by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 25, 2011
I’d say that Mark Gindick had me at “hello” with his one-man comedy performance Wing-Man (directed by Barry Lubin) but he actually never said “hello”. In fact, he didn’t say anything. For a solid hour Mark Gindick doesn’t really say a word but as surely as he arrives on the scene with a rose and a heart-shaped box of candy there’s no mistaking that he’s there to win your heart. And frankly, were I not happily married I’d readily have given my heart (and a kiss – but more on that in a minute) to this man as easily as I gave him my laughter — because Mark Gindick just happens to be that engaging, magnetic and sweet. And frankly, if anyone deserves your love, it’s him.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 25, 2011
I don’t even know how to start explaining how or why Neon Lights (created and performed by Chris Manley and Jeff Seal) became the show that had me laughing so hard that I was literally wheezing. Truthfully, if I gave you a rundown of everything they did in their act it would sound like I’m describing a show where two crazy lunatics mostly run around the stage for around an hour performing foolish antics, emitting crazy noises, flipping themselves around like pinballs and telling nonsensical stories – all for a laugh. But you know how some people open their mouth to hit a high note and it sounds like a screech – but when Pavarotti did the same thing it was magic? Yeah. That’s Neon Lights. Somehow, they’ve found the magic. Or – as they would tell you – the Magik.
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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 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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