote about Bill Connington’s success with his award winning play, Zombie (based on the novella by Joyce Carol Oates). The short film based on the play- winner of “Best Short Film (Horror)” at the Washington D.C. International Film Festival will be shown as part of The Williamsburg International Film Festival — Knitting Factory | 9/23/2011 | 12 AM – and (if you’re down that way) at The Atlanta Horror Film Festival in a few days on September 16.
In Zombie Connington plays a mild-mannered “normal-seeming” serial killer who abducts innocent victims and attempts to turn them into his zombie slaves.
But if that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea the versatile Connington will flex his comic muscles for you as an upscale Society investment banker trying to discover the meaning of life in the short film The Thornhills of Park Avenue. Written by Connington the film co-stars Juliette Bennett and Anthony Haden-Guest.
“A young Park Avenue couple invites a British writer and cartoonist for cocktails. Quips and satire ensue. The story is: what is more important: money or happiness? The answer? Cocktails, apparently…”
The Thornhills of Park Avenue will be screened at the Somewhat North of Boston Film Festival (Sept 15 – 18 / Concord New Hampsire) on September 17th.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 14, 2011
Lauren Hennessy (photo by Cathryn Lynne / WWW.CATHRYNLYNNEPHOTO.COM)
It’s no secret that Mariah MacCarthy’s beautiful Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story struck a deep chord with me; I loved so many things about it. For me it was one of the highlights of this season’s Fringe Festival. So when the wonderful Lauren Hennessy was the recipient of an award for overall excellence for her work as Romeo I was thrilled that this talented woman was being recognized for her remarkable skills as not only an actress but as an overall performer. In MacCarthy’s Ampersand Romeo is a rock singer with a devoted following … and the minute Hennessy takes the stage there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that she’s got the goods to pull it off.
The Fringe dust has settled, and I was able to chat with Lauren to find out how much of Romeo is really Lauren, how she feels about working with the talent Mariah MacCarthy … and just which role she’d love to play if anything were possible. Read on …
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 11, 2011
If you were a bird and your entire kingdom consisted of the tiny cage where you slept, ate, drank, preened and otherwise just hung out you’d feel really threatened if another bird came along and tried to knock you off your perch, as it were. Let alone another bird with habits, styles and affectations much different from yours. If you were that bird, you’d feel threatened. Annoyed. Face it, you’d be Flocked.
Flocked, now playing at the Brick Theatre as part of Amuse Bouche A NY Clown Theatre Festival Hors d’Oeuvre showcases a very tiny world – a birdcage – and a very big theme: control.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 31, 2011
Earlier this week FringeNYC announced the 2011 Overall Excellence Award Winners and we at THM couldn’t have been happier to celebrate with the winners and congratulate them on their success. One standout for me was The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady which was definitely one of my favorites this year. I was lucky enough to get a moment with Stephen Garvey – writer of this fantastic show which takes one part Brady, one part Partidge, one part Shakespeare, and all parts groovy and mixes it together in a crazy plot worthy of Sherwood Schwartz on his best day. Read on to find out if Garvey is Team Brady or Team Partridge … see how creativity can spring in the most unlikeliest of places, and learn what the secret to a great mash-up really is …
Stephen Garvey!!! First of all, congratulations on winning the Ensemble Award! You’re in great company. It was clear from the first five minutes that your show was destined to win recognition, but did you see this award coming?
SG: Didn’t see it coming but so happy it came. We really lucked out with this cast. Director Jay Stern and I had to hold our auditions very late in the game, and we were nervous. Not only did we need to fill 18 roles, we needed actors who could sing, dance, be funny and manage to capture the spirit of the iconic characters they were playing. How we went 18 for 18 is nothing short of miraculous!
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 30, 2011
Monologues! Comedy! Improv! Ukulele music!
Friday, Sept. 2nd, 7-9pm
Hosted by award-winning playwright Monica Bauer (Outstanding New Script, MITF 2008; nominee writing for Best Solo Show, Planet Connections 2010; finalist, Heideman Award).
Performers include:
- playwright Monica Bauer performing the Breast Pride Movement from the Diet Monologues
- John Fico performing a monologue from his critically acclaimed performance in Made for Each Other
- Duncan Pflaster, master of the Broadway Ukulele
- and others!
Admission $8 (includes one free raffle ticket for a $100 Amazon.com Gift Certificate that will be raffled off that evening!)
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 29, 2011
Didn’t get a chance to see some of the Fringe shows everyone was raving about? Wish there was another shot at seeing some of the plays THM reviewers couldn’t get enough of? Well now’s your chance! 18 Hit FringeNYC Shows Return in September! Beginning September 9th, the FringeNYC Encore Series will take place at the SoHo Playhouse and The Players Theatre. All tickets are $18, available beginning August 29th. Call 866-468-7619 or click here.
SOHO PLAYHOUSE
- After Anne Frank: Sat 9/10 @ 4:30pm, Sat 9/17 @ 4, Wed 9/21 @ 8pm, Fri 9/23 @ 9:30pm.
- facebook me: Sun 9/11 @ 2pm, Sat 9/17 @ 2pm, Sun 9/18 @ 2pm, Sat 9/24 @ 9:30pm, Sun 9/25 @ 2pm.
- The More Loving One: Sun 9/11 @ 7:30pm, Wed 9/14 @ 9pm, Tue 9/20 @ 8pm, Thu 9/22 @ 9:30pm, Mon 9/26 @ 8pm.
- Fourteen Flights: Mon 9/12 @ 8pm, Tue 9/13 @ 8pm, Thu 9/15 @ 9:30pm, Fri 9/16 @ 9pm, Sun 9/18 @ 7:30pm
- PigPen Presents The Mountain Song: Wed 9/14 @ 7pm, Sat 9/17 @ 9:30pm, Sun 9/19 @ 8pm, Sat 9/24 @ 5pm, Sun 9/25 @ 7:30pm.
HURON CLUB @ SOHO PLAYHOUSE
- Paper Cut: Fri 9/9 @ 7pm, Sat 9/10 @ 5pm, Sun 9/11 @ 7:30pm, Mon 9/12 @ 8pm, Tue 9/13 @ 8pm.
- You Only Shoot The Ones You Love: Fri 9/9 @ 9:30pm, Wed 9/14 @ 7pm, Thu 9/15 @ , Fri 9/16 @ 10pm.
- Bongani: Sat 9/17 @ 4:30pm, Sun 9/18 @ 5pm, Mon 9/19 @ 8pm, Wed 9/21 @ 8pm.
- Who Loves You Baby?: Sun 9/18 @ 7:30pm, Tue 9/20 @ 8pm, Thu 9/22 @ 8pm, Sun 9/25 @ 7:30pm.
PLAYERS THEATRE
- I Will Be Good: Fri 9/9 @ 7pm, Sun 9/11 @ 4pm, Sat 9/24 @ 5pm, Sun 9/25 @ 6pm.
- Araby: Sat 9/10 @ 5pm, Sun 9/11 @ 6pm, Sun 9/18 @ 7pm, Mon 9/19 @ 7pm.
- Felony Friday: Sat 9/10 @ 7:30pm, Sun 9/11 @ 8pm, Tue 9/13 @ 7:30pm, Thu 9/15 @ 9:30pm.
- Pearl’s Gone Blue: Fri 9/9 @ 9:30pm, Fri 9/16@ 9:30pm, Mon 9/19 @ 9pm, Sun 9/25 @ 8pm.
- The Legend of Julie Taymor,or The Musical That Killed Everybody!: Wed 9/14 @ 7pm, Thu 9/15 @ 7pm, Fri 9/16 @ 7pm, Sat 9/17 @ 7pm, Sat 9/17 @ 10:30pm.
- Parker & Dizzy’s Fabulous Journey to the End of the Rainbow: Wed 9/14 @ 9:30pm, Sun 9/18 @ 9pm, Wed 9/21 @ 9pm, Fri 9/23 @ 7pm, Sat 9/24 @ 10pm.
- COBU – Dance like Drumming, Drum like Dancing: Sat 9/17 @ 5pm, Sat 9/24 @ 3:30pm
- Noir: Sun 9/18 @ 4pm, Tues 9/20 @ 7pm, Thu 9/22 @ 7pm.
- Jersey Shoresical: A Frickin’ Rock Opera: Wed 9/21 @ 7pm, Thu 9/22 @ 10pm, Fri 9/23 @ 10:30pm, Sat 9/24 @ 8pm, Sun 9/25 @ 4pm.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 28, 2011
We’re thrilled to pass along the Overall Excellence Award Winners for 2011 FringeNYC. Some of our very favorite shows and performers are being celebrated and we’re so thankful that we were able to experience these talented performances this year. Congratulations to all the winners!
***
August 28, 2011 — Winners of the 2011 FringeNYC Overall Excellence Awards, as selected by an independent panel of nearly 50 theater professionals, are as follows:
Overall Production/Play
- PigPen Presents The Mountain Song
- What we said: As always the only disappointment with PigPen is when the play is over; it’s hard to watch them leave the stage – the same way it is hard for a child to watch that
favorite relative go home at the end of a giddy day of make-believe. The good news is PigPen is relocating to New York City so those who can’t get enough of them will now be able to see them a lot more. And as long as they’ll be putting on shows, I’ll be in the audience, watching: amazed and dazzled.
- The More Loving One
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