From John Horan Jr.’s review in the Northern Virginia Daily:

MIDDLETOWN — Wayside Theatre strikes gold with “Striking 12.”

Sure, it’s a holiday musical, but after this sweltering summer, the mere thought of colder times is a welcome tonic, an itch the Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre also scratched with its production of “White Christmas” in July. And “Striking 12″ is definitely cool. A most unusual show, it’s a small-scale musical, ably performed by a gifted trio, that both captivates and resonates on several levels.

Sara K. Story in STRIKING 12

Also, we just heard about a high school production starting rehearsals in Dayton, OH for a holiday run…and starring in the show is Michael Canada, shown here rehearsing his vocal for “Fine, Fine, Fine” after winning a local contest to compete in American Idol. Click on the picture for video and full story. Fun!

American Idol contestant Michael Canada rehearsing "Fine, Fine, Fine"

Once again, Bren and Val have 1 1/2 songs in this film, just like in last year’s TINKER BELL & THE LOST TREASURE: for this year’s film (the third in the Tink series), we wrote the opening/closing song, which is called “Summer’s Just Begun,” and co-wrote a lovely lullaby with composer Joel McNeely called “Come Flying With Me.”

We think the movie is quite good, and look forward to seeing it at the wrap party in a few days. The official release date is September 21, but if you’re interested in this weekend’s sneak preview screenings, go here. It looks like they overbook the events deliberately so the houses will be full – so early arrival appears to be key…

Angels 4 Ana Benefit Concert
Monday, June 7, 2010
8:00 PM
Boston Court Performing Arts Center
70 N Mentor Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106

Use the promo code “GROOVELILY” to get $30 tickets, here.

Sir Ernest Shackleton

Mfitzgerald@ljp.org

The location is Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre – at La Jolla Playhouse at 8 PM on Wednesday, June 16th.

Brendan and Val (and Gene, via video!) will be at this weekend’s gala 40th anniversary concert for TheatreWorks at the Mountain View Performing Arts Center, along with David Henry Hwang, Jeanine Tesori, Paul Gordon, Vienna Teng and others. We had thought it was a donors-only affair – but the theater has just released some last-minute promo ticket offers:

From TheatreWorks:
A special offer…
Buy one ticket, get one FREE!
Call 650.463.1960 now, and mention code “Brendan & Valerie.”

Offer expires May 7 at 5 PM.
Phone orders only. Not valid on prior purchases.
Subject to availability.

GALA 40
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Cocktail Reception – 7:30 PM
Concert – 8:30 PM
Post-Show Dessert
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA 94041

Click here for more details.

Kimmel Center Presents GrooveLily In Concert
Kimmel Center’s Innovation Studio
300 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
May 19, 2010
7:30 PM
215.893.1999

Kimmel Center

From the Kimmel Center’s press release:

Red carpet attire is a must as the Kimmel Center presents three star studded events on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, as part of the spring fundraiser supporting the Kimmel Center’s Educational offerings.  All are invited to attend a rich array of cultural offerings, all in one night and under one glass rooftop.

Special concert packages and single tickets are available for the following concert experiences:

Classical music’s hottest rising star Gustavo Dudamel returns to Philadelphia to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic making their Verizon Hall debut.

Back by popular demand, sultry jazz/R&B chanteuse Lizz Wright performs her own standards and ballads in Perelman Theater.

New York-based theatrical power trio GrooveLily performs a montage of works on violin, piano and drums in Innovation Studio.

The spring fundraiser supports arts education at the Kimmel Center through innovative programs, such as the Curriculum-based Performing Arts Classes, Dance in the Schools initiative, Teen Summer Arts Camp, Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble, Community Education Partnerships and Initiatives, Arts Partners and Friday Live.

With vision and imagination, award-winning Brian Kappra of Evantine Design will transform the Kimmel Center Plaza into an environment that will move and inspire with a flurry of color, great banners and heartwarming images saluting Music Education and Community Partnerships.

VIP ticket holders will experience “red-carpet” cocktails and dinner created by award-winning Wolfgang Puck Chef Scott Drewno of the Source Restaurant, located at the Newseum in Washington D.C.  Following the concert, Chef Drewno will prepare an elaborate dessert menu in the Plaza, topped off with the even sweeter opportunity of a meet and greet with Conductor Gustavo Dudamel of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  To purchase VIP tickets, please contact Hilda Bacon at 215-670-2386 or hbacon@kimmelcenter.org

The other day I went to a class where there was some vaguely eastern-sounding music playing in the background, and I paid it little attention (I actually prefer it when there is no music because I get distracted)…until I suddenly heard a very familiar voice coming from the speakers: it was my grandfather!

Samuel Vigoda

Samuel Vigoda was a world-renowned cantor, who concertized until the age of 96 and was a true rock star among orthodox Jews. He was a prolific composer and brilliant musician, active—and quite a diva (divo?) as well, he’d be the first to admit—right up until he passed away at the age of 98.

After his death, his voice and music were chosen to be part of the gorgeous traveling multimedia exhibition Ashes and Snow, with a hauntingly beautiful track called “The Absence of Time.” (The underlying string parts were written by Heiner Goebbels and performed by the Eastwestern String Ensemble.) You can hear it at the beginning of this film clip from the exhibit, or sans visuals, here.

I am always astonished and captivated by the beauty of my grandfather’s singing; and this timeless track is a particularly stunning example. I’m not at all surprised that the yoga teacher told me that her students frequently request “that Ashes and Snow song”…or that, while listening to its glorious ethereal melody, I was inspired with new energy of all kinds; doing those yoga moves felt like dancing on a cloud. I also felt a kind of filial pride…Grandpop Sam’s music has now been heard by many millions, not only of his own generation but those born more than a full century after he was.

I can only hope that my work has anything approaching that kind of lasting significance. Meanwhile, I keep practicing yoga.

Méav Ni Mhaolchatha will be singing “Where the Sunbeams Play,” a closing-credits song for the movie TINKER BELL AND THE LOST TREASURE that we wrote with brilliant composer and great guy Joel McNeely. Méav will be performing as part of the “Celtic Music: A Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration” concert with the New York Pops.

Joel will be there, flying in for the event from LA; it’s a first for him as well. If you get to go to the concert, please tell us all about it!

The venerable old building itself