Ranting Details

Positively Perfect

The past few weeks I've had the pleasure of working at Pasadena Musical Theater Program, a summer-long pre-professional training ground run by Ryan Scott Oliver.  Throughout my time here I've photographed rehearsals, headshots (for 125 kids!), and production photos of the show "Positively Wicked."  Having long since left the world of summer programs, I found it rather remarkable to witness the growth of the students over my time here and couldn't have been more thrilled to see the final product. 

The show tells the story of Ellie Schtick, who finds her new school to be a crazy institution where conformity means popularity, and popularity rules all.  Ellie seeks the help of six Outcasts to thwart the evilest of the Populars and turn the twisted high school upside-down...

(Dance Break, choreographed by Anna Schnaitter)

(October the Goth Outcast)

(Most popular girl in school, Linda, with her minion Vanessa #3)

(The founder and sole member of the drama club, Daisy Price)

(The Outcasts share their simple joys.)

 

(Spring Fling.)

(Lunchroom rivalry between Populars and Outcasts.)

(The Player asks, "Ain't it Good?")

(Phil the Outcast admits he's extraordinary.)

(Evil Vicki.)

(Making her popular.)

(Vanessa #1 being FIERCE.)

(The Outcasts.)

(The Finale.)

No Talent in the Room

Last night I stuffed myself into a corner and pulled out my zoom lens.  A rather typical Sunday night, to be honest, but this time instead of hiding outside of Anderson Cooper's Manhattan abode pretending I'm papparazzi (like I used to pretend I was Harriet the Spy), I was at the band rehearsal for the NewMusicalTheatre.com Launch Concert.

The unfortunate thing about this concert is there is a major shortage of talent in all areas.  I mean...Tony Award-nominee Kelli O' Hara?  Never heard of her!  Not to mention performers like Matt Doyle (Spring Awakening), Stephen Booth (Glory Days) , Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening), Betsy Wolfe (Everyday Rapture), Jay Johnson (Hair), Alex Brightman (Wicked), De'Adre Aziza (Passing Strange), Lindsay Mendez (Everyday Rapture), Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture) and Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family).  Not a decent Broadway credit in the bunch.  They'll be performing music by composers Pasek and Paul, Lowdermilk & Kerrigan, Nick Blaemire, Adam Gwon, Joe Iconis, and Ryan Scott Oliver, so it's sure to be just awful (translation: out-of-this-world amazing). 

Who am I kidding?  With a lineup like this, it's gonna be a night to remember.  Pick up a ticket and get down to Le Poisson Rouge tonight at 10 PM!

 

(Emma Hunton)

(Krysta Rodriguez)

(Brian Lowdermilk and Kait Kerrigan)

(De'Adre Aziza)

(Alex Brightman and Steven Booth)

(Betsy Wolfe)

 

(Director David Ruttura)

(Jay A. Johnson)

(Composer Ryan Scott Oliver)

 

(Pianist Adam Wachter)

 

(Emma Hunton and Matt Doyle)

 

(Matt Hinkley)

(Adam Gwon)

 

(Sheet music to Ryan Scott Oliver's "Twisted Teeth"--making its world-premiere tonight-- from our upcoming show 35mm)

Won't You Stay?

Yesterday was a special moment in the world of composer Ryan Scott Oliver and bookwriter BT Ryback: a closed table reading of Darling, their musical deconstruction of JM Barrie's beloved Peter Pan. Many fans, including myself, have fallen in love with various songs from the show during performances of Rated RSO (the final third of which is made up entirely of material from Darling), but this reading was the first time I was able to hear the music in the context of the story.  Of course, I'm not allowed to disclose too much, but I will say that musical theater fans have something very special coming their way! I can't wait to see how it develops.  But for now, I leave you with a few pictures...

(The cast reads through the script)

(Katie Gassert)

(Morgan Karr)

(Jay A. Johnson)

(Caissie Levy)

(Andrew Kober)

(Lindsay Mendez)

Picture of the Day: 2/11/10

(I spent the past few days in Washington DC for Ryan Scott Oliver's Kennedy Center concert and snapped this pic of Hair's Jay Armstrong Johnson in the green room before the show.)

RSO Explosion

Monday night marked the final performances of Ryan Scott Oliver's Rated RSO. (Let's shed a collective tear.) I first got attached to this powerhouse showcase of musical theater's next generation when I photographed the evening more than six months ago at Joe's Pub here in NYC.  Since then, I've traveled uptown, to LA, and finally back to Joe's Pub as a photographer for the show.  Only, for this last incarnation I was an actual collaborator since Ryan and I are now working on a theater piece entitled 35mm--a musical exhibition of sorts--that made up the first third of Monday night's show. 

The whole experience is actually a bit of a blur in my head, and rather than go too much into detail now, I thought I'd just share some images of the fantastic cast.  There will be a more in depth post coming up chronicling my experience creating the imagery for "Crazytown," which opened the Joe's Pub concert.  But for now...

(The boys sing "Mrs. Sharp.")

(Alex Brightman, Lindsay Mendez, and Jay A. Johnson sing "The Ballad of Sara Berry.)

(Blake Daniel sings "Mrs. Sharp.")

(Kacie Sheik and Andrew Kober sing "Hemming and Hawing.")

(Eric Michael Krop leads the cast through "Odyssey.")

(Matt Doyle performs "What I Wouldn't Do For You.")

(Alex Brightman performs "Never.")

(Jenny Powers dances her way through "When Lily Came.")

 

(Natalie Weiss performs "On Monday.")

(Matt Cavanaugh and Jenny Powers perform "Make Me Happy.")

(The cast of Rated RSO.)

(Alex Brightman performs "Lost Boy.")

 

(Natalie Weiss, Alex Brightman, Lindsay Mendez, and Jay A. Johnson journey to "Crazytown.")

 

(The cast performs "The Ballad of Sara Berry.")

Sneak Peek: 35mm

It kills me that I wasn't in NY on Wednesday night to see the premieres of nine new songs from 35mm, a piece I'm working on with composer Ryan Scott Oliver.  I was fortunate enough to hear many of the songs in rehearsal, as they're based on--or have inspired--photographs of mine, but nothing quite compares to hearing Ryan's work in a theater with a full band.  Lucky for all of us, the performance was recorded and now I'm able to share a couple of songs with readers of the Rant!

First we have one of my favorites from the evening: "The Ballad of Sara Berry," performed by Lindsay Mendez with Jay A. Johnson, Natalie Weiss, and Alex Brightman.  This is based on a photo I took over my Halloween vacation to L.A., but it looks as though I'll be reshooting a new image for the song in the near future.  All I can tell you right now is it's sure to be demented...just like the story of the song. 

Next we have "Mama Let Me In," which Ryan wrote quickly one afternoon while at church.  It's a departure from his usual style, and its a capella arrangement offers a stark contrast to the beat heavy "Berry."  This song is based on a picture of the Mother Mary behind bars that I took in Soho one day several years ago and it remains one of my favorite photos I've taken.  

We've got some big plans for this project and I can't wait to get back to the city and delve into them.  Before a full mounting of the show, many of the songs will be presented at Joe's Pub on January 25th!  Be sure to buy your tickets now!   

RSO One: Invent Yourself

As most of you know, I spent last week in L.A. photographing Ryan Scott Oliver's Rated RSO, a collection of the composer's work from various musicals.  This was the fourth incarnation of the show, which first played at Boston Court last spring before Joe's Pub here in NYC, and a one-night only event at the New York Musical Theater Festival.  I've been involved with the show since Joe's Pub, and I feel honored to have seen its evolution over the past few months. 

Because of the difficulty of scheduling actors/the different locations of each performance, Ryan is able to utilize a rotating group of some of the best musical theater performers working today.  This time around  that meant, among many others, Megan Hilty (Wicked, 9 to 5) as the title character of Mrs. Sharp, a musical comedy based on the teacher-student sex scandal and murder trial surrounding Pamela Smart. Not your typical subject matter...

Here are some photos from that section of the show.  More coming soon! 

(Megan Hilty and ensemble)

(Jeffrey Todd (left) and members of the cast)

(Megan Hilty)

(Jeffrey Todd and Will Collyer)

(Megan Hilty)

(Megan Hilty and Morgan Karr)

(Morgan Karr (right) and the ensemble)

 

(Megan Hilty's amazing shoes)

Picture of the Day: 12/01/09

(In L.A. shooting Ryan Scott Oliver's show this week.  Things will be a bit slow around here.  But expect lots of photo updates soon!)

Rehearsing RSO

A few shots from a note session for Ryan Scott Oliver's Rated RSO at NYMF. 

(Cait Doyle and members of the cast)

 

(Ali Stroker)

 

(Geoffrey Kidwell and members of the cast)

(Morgan Karr)

 

(Mat Burrow and Natalie Weiss)

 

(Ryan Scott Oliver)

Rainbow RSO

I can't think of a better performance to serve as my final pre-surgery photography job than Ryan Scott Oliver's Rated RSO at the New York Musical Theater Festival.  Over the past few months I've been lucky enough to infiltrate this wonderful group of artists, who I first shot at Joe's Pub last May during RSO's previous incarnation.  Since then, I've worked with several of them on side projects, but everyone always comes back together to present this concert, which highlights selections from two of Oliver's full-length musicals, Mrs. Sharp and Darling, as well as a handful of stand-alone songs. 

Being primarily a dance photographer, I haven't had a lot of experience shooting musicians and singers, and I often find myself engaged with singers in a less visceral way than with dancers.  But I connect with these performers in the same way I connect while shooting dance; they use their full bodies to express the music.  It's not hard when they have Oliver's songs to sing, which sound simultaneously familiar and completely reinvented, as he takes the musical theater sound and twists it through his own prism.  I recommend catching his work whenever possible, and be sure to check the Rant for updates on future productions! 

(Alex Brightman)

 

(Lindsay Mendez)

(Natalie Weiss)

 

(Jennifer DeRosa and Alex Brightman)

 

(Mat Burrow and Geoffrey Kidwell)

 

(Ali Stroker)

(Geoffrey Kidwell)

 

(Victoria Huston-Elem and cast)

After the jump you can watch two of my favorite songs from the evening...

Continue reading "Rainbow RSO" »