Lots of guitars being played and good vibes abounded in this stellar reunion of the “tribes” with lots of love to go around and a few peace signs thrown in for good measure.

This event took me back to the first LOVE-IN reunion that was the brain child of Waller back on August 11, 2011 at Griffith Park by the Merry-Go-Round. Waller got OD’ed on mine and LA Free Press writer Aron Kay always remembering the good old days of the early LOVE-INs at Griffith Park and how much we missed the vibes, the music and many other (insert happy face) aspects of the original LOVE-INs back in the Sixties.

A lot of the same faithful “lovers” come each year that Waller has staged this event, and more have been added over these last 5 years. Just as former BEATLE Ringo’s first birthday “Peace & Love” event at Capital Records began with a few people in 2005, it has now grown to a few hundred.

Usually no one asks me what a LOVE-IN is when they politely ask me how I spent my weekend, but this time several did. I am totally surprised that there are people out there that have never heard of a LOVE-IN before. Every year there is celebrating over the anniversary of WOODSTOCK which is in my mind the biggest and longest LOVE-IN ever in the history of hippies. Yes that’s right, I was and still am a hippie. In fact I played a hippie in Edward James Olmos’ “AMERICAN ME” several years ago…a well cast role in my opinion. In fact, the East Indian embrodiered velvet bolero jacket that I wore in “AMERICAN ME" is a vintage piece which had been worn to LOVE-IN 2014 as well as a few LOVE-INs back in the Sixties.
Due to the fact that no one seems to understand what a LOVE-IN is let alone have a point of reference to this important part of Los Angeles history, I feel compelled to a give a brief accounting of my time at these events.

The first LOVE-IN was staged at Griffith Park by the Merry-Go-Round on Easter Sunday 1967. I had heard about it at a local, valley head shop and I am not certain whose idea it was, but it was a groovy one for sure. I hitch hiked there to attend in my hippie finery; holey jeans, love beads, boots and a black crocheted poncho over a see through black mesh blouse. Oh yes, must not forget that I was stinking of patchouli oil. To this day most fragrances that I put on end up smelling like patchouli oil since I wore so much of it back in the day…it kept my mother and brother away from me and off my back. Little surprise that I preferred to be with “smelly” hippies then with my own disapproving family on this fine Easter Sunday.

My time frame is a bit fuzzy, they say if you can remember you weren’t there, but I do remember the Conga and Djembe drums beating and because I was a Go Go Dancer the drums were always the first thing that beckened to me. There were God’s Eyes, incense, lots of dancing and lots of tripping.

Everyone came together to hang out peacefully and enjoy the music and the sharing of the groovy vibes. There was lots and lots of dancing and music being played over the course of the day. Crazy as it may seem there were a couple of skydivers that parachuted into the scene and it seems that they were a tad bit off of the mark.

I’m pretty sure that it was another time that the cast of “HAIR” came to peform for the LOVE-IN participants and Green Peace fed us. I still have a few buttons left from trading them at LOVE-INs.

The main theme that has stayed with me over the decades is that people were smiling and laughing. I don’t remember anyone not getting along or fighting, but do remember lots of hugging and giggling. I think that is what Kay and I miss so much...the LOVE. The vibe was chill and mellow to the point that it was possible to meditate in the midst of the celebration of LOVE.

And so dear friends that is a LOVE-IN as I remember it. I am eteranally grateful to Waller and Echols for gifting their friends with these yearly tribal LOVE-IN reunions. There may no longer be God’s Eyes or skydivers, but the vibe is still love and peace.

I have found out that there is a video on YouTube about the first Love-In in 1967 which was filmed by documentary film director Les Blank…happy hunting.

###

Recently went to the Hollywood Bowl to see Joshua Bell perform with and conduct the LA Philharmonic.

In all of the decades that I’ve been enjoying classical music concerts, I’ve never heard an instrument being played by the conductor. The instrument was a $4 million dollar Stradivarius violin which I’ve also never heard played before at a classical concert. The sounds that Bell coaxed out of that violin were ear candy to be sure.

This concert made me ask myself a question that needs to be answered: I’ve been told that there was a time in the music industry that record companies produced and recorded rock n’ roll music in order to support classical music recordings.

If so, is this still true today?

###

Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul. Plato

###

The weather was hot and steamy last week in LA and it was a hotter still last Friday night at The Brickhouse Theatre when I had the opportunity to see this terrific musical, Renewal.

But the production of ‘Renewal’ made the discomfort of the stifling heat well worth it, although I was grateful to be sat beneath the AC vent I can tell you!

The Brickhouse Theatre in NoHo is one of those smaller stages in LA where just about anything can happen, and usually does.

I had no expectations about this production, the show is new with only one previous short run in New York. But I have to tell you I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic and polished performances, the ‘retro’ staging and the fabulous vocals of this wonderful cast.

The story is centered around our leading lady Joanna.

An accomplished and successful Broadway star, Joanna is all set to fly away to Italy for her wedding to her Italian sweetheart leaving her career behind her, when fate steps in and she is hospitalized with terrible facial scaring after her taxi crashes on her way to the airport.

Her fiancé abandons her and it is left to her mother, her best friend, her psychiatrist and her shifty agent’s doting assistant to help her through her long and difficult recovery.

Renewal is about finding out what is truly important in life, and who…

The production is chock full of memorable and fun songs, great performances and hilarious turns by some wonderful character actors. Some find love, some find fame and some find themselves.

All in all this is a really fun night out. We should support this kind of theatre in LA. A new show with wonderful actors in a great neighborhood theatre. this is what NoHo is all about!

I highly recommend ‘Renewal’ at The Brickhouse Theatre 10950 Peach Grove Street, North Hollywood, 91601

The Show runs from August 7 through 30th
Friday and Saturday @ 7:30PM and Sunday @ 2PM

Cast
Juliette Angeli, Belinda Howell, *Kyle Kulish, Heather Lake, Rachel Manna, Linda Nile, Sam Tank, and Wally White (*appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association)

Crew
Cameron Stark, Ava Soltani, Auden Granger, John Lant, Tamara Pica, Jonathan Harrison, Anne Mesa, Jim Blanchette, Carlo Maghirang, Angela Acuna, Kurt Sinclair.

Enjoy one or all of these great activities that get you and your friends moving, making, and learning.

HOST A CRAFT NIGHT

A craft night is a great excuse to get together, and have some low-key fun without spending any money or resources. Have everyone bring their latest handmade project, or teach a friend a new skill. Or you can all learn a new craft together, using the hundreds of free tutorials on YouTube!

(photo credit: http://www.campodecahuenga.com)

LEARN ABOUT LOCAL HISTORY

Did you know that the Birthplace of Los Angeles is just down the road in Universal City? A quick Metro down from the Arts District, Campo de Cahuenga is open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays each month from 12pm to 4pm, and features Los Angeles history from 2000 B.C. to present day.

MAKE SOME FURRY FRIENDS

An awesome way to lend a helping hand can be as simple as spending some time with local shelter animals. Organizations like The Amanda Foundation are always looking for volunteers to walk, play and cuddle with their adoptable dogs and cats. Check out VolunteerMatch for more opportunities to give time.

And, if you already have a dog, you can enjoy a beautiful day with your pooch at one of LA’s many dog parks, beaches and dog-friendly hiking paths (list here).

WALK THE ANGELS WALK

Take an afternoon journey through the history of the NoHo Arts District with the Angels Walk, which I’ve written about before here.

Based on the play by Frank Wedekind.
Crafted by Michael KozacheI

I’ve been reviewing plays in NoHo for a couple of years now and I’ve seen a huge variety of productions. Shakespeare, Improv, modern classics, brand new material, vampire comedies, a huge variety.

But last Saturday night I attended the premier of Spring Awakening at the NoHo Arts Center and I have to say I can’t remember having a better time at a NoHo theatre, or any theatre in LA for that matter.

Of course it’s a gorgeous show full of incredible musical numbers and the story is dramatic and resonates with just about anyone, but more than this, Defy Theatre, in its first production ever, has taken on a multiple Tony award winning musical and just knocked it out of the park!

Every single actor is astoundingly good, Broadway good, West End good.

These rock songs are complex, and demand huge ranges and immense attitude and I cant tell you how impressed I was with every single production number. I was squirming in my seat impressed, I was unintentionally holding my breath for the entire length of a song impressed…I don’t recommend that by the way…

Defy Theatre truly committed to this production, with its ethos of “creating amazing works of theatre”…and ambitions to “aim for the heavens,” Spring Awakening at the NoHo Arts Center surely fulfills this prophecy.

The set was brilliant, the music fantastic. The orchestra they put together was remarkable, flawless and the balance of music and vocals, which is tricky to get right, was absolutely perfect.

This is a production worthy of any stage, in any major city anywhere in the world and that it was produced in a NoHo theatre shows just how far LA theatre has come and most especially how far the NoHo Arts district theatre has come.

It’s impossible for me to single out any one performance for individual praise.

It’s a big cast, and demands an outstanding commitment to the ensemble and with the caliber of actors gathered on stage its clear this commitment was a primary goal of the producers. There are some stars in this cast, that’s for sure, they all have tremendous careers ahead of them.

I cannot recommend this play enough, I have already emailed my friends!

Please, do yourself a huge favor and go and see “Spring Awakening” at The NoHo Arts Center, I can guarantee it will be one of the best productions you will see this year.

I can’t wait to see what Defy Theatre comes up with next!!

Spring Awakening runs until September 19th at The NoHo Arts Center. 11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, 91601.
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm.

Cast
Garett Ross - Melchlor Gabor
Lauren Shippen - Wendla Bergman
Jon Ash - Mortiz Stlefel
Monika Riskette - Ilse Neuman
Devlin Andrews - Hänschen Reallohn
Bryce Charles - Martha Bessell
Alex Allen - George Zirschintz
Gino Lee - Ernst Robel
Matthew Wells - Otto Lammermeier
Amanda Hootman - Anna
Betheny Badderden Thea
Melissa Strauss - Adult Female
Bradley Kuykendall - Adult Male

Orchestra
Wayne hildenbrand - Drums
Andy Moresi - Guitar
Richard Adkins - Violin
LaVette M Allen - Viola
Jeffrey Takiguchi - Bass
Rachel Coosaia Cello
Gabe Gonzalez - Guitar

Creative Team & Crew

Michael Kozachenzo - Director/Producer/Lighting designer
Doug Appleoff - Music Director
May Mitchell - Scenic Designer
Rouzuan Le - Costume Designer
Julia Pinhey - Sound Designer/Sound engineer
Justin Ryan Brown - Stage Manager
Noopur Anagol - Assistant Stage Manager
Steven Sater - Book & Lyrics
Duncan Sheik - Music
Ann Marie Milazzo - Vocal Arrangements
Simon Hole - String Orchestrations

The fact is, many people don't even breath at all while they are doing resistance exercises and this is the worst case scenario because it can cause dizziness, higher blood pressure and possibly even fainting.

So while it's important to make sure to just breath during your exercises, here's the best way to maximize the effectiveness of your sets.

1. Breath in just before engaging in your exercise set.

2. On the exertion part of the exercise (which is called the positive phase) you should exhale. In the case of an arm curl, that would be when you curl the weight up towards your shoulders / on a leg press machine exercise, that would be when you press the weight up/out.

3. On the non exertion part of the exercise (which is called the negative phase), you should inhale. (Some of my clients insist it's all exertion to them! Ha Ha) But for example, on a bench press exercise, this would be the part where you've already lifted the weight up, and you are lowering it back down towards your chest.

One of the most recognized standards for the tempo of performing an exercise would be 2 seconds on the exertion exhale (positive) phase, and 3-4 seconds on the inhale non exertion (negative) phase of the exercise.

Note: There are SuperSlow strength training set/repetition options that are popular and effective, and they require a different type of breathing process. The positive and negative phases of the exercise are performed on a 10 second count. Please consult with a Certified and Experienced Fitness Trainer for more details on SuperSlow Fitness Training.

Cheers,

Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
"Get Fit with Witt"
Individuals / Groups / Corporate
310.562.5629 Cell / 818.760.3891 Main
www.getfitwithWitt.com 
https://twitter.com/GetfitwithWitt  

* New Book "From Passion to Purpose"

* Hike the Holy Land: Join me March 28 - April 5, 2016

We always say the NoHo Arts District is only as great as it’s people. Meet Wes Gunn. He’s an artist that’s done some pretty amazing things. He has been a lead scenic artist and a sculptor on several large theme park projects, including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando; Transformers: The Ride 3D, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, and Fast and Furious: Supercharged at Universal Studios Hollywood. He has also worked on many commercials, short films, web series, and fine art projects as a scenic artist and sculptor. Wes is a member of the Art Directors Guild and will show his short film “Yotlungerdal” at Gallery 800 along with miniature sets, puppets, costumes and concept art.



WHAT: “Yotlungerdal” - the event is free.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 26 Doors open at 7PM, and screenings will be at 8PM and 9:30PM. The film is 25 minutes long.
WHERE: Gallery 800 in the Lankershim Arts Center 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, California 91601
INFO: The event is free - Yotlungerdal website

1. What is the film about?

A. The film begins in a little village, nestled in a forest, where the young Nightwatchman is beginning his job for the first time. In the middle of the night, he falls asleep, and a mysterious creature, the Yotlunger, creeps into the village and steals a baby. The Nightwatchman must form a search party and go after the Yotlunger, lest the child never be heard from again.

1. How'd you come up with the idea?

A. The idea for "Yotlungerdal" was born when I was a college student in the early 2000s. It was a very simple idea: a short, black and white, silent film, in the vein of German Expressionist classics, but, perhaps also with an air of comedy. The main story was roughly the same: a creature steals and baby, the townspeople go after it, and mayhem ensues. I thought it would be my first film, and I would use the talents of actors and theatres I knew in Florida. But then I wound up focusing all my efforts into my Fine Art degree and kind of forgot all about it.

2. What made you decide to do the film?

A. In the first few months of moving out to Los Angeles, my friend, Marielou Mandl, suggested I team up with John Ruff to make a movie. "If you've got an idea, we can film it!" she said. So a few weeks later, I was putzing around my apartment when I suddenly remembered my idea for this short film (which, at the time, did not have a title). "Of course!" I thought.

Half a year later, I wrote the script. The following summer, I drew the storyboards, and that fall (of 2012) I asked my grandma, Beverly Hope, if we could shoot the film on her property. She agreed in the best way possible: by cooking dinner for our cast and crew (sometimes up to 14 people) every weekend that we were filming (and she also let me build sets in her barn!). She has since sold her property, but we chose her place, because it was in the midst of a huge and hilly avocado grove. It was also made special, because her house and hills are where my first impressions of California were made as a very young boy.

3. Tell us more about the artwork?

A. I built and painted all of the sets, most of the props, and a few of the costume pieces. The works that will be on display at Gallery 800 this Wednesday include concept sketches of the characters, a hand painted back drop, two of the miniature sets used in the film, the puppets that populated those sets, and a monster costume that also doubled, in the film, as a life-size marionette. I made all these pieces in my apartment in North Hollywood. Two additional costumes will be on display; they were created by Jessica Basista, Renata Popenhagen, and Leilani Yosick, and include the horns I created for the character, the Yotlunger.

Jessica, Renata, and Leilani, assembled and created the vast majority of the costumes you see on film. They, and our makeup artists Tessa Philbrick and Russel Stepan, helped out so much with many extra details I had difficulty keeping track of: building and painting last minute props, sticking around and helping out far longer than I'm sure they anticipated. Many of the actors also helped behind the scenes, including Sam Randazzo, who played a village person and also created some animated special effects for the film. And, of course, the film owes much of its luster to John Ruff's technical expertise in lighting and cinematography. Many thanks go to everyone who came out weekend after weekend to see this project through to the end.



Yotlungerdal website: yotlungerdal.com
Yotlungerdal on Facebook: facebook.com/yotlungerdal
Yotlungerdal at Gallery 800 Facebook Event Page: bitly.com/yotfb




**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.  

We say this because our section of North Hollywood is filled with creative folks who are doing some pretty awesome things in the art world. We have been lucky to meet artists of all types who have contributed to our flourishing arts district. Without exception, you need to know NoHo resident and composer René Boscio. Not only is he doing what he loves, he also found the time to create his own music. He just released his newest EP, “a guide to longing.”

From learning more about René, it's befitting to say: "Do what you love, love what you do."

Tell us more about your studies at the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico

A: I arrived at the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico (I will abbreviate as CMPR which stands for "Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico" in Spanish) as a "might as well" kind of deal. I originally wanted to study songwriting in Berklee College of Music, since I had been playing guitar, and writing songs since my early teens. However, I didn't come from the wealthiest of families, so sending me outside of Puerto Rico for my undergrad wasn't the most practical option. As a solution, my grandfather hooked me up with a friend, and ex-student of his, who was the former dean at the CMPR, José Antonio López. He is also a world-class classical guitarist, so I had a lot of admiration and respect for him. He took me under his wing for a year and showed me the basics of musical theory and got me ready for the audition at the CMPR. Once I got accepted into the classical composition program my world was changed. I was discovering all of these new (for me) soundscapes that have been part of our culture for centuries as orchestras, and different solo instruments, which I had never heard of before. And to this day, my favorite sound in the world, is that of an orchestra tuning at the start of a concert. Many doors were open to all styles of music from baroque, to impressionism, to minimalism, to avant-garde. I had a very tough, but effective, composition professor, Alfonso Fuentes, who was really hard on me during my compositional growth, but because of that I was able to expand and always compose only the best of what I had in me.

What made you fall in love with film music?

A: The reason I fell in love with film music was because in it I found a middle ground to my creative voice. As I mentioned, my composition professor was really tough on me because I came from a pop music background, and would always have a hard time creating pieces that followed all of the rules and guidelines in the different styles of classical composition. In film music I was able to find the perfect blend between classical music and pop. It had all of the characteristics of classical music, using an orchestra, being instrumental, being programmatic, but it also had the heart and intentions of pop music, which was to please an audience by appealing to the senses and conveying certain emotions. I also love that in film music you get to help tell a story, it's all team work with the writer, director, editor, actors, etc., and your job is to drive that story into the subconscious of the audience.

How did you pursue a career in this field?

A: The film industry in Puerto Rico is mostly focused in bringing big films from the states for the locations and tax credits. Which is great for the economy (which you may have heard is not doing so well), but as a student during my undergrad, there wasn't much paid work to be found, so I set out to collaborate with student film makers from near by universities. The first experience I ever had in film scoring came from contacting a production team who posted a Facebook call for auditions for actors. I wrote them a message saying "Hey, I'm a composition student in the conservatory and would love to do music for film. Do you guys have a composer yet?", and sent them a demo. Turns out they hadn't even thought of music (as it often happens, haha) and they loved what I sent them, so I was brought on board. From then on, I spent the later half of my bachelor's scoring independent films and commercials, slowly making my way to actually getting paid for it. The last year of my bachelor's, I designed a business proposal for an independent film music business to support the film industry in Puerto Rico, which won me a grant in an entrepreneurial competition, and helped me get started with an actual "career" in the field. Shortly after graduating, Blake Neely (who is now my boss) did a film scoring workshop at the CMPR which I was able to attend. After the workshop we stayed in touch and he flew me out to LA for a one-week internship at his studio. By the end of the week, he offered me a job to be his assistant composer. So I flew back home, quit my day job, said my goodbye's, packed my bags and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film scoring career in the Hollywood film industry.

So, what’s it like scoring music for TV shows.

A: Scoring music for TV shows is a whirlwind. As an assistant composer I have to do everything from getting lunch, to answering the phones, to setting up Pro Tools sessions, to actually composing music for the shows.  The schedules are usually really tight and there's no stopping. But there's a wonderful team in the studio, so we're always able to get things done in a very elegant and organized manner. I would say my favorite part of the job is when we get to go to the recording stage at WB, or FOX and have the orchestra in the other side of the glass, bringing to life the music we've worked on so hard. I also love seeing how music can completely determine the emotions you get from a scene. We were at a movie theater once, in a public screening for "The Flash vs Arrow" crossover episodes, and during the Q&A section, a kid came up and said "I just want to say 'thank you' to teams of people who are making these shows come to life. As someone who's going through a break-up, I've just spent the past two hours laughing, and crying, and feeling better because of all of you, so 'thank you'." That moment right there, changed my entire perspective on what I do for a living; it was no longer just "composing music" for a few TV shows, my profession now had purpose. We often lead such self-centered lives that we forget how much of what we do can affect others; so now I compose for all those people who watch our shows after a long day to decompress and feel better.

Why did you choose to live in NoHo?

A: I chose to live in NoHo because it was close to work, but I've chosen to stay because of the community. I love the Arts District. Republic of Pie is my favorite coffee shop anywhere in LA, my friend Arlene recently opened up a wonderful tea shop called TeaPop on Vineland as well. The Laemmle theater is perfect for a movie junkie like myself. I love that the train station is right there, so if I want to go to the Grand Central Market, in DTLA I just hop on the red line and get there in no time. Idle Hour, The Federal, Bow &Truss, Fat Dog, SO MANY OPTIONS!!! You just can't go wrong with a community like the one we have in NoHo. And it's hard, you know? Leaving 25 years of your life behind, family, friends, and moving to a new place. It's hard to find community and establish new relationships, specially when you're working from 9am until whenever whatever needs to get done is done. But after nearly two years, and many ups and downs, after finding an amazing community in a church in Hollywood called Mosaic thanks to an encounter I had in Republic of Pie last summer, and everything and everyone in the NoHo Arts District, I'm able to call North Hollywood my home. And I hope to be able to continue doing so.

Tell us more about the collaboration with your alma mater to record this EP.

A: a guide to longing is an EP I composed during the summer, since we were on hiatus from the TV season, and I'm one of those people who doesn't know how to stop working. It had been a very long time since I had written music for myself, not limited by moving images, so I jumped at the chance to write something without deadlines, or expectations. I originally had intended for it to only be piano and string quartet. I was traveling to Puerto Rico to visit my family, and decided to get some friends together and record the string quartet over there. I did all the music prep and pulled some strings to make it happen. It was such a wonderful experience. We got to record in the same concert hall where I presented my graduation recital.  I always made an effort to maintain a good relationship with talented musicians and the administration, so I was able to make it happen in a very short amount of time. I was really happy with how it turned out, but when I got back and tried to record the live piano in my apartment, I realized that, because the string quartet had recorded to a virtual demo piano, the tuning wasn't matching the piano in my apartment, and that's when things took an unexpected turn. I was going to have to stick with the virtual piano, but wasn't loving the sound of it by itself with the string quartet, so I slowly started adding some guitars, then some beats, and then some pads, and then some synths, and then it turned into what is now one of my favorite collection of pieces I've composed.

What are your plans for the future?

A: My plans are to make my way up the ladder in the film scoring world. I'm 26 years old, and my goals and dreams are to win an Academy Award for Best Original Score. But those don't seem to come around until you're at least pushing 40, so I'm patiently putting in the best of me into my work, and will continue to do so, in the hopes that in 10-15 years, it'll be my name on the big screens. But I think the hardest part, getting my foot in the door, was a really big accomplishment, and I owe it in huge part to the generosity and kind heart of my amazing boss, who saw the potential in me and decided to give me a shot by uprooting my life into the heart of the industry. If it wasn't for him those dreams of mine would be way further than they currently are.

Take a look at some of his reels.

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**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.  

For the last few weeks I have been helping my dear young friend Jake Sampson with his lovely short film, ‘That’s Me, Mr Fantastic.’ 

Fresh of the boat from the UK, Jake had one thing and one thing only on his mind from the minute he arrived…his movie.

Jake worked with me in the UK on a couple of projects years ago, when he was a teenager, and has kept his passion alive over the years, writing and publishing novellas and adapting his own work into screenplays.

He tried to shoot this short before in the UK, but it never quite got off the ground for him and when he made the choice to come to LA he reworked the script for the US and arrived with a glint in his eye and a very specific vision in mind.

I love that…when someone has a vision, a passion, an idea that they just can’t get out of their mind…until it’s out in front of a camera.

I helped him set up a casting and suggested a few actors I already knew. We worked with a micro crew, to keep things simple, and used some really great locations, most of which I have used before for one thing or another…yay North Hollywood!!!

Jake is the kind of filmmaker who gets back after a long day of shooting, sits down at his laptop and cuts his footage immediately…amazing…he even had trailers ready the first day of shooting.

A musician and composer he has written his own incredible soundtrack, ADR’d all by himself, cut the sound etc. He’s just an amazing, driven and supremely talented young man who I am privileged to help in any way I can…

I read an explanation of the different kinds of filmmakers the other day, it was one of those less than inspiring things on Facebook that you think is going to be interesting but really is a rehash of something else that you have read over and over again but it did get me thinking.

There are so many ways to be a filmmaker now, to call yourself a filmmaker, when anyone asks what you do. Indie Filmmaker, Entrepreneurial Filmmaker, micro budget filmmaker, web based filmmaker….and on and on.

I usually just say I am a writer and a filmmaker, which I feel comfortable saying, and which doesn’t doesn't limit me in any way. Being an ‘independent filmmaker’ isn't really a very precise or accurate term anymore. Indie filming isn’t really ‘indie’ in the same way it was. The budgets have got silly and therefore the expectation of raising millions instead of thousands is instilled into the zeitgeist and all that money brings control and agendas and stifles the creativity and variety of what is produced. And for me it’s not about creating something that can be monetized, to use a horribly overused term. If it were then I would never being to make anything if I’m honest.

Working with no budget but with an excellent camera and the best darn actors you can find is the best position to be in I think. We are lucky enough to have a gorgeous camera and a network of wonderful LA actors to help us bring stories to life in the most creative and authentic way possible. I think from an actors perspective working with micro to zero budget films give them the freedom to really act, rather than hit their mark and not get int he way, which is what most film acting is really like.

I have a lot of friends who are actors and are producing their own work, which isn’t always fantastic because not everyone can be good at everything after all. But it does keep the work flowing, the creativity firing and the side streets full of tiny little film shoots with tiny little budgets and big big hearts.

It’s also great to get dragged into things, even in the ridiculous LA heat. It reminds you what it is you love about filming. The intense pleasure of getting something right, something shot and people energized in front of and behind the camera. It’s inspiring to watch Jake realize a vision and to grow in confidence and ability as a director and as a writer.

So what did you do on Sunday? Me I shot ‘It’s Me, Mr Fantastic’ in Hollywood and North Hollywood with great friends and new friends and we made some magic in the heat and made each other very, very happy in the process. Jake has already mostly finished the film, all 20 minutes of it….we have high hopes and he is already planning the next adventure…how ‘fantastic!’

An unapologetic love letter to anyone who's ever achieved their dream, then wondered "what now?" - Livin' the Dream won't necessarily give you any answers. Yes, this multi-layered and humorous web series isn't necessarily a solution, but it does provide the space to reflect and discover something about yourself, while laughing with and at a women journeying through similar territory.

{vimeo}132848714{/vimeo}

Shot and set in Los Angeles, Kit Scanlon's commitment to being the go-to indie director in Hollywood doesn't quite match reality, as her latest feature film has been shelved. And with her 20's having long abandoned her, along with the corporate job she gave up for film school, she's tasked with rediscovering and redefining the idea of success and what she's willing to compromise in order to get it. “We really liked the idea of this character that just screws up,” says series co-creator Mai Spurlock Sykes during our interview. “She has all of these ideals in the beginning about never compromising her integrity; she's a gritty, independent filmmaker all the way. But by the end, she's just so desperate for validation in her career that she sets herself up to betray that. But is that a betrayal?”

Mai Spurlock Sykes and Kim Spurlock are certainly no strangers to these types of internal challenges. But you wouldn’t know that speaking with them as both sisters are poised and polite with a sense of freedom that I imagine only comes from full self-expression. While working together- writing, producing and directing several projects- both short and feature length, the immovable pair have spent enough years navigating through Hollywood to know that having integrity mostly just gets in the way. But instead of complaining and resisting, the sisters chose to take the significance out of the topic, instead, writing about the absurdities in a humorous way that takes you inside the struggle through the eyes a dynamic character. “Growing up, you have all these ideals, then you meet the real world, you meet conflict, and you meet the real you emerge out of it. So that's what we're exploring in this story,” Mai comments. “We're making Kit question whether or not she’s really out to make these gritty dramas that nobody sees, or is she perhaps more set up to be a more blockbuster type filmmaker. So that's something she has to decide for herself. And there's also a real sense of personal accountability that we as the filmmakers explore too.”


Photo by Kim Spurlock

It was, in fact, that sense of personal exploration that led to the making of Livin' the Dream to begin with. While the series is not a biopic, it certainly draws heavily from Kim’s experience on the heels of completing her MFA from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Film Program. After writing and directing several award-winning short films while still in film school, even receiving a Student Academy award for her thesis film Down in No. 5, Kim began focusing her attentions on writing feature film scripts with her sister Mai. And while those scripts did get some attention from industry professionals, they didn’t go on to become produced feature films. But, unnerved, Kim and Mai continued to create their future rather than be at the affect of their circumstances in the present.

“We were tired of writing really nice scripts, and then waiting for somebody else to make them,” Mai says. “So a few years ago, I was listening to a pod cast on NPR about The Guild, which is a fun web series about gamers. And I thought it was very clever and would be very easy to do production and budget-wise because it was all interior shots and dialogue-based. So I called Kim, and I said, 'Let's do a web-series. Let's just have some fun and take the pressure off. We could control the story, shoot everything in your apartment.' And she was open to it.” So it was Mai who came up with the idea to base Livin' the Dream on her sister Kim’s experience after completing grad school. She, in fact, diligently wrote four episodes within a couple of weeks, paying humorous homage to her sister and what she perceived Kim’s world to be like, including actual accounts from various meetings they’d had with talent and executives over the years. Yes, it’s this type of meticulous detail, along with the pop culture tie-ins, relationship drama and challenging of stereo types- that gives Livin' the Dream the authenticity and suspense that audiences find so appealing in a web-series, a genre some would argue is still in it’s infancy.

“Doing a web series just seemed like a happy medium,” Kim says. “It allows us to move beyond the shorts and grow and develop, but without having to make the big financial and time commitment that comes with doing a feature. And I thought, ‘You know, that's a really great challenge. How do you make something that's really funny and entertaining with very limited money?’ And after three years of struggling to get our previous films made after doing really well in film school, it was demoralizing. So this project was a way to express all of that; it was like therapy.”

Yes, the process was therapeutic for the creators, and it’s been quite a similar experience for the audience as Kim and Mai have managed to take situations that could be considered upsetting, and flip them on their heads in a way that allows for laughter. “I always think about writing things that are fun and that we can shoot for minimal, but things that also say something about the struggle,” Mai says. “If you had told Kim that she would go to the best film school in the country and be living a great life as a freelance editor and director of photography- if you had told her that when she was 15- she would have been ecstatic. But as adults, every time you reach a goal you set for yourself, especially if you’re an ambitious person, the next thought is always ‘what’s next?’ So at what point are you living the dream?”


Photo by Lyle Vincent

Fortunately for Kim and Mai, coming up with an answer to that question was probably the most difficult part of process of creating the series. The actual writing, casting and filming of the series was far less complicated. Normally, the sister who comes up with the idea will be the one responsible for coming up with the general conflict, story arcs and the outline while the other sister supports and acts as a sounding board. But this project was actually their first “co-birthed” project, with Mai writing the first draft and sending it back to Kim for rewriting. Then Kim would write her version, and they’d continue to kick it back and forth to one another until coming to a solid consensus. And it was during this process that they really discovered just how much of their own lives are applicable to this story even down to the conversations they have.

“Sometimes we would actually blur the lines between when we were writing dialogue for the characters and when we were just talking to each other,” Mai remarks. “Like, the character would say, ‘When will this ever happen for me?’ And then we'd sort of drop character and think, ‘When is this going to happen for us?’ So we learned a lot about not giving up and not making excuses.”

And out of this excuseless attitude came a main character who’s funny and devoted, but not overly sensitive or significant. “I've been talking a lot recently on panels about the conscious decision to create a female character who's not necessarily nice but a kind person because in TV shows and in the movies, with female characters, the tendency is to think 'Do I like this girl, or do I not like this girl? What is this woman's likability factor?' So Kit is a person making decisions like any person, but we wanted to remove the 'girl' assessment. And it is a world we're creating, but we were building stuff into her character that was interesting and dynamic and not necessarily feminine.”


Photo by Lyle Vincent

And this is exactly what leading actress Laura Campbell embodied when she showed up to audition on the day reserved for callbacks. Campbell was not someone Kim and Mai were originally considering to play the role; she was a last-minute add-on, courtesy of their co-producer. But her presence was undeniably spot on. “She just walked in dressed in what she wears in the web-series, sat down and started saying the lines, and she really seemed like a neurotic, artsy, self-involved director,” Kim says. “And then after rehearsals, I realized that she wasn't like that at all. So she really just walked in and completely nailed it.”

After casting was done, Kim and Mai shot a total of 50 pages in 6 days between four sets, one apartment and a couple of paid venues. They were every bit as unstoppable with this project as they had been since Kim’s award-winning short films back in grad school. In fact, Kim credits getting into NYU’s graduate film program as one of the real turning points in her life because that admission gave light to the very real possibility of being that in-demand filmmaker that she’s always wanted to be. And that didn’t include solely making films about being Asian just because she happens to be bi-racial. No, she wanted to tell stories about being human with actors who could potentially be Asian. “But something that I did that I didn’t even realize I was doing with all of my previous films was I was telling stories solely with male protagonist,” Kim admits. “None of them were about women. And until very recently, I just wasn't drawn toward making them because I thought if I make films with male protagonist, they would do better.”

Fortunately, Kim has since given that idea up and currently embraces stories about women, wholeheartedly, starting with Livin' the Dream. And not only are they using this series to further female-driven stories all around, but they’re also getting some economical traction out of it as well, using it to promote their unproduced scripts. Yes, every script that’s mentioned in the series is a screenplay that Kim and Mai have either written together or alone. In fact, they are going into pre-production soon for a script called Kin. And there’s a script called A Case of the Dismals that Kit is work-shopping in the series that is an actual script that Kim wrote, which she took to the Venice Biennale Film Festival to pitch. So not only are the sisters great storytellers, but they’re also great marketers.

And in that, they already have their eyes set on a bigger platform. “One of my favorite shows is High Maintenance,” Kim says. “I love how it's gone from Vimeo to HBO; I think it's a great model, and it’s basically promoted through word of mouth. So that's one route we could go with Livin' the Dream. Another way would be to generate interest from Hollywood where we could produce it as a half-hour show. I think it would work really well as a 25-minute, eight-episode season. And it also works as the first act of a feature film.”

Whatever the platform, the message and the impact on anyone watching will be the same. Kim Spurlock and Mai Spurlock Sykes have created a smart, savvy and socially conscious series that will create a space for viewers to really look at and re-evaluate what success and living the dream really means. And, again, it may not give you any answers, but you will certainly have all the space in the world to discover something for yourself that could potentially shift your mindset, while leaving your entertained in the process.

“We've done a lot of poetic films together, but this was our first shot at comedy,” Kim says. “So we wanted to create something that would have people walk away with a smile. And also some idea of what it's like to be a struggling filmmaker in the film world. It's a world I've been involved in for about 15 years, and all of my friends are pretty much also independent filmmakers. And that was something I was ready to share.” For more information Livin’ the Dream on please check out the following: http://livinthedream.tv/ | Facebook

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.

Hulu’s newest original series “Difficult People,” produced by Amy Pohler, is about two such people, Julie and Billie (played by comedians Julie Klausner & Billy Eichner).

Both are aspiring comedy writers and performers who talk themselves in and out of everything from good ideas to relationships to potential jobs all while passing scathing judgments toward anyone standing in their way. They are miserably self aware and completely unwilling to change anything about themselves.

Unfortunately, these two they get no passes from anyone in their world. Julie’s psychiatrist mother (played by Andrea Martin), who is going through a career crisis of her own, is unsuccessful at psychoanalyzing them. Billy’s restaurant employers Denise & Nate (played by Gabourey Sidibe & Derrick Baskin) never fall for his self pity trap and that includes Julie’s overly nice and passive boyfriend Arthur (played by James Urbaniak).

What’s interesting about this show is its uncanny knowledge of music, television, theater and all things New York.

Unlike most television shows based in the great apple, this one seems to carries a bit more realism. Even the filming style substitutes the magical or quaint feeling with more grit. What’s disappointing is the lack of development and growth with the story arc and its characters. It doesn’t seem as if it’s going anywhere other than right back to where it started, constantly constructing and deconstructing all within one episode.

“Difficult People” also seems to highlight our modern issues regarding narcissism and our obsession with social media and pop culture. If you’re interested in a never ending barrage of jokes about celebrities, Facebook and Twitter then this show is for you.

It's crass tone and dark humor however won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it will definitely resonate with some people.

Every Thursday we send out our NoHo e-News. Do you get it? It takes 30 seconds. Make sure you sign up, it’s FREE. Sign up HERE>>

This issue of NoHo e-News is about what's going on in North Hollywood and a selection of some theatre shows. But we have a ton of them. Did you know that the NoHo Arts District has the highest concentration of theatres outside of New York City? Just check out the NoHo Arts District Theatre Guide>>

Here's a glimpse at what's going on in North Hollywood...ENJOY NOHO!



**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.

It happens only twice a year and more than 60,000+ industry insiders meet (some of the top buyers for our favorite brands and department stores) in Las Vegas to shop the marketplace which covers the top men’s, women’s, juniors’ and children’s apparel and footwear. The hottest brands to the top designers in the industry showcase their latest trends.

Magic used to be strictly a retail buying tradeshow but over the years it has evolved into a fashion industry event not to be missed.

So what should you except to find during MAGIC week? Tons of runway shows, celeb designer appearances, expert panels, industry seminars and not to mention after parties, there’s a lot for the fashionista to take in. A few weeks ago PROJECT MAGIC was held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center from August 17 to 19 and next year it will be held in February 2016. So why attend this show? Seminars!

One thing that doesn’t stay in Vegas is all the information you will gain about the fashion industry. There are so many seminars to attend if you’re trying to improve your own business profits, or to improve your negotiating skills, and also some fun ones about fashion trends.

Whether you’re a business owner, student, blogger, fashion junkie or you just really enjoy shopping and want to be the first one to see what’s coming to your nearest retail store, I would research and consider attending MAGIC Trade Show. Before I forget, another perk about attending the weekend show is that you’re in Las Vegas! So after you take care of business why not a little play.

Members of the “Pro99” movement of Actors’ Equity Association have issued an open letter to AEA’s newly elected president, Kate Shindle, in response to her victory and to her inaugural address as president of the national union for actors and stage managers. The open letter is signed by over 400 Equity members (listed below), including such notable names as Ed Asner, Francis Fisher, Sally Kirkland and Alfred Molina. The “Pro99” movement formed in late 2014 in opposition to AEA’s rollout of a new plan that will effectively force “intimate theaters” in Los Angeles to pay Equity actors minimum wage, go “non-union” or even close – despite an overwhelming vote against the plan by 66% of the Los Angeles membership on an advisory referendum. “Pro99” members around the nation, who take their name from the current AEA “99 Seat Plan” that allows members to volunteer in smaller venues, oppose AEA’s new promulgated plan. They are requesting that Equity leadership put a moratorium on the plan until local members’ voices can be heard, and that the union work with its members to develop an alternative plan that will more realistically address the needs of the Los Angeles theater community.

For more information, to sign the letter, to get involved, go to ilove99.org

# BEGIN LETTER #

An Open Letter to Actors’ Equity President Kate Shindle from #Pro99 AEA Members

Dear President Shindle,

We, the undersigned members of AEA who support the Pro99 movement, both in the L.A. area and around the nation, congratulate you on your win, and wish you a successful term as President of our beloved union. We were satisfied that our passionate campaigning helped to elect you, and appreciated that during your campaign you came to Los Angeles to meet with us and express your interest in the 99- Seat debacle that has galvanized our Los Angeles Theatre Community.

In your “Inaugural Column” in the July/August 2015 edition of Equity News you wrote: "Everyone has a different definition of what’s cool; to me, the coolest thing Equity can do is to encourage its members to be passionate, vocal activists and ambassadors. Because that will not only make our industry more successful, it will also make our union stronger.”

We couldn’t agree more. We are also encouraged and grateful that you mention our cause in your column, especially since we do not feel we have always been fairly represented in Equity News and emails — that is, when we’ve been represented at all. Thank you for your willingness to both meet with us and publicly discuss what absolutely continues to be a crisis in our union. As you noted, we do have much to celebrate about intimate theatre in L.A. — almost thirty years of rich and creative work under the guidelines endorsed by our own union.

However, we’re concerned about your mention of a recent Fringe Festival production that was produced under the proposed “New 99-Seat Theatre Agreement.” Though you present it as something to perhaps celebrate, we wish to be clear that that Agreement is precisely what an overwhelming majority of local AEA members voted against in the advisory referendum (66%: a landslide). As you can imagine, LA members don’t consider this an event to celebrate. We think it is, in fact, the problem, and not the solution. Worse, we think the way the new agreement was promulgated by the union is even more problematic for the democratic process. We have found the actions and messaging of the leadership of our union troubling, and the fact that the leadership ignored the will of its own membership is deeply disturbing. Worst of all, we firmly believe this new plan will effectively destroy our vibrant theatrical community.

We love our union. We have, from the beginning, offered to work with Council and staff to find a solution that will not only address our concerns, but also make our union stronger and respectful of local members’ needs. We welcome turning a new page with your support and willingness to listen to us articulate the realities of our community in order to resolve this crisis. In solidarity,
Members of AEA
#PRO99 movement
About “Intimate Theatre” and #Pro99
Over the past 50 years, whether it be 99-Seats in L.A., Off-Off Broadway in New York, or companies starting out like Steppenwolf in Chicago, some of the most important productions in American theatre history have originated in “intimate theaters.” Right now, a 99-seat production from Los Angeles of “Spring Awakening” is opening on Broadway, with twenty members of the original LA cast all earning multiple contract weeks and, proudly, earning their Equity cards. This is only one of countless examples — hundreds of shows, thousands of contracts for hundreds of thousands of work weeks — over several decades that have come directly from intimate theatre productions, creating opportunities and work for actors, stage managers, playwrights, directors and designers. This is not just a Los Angeles issue; members across the country share similar issues that create the need for intimate theatre where AEA actors can do their work. To attack the state of 99-Seat theatre is to attack the core of American theatre. We must preserve these venues, not destroy them.

SIGNED, by the following members of Actors’ Equity Association (partial list):

Antoinette Abbamonte Rhonda Aldrich Jason Alexander John Allee Erinn Anova John Apicella Devon Armstrong Hugo Armstrong Frank Ashmore Ed Asner Whitney Avalon Shannon Lee Avnsoe Richard Azurdia Tim Bagley Dennis Baker Libby Baker Jordan Baker-Kilner Melisa Bales Melisaa Weber Bales Tisha Terrasini Banker Karen Bankhead Jon Collin Barclay Dana Lyn Baron Cynthia Beckert Michael James Bell Rona Benson Tom Beyer Allison Bibicoff Melina Bielefelt John Billingsley Royana Black Alison Blanchard Troy Blendell Daniel Blinkoff Meaghan Boeing Curt Bonnem Lisa Boyd Loretta Bradley Alysha Brady Mark Bramhall Brendan Brandt Libby Brien Bill Brochtrup Ann Bronston Haynes Brooke Sarah Brooke Rob Brownstein Ezra Buzzington Kacey Camp Caitlin Renìce Campbell Colin Campbell Mike Campbell Lauren Campedelli Amanda Carlin Cathy Carlton Ginna Carter Rob Roy Cesar Jennifer Chambers Blaire Chandler Emily Chase Bryan Chesters Joan Chodorow Jerry Clarke Roslyn Cohn Laura Coker John Combs Vince Corazza Mimi Cozzens James Patrick Cronin Nathalie Cunningham Christopher Curry Maia Danzinger Peter Davies Julia Davis Susan Carol Davis Timothy Davis-Reed Albert Dayan Lee De Broux Liza De Weerd Kathy Bell Denton David Desantos Etta Devine Susan Dexter Vince Donvito Nike Doukas John Downey III Lisa Dring Padraic Duffy Robert Duncan Emily Eiden Larry Eisenberg Rob Elk Tony Embeck-Motzenbacker Mel England Nicole Erb Stephanie A. Erb Daniel Espeseth  Terry Evans Thomas Evans Jennie Fahn Richard Fancy Shannon Farnon Alex Fernandez James Ferrero Peter Finlayson Brian Finney Tom Fiscella Susan Fisher Frances Fisher Tom Fitzpatrick Karianne Flaathen Bridget Flanery Brighid Fleming Julia Fletcher Suzanne Ford Marilyn Fox Bo Foxworth Bruce French Penny Fuller Michael Gabiano Douglas Gabrielle Richard Gallegos Jeff Thomas Gardner Kimiko Gelman Taylor Gilbert Lisa Glass Alexandra Goodman Wendy Gough Kathryn Graf Laurel Green Brad Greenquist S.A. Griffin Chet Grissom Ayre Gross Vincent Guastaferro Nicholas Guest Christopher Guilmet Arjun Gupta Jennifer Gwillim Katherine Haan Jeanie Hackett Molly Hagan Herb Hall Tim Halligan Kurt Andrew Hansen Amy K Harmon Dj Harner Jim Haynie Brian Helm Gregg Henry Ted Heyck Victoria Hoffman Jerry Hoffman Steve Hofvendahl Henry Holden Travis Holder Michelle Holmes Stuart Howard Charles Howerton Jason Huber William Dennis Hunt Alberto Isaac Debbie Jaffe Mary Ellen Jennings Wendy Johnson Jeffrey Jones Kennedy Kabaseres Elizabeth Karr Drew Katzman Thorsten Kaye Crystal Keith Jason E. Kelley Mckerrin Kelly Dylan Kenin Linda Kerns Jimmy Kieffer Sally Kirkland Matt Kirkwood Mary Jo Kirwan Eliza Kiss Melissa Kite Corey Klemow Tamara Krinsky Jonothon Lamer Michael Lanahan Edgar Landa Jack Laufer Gregg Lawrence Bobby Lesser Kelly Lester Brian Letscher Ed Levey Amir Levi Peter Dan Levin Laura Levy Sarah Lilly Nancy Linehan Sylvia Little Ian Littleworth Ana Therese Lopez Jeremy Lucas Jordan Lund Aaron Lyons Dennis Madden Jill Magilone Mike Mahaffey Christopher Maikish Alan Mandell Sandy Mansson Michael Manuel Abigail Marks Ferrell Marshall Ron Masak Edgar Mastin Dakin Mathews Anna Mathias Jeremy Maxwell Margaret Mccarley Kevin Mccorkle Michael Mcgee David Lm Mcintyre Matt Mckenzie David Mcknight Don Mcmanus Nan Mcnamara Vince Melocchi Bill Mendieta Kevin Meoak Rebecca Metz Toby Meuli Adam Meyer Cameron Meyer Colin Mitchell Alfred Molina Robert Homer Mollohan Mindy Montavon Sean Moran Andrea Morgan Virginia Morris Allie Mulholland Jon Mullich Rob Nagle Geoffgrey Nauffts Judy Nazemetz Shannon Nelson Claudette Nevins Sara Newman Gregory Niebel Bruce Nozick Lynn Odell Nick Offerman Adenrele Ojo Laurie Okin Penny Orloff Ann Osmond Jason Paige Marina Palmier Ray Paolantonio Ramon V. Parra Tony Pasqualini Lisa Pelikan Jessica Pennington Zoe Perry Lisa Pescia Alina Phelan Jonathan Kells Philips Marissa Pitts Vic Polizos John Pollono Rose Portillo Mary Portsner Annie Potts Lawrence Pressman Michael Prichard Roses Prichard Sean Pritchett Philip Proctor Zachary Quinto Anna Quirino Linda Rand Rebecca Rasmussen Noreen Reardon Tom Regan Annette Reid Elizabeth Reilly Shanti Reinhardt Betsy Reisz Marci Richmond Roger Rignack Rene Rivera Crystal Robbins Brian Rohan Tracey Rooney Stan Roth Michael Rothhaar Adriana Roze Susan Rubin Paul Rurbiak Ann Ryerson Jeanne Sakata Barry Saltzman William Salyers Elizabeth Sampson Julia Sanford Norman Scott Diane Sellers Mimi Seton Tro Shaw Sharron Shayne Stephanie Shayne David Shine Graham Sibley Jacob Sidney Ruth Silveira Adam Silver Anibal Silveyra John Sloan Tucker Smallwood Sammi Smith Jacques C. Smith Debra Snyder Suzan Solomon Wendy Soroka Devon Sorvari Richard Soto Joe Spano Adrian Sparks Valerie Spencer Steve Spiro Patrick Stafford Sami Staitman Rick Steadman David Steen Jeannine Stehlin Ellyn Stern Theo Stevens Elizabeth Swain Kim Swennen Joel Swetow Jeanne Syquia John Szura Bart Tangredi Barbara Tarbuck Nick Tate Jennifer Taub Mark Taylor Martin Thompson Donal Thoms-Cappello Paul Tigue Debi Tinsley Amy Tolsky Cathy Diane Tomin Marcelo Tubert Nick Ullett Carole Ursetti Brenda Varda Tania Verafield Steve Vinovich Michael Wallot Kristine Waters Cameron Watson Vance Wells Leo Weltman Patrick Wenk-Wolff Mandy Levin Williams Mark Mcclain Wilson Dan Wingard Gail Wirth Steven Wishnoff Robert Woods Wendy Worthington Tim Wright Kimberly Yates Travis York David Youse Lb Zimmerman

# END LETTER #

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.

After moving to the Valley from Florida where he operated out of his home, Norm opened his first store in 1975 in Reseda, on Tampa and Vanowen.

Business really picked up in the 80s after guitars were mass produced to satisfy a bursting market where every kid wanted to play guitar. This created more of a demand for established musicians to seek out better quality and craftsmanship. Success came by word of mouth.

A store run by musicians for musicians, Norman’s Guitars is now located in a storefront on Ventura Blvd in Tarzana.

When you walk in, you’ll see guitars on stands all over the floor and covering the walls. About 2,000 guitars are stocked in the store. Norm sells new and used guitars from many different manufacturers, buys vintage and pro quality acoustic and electric guitars, and basses. He has been known to buy entire collections. In addition to buying and selling guitars, Norm also offers guitar lessons, repairs, trade- ins, appraisals, basses, amps, and clothing.

Norm has rented or sold guitars to over 50 film and television productions.

Guitars from the store were featured in the mockumentary, “This is Spinal Tap” (along with the famous Norman’s Rare Guitars t-shirt, worn my band mate Nigel). Norm’s guitars have also been featured in the movies, “The Last Waltz”, “Back to the Future”, and “La Bamba”.

On any given day, you might run in to famous musicians hanging out in the store such as Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Eddie Van Halen, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Dave Grohl, Richie Sambora, Joe Walsh, Slash, or Bruno Mars. You won’t find any obnoxious paparazzi in the parking lot, though. Norman deliberately chose the Valley as the location for his business, opposed to Hollywood, so he could offer his customers a more comfortable, laid back, casual environment. His customers are serious collectors, not curious browsers.

Some of his customers have helped Norm raise money for the Midnight Mission by playing an annual benefit concert. Some of the musicians who have played for this cause are Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, and Richie Sambora.

To inquire about guitar lessons, contact Sal Guitarez, head instructor at Norman’s Guitars for the past 30 years, at guitararts@earthlink.net. He’s available by appointment, 7 days a week.

For more information on buying, selling or repairing vintage guitars, call 818-344-8300 or visit www.normansrareguitars.com

Follow the Norman’s Rare Guitars youtube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3r1JdYf6scuGaI0YRkyNg

BRILL is an indie-alt-acoustic duet featuring singer/songwriters Brooke Trout and Dave Strauss.

Dave Strauss was a founding member of 1980’s experimental band X-Ceptions, a member of the Jeannie Willets Band from 2000-2002 and a member of Brooke Trout and The Anchormen from 2008-2010. He was a music promoter in Hollywood from 2001-2005 and hosted a weekly internet radio show called Flat Cat Radio from 2007-2010.

Brooke Trout is a singer/songwriter known for her polyphonic blend of rock, blues and surf tones. Her sophmore album Networth features mixing engineer Chuck Wilson (Andre 3000, Dr. Dre) and mastering by Grammy Award winner Nancy Matter (The Who, Ray Charles). Trout was compared to alternative artists like Souixsie Souix, Exene Cervenka and Sinéad O’Connor.

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I was excited to receive an invitation to one of the coolest events of the summer.

The band BRILL had set a date for a release party for their debut album Fish Out Of Water!

Soon after arriving at the house on the Hill, I made my way to the back patio. The first thing I noticed was a beautiful, inviting swimming pool. To my far right, the stage area was under a canopy. The ensemble included a full drum kit, bass, acoustic guitars, keyboard, xylophone and percussion instruments. The canopy was decorated with beautiful strings of lights.

A few feet away from the stage were a buffet of delicious food. Across the patio a built in brick barbeque was doing its job. I was also pleasantly surprised to see familiar faces from the local music scene as people arrived throughout the evening.

BRILL announced there would be a music circle after the show, for anyone who wanted to join in! I can honestly say this was the most peaceful, relaxing, entertaining and unique day of my summer. I can’t wait to attend the next House Concert!

When Brill was planning the album release party, they asked friend and fellow singer/songwriter Jeannie Willets to open for them. BRILL searched for a suitable venue for the event, but encountered obstacles such as attendance requirements, excessive cover charges and parking problems.

They considered doing a house concert, but found that established hosts in the house concert circuit were charging more excessive cover charges than the conventional venues, and were not open to booking new and emerging acts.
Frustrated, they decided to make their own house concert at the home of their friend Jeannie Willets who shared their frustration.

The idea was to have a BYO BBQ with no cover charge. The artists would have their CD's and other merchandise available for the guests to purchase and a tip jar for donations.

The party was a success! A fun time was had by all, and the artists made some profit from merchandise sales and donations.

They talked to friends and fellow artists who share the vision of wanting a place to perform their music without having to 'pay-to-play', and are willing to open their homes to guests in order to achieve this.

They decided to create their own house concert circuit which will allow artists to play and their friends to listen, in a casual, party atmosphere with no financial obligations on the guests or the artists.

The group is in the process of scheduling a series of these house concerts throughout the greater Southern California area.

“That's it in a nutshell, Tammy; we’re thumbing our noses at the establishment and literally marching to the beat of our own drummer!” said Dave Strauss, of BRILL.

Contact BRILL for information on upcoming house concerts.

http://www.flatcatrecords.net/

The group has just released their debut album Fish Out Of Water on CDBaby as well as on iTunes. The album’s first single “O Song” was featured on several programs including JVonD Radio in Boulder, CO, MuseBoat Radio in Las Vegas, NV, The Soupy Gato Show in The Netherlands with syndication in the UK and The Daily Dose on The Insomnia RadioNetwork. Fish Out Of Water has also been featured bySlacker Radio and Muzoic.com. You can check out music videos for Brill’s O Song and Shine on Youtube.

NoHo’s own Latin-inspired restaurant Bow & Truss will host a wine and cheese event series the first Monday of each month from August to November. Enough said, right? The pairing will consist of five, two-ounce pours of wine and five, half-ounce servings of gourmet cheeses for $25 (plus tax and gratuity). The event is first come, first served with limited seating. So make your reservation: erin@bowandtruss.com

Starting next month, Andrew Steiner of Andrew's Cheese Shop in Santa Monica will provide the cheeses and provide notes on the wines as well.

Why do cheese and wine go so well together? We asked Bow & Truss.

Why does cheese go so well with wine?

A: Most of everybody's favorite food pairs an astringent liquid or food, which causes the mouth to pucker up, with a fatty food . . . they oppose one another and create a balanced 'mouthfeel' - cheese is a perfect example with a high degree of fat content with amazing complex flavors.

Is there another food that goes well with wine? (we've heard chocolate)

A: Chocolate is the confectionery match to wine - the process of making chocolate is very similar to wine. Cocoa beans and grapes are fermented with same yeast.

Will you give us some tips on how to properly taste wine?

A: We'll discuss sight - swirl - looking for flaws - aromas - taste evaluation balance/harmonies/complexities


Are there some quick wine etiquette rules we should follow so we don't look like winos?

A: Clearly there aren't any 'rules' other than to be respectful of each other & enjoy the event . . .



WHEN: The first Monday of each month from August to November.
August 3 7:00pm
September 7 7:00pm
October 5 7:00pm
November 2 7:00pm

WHERE: Bow & Truss
11122 Magnolia Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 985-8787
Make your reservation: erin@bowandtruss.com



**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.

This weekend was one of those wake up at 4am, get to set by 6am, work in the 100-degree heat shoots…it happens.

There were lots of people to organize, interface with and take care of including talent, crew, and officials galore. We were shooting in a resort/park, with rules to follow, clothes not to wear and lions and tigers and bears, oh my. (not literally). It had the potential for awesomeness or misery.

I’m sharing with you some of the particulars, and I know you have plenty of your own, just to give you a sense of the moving parts a shoot day can have and the possibility that things can derail at any given intersection.

And as I write this and think about how and why the day was such a success, went off so seamlessly with a happy client feeling cared for and a crew that felt respected and cared for as well, I am filled with appreciation and gratitude for the amazing people I get to work with and I want to say THANK YOU!

In 2013, a study from the John Templeton Foundation found that offices are the least common place to either hear or express gratitude. I’m not sure why that is but the power of acknowledging that my success depends on others and expressing gratitude seems like a smart thing to do. It took awhile, but admitting that I don’t know everything and can’t do everything myself makes me a better team player and allows me to harness the power of the team who is actually powering the success. And it feels good.

Experience keeps showing me, and research is proving, that people are most creative and productive when they're part of a happy, healthy, group. People thrive when they know their contributions are meaningful. And that includes me. And the best places to work are those where people feel valued.

So here’s my “I hope to remember to do this” list that I want to share with you:

• Don’t wait to be grateful. Regardless of your position in an organization, cultivate gratitude as a core value at work. Be the example; be authentic, catch someone doing something right, create opportunities for gratitude to be shared. Most days our production team shares morning inspirations and afternoon walks and we feel the difference if we miss a day.
• Celebrate the small things: Stay tuned and mindful of the contributions of the team, big and small, and celebrate! Sometimes it’s a thank you, other times bagels, group lunch, or an invitation to gather after work does the trick. Be mindful and opportunities will appear.
• Keep it real: Be sincere and express what feels authentic. It doesn’t always have to be about business, people are doing amazing things in their lives so let them know.

And here is an oldie but a goodie of some of the joy of #set life

See you on set!

And THANK YOU to all the amazing talented people I get to learn from and work with.

Jessie

PL.A.Y Noir was no exception, broken into six short encapsulating courses; we see everything from the dark drama of 40’s alcoholism to classic quirky slapstick.

Produced by Punk Monkey productions, helmed by James Elden and hosted in the charming Actor’s Workout Studio we are served an appetizer of The Oz emerald; this classically styled production shows the audience a retroactive look into ‘what life for our grandchildren will be like in the 21st century’ a solid opening setting the tone and quality for the rest of the evening.

Elisa Dyann and Rich Cassone in Bank and Trust by James Elden. Photograph by Lemon Melon Photography.

Punk Monkey has been producing these Noir plays for over four years, proving that practice does indeed make perfect. All six of the short plays had something to offer and expertly written. The team of actors, working as a family showed their dedication to the genre by immersing themselves into the world of 1940’s Americana.

This year was no exception, I was drawn by the stylishly simplistic stage décor and the genius use of lighting, I immediately felt I’d taken a trip in a time traveling automotive and was right there with the actors. I LOVED the format of the evening the six shorts proved a perfect way to show a vast collage of different styles from the 40’s; everything remained flawless from costume to the brief smoking in the opening act, the stage really came alive.

Roxanne Jaeckel and James Elden in I Brought Eggs by Rich Cassone. Photograph by Lemon Melon Photography.

First up was a The Oz Emerald a wonderfully written piece with more twists than neurotic pretzel that would have favored as nicely in 20th century as it does in the 21st. A strong opening for a strong evening.

In particular I’d like to mention the segment titled Silhouettes this struck a chord as the five actors stood on stage, the lights conveying each characters section of the story. This simplistic method of story telling drew me in and held my curiosity for the duration, as I mumbled to myself ‘who-dunnit’. That’s not to say that Silhouettes outshone the other productions, in fact this piece sat nicely, approximately, half way through the ensemble.

The punch line of the evening was a sketch called Wild Cards this hilariously classic black-comedy really settled the evening lightening the hearts of the audience who laughed their way back to the 21st century.

PLAY NOIR is playing until Sept. 20 at The Actors Workout Theatre.  For Tickets:   http://playnoir2015.bpt.me

IMPRO THEATRE’S
SONDHEIM UNSCRIPTED

A Completely Improvised Musical in the Style of Stephen Sondheim

Directed by Dan O’Connor and Michele Spears

Improvational theatre…the audience gives an idea to the cast, and away they go creating a story right before your eyes. With SONDHEIM UNSCRIPTED, we are treated to a story AND music by the members of Impro Theatre in the style of Stephen Sondheim. If you have never experienced improv, this is your chance to see improv as it is supposed to be done, and at its best!

The evening begins with requests from the audience of two things. The Cast asks for a suggestion of an heirloom item, and Peter Smith, the amazing Musical Director asks for 4 random musical notes. These notes are used throughout the show, creating Sondheim style musical numbers by the members of the troupe.


Kari Coleman, Daniel Blinkoff, Jen Reiter, Brian Lohmann, Kelly Holden Bashar, and Cory Rouse

Now, no two performances are the same, so you can experience SONDHEIM UNSCRIPTED over and over again, and see a new show each time. The items are different, the storylines are different, and the musical numbers are different. How amazing is that!!!

The Impro Theatre troupe production features Daniel Blinkoff, Ted Cannon, Karl Coleman, Josh Dean, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian Michael Jones, Brian Lohmann, Dan O’Connor, Edi Patterson, Jen Reiter, Paul Rogan, Cory Rouse, Ryan Smith, Michele Spears, Floyd Vanbuskirk, and Patty Wortham. This is an extremely talented group of people.

SONDHEIM UNSCRIPTED is only at the Falcon Theatre for a limited time (until September 27th), so run, don’t walk. Or call or email quickly, whatever will get you tickets faster. You will want to see the show over and over again. It is a fun-filled evening. So, don’t miss this fantastic Impro Theatre production.

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Cast: Daniel Blinkoff, Ted Cannon, Karl Coleman, Josh Dean, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian Michael Jones, Brian Lohmann, Dan O’Connor, Edi Patterson, Jen Reiter, Paul Rogan, Cory Rouse, Ryan Smith, Michele Spears, Floyd Vanbuskirk, and Patty Wortham.
Directors: Dan O’Connor and Michele Spears
Musical Director: Peter Smith
Guest Musical Directors: Matthew Loren Cohen & Jonathan Green
Set & Costumes: Sandra Burns
Lighting Designer: Leigh Allen
Stage Managers & Lighting Improvisers: Michael Becker & Alex Caan

Falcon Theatre
4252 Riverside Dr
Burbank, CA 91505

Performances: Friday, August 28, 2015 through Sunday, September 27, 2015
Wednesday – Saturday at 8pm
Sunday at 4pm

Prices: $36.50 – $44.00
Student Rate (valid student ID) - $29.00

Call: (818) 955-8101

TICKETS>>

Styles of the 1920s to the 1990s 

3 Southern California locations in Hollywood, North Hollywood, & Sherman Oaks.

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