G r o o v e L i l y E - N e w s # 5 1
December 2007
A Mostly Monthly E-Newsletter by and about GrooveLily
Valerie Vigoda: vocals/violin
Brendan Milburn: keys/vocals
Gene Lewin: drums/vocals
Happy holidays, everyone - and thanks for an amazing 2007. Details on “Striking 12″ in NYC between Christmas and New Year’s, “Sleeping Beauty Wakes” Ovation wins, extremely large T-shirts, various fun press and YouTube items, and warm fuzzies going out to you, below.
1. Ovation Awards: WE WON!
2. “Striking 12″ At Zipper Dec 27-31: Tickets Going Fast/New Year’s Eve
3. S12 Is Featured Holiday Pick In New Yorker, NY Times, NJ Star-Ledger
4. You Asked For ‘Em: XXL “Screwed-Up People” Shirts Available Now
5. Pomona Magazine Feature Article On Brendan
6. Website Design Update: Coming Early 2008
7. Fun YouTube Find: Val With Joe Jackson (Sessions @ West 54th Street)
8. Department Of Gratitude - YOU
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1. Ovation Awards: WE WON!
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It was an incredible evening. Our show “Sleeping Beauty Wakes” was nominated for 10 Ovation Awards (the Los Angeles Tonys)…and we won two, including the one we had most hoped for, which was World Premiere Musical. This award, given to the writing team (Brendan, Val and Rachel Sheinkin), was the very last one given out at the ceremony - and it means a lot for the future of our show. Brendan also won for Musical Direction.
The Vigoda/Milburn house is now adorned with two lovely lucite statuettes, stored on a shelf far out of Mose’s reach.
Here’s a rare photo of Val and Brendan in formal wear.
http://www.broadwayworld.com
(scroll all the way down to the LAST pic!)
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2. “Striking 12″ At Zipper Dec 27-31: Tickets Going Fast/New Year’s Eve
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If you’re in NYC, or planning to visit for the holidays, now’s the time to get your tickets for “Striking 12″ at the Zipper.
December 27, 28, 29 & 31
“STRIKING 12″ in concert
THE ZIPPER FACTORY
336 West 37th Street
New York, NY
8 PM, $35 tickets
www.thezipperfactory.com
212.352.3101
Clarification: there has been some confusion about New Year’s Eve, with the 8 PM show and what’s going on afterwards. Here’s the deal:
BEFORE the show, there is a special prix-fixe dinner at the adjoining Zipper Tavern, which is a sit-down dinner. We encourage you to do this, because we know the food there is fantastic - but since it’s BEFORE the show, we won’t be there to join you.
AFTER the show, we plan to meet and greet in the lobby/bar area for a little while, and then repair to the Tavern for food/drinks/relaxing/ringing in the New Year with alla youse. It is NOT, however, a sit-down dinner - it’s more of a party with passed food and open bar all night, with a cover charge. If you are interested in this option, definitely let the Zipper know you are a GL fan and there may be a discount (as of today, we have not heard final word on this).
These are all separate options - it is completely fine to come for “Striking 12″ only. Dinner, drinks or none of the above, we will be delighted to see you at the show!!
Tickets are on sale now, and details are available at www.GrooveLily.com/index2.html
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3. S12 Is Featured Holiday Pick In New Yorker, NY Times, NJ Star-Ledger
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Many thanks to Bill Coyle from the Zipper for making these all happen.
1. New York Times: Charles Isherwood will highlight the show (currently the photo pick) in the weekly WEEK AHEAD column in Arts & Leisure on Sunday, 12/23.
2. New Jersey Star-Ledger: S12 is the photo pick in Michael Sommer’s Sunday column for this past weekend, Sunday 12/16.
3. New Yorker: S12 is a Holiday Theater Pick in the Holiday Issue, on stands as of November 19.
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4. You Asked For ‘Em: XXL “Screwed-Up People” Shirts Available Now
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Calling all big and tall GL fans! Due to popular demand for these extra-extra roomy comfy T-shirts, here they are.
www.GrooveLily.com/merchandise
(scroll down to find the shirts)
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5. Pomona Magazine Feature Article On Brendan
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Brendan’s alma mater, Pomona College, is very proud of her own. Many students and faculty came to see “Sleeping Beauty Wakes” in LA, the college invited Brendan to speak last spring (his first honorarium), and now the alumni magazine has featured him (and Val) in a lovely 4-page spread.
“Once Upon a Musical” - The fractured fairy tale world of Brendan Milburn ‘93
Full Story Here:
http://www.pomona.edu/Magazine
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6. Website Design Update: Coming Early 2008
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Our move to a new blogging site is progressing nicely. We have enlisted the help of graphic designer Michelle Aptman and code monkey Dan Coulter, who is creating WordPress templates and plug-ins for a group of like-minded bands and artists: Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm and Jim Boggia. As we inch closer to our unveiling, we are getting more and more excited about all the possibilities here, for easy downloading, selling songs directly from the site, more/better interactivity with our friends and listeners, and a place to showcase fan-created content (like the wild videos we’ve seen on YouTube these past few months)…it’s gonna be great. Stay tuned!
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7. Fun YouTube Find: Val With Joe Jackson (Sessions @ West 54th Street)
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Going way back to 1997, here are some videos of Val in Joe Jackson’s band. On the tour, it was just Val, Joe and Elise Morris (the other keyboard player shown here) - so on the road, Val got to play all the violin parts and sing the soprano vocals…but on this TV show, it’s a much larger group, including performers from the “Heaven & Hell” album (Jane Siberry, Dawn Upshaw, Joy Askew, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies, and more). You can spot Val at the keyboard, sporting shoulder-length blonde hair and her long-lost engagement ring.
The seven deadly sins, in order from least to most deadly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
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8. Department Of Gratitude: You
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2007, which marks the 10-year anniversary of Val/Brendan/Gene (and the 13th year since Val started the band!), has been an incredible year for us…and you have had everything to do with that. If you’ve known us for a long time, you’ve stuck with us as our music and career focus have evolved, changed and changed some more - and we appreciate it more than we can say. If you’re new to GrooveLily, we are delighted to welcome you to our community. Every time we read an appreciative email from you, or see your smiling face at the merch table after a show, or receive a CD order online, we are reminded that we are on the right track, and that we should keep going. Thank you. We have high hopes that 2008 will be even better, and we look forward to sharing it with you.