Westfield News Group ArtsBeat 10/31/18

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat 10/31/18. Ebon Moss-Bachrach headlines Selected Shorts at UMass, Berkshire Theatre Critic Awards nominees, and other arts news for WMass and No.CT. https://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-249/

Succeeding in Small Business October Article

My October article for "Succeeding in Small Business". Media lessons learned from other's examples good and bad. https://www.succeedinginsmallbusiness.com/media-relations-learning-from-the-examples-of-others-both-good-and-bad/?fbclid=IwAR2fy0wiF9b7OsWdRQSK6n1ygUy4KOoZBKk-ZPZ-2J1qfd55dZuGu-rHWNY#.W9hctiMrJaV

ArtsBeat Radio October 26

ArtsBeat Radio on 89.5fm/WSKB, October 27. Danny Eaton talks about his new play at West Springfield's Majestic Theater, and Don Sanders, from MIFA shares a progress report on the restoration of Holyoke's Victory Theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8YxcshvFdg

Calendar Listings: The Capitol Steps Washington DC Performances

CALENDAR LISTINGS

THE CAPITOL STEPS

MAKE AMERICA GRIN AGAIN

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Amphitheatre

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC. 20004

Tickets available through Ticketmaster.

Ticket and venue information: (202) 312-1555 or 

http://www.capsteps.com/live/reagan04.html

The Capitol Steps, the political musical satire group that has been putting the “mock” in democracy since 1981, perform every Friday and Saturday at 7:30PM, at the Amphitheater of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC. Their current show, Make America Grin Again, includes songs and satire from their new CD of the same name.

With plenty of opportunities to find laughs in the buffoonery in our Nation's Capital, the Capitol Steps work overtime to capture the new administration's antics in satire and song. And since the Capitol Steps mine their laughs from materials ripped from today’s and tomorrow’s headlines, you never know whether Stormy Daniels, Vladimir Putin, Bernie Sanders, Jeff Sessions, or Kim Jong-un might appear from Mar-A-Lago or The White House.

The Capitol Steps’ performance of mostly new material and some old favorites “is cheaper than therapy”, says Capitol Steps co-founder Elaina Newport. “No matter who is making the news, we all need a laugh. And as fast as a politician can send a tweet, we add a new song or joke. Our show transcends all political views – if we get the politician you agree with in the first song, we’ll get the politician you disagree with in the next song.  We’re equal opportunity satirists!”

The Capitol Steps began when a group of Congressional staffers got together to provide entertainment for a holiday office party on Capitol Hill.  They provide their unique mix of musical and political comedy and satire to audiences coast-to-coast.  Each show consists of about thirty songs and skits covering everything in the news, with characters and wigs flying on and off stage, and “more costume changes than a Cher concert,” says Newport. The Capitol Steps perform in Washington DC every weekend, tour nationally throughout the year, and have appeared on “The Today Show,” “ABC News Nightline,” “CBS Evening News” and on specials for NPR. 

The Capitol Steps perform in Washington DC every weekend year-round, and several touring productions travel to performances coast-to-coast. For details: http://capsteps.com/

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Westfield News Group ArtsBeat 10/24/18

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat for 10/24/18. Theatre Re's "The Nature of Forgetting" at the UMass Fine Arts Center, theatre composer Alexander Sovronsky, from Berkshires to NYC an C, and arts news for WMass and No. CT. https://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-248/

Review: Henry V at Hartford Stage

Westfield News Group review of Shakespeare's Henry V at Hartford Stage. Director Elizabeth Williamson stages this production arena-style, with gender-blind casting. It works! https://thewestfieldnews.com/review-shakespeares-henry-v-at-hartford-stage/

ArtsBeat Radio: 10/19/18: Back to School with Matt & Matt

ArtsBeat Radio on 89.5fm/WSKB 10/19/18. Back to school with Matt and Matt. Matt Longhi showcases music and dance programs at UMass/Amherst. Matt Pugliese talks about theatre at UConn. CT. Repertory Theatre and Nutmed Summer Series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l6-Z7jwAbw

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat 10/17/18

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat for 10/17/18. "Fiddler on The Roof" tour heads to the Bushnell, "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" at Playhouse on Park and other arts news for WMass and No.CT. https://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-247/

Media Release: the Capitol Steps Bring "Make America Grin Again" to Cambridge on November 24

THE CAPITOL STEPS RETURN TO CAMBRIDGE WITH THEIR “MAKE AMERICA GRIN AGAIN” TOUR ON NOVEMBER 24.

Cambridge, MA--In their first Baystate appearance after the Midterm Elections, The Capitol Steps return to Cambridge for their annual Thanksgiving visit with their Make America Grin Again tour, Saturday, November 24 with two performances at 5PM and 8PM at Sanders Theatre on the Harvard campus.

The Capitol Steps spoof the characters on both sides of the aisle with their songs and satires, putting the “mock” in democracy. According to Mike Thornton, the actor who has played presidents from Reagan to Trump in his 20-plus years performing The Capitol Steps, “I wouldn't have believed that the Congress and Trump could get any crazier than last year; but once again, Washington proves otherwise. One of Trump's tweets in the show states "Many people are saying that my meeting with Vladimir Putin was the lowest point of my career but they're wrong - I can go much lower".  And our fans are more grateful than ever for the desperately needed release of endorphins”.

The Capitol Steps have elevated political satire to an art form. Before The Daily Show, Full Frontal, and The Colbert Report, the Washington, DC-based comedy troupe gave audience laugh cramps with their bipartisan lampooning.  The Capitol Steps began in 1981 as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize their employers, and haven’t let up since. 

The Capitol Steps have been a national institution for over 37 years, providing a unique blend of musical and political comedy and satire to audiences coast-to-coast.. Their annual Cambridge visit, now a Thanksgiving weekend holiday tradition, spoofs material is ripped from today’s headlines., The Capitol Steps can’t predict can’t just who are our winners and losers, but expect some musical commentary from Donald and Melania Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kellyanne Conway,The Supreme Court, Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin, Omarosa, and Stormy Daniels. (and even some Democrats- SAD!). Most importantly folks can expect to be entertained, laugh incessantly, and leave in a great mood- because the Capitol Steps are cheaper than therapy!

Tickets for The Capitol Steps performances at Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall, 45 Quincy Street in Cambridge, MA are available at the Harvard Box-Office.  For details:  617-496-2222 or https://www.boxoffice.harvard.edu

To preview some of the Capitol Steps materials, visit their website, www.capsteps.com, or find The Capitol Steps on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (@capsteps)

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Review: The River at Theaterworks

Westfield News Group review of Jez Butterworth's chamber mystery "The River" at Hartford's Theaterworks. Rob Ruggiero directs a play about a man who confronts past and present loves in a fishing camp on a river. https://thewestfieldnews.com/review-the-river-at-theaterworks/

Updated Media Release: Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative's "Perfect Pitch"

PERECT PITCH: 5TH ANNUAL WMASS FILM AND MEDIA EXCHANGE, OCTOBER 20 IN SPRINGFIELD, MA FEATURES HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT CONSULTANT PILAR ALESSANDRA.

The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative presents its 5th annual WMass Film and Media Exchange, “The Perfect Pitch,” on Saturday, October 20, 2018, from 9:30AM-4:30PM at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place in downtown Springfield, MA. This year’s Exchange is designed for aspiring and established screenwriters, playwrights, novelists, producers, directors and anyone wanting their idea heard by industry decision makers!  The template for pitching is great for marketing professionals and executives too.   

Special guest, renowned Hollywood Screenplay Consultant, author, and Pitch Expert Pilar Alessandra will be conducting two seminars on Creative Screenwriting (Character & Dialogue Development) and "Pitching Your Project." Pilar will give attendees the template for pitching an idea. She will guide you through the elements you need to express your story, your inspiration and your characters so that industry professionals lean in and say, "yes!" Daniel Fierst from the entertainment law firm of Fierst, Kane & Bloomberg, LLP will also offer a session on the legal aspects of selling your screenplay or project. There will be an the unique opportunity for some participants to pitch their projects to Pilar Alessandra.

Pilar Alessandra started her career as Senior Story Analyst at DreamWorks SKG. In 2001, she opened the Los Angeles-based On the Page Writers’ Studio, dedicated to teaching and consulting with screenwriters and TV writers at all levels. She’s the author of the top-selling scriptwriting book, “The Coffee Break Screenwriter,” and host of the popular “On the Page Podcast.” An in-demand speaker, she’s been a guest instructor at Disney, DreamWorks Animation, ABC, CBS and AFM, and has taught screenwriting and pitching at production companies and film festivals all over the world. For more information about Pilar Alessandra, her classes, consultations, book and podcast: "http://www.onthepage.tv

The 2018 WMass Film and Media Exchange is made possible in part with grants from the Community Foundation of Western MA and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Sponsors and media partners to date include: Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, IMAGINE Magazine, New England Public Radio, Wachsler CPA, LLC, and The Westfield News Group, Green Fire Writers, Berkshire Women Writers, Women in Film and Video New England, Berkshire Theatre Group and WAM Theatre.

Tickets for the WMass Film and Media Exchange, which include continental breakfast,  lunch and free parking at the Springfield Sheraton, begin at $129, with a student rate of $75 with valid student ID. Prices increase at the door to $159. Space is limited. For program and ticket information: 413.528.4223 or www.berkshirefilm.org 

The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) is a creative economic engine that supports production and workforce development in Western Massachusetts. BFMC develops educational and workforce enrichment courses, offers networking events for industry professionals, acts as a resource for visiting productions, creates jobs within our communities in the film industry and provides an on line production guide and locations database as a resource for filmmakers. BFMC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

ArtsBeat Radio / 89.5fm/WSKB/ October 12

ArtsBeat Radio on 89.5fm/WSKB for October 12. Diane Pearlman from Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative's "Perfect Pitch: WMass Film and Media Exchange with Pilar Alessandra" and Jeffrey Dreisbach, casting partner at McCorkle Casting, and a plug for Goodspeed's "The Drowsy Chaperone". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh4KQlSyuA0

Review: The Drowsy Chaperone at Goodspeed

Westfield News Group review. Goodspeed Musicals' "The Drowsy Chaperone". A spectacular valentine to Broadway musicals and the people who love them.
https://thewestfieldnews.com/review-goodspeed-stages-the-drowsy-chaperone/

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat for 10/10/18

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat for 10/10/18. Goodspeed announces upcoming season. WMass Film and Media Exchange features scriptwriting consultant Pilar Alessandra in Springfield, and arts news or Wmass and No.CT. https://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-246/

Review: The Glass Menagerie at Barrington Stage

My Westfield News Group review of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" at Barrington Stage. I foun Julianne Boyd' staging, Alexaner Sovronsky's music, and Mark H. Dold's performance exceptionally fine. https://thewestfieldnews.com/review-the-glass-menagerie-at-barrington-stage/

ArtsBeat Radio, 89.5fm/WSKB for October 5, 2018

ArtsBeat Radio, 89.5fm/WSKB for October 5, 2018. Mark G. Auerbach interviews Mark Adam Rampmeyer, wig designer for Goodspeed's "The Drowsy Chaperone" and Juliana von Haubrich, set designer for WAM Theatre's "Ann".  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqLjJBnxh74

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat 10/3/18

Westfield News Group ArtsBeat for 10/3/18. Jayne Atkinson is "Ann"at WAM Theatre; Shakespeare's "Henry V" at Hartford Stage, and arts news for WMass and No.CT.
https://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-245/