Bad Musicals Festival Wraps Up Run and Announces Award Winners

Bad Musicals Festival '08 wrapped up with the CARMEN MIRANDA BENEFIT & FRUIT CUP AWARDS for best plays by audience vote: Golden Pineapple, Silver Tomato, and Bronze Banana. New this year were the Jack Lemons for best bad actor& actress (plus runners-up). There were surprise citations as well, so all the cherished productions got recognition for their devoted work. The benefit was for the company's dedicated mission of taking professional theatre to under-served children & families, seniors & elderly. There was entertainment by entre acte performer Jessica Delfino and some impromptu naughty guitar solos by Jared Stern. Delicious food was provided by Little Pie Company and Eileen's Special Cheesecake, plus we had lots of veggies and fruits laboriously cut up and presented by the interns/ volunteers. Serendipity 3 donated an elaborate chocolate gift set, which was presented to Fred, owner/ operator of the Producers Club. We are delighted to report that the entre acte performers Huck DeMilo, Jessica Delfino, and Zero Boy were huge hits during the festival and even garnered votes for Best Actor and Best Actress!



AND THE WINNERS ARE...

GOLDEN PINEAPPLE
"CHARLIE CHANG & THE MYSTERIOUS SALAMI"

Book & lyrics by Anne Berlin, music Andy Cohen

Director Tony Spinosa

SILVER TOMATO

"OBGYNia, a Sci-Fi Musical Romp!"
Book & lyrics Justine Lambert & Kenneth Nowell, music Kenneth Nowell

Director Tom Amici

BRONZE BANANA

"The Great Plastic Surgeon of Oz"

by Zurbon Gish

Director Robyne Parrish

JACK LEMONS & RUNNERS-UP

Best ("Bad") Actress

Carlyn Connolly ("Charlie Chang")

Elizabeth Van Meter ("Great Plastic Surgeon")

Amanda Lerner ("Great Plastic Surgeon")

Best ("Bad") Actor

Jared Stern ("OBGYNia")

Ben Elledge ("Daffodils in Deutschland")

Scott Michael Morales ("Great Plastic Surgeon")

ESCAPE OF THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

When the curtain came down, artistic director Melba LaRose scooped up her frequent flyer miles and took off for Bordeaux. She trained around with a 3-day pass on the TGV (bullet train) and hit Strasbourg, Paris, St. Jean de Luz & Biarritz (is there anything more beautiful in the world?). This was a long overdue respite from the festival schedule, grant applications, ongoing touring, and other demands of the company. Next, as a direct descendant, she attends the Elder William Brewster Society Triennial Congress meeting, memorial service, and dinner at Plymouth Harbour, Mass. William Brewster was the fearless leader of the Mayflower expedition and Plymouth Colony. Now, she's dreaming of Carnival in Venice in February!

WORKSHOPS WITH ARTURO SCHOMBURG SENIOR s

WORKSHOPS taught by our eminent artist-teachers for seniors in the Bronx have concluded for this season. Francis J. Roach, resident choreographer who teaches Luigi Technique around the world, did many Broadway/Jazz Dance Workshops. There were even physically-challenged seniors sitting in chairs doing Luigi exercises! Theatre Games/ Improv for Seniors with Court Sweeting and Improv Comedy with Kenny Wade Marshall were big hits, as well as the Poetry & Performance Workshop taught by eminent published poet Cynthia Nibbelink Worley. With a generous Sm(ART)s: Seniors Meet the Arts grant (brand new City program), we partnered with Rev. Nunn at Arturo Schomburg Senior Center, 1315 Franklin Avenue, to present performances & workshops through the end of June. This project was funded by the NYC Department for the Aging, NY City Council, and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. There were also performances of "Voices of the Town - A Vaudeville Salute!" We continued to work with the Schomburg Center by inviting them to our festival and to offer individual workshops. They will also be invited to Downeast Arts Center for performances and workshops once we are back in the neighborhood.

"VOICES OF THE TOWN - A VAUDEVILLE SALUTE!"

Vaudeville is currently undergoing some cast changes, but will be back up and touring real soon. Keep tuned for a performance of the Vaudeville show near you.

"EBONY BLACK"

"Ebony Black," inspired by Snow White, continues its tour throughout NYC. Written & directed by Melba LaRose, the beautiful score is by Rachel A. Kaufman, choreography by Francis J. Roach. After completing appearances to sold out houses at the Players Theatre, SPACE Gallery (Seaport), and throughout Queens Library system, we are looking forward to new gigs. Check the website for performances near you. Come one, come all -- perfect for ALL AGES!

WEBGIRL RENEE LEWIS RUNS LLS MARATHON

As you may know I am training for my 3rd marathon on October 19th. I am raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and I'm asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign. Please use this link http://pages.teamintraining.org/nnj/nikesf08/rlewis to donate online quickly and securely. If you're not comfortable with donating online you can also send a check to me made out to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Thank you in advance for your support. Please forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well! Thanks, Renee Y. Lewis

COMPANY MEMBER & BOARD SECRETARY

Gladys Perez is running for the lives of many!
Help me raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society


Dear Friends, Colleagues, Family and Acquaintances,
You are invited to participate with me in a marathon without ever leaving the comfort of your home! On October 26, 2008, I willl be running along with my sister Laura Perez and members of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program from New York in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.

All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers, but I would like to honor three people, two of whom are survivors of other types of cancer. The first person is my father, Federico Perez, who survived a bout with prostate cancer two years ago and is still having fun and making jokes. The second person I'd like to to honor is Joanne Morrelli, my sister-in-law who in her early 40s and with two small children, was blindsided by breast cancer and won the battle just this past year. Last but not least, I'd like to honor Maria Dobbs, a lymphoma survivor and my sister Laura's life partner of 18 years. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

I have two goals to accomplish in this endeavor: 1) raise $3300 at a minimum and, 2) complete the marathon in less than six hours. Happily, I have been training since the beginning of June and am doing amazingly well! I know now that I will be able to run and finish this marathon, but I need your support and sponsorship to reach my goal. You can pledge as little as $1 per mile (a marathon is 26.2 miles), but of course, $10 or more per mile will go further toward my cause. Every dollar counts, though, and I appreciate any help you can give me.

Whatever your pledge, please feel free to donate via this page or, if you prefer, you may send a check instead. Email me at coachglad@gmail.com for my address.

REVEREND JEN's anti-slam

The Rev holds her Anti-Slam on the last Wednesday of every month starting at 10 p.m. at Bowery Poets Club. Come join this crazy bunch of East Village zanies (ArtStars) led by Jen and her devoted chihuahua Reverend Jen, Jr. The idea behind the Anti-Slam is that everyone gets a ten, no matter what -- a policy heartily endorsed by NY Artists Unlimited. Everyone is welcome - poets, performance artists, comedians, musicians, dancers -- and people who need therapy but can't afford it. 6 minutes of stage time. $3 admission for all.

UMBRELLA WALK FOR 9/11

Beginning in September, there will be company performers doing the Umbrella Walk in commemoration of our fellow New Yorkers lost on 9/11, as well as to ask the question: How Safe Are We? The original coverless, damaged, businessman's umbrella was discovered by resident artist Elson de Faria in the rubble around WTC. Every year since, we have walked with a fleet of coverless umbrellas and when questioned, we ask observers how safe they feel. This leads to improvised discussions about Homeland Security, the current Administration, and the threat of terrorism in general. Responses are recorded by videocamera and by other performers that assist the procession. The performance art event is often more effective when there are light late-summer showers. It was also used to question handling of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Umbrella Walks will be going on mainly downtown in the financial district and in the Seaport, although some contingents will be wandering through Times Square.

DOINGS DOWNEAST

The word from Lower East Side People's Mutual Housing Association and Mary Spink is that the workmen hope to finish 203 Avenue A by September/October. We'll keep you posted and could use help & ideas in preparation for the return to Downeast Arts Center. Quarterly board meetings are being held and anyone is welcome to attend.