Actorfest NY Report

My experience at Actorfest on October 2nd, 2010 in NYC--
Must toot my own horn—the panel I was on, “Working With Representation: Getting An Agent Or Manager” was sold out.

Thanks to my colleagues, great actors, casting directors and staff at Actorfest. I had an excellent time. It was great to see and meet you all.

A special shout out to Simi Horwitz—Thank you for discovering me!

Shout out to my new pal, Eddie Rabin--the best piano man accompanist in all of NYC.

Dave Clemmons--you are Musical Theatre heaven--what you don't know about it hasn't been written yet.

I met some crazy talented, dedicated and cheery people. It has renewed my faith in what I do.

Thanks, gang!

The Lost Blog From Mother's Day

This crazy entry took a walk on the wild side and blew away. Here it is again from May 11, 2010.
The semi-disappointment of my Mother's Day was the "Turkey Lurkey" number in "Promises, Promises" on Broadway. I took my lovely Mom to see the show. (…and, yes, you meanies out there, I do have a mother who is kind, leads by example and for short, I call her "Google" because all I have to do is ask her anything and she knows. There's just no substitute for experience and impeccable intuition. She's a living genius. She's that rare quality of book sense AND common sense—a remarkable person. But just like you out there, at times she finds me boorish, silly and crazy but that unconditional love thing keeps her from putting me away, I suspect. Now, she saw the original production back in 1968. Her and my Dad used to go to the theatre so much until they used to have to wait for new shows to open on Broadway. They saw them all. I just had the cast album of "Promises, Promises" in my youth (no jokes from you, CM). It's always kinda fun to go into the show knowing the lyrics to the bulk of the songs. This production touted additional Bacharach and David pop tunes of "Say A Little Prayer" and "A House is Not A Home" which weren't in the original production. I had read the review in the NY Post by Elisabeth Vincentilli in which she said, "… Ashford underwhelms as choreographer, which is odd considering the bang-up dances he created for "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Cry-Baby." The biggest letdown is "Turkey Lurkey Time," an ensemble number with a single purpose: to kill. Here, it delivers only a flesh wound." I wished with all my fiber that this wouldn't be true. I was so looking forward to it. But alas, I must agree, clutching my pearls that Elisabeth was right. The "She Loves Basketball" number was the better of the Rob Ashford choreography in the show numbers. People, check out the original Michael Bennett choreography with that darling, Donna McKechnie (as Gwen Verdon was to Bob Fosse) to "Turkey Lurkey Time" on YouTube—it's dynamite!~ This revival is comme ci, comme ça. The Jonathan Tunick arrangements are smokin' and that's what will guarantee a sale from me of the original cast album.
Sean Hayes was yummy and nothing like “Just Jack”.
But here's the real jewel in the crown if you're a big Bacharach and David fan like I am and want to hear songs from the show like "Wanting Things," "Whoever You Are" and of course, "Promises, Promises" do yourself a favor and check out Dionne Warwick's (Whitney Houston's cousin) "Promises, Promises" album released in 1969 on Scepter Records. It's one of my favorite albums (yes, album, as it was called then—not CD) of all time.
Bacharach and David songs with that trademark Flugelhorn line –just like an analgesic balm on your sore and aching heart.
I once had a musical theatre audition session for representation a few years back and I gave anyone who wanted to come in and sing a choice of two songs to prepare. One was "Promises, Promises" and the other was "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (another Bacharach and David) song. Well, low and behold, I got this screwball accompanist who played the piano like Ed Norton and would play this ridiculous intro much like "Swanee River" just in different keys before going into the songs. It was just ridiculous. These were tough songs to sing for most and I knew that to be the challenge. I didn't acquire any new musical theatre talent from that day.
Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield are the quintessential singers of the interpretation and phrasing of Bacharach and David songs as Barbara Cook is to Sondheim.
Kristin Chenoweth is a phenomenal talent and singer. This show is not Chenoweth's singing lane. What happened to that Dusty Springfield project in which she was going to play the title role? Was it scrapped? After this, I may know why.
I'll be seeing "Sondheim On Sondheim" before the Tonys and I'll let you know what's up with that…Love me some Sondheim!
I aspire to be a Tony Voter one day after this chapter of my life is closed.
..And here are some of my favorite Broadway tunes (popular and obscure) that are the perfect marriage of song and singer—meaning I haven't heard anyone sing a better rendition of the following:
Barbra ("hello gorgeous") Streisand—"My Man" from "Funny Girl"
Nancy Wilson singing "Fireworks" from "Miss Liberty"
Julie Andrews singing "Crazy World" from "Victor/Victoria"
Liza Minnelli singing "I Had A Dream" from "Gypsy"
Chita Rivera singing "All That Jazz" from "Chicago"
Stephanie Mills singing "Home" from "The Wiz"
Sammy Davis, Jr. singing "There's A Party Going On" from "Golden Boy"
Len Cariou singing "Pretty Women" from "Sweeney Todd"
Robert Goulet singing "If Every I Would Leave You" from "Camelot"
Larry Kert singing "Something's Comin'" from "West Side Story"
Sarah Vaughn singin "Maria" from "West Side Story"
John Raitt singing "Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'" from "Oklahoma"
Yvonne (Lily Munster) DeCarlo singing “I’m Still Here” from “Follies”

…and I'll keep sharing these renditions as the blogs go on and on and on…

--Posted By Karen Gunn @ Soiree Fair to Karen Gunn's Gabfest @ Soiree Fair at 5/11/2010 01:38:00 AM

The Back Stage Story

For the remaining dozen or so friends and colleagues that didn’t know, here is a link to the “Ask the Manager” column in the national edition of “Back Stage” that I was asked to participate in. If you have the actual paper it is the May 20-26, 2010 issue (with the photo of that dreamy Matthew Fox of “Lost” on the cover) on page 7. It was very flattering to have been asked. Thanks to Simi Horwitz and shout out to Dan Lehman over at “Back Stage”. You guys sizzle with professionalism and know-how. As a result, I signed up for a subscription and I urge all you theatrical types to follow suit. The articles are magnificent with information and insight and there’s an ad for anything or anybody you might need to make it to the big time. Big, big thanks to those who checked it out. Thanks for your time to read. Yippeee!
http://www.backstage.com/bso/advice-ask-a-professional/whom-to-recommend-plastic-surgery-for-1004092675.story

Those Days That Make No Damn Sense, Natch!

We the unwilling led by the unqualified for so long, with so little, we now attempt the impossible with nothing!

The Tax Man Cometh vs. Evil Economy

It's tax time and the results are in.

Every year it's always shoulda, woulda, coulda…if only that booking had come through, what a great vacation I coulda went on. If only we had cancelled AT&T and paid the penalty for early contract termination...Shoulda dropped that client and smack my mouth for spending over $1K in postage and the post office is losing money because I email too much. I don't want to squander this great invention of the blog on venting, ranting and just plain being a sour puss. Sometimes I want to rejoice, jubilate and dance. But this is not that day. We are in our 15^th year of operation and so many, many aspects of this business have not changed or even evolved. A number of "that's the way it is" kind of stuff has gnawed on me and may eventually kiss the spirit of what this journey means to me, goodbye. It's just about to pick my bones dry. But I think about how far we've come in our own right, and I can get rejuvenated from time to time.

Every year is pretty much a wild ride. There's always the underlying excitement of the next big thing. One phone call or one email and there's a chain reaction of triumph or failure. It all comes in waves. The tide of gigs can ebb and flow in the course of a day, a week and so on. When the tumbleweeds blow into town that's when we dig deeper and deeper to find those jewels we call new clients. It's brutal. New clients are so gung-ho until the tide goes out. The lesson here is that we all have to find that "thing" that sustains us between opportunities. I personally hold it together by watching re-runs of the TV series "Mission Impossible", Burt Bacharach music (yes, I already have my tickets for "Promises, Promises") reading Jackie Collins' novels and the outlandish to the garden variety stage plays and screenplays that are submitted to our literary department. Come to think of it, I'm always going off on actors. I will blog very soon about our writers. I also have 5 lbs. of Aviv Passover Matzos that I get every year free from my supermarket that I nosh on for the next few months. This is my recipe for sanity.

It's getting crazy mad with the expenses and the time that is expended in scouting talent and supporting talent. Last year in particular, there was an influx of criticism about my phantom existence. The deal was that clients were getting downright disgusted that I didn't come to showcases, hold special individual meetings and other absences that got on their nerves. Let me explain. We lost our lease in 2008 to a public transportation friendly location in New Jersey. As the economy tanked, our search to find a new affordable rental office was not successful. So actually, clients with cars was the only way to meet at our main office in New Jersey, or we'd rent a studio in NYC for a couple of hours. Efforts to attend performances in NYC proved difficult because even though we are located 12 miles west of NYC, the traffic is horrendous in this area, so I have to plan to leave at the very least 90 minutes to two hours before performance time. What happens is that this ends up being a 5-6 hour excursion even if it's just for a one hour performance. Plus, the parking is costly. It's just not feasible time-wise during the work week especially since the bulk of the appointments come in after 5pm and at that time I'm on the road and unable to dispatch appointments to you rapidly. Hey, one day I'll have that income that affords me that pied a terre in the city where I can work during the week and scoot back to Jersey on the weekends to be with my friends The situation and Snookie down the shore.

I use to love when I worked as an agent in the city to go to all the hovels in the city that were doing theatre and screening films, taking my life in my hands. I miss it, but as always I'm there in spirit.

I will be writing another little eBook about the things talent reps REALLY don't care about and other things that actors offer other than their talent that is totally useless.

I don't post this to put anybody on blast or drop a dime. I just put it out there to give anyone who's following along a glimpse into my morbid thoughts.

Shout out to my longtime accountant STELLA! Every year, I come stumbling into your office like Stanley and you smile politely and tell me what and whose talents to build upon and what and who to vanquish.

www.soireefair.com

It's All Talk, Talk, Talk, And More Talk

So this NBC debacle with Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien is a wreck. It was a bold gamble to think that a 10pm talk show on weekdays would be a ratings draw. The deal is, we are saturated with talk shows. I personally don’t find very many talk show guests whether they be actors, athletes, authors, musicians or partridges in pear trees, fascinating, enthralling or easy on the eyes. This rumored deal for Leno is perfectly disturbing. It’s like the 15 minute “Nat King Cole Show” for white people in comparison to Conan O’Brien doing the “Tonight Show”.
I do like the “Wanda Sykes” show on Fox-TV. That’s primarily because she has vowed as executive producer and star of her show that she will not have celebrities coming on to hawk their movies, appearances and series with clips or other out of context malarkey that isn’t funny or compelling.

Oh boy, it’s a sorry state of affairs for network television when we’re hung up on whose talk show should stay or go. I miss my escapism TV shows. The soaps are getting axed and we’re forced to watch news programs, court shows and talk shows along with socially and medically informational shows that make you sick and possibly encourage you to put your husband in a headlock for working too hard trying to make a decent living. It’s preposterous what our fellow John and Joan Q. Public think are healthy habits as we slog through life.

Hey, I’m not adverse to all the dramas on TV, but Entertainment—yes with a capital “E” is gone. Most dramas are tutorials on how to outwit the system and outfox the fuzz (or so it seems).

Happy New Year—and as they said on the “Dr. Phil” show, “Don’t Do It Again In 2010.”