Where Where Were You On the Night Of : An Interview with the Creators of Murder for Two

Our journey into the minds of Murder for Two, A Killer Musical co-creators Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair continues. Today, we discover how the show has changed over the past year and a half.

Hear some more...

                    Part 1                                        Part 2                                        Part 3

     

  
Don't miss your chance to see the West Coast premiere of Murder for Two, a Killer Musical. Playing Nov. 3 through Nov. 21, 2010 at the Eureka Theatre.  For tickets, call (415) 255-8207 or click here.

Life Upon the Wicked Stage: The Actors of Once in a Million Moons

As we prepare for Once in a Million Moons: A Jerome Kern Salon, I thought it would be interesting to find out who has the most previous experience with Kern.  Below, you'll find our cast and which Kern shows they have been in, and which is their favorite Kern Song.

	Rebecca Luker* (Special Guest Star) Rebecca is considered one of the great interpreters of Kern's music.  And no wonder: in her career she has performed in productions of Leave It to Jane, Music in the Air, Sunny, and of course her Tony-nominated role in the 1994 Broadway Revival of Show Boat, as well as on a number of Kern recordings(Jerome Kern Treasury, Jerome Kern in London and Hollywood, Broadway Showstoppers, and Early Kern). What's Rebecca's favorite Kern Song? Well, here's our version from the West Coast Premiere of Very Warm for May.
	Pierce Peter Brandt* (Performer) Though Pierce has worked on Broadway (Les Misérables and Martin Guerre), National Tours and right here at 42nd Street Moon (Fanny, Redhead, Kiss the Boys Goodbye), Once in a Million Moons represents Pierce's first "Kern Show". What's Pierce's favorite Kern song?  Hmm, find out below!
	Debbie de Coudreaux* (Performer) and Rebecca are old buddies, both having performed in the 1994 revival of Show Boat on Broadway.  Debbie also performed an evening of Kern with the East Bay Symphony last year. Irene Dunne sings Debbie's favorite Kern tune from the movie version of Roberta.
	Bill Fahrner* (Performer) is no stranger to Kern.  For Moon, Bill has performed in Sweet Adeline, The Cat & the Fiddle (twice), Roberta (twice), Very Warm for May (three times!), and the American Premiere concert version of Three Sisters.  Bill also appears on the 42nd Street Moon recording, The First Rose of Summer. Like Rebecca, Bill has a fondness for "All the Things You Are," in fact that's him singing with Sarah Kathleen Farrell, and the cast of Very Warm for May.
	Alexandra Kaprielian* (Performer) if you work for Moon for any length of time, you're going to be in a Kern show, it's just how it is.  Alexandra has appeared in the American Premiere of   The Cabaret Girl, as well as Very Warm for May, and with Rebecca Luker in 42nd Street Moon's Jerome Kern Gala.  She is also featured on our 42nd Street Moon recording of early Kern, The First Rose of Summer. "You Are Love" is all the rage with Alexandra. Listen to Bob Merrill sing his heart out.
	Greg MacKellan* (Host/Director) Greg has a fondness for Kern having produced, directed, and performed in a number of Jerome Kern’s works.   Kern’s daughter, Betty, advised him when he produced two Kern CDs: Early Kern and Jerome Kern in London in Hollywood.  His Kern directing credits include Sitting Pretty, The Cat & the Fiddle, and Roberta, and he’ll be restoring and directing Kern and Hammerstein’s Three Sisters for Moon next season. Greg has also been seen in Oh Lady, Lady! and Very Warm for May. Greg and Pierce share a common love for a Kern melody... care to guess which it is?
	Michael Scott Wells (Performer) is not only making his 42nd Street Moon debut with Once in a Million Moons, but his Kern debut as well! The men of this company really love "Some Girl on Your Mind," in addition to both Greg and Pierce, this is Michael's favorite Kern gem as well.

42nd Street Moon presents Once in a Million Moons: A Jerome Kern Salon. At the Alcazar Theatre, 650 Geary St (@ Levenworth). One night only, October 28, 2010.  For tickets call (415) 255-8207 or click here.

Just the Facts Ma'am: An Interview with the Creators of Murder for Two

Join Kellen Blair (Book / Lyrics) and Joe Kinosian (Book / Music) -- in part three of this multi-part interview -- as they discuss their musical theatre influences and why Murder for Two, a Killer Musical will be a hit with 42nd Street Moon's audience.

Need to catch up?

Part 1                                                    Part 2

  

If you'd like to see Murder for Two, a Killer Musical, get your tickets early.  This West Coast Premiere has a limited run and will sell out!  Call (415) 255-8207 or see our website.

Confessions of a Teenaged Theatre Geek

When I was 14, I hated musicals.  I didn't know who Stephen Sondheim was.  Heck, I didn't even know who Andrew Lloyd Webber was, and I didn't understand what was causing this phenomenon around something called Les Miz. The only musicals I really liked as a kid were The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins. 

I have no excuse; I was a late bloomer.

Then fate intervened.

My English class was brought to the theatre auditorium to watch a "teaser" of my high school’s play.  A comedy called Play On by Rick Abbott (not the musical, that would come years later). I remember thinking two things, 1) I don't like theatre... theatre is dumb, and 2) but this is funny and everyone onstage looks like they are having a lot of fun.  

I had a difficult time reconciling those two things that afternoon.

But fate is fickle and it wasn't done with me, yet.

I was flipping through channels, since reruns weren’t doing it for me, and came across this bizarre show on KQED, or as I called it back then "Channel 9".

A girl was singing, not dancing, just singing.  And the story looked familiar… it looked like Little Red Riding Hood. 

The weirdest part was I was enjoying it.  This wasn't a movie musical, this was a real, actual musical (even if it was on TV) and I was enjoying it.  I sat transfixed. I watched the rest of Act 1 and all of Act 2 of American Playhouse’s Into the Woods.

It was the first time I'd ever seen a musical where the music actually seemed important to me. The music was mixed into the action. People didn't just stop and start to sing and dance. Yes they were singing, but most of the time it seemed like dialogue.

Maybe I had this musical stuff wrong. What was this all about? Who wrote this show?

Hadn't that Drama teacher said that they were going to need help on the next production? Maybe I should get involved.

And I did. I joined Drama Club at the end of my freshman year.  It wasn't a school big on musicals, in fact we only did one while I was there.  But it was an easy springboard from Drama Club to devouring musicals.  Starting of course with Stephen Sondheim, the man whom I thought had crafted the perfect (and for a time only good) musical.

It would take me a few more years to learn about Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, and the others.  I lived on the CastRec Listserv (an email group for people who liked Cast Recordings), spent most of my extra money on used cast recordings, and slowly realized that even Rodgers and Hammerstein and the other golden age musicals not only had a place in my collection, but were glorious.

Rodgers and Hammerstein weren’t "old hat," as I previously had believed.  They were the originators! The reason Sondheim was able to do what he did.  

But for me, it all started with Sondheim.  Sondheim brought me into musical theatre, a passion I have sustained ever since.  A passion that led me here to Moon!

And that's why I was so excited to find out that we were going to be producing a Sondheim show this season.  Since Sondheim is the composer that brought me to musicals and 18 years later, 42nd Street Moon; I believe that Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will do the same for others.  Bring new audiences to fall in love with Musical theatre, and fall in love with Moon.  

If you have a friend that thought the way I did…  bring them to see Forum, I’ll bet Sondheim will transform their lives (maybe just a little) like he did mine!

Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Megan Cavanagh, plays through Oct 24th at the Eureka Theatre.  For tickets call 415 255 8207, or avoid box office fees and buy online.

A Funny Plot Happened on the Way to the Forum

Alas, it is that time, the season is upon us.

Forum rehearsals started last night and MoonSpace (42nd Street Moon's administrative and rehearsal space) is jumping.

In this era of digital gossip, minute by minute updates, and texts replacing phone calls, I thought "How would I tweet about Forum?"

"How will I express what Forum is all about in just 140 characters.  I mean, after all, you can barely get the entire title of the show out in 140 characters!"

And then I thought, "You know... I'm not that clever, I should ask other people do it for me." And so I did.

Here are some plot tweets from our Facebook and Twitter friends!

1. "A Roman slave plays matchmaker to his master’s son and the courtesan next door. Eunuchs, maids, and dirty old men make comedy tonight. "
2. "Hilarity ensues as Plautus’ based Sondheim musical chockablock with prostitutes, freed slaves, soothsayers and cross-dressing is lovely."
3. "Sondheim+ Plautus=Roman farce gone wild. Ev’rybdy ought to see this show."
4. "Forum makes Plautus more fun as Pseudolus helps Hero win the girl next door. Hysterium will try to stay calm! If only he had a maid…"
5. "Not a lost classic, but will you be in the end"
6. "Slave dude (lady?) forgets the verses for the opening song while the rest worry about how their legs look in short togas." 

There you go... so... which do you think is the best?  Vote in our poll (on the right side of the blog page) and the winner will receive two tickets to opening night.  If you think you've got a better tweet-able plot, leave it as a comment!

Then join us for 42nd Street Moon's first show of the 18th Season, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Megan Cavanagh.  Playing at the Eureka Theatre Oct 6 - 24.  For more information and tickets (415) 255-8207 or click here.