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The Road Theatre Company Presents “Nowhere on the Border”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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The Road Theatre Company presents “Nowhere on the Border,” written by Carlos Lacamara and directed by Stewart J. Zully.

Running January 17 through March 8, Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm

The Road Theatre, 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, 91601

The brilliant creative team of Taylor Gilbert, founder/artistic director and Sam Anderson, artistic director of The Road Theatre, choose their plays with conscience and care, and a great deal of humanity. 

This new play, written by Carlos Lacamara, an actor with decades of work behind him, is especially poignant, visceral and woefully far too relevant.

Leandro Cano and Natalie Llerena star in the Road Theatre Company’s production of NOWHERE ON THE BORDER by Carlos Lacamara, directed by Stewart J. Zully and now playing at the Road Theatre on Magnolia.
Leandro Cano and Natalie Llerena

Set quite literally somewhere on the border between Mexico and the United States, the play centers around two stories – a man in search of his daughter who is lost and a daughter desperate to reunite with her husband, both willing to risk their lives.

The play is told in the present and also in the past.  We begin with the father, waiting in the desert.  He is discovered by a volunteer border patroller.  One of those men who leave their average lives in some average town far away to patrol the border with Mexico.  Armed and prepared to fight, they accost whomever they find and hold them until the real border patrol arrives.  On this day, this particular volunteer finds a man waiting with a body just a few days dead, its pieces scattered by vultures or coyotes.  He will not leave her until the border patrol that he himself has called has collected her.  Only doing what he thinks is right, what he says he would want any other man to do for his own daughter, who he still searches for.

Leandro Cano, Diana DeLaCruz and Natalie Llerena star in the Road Theatre Company’s production of NOWHERE ON THE BORDER by Carlos Lacamara, directed by Stewart J. Zully and now playing at the Road Theatre on Magnolia.
Leandro Cano, Diana DeLaCruz and Natalie Llerena

Over the hours it takes for the patrol to arrive, while the volunteer who at first cuffs the man while calling for back up, the two find a connection.  The father is kinder to the patroller than most of us would ever be, but he has his own reasons.  They banter, they reach understandings and as the hours pass, each waiting for their own resolution, the audience begins to see them both as far more similar than not.

We also follow the story of his daughter and why she risks so much to reach her husband who is working “in the north.”  We travel with her on the treacherous journey through the desert, with a drug addled coyote and another migrant, a much stronger man who is also desperate to work, having lost his ranch to corruption and bad luck and leaves a wife and small child behind.

Natalie Llerena and Jonathan Nichols star in the Road Theatre Company’s production of NOWHERE ON THE BORDER by Carlos Lacamara, directed by Stewart J. Zully and now playing at the Road Theatre on Magnolia.
Natalie Llerena and Jonathan Nichols

These are such sad stories, but they have been so beautifully written by Mr Lacamara. Each character is crafted with truth and grace and fierce unflinching empathy that the sorrow they are filled with is somehow bearable.  We all know this happens.  We read about it, or see it on the news, our screens thankfully separate us from the grim reality of what are journeys no one longs for and endings often sadly beyond our comprehension.  There’s a particular monologue in this play when one of the migrants talks about what his life is like and why he must leave it to find something, anything better. You could hear a pin drop, there was a collective suspension of breath in the theatre so perfect were the words spoken, with simplicity and a total lack of theatricality so that they reached deep, deep within, truly unforgettable.

The force of his words and every truth spoken in this play is truly unforgettable. 

Chet Grissom and Jonathan Nichols star in the Road Theatre Company’s production of NOWHERE ON THE BORDER by Carlos Lacamara, directed by Stewart J. Zully and now playing at the Road Theatre on Magnolia.
Chet Grissom and Jonathan Nichols

The performances are spectacular, each actor subtly and yet still forcibly touching minds and hearts at every turn.  Reminding us all that we are all of us the same, all of us needing love and safety and a sense of purpose.  This play is gorgeously constructed, with pathos and wit and style.  The direction is light enough for these stellar actors to find themselves in their parts and bold enough to support the very big themes the play contains.

It’s important that we talk about what really happens in our world.  The theatre is a place where stories such as these can touch us and show us and change us in ways that images on the news cannot. 

Let’s hope we remember these people we spent an evening with and that the change in us is permanent and lasting and forces a change in the world around us. 

Tickets and Showtimes

Chet Grissom, Jonathan Nichols, Natalie Llerena, Leandro Cano, Diana DeLaCruz, Thom Rivera and Mackenzie Redvers Bryce.

The Design Team for “Nowhere on the Border” is as follows: Scenic Design by Paul Dufresne; Lighting Design by Derrick McDaniel; Projection Design by Nicholas Santiago; Sound Design by David B. Marling; Costume Design by Mary Jane Miller; Properties Design by Christine Joëlle and Megan Moran; Fight Choreography by Bjørn Johnson. The Production Stage Manager is Maurie Gonzalez. “Nowhere on the Border” is produced by Ray Paolantonio and Brian M. Cole.

Self Evaluation For Actors

Fran Montano
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Self Evaluation For Actors

Business of Acting 2020

Another year has gone by and we are into a new decade as well. Happy New Year!

If you’ve followed my blogs over the past several years you’ll notice that in January I start with a conversation about the Business of Acting – that you are a business, and that you need a business plan. It is important to set goals, create and execute tasks, and have accountability. You are your own boss.  Each January, I have a workshop where we face our demons, set goals, and put ourselves into action. For some it can be an extremely confrontational experience.  Just training the craft is not enough, you need to make business decisions and take business actions. We start the conversation with each actor assessing the past year and evaluating where they are in their career.   If you did this exercise last year, it is an opportunity to see and evaluate what shifted and moved from last year. So once again, I repeat my checklist to complete and review. Based on the results it can give you a perspective of what areas are strong and what needs to be improved.

Actor Evaluation Checklist

Rate yourself 1-5 (5 being best)

Training

  1. Emotional Preparation ______
  2. Audition skills with script in hand ______
  3. Commercial auditioning skills ______
  4. On Camera auditioning ______
  5. Memorizing Lines ______
  6. Working with a scrip in hand ______
  7. Script Analysis ______
  8. Improv skills ______

Experience

  1. Performing on Stage ______
  2. On Camera ______
  3. Auditioning ______
  4. Voice Over ______
  5. Improv ______
  6. Play Readings ______

Credits

  1. Web series ______
  2. Theater ______
  3. TV ______
  4. Student Films ______
  5. Other/ Industrial/ training videos etc ______
  6. Commercials ______
  7. Print ______
  8. Modeling ______
  9. Voice Over _____ _

Headshots

  1. Look one ______
  2. Look Two ______
  3. Look Three ______

Film Clips (30 sec to 1.5 min)

  1. Look one ______
  2. Look two ______
  3. Look three ______

Web presence

  1. IMDB ______
  2. Personal Site ______
  3. Other locations ______

Your network

  1. Casting director relationships ______
  2. Director relationships ______
  3. Producer relationships ______
  4. Theater connections ______
  5. CD Workshops ______

Representation

  1. Agent ______
  2. Manager ______
  3. Now Casting ______
  4. Actors Access ______
  5. Casting Frontier ______
  6. LA Casting ______
  7. Other ______
  8. Union member ______

Personal Promotion

  1. Writing ______
  2. Developing project ______
  3. Personal Project ______
  4. One person show ______
  5. Theater group ______
  6. Web series ______
  7. Stand up ______
  8. Other – List ______

If there is anything else you find pertinent for your career that serves you, list them. __________________________________________________

How did you do?  How did it compare to last year’s evaluation? It’s a chance to see what is strong and what needs work.

It’s important to evaluate yourself, your progress, and what needs to be worked on. Self evaluation for actors is important to do from time to time. 

I’ll leave you with a quote from a great actress:

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn

My best wishes for a productive year for you!

Fran Montano

The Actors Workout Studio Presents “Taboo II”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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The Actors Workout Studio presents “Taboo II,” written by Frank J. Avella, Tom Coash, Jenny Mead, Eric Pfeffinger, Steven Reveles and Tanya Linette Smith.

Directed by Ian McClure and Stacy Ann Raposa

Running January 10th through February 8th, Friday, Sat at 7.3-pm, Sun at 7pm.

The Actors Workout Studio, 4735 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91602

The Actors Workout Studio showcase some pretty interesting work. 

This is the second year of their “Taboo” series, which is what you might imagine it to be…a selection of shorts about adult subjects.  The playwrights are from all over the US, the studio selects only the very best of the submissions, and the actors in their company perform them under the gentle guidance of Ian McClure and Stacy Ann Raposa.

The subjects vary from suicide to incest, attempted murder, volatile sexual fantasies, Muslim stereotypes and a teacher’s divorce-induced very bad behavior. 

They are all really excellent.  Well written, thoughtful, provocative and very, very darkly funny.  Of course, material like this needs total commitment from its actors and a very loose reign from its directors.  No need to get too controlling when the point of the material is to lose control…a least a little. The actors are wonderful, they hold nothing back, funny, poignant, moving, frustrating…real.

A couple of these walk a pretty tight line between bad taste and good theatre.  But then this is “Taboo,” so it’s to be expected.  But none of it is at all gratuitous. Pushing boundaries is a big part of the theatre’s ethos after all.  These actors certainly seem to rise to the material too.  Not shying away from the darkness of it, embracing the risks, which is what makes it work of course.

Supporting emerging actors and playwrights is what The Actors Workout Studio is all about.  This is yet another collection of interesting and powerful stories from the outer edges of our imagination.  It’s important to push us to our artistic limits sometimes and to remind ourselves that we are all human…even the more monstrous of us.

It’s running until February 8, well worth your time and your dollars!!!

http://www.actorsworkout.com 

Featuring:

Rachel Christianson, Justin Hankinson, Bonnie Jean, Joey Jupiter-Levin, Nick Lavin, Chris Markel, Monica Mauro, Irene Muzzy, Natasha Simone & Sarah Zavala

Will Gram Parsons Be Inducted in the Country Music Hall Of Fame?

Caroline McElroy
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Will Gram Parsons Be Inducted in the Country Music Hall Of Fame?

When it comes to Gram Parsons it’s pretty hard to write things on him that hasn’t been written many times before.

Hopefully, this column won’t be rehashing old news or beating to death the subject of Parsons’ being inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame as the architect of the Cosmic American Music genre.

The Cosmic American Music genre is also described as being Alt-Country Rock, which might be more palatable for the voting panel of the Country Music Hall Of Fame to wrap their heads around as it’s the LA Music Scene’s guess that the voting panel of the Country Music Hall Of Fame consists of the more stalwart Country Music genre which conjures up names like Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Dwight Yokum, Willie Nelson, Bill Monroe, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson and Marty Stuart, to name a few that come to mind.

When it comes to petitions, Will James is the one that started the petition that is being featured here and it was begun in 2007. James moved it to Go Petitions in October 2010 and to date has 13,820 signatures. Is this enough? Who knows as the CMHOF has told LA Music Scene that what is done with petitions and letters is that they are given to the voting panel for “consideration.” When I asked Brenden Oliver of the Country Music Association which they would prefer I was told that the petition is better than letters because if they were to receive letters it might overwhelm them. Hmmmmmm… maybe calling them at 1-615 -244-2840 would help or you might want to try writing to them at 35 Music Square East Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37203.

As Oliver explained “The process is confidential.” Oliver also stated that “The process has a nominating committee of experts which is a large membership group. There are two rounds in the voting process. The nominations are in March and the inductions are in October.”

The Country Music Association are the ones that oversee the process for the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

When I asked James about how many signatures would be needed he pretty much said the same thing as Oliver did. So maybe it’s time to strike since the nominating process begins in March 2020. Write letters to the Country Music Association, call them, and sign the petition which is located at ​http://gramparsonspetition.com​.

Some readers might be asking themselves who is Will James and how is he connected to Gram Parsons. James puts on an event that will be in its 13th year in September 2020. This upcoming event will be titled “Burrito Deluxe @50 1970 to 2020” and is sponsored by James’ organization “Cosmic American Productions.” The events are staged in Nashville, Tennessee at The Local. Last year’s event took place on November 9, 2019 and was titled “ Gilded Palace Of Sin @50 Fest” and featured Gene Clark’ son Kai Claraks, of The Byrds fame, Parson’s daughter Polly Parsons and Polly’s godmother Pamela Des Barres, to name a few of the 2019 participants. All of these events are in support of Gram Parsons and his music. For those that do not who Des Barres is she wrote a book titled “I’m With The Band,” which was a bestseller, was a member of the fan group “The GTO’s,” and gives writing workshops to aspiring writers.

Polly does all that she can to support James’ efforts to get the petition signed and get the word out there. She would love to see her father inducted into the CMHOF.

James is also a writer and among his writing credits is an article about how he believes that Gram Parsons wrote one of the best songs that the Rolling Stones did a la Country Music, “Wild Horses.” In the article, James outlines quite convincingly why he has this opinion. For the record, LA Music Scene agrees with James.

LA Music Scene has its favorites when it comes to Parsons’ music and why he should be inducted in the Country Music Hall Of Fame. The first and foremost reason is Parson’s “Return To The Grievous Angel.” Next is “Wild Horses” which has been credited to Keith Richards but potentially written by Parsons. The best love song in the Alt-Country/Cosmic American Music fashion is “Love Hurts” which was a duet sung with EmmyLou Harris and written by Bourdieaux Bryant, and after that is “A Song For You” which is a five-minute love ballad and the closest thing that Parsons did that had a southern “twangyness” to it.

There is also “Hickory Wind” and “Brass Buttons” to be considered as his Alt-Country/Cosmic American Music top 10 songs, but Parsons’ first masterpiece is and always will be “Return Of The Grievous Angel” with its two-part harmonies with Harris and is a high point in the short career of Parsons who left us way too early. It is mind-boggling to think that Parsons’ few months with The Byrds in 1968 was enough to bring him to the forefront as a Country Rock icon and an Alt-Country pioneer.

According to James in his presentation on the petition site, Parsons’ album with his “Submarine Band” titled “Safe At Home” is included in the Library Of Congress representing Country music.

When asked if he had any favorite Parsons stories he referred to Des Barres, a frequent guest at James’ events, and a few of her stories. “She might say her top moment was seeing tears rolling down Gram’s face as he sang “She Once Lived Here” at The Palomino” or maybe it’s “Gram singing at The Palomino in satin pants, fearing the truckers would beat him up afterwards, but they ended up loving it.” Des Barres did confirm these two stories and added that there were more to tell, but we couldn’t get our busy schedules to come together so we’ll have to do it another time. Maybe after the Last Philgramage in May.

When asked what made James want to create a petition for Parsons, James responded by telling a story about how he was returning to Buffalo from Boston and he was blasting Gram the last 100 miles or so, singing along and the thought struck him: Why isn’t Gram Parsons in the CMHOF? Got home and began the petition right away. That was in 2007. James explains his motivation as “the need to get Gram Parsons inducted as a pioneer in the evolution of Rock and Country music. He was pivotal in the melding of the idioms.”

The photos of Polly Parsons, Pamela Des Barres and Will James were taken by kohlphoto.com and were taken at the last Gram Parsons event in Nashville, Tennessee during November 2019. The two photos of Gram Parsons came from Polly Parsons’ collection.

Vicky Hamilton has got herself quite a winning combination in her act Lovely World that played their debut gig at Harvard & Stone in Hollywood, CA recently. I went to their soundcheck to hear them and to get to know them and was impressed at how nice and polite they are. Drummer Cade Rojas listened politely as I rattled on about the bands LOVE and The Doors and how Bido Lido’s wasn’t too far from Harvard & Stone where LOVE played a lot. Cade did know who The Doors were.

When singer and axman Landon Rojas was standing around I wandered over to him and we began a dialogue about his boyish good looks and how it worked for Arctic Monkeys’ frontman Alex Turner and would work well for him. Again he listened politely as I rattled on about his looks.

I ran into the guitar player Cameron Smith, bass player Michael Gilbert and Cade Rojas while walking around and we talked a bit about politics and LSD and I told them that I was glad that I had dropped LSD as a kid and didn’t lose my mind and how it helped me to be able to discern BS from the real thing. The three of these young men were so soooo polite to listen to my tangent regarding politics.

As these fine young men had their fine selves turned to me I could see their fine asses and posted “Nice ass guys.”

Lovely World had been in town in November to record four songs with well-known music producer Rick Parker. The songs were on Lovely World’s setlist and are: “Edge Of Time,” “Don’t Lay Me Down,” “Compromise” and “Bones.” The songs contain relevant issues such as unrequited love, drug addiction, social afflictions and political paranoia.

Good musicianship is always a plus when a band has the songs and Lovely World can carry a tune with their orbital performance and its “solid bottom end” that was really impressive because so many young acts don’t have that and then the song kind of falls flat.

Their music has been described as Indie Rock, Alt-Rock and Rock, but as far as L A Music Scene is concerned the Southern gentlemen from Spartanburg, South Carolina come so close to the Arctic Monkeys’ “Alt-Rock meets Indie Rock” that it’s scary. We love it, but it’s scary. Landon goes without socks in his shoes…naked feet oh my. And Smith takes off his shirt to reveal a well-sculpted chest. Put it all together and you’ve got heat as in “Come on baby and light my fire!” YEAH!

Their latest music is set for release on February 14, 2020. Keep your Eyes on Lovely World ‘s and Vicky Hamiton’s Facebook pages for the links.

Academy Award Nominees and Some Unsolicited Musings

Mike Peros
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Academy Award Nominees and Some Unsolicited Musings

The Oscar nominations came out on Monday the 13th, and since everyone and his uncle have been weighing in, I figured I would offer a few very disposable observations:

I am not a huge fan of the Jennifer Lopez oeuvre but she did an exceptional job carrying Hustlers on her shoulders and provided some much-needed humor and emotional heft to the proceedings. And though I do like Kathy Bates and her work in the underrated and underseen Richard Jewell, I think fifth nomination should have gone the way of J-Lo.

1917 is good but not great. It is technically a well-made film with some very good moments (including some away from the battlefield), but the narrative doesn’t generate the power that it so desperately wants (and it could certainly use a more memorable central character) and as an anti-war statement, it comes up short. However, if 1917 really moved you, it can play with the other Best Picture nominees.

Joker is another matter…overrated, derivative, it not only rips off Taxi Driver but provides a backstory that really doesn’t jell with the archvillain we all know and “love.” There are certainly other films I would put in its place as a nominee for Best Picture such as…

…Knives Out, which works on various levels, including mystery, comedy of (bad) manners), character study and social commentary. It received a Best Screenplay nod, but it is worthy of more nominations. (Best Director for Rian Johnson for starters, Christopher Plummer, Best Supporting Actor for another).

Or consider Us. It seems Academy voters have short memories, for here was a very effective thriller laced with satire and laden with political and social undertones. It also benefited from a superb central performance from Lupita Nyong’o that is all the more powerful once certain plot elements are revealed. She should have been among the Best Actress nominees. (Much as I liked Charlize Theron, the Best Actress nominations could have survived without her.)

Little Women certainly garnered many deserved nominations, but I would also add Greta Gerwig’s name to the Best Director nominees. Her screenplay and her mastery of the actors, the period, and the shifts in time and tone make her Little Women a very rewarding adaptation indeed. I could certainly see her nomination more than I could see…Sam Mendes or Todd Philips.

Where is Taran Egerton among the Best Actor nominees? His dazzling, multi-faceted performance (acting, singing, dancing) as Elton John in Rocketman surely deserved some Oscar love. And why didn’t the Academy see fit to add Adam Sandler to the list? Did his dynamic turn in Uncut Gems as a driven, self-destructive gambler/jeweler cause some viewers to have motion sickness. Whatever the reason, Sandler also deserved the love he would not receive. (For the record, it would not make me unhappy to see them in place of the erstwhile Mr. DeCaprio and the esteemed Mr. Pryce—good as they were.) Oh…and one more thing, Robert De Niro carries The Irishman…just saying.

Finally, while I am happy that both Joe Pesci and Al Pacino were nominated as Best Supporting Actor for The Irishman, my vote would be for Brad Pitt in the glorious Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. (which is still my choice for Best Picture).

The Whitefire Theatre Solofest Presents ”Ladies First”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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The Whitefire Theatre Solofest Presents ”Ladies First”

The Whitefire Theatre Solofest Presents ”Ladies First,” Written by Krisy Dennis and Bob Garrett at Whitefire Theatre.

Performed by Krisy Dennis

Directed by Bob Garrett. Musical Director Michael Farrell

Running January 4,11, 18, 25 @ 8pm January 5, 12, 19, 26 @ 3pm, February 1 & 8 @ 8pm

The Whitefire Theatre 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 91423

A musical solo show is a huge accomplishment.

It’s a hard enough endeavor to go it alone for over an hour, with only yourself for support on stage in a straight performance pieces.  But add to that musical numbers and costume changes and pretty vivid depictions of iconic female leaders and you actually have a great description of “Ladies First.”

Dreamed up by Krisy Dennis and Bob Garrett, this lovely show celebrates 14 of our most fascinating and important female figures from the last century or so.  Everyone from Nora Ephron to Emmelline Parkhurst, Katherine Hepburn to Billie Jean King, Rosa parks to Sally Ride, each woman cleverly performed by Ms Dennis and each with a song strategically chosen to emulate her.

It’s a very clever concept and one executed rather well by Ms Dennis, who sings her heart out.  I loved the choice of the songs too.  Kate Bush, Alicia Key and of course the brilliant Steven Sondheim among many many more.  All wonderfully arranged ad performed by Michael Farrell on the piano.  This gently paced show feels like a love letter to strong and courageous women who just didn’t take no for an answer.  Whether they wanted to play tennis, fly to the moon or simply sit on a bus, each of these women took us all one step closer to equality, freedom and grace and each of them did it without a thought to their own mortality and in some cases to their own immortality.

Being reminded of who came before is always so important.  It gives us focus and courage and  the will to carry on.  It wasn’t so long ago that women couldn’t vote, or have a bank account, or own land or be taken seriously in almost any capacity by men. Now more than ever it’s vital that we own our freedoms and glance backward, lest we step backward.

It’s a lovely show, thoughtful, interesting and charmingly performed, something out of the ordinary and rather special… and don’t we all need that!?

It’s running from January 4,11, 18, 25 @ 8pm January 5, 12, 19, 26 @ 3pm, February 1 & 8 @ 8pm

Tickets

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ladies-first-tickets-82834094005?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

The Whitefire Solofest Presents “A Jew in The Ashram”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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The Whitefire Solofest Presents “A Jew in The Ashram.” Written and Performed by Amanda Miller. Directed by Rachel Evans.

One night only as part of the Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest

You can’t help but have certain expectations when you go to the theatre.  Hopefully most of them positive.  You expect to be comfortable in your seat.  You expect the play to begin on time.  You expect to be entertained…moved maybe.  But what you don’t expect, at least I don’t, is to have a truly spiritual experience.  Well, in a small, dark theatre in Sherman Oaks for the very first time ever, with a simple, moving solo play, that actually happened for me.

“A Jew in The Ashram” is a story about its star and writer, Amanda.  It follows her search for answers as she throws caution to the wind and sets off for a month from NewYork to India to study to be a yoga teacher at an Ashram in a remote village.

It’s quite a tale, full of beautifully thoughtful and imaginative insights from someone searching for their path, determined to forge a peaceful and productive life in what we all know can often be a belligerent and difficult world. 

While she narrates her story, Amanda invites her audience to breath, to center, to meditate and to find their own small space within the theatre and themselves and to fill it with love.  Honestly I don’t really enjoy “joining in,” I am English after all.  But this was different.  This was gentle, safe and very light.  I chanted, I stood still and I found my little bit of peace….

The story and Amanda herself is enchanting.  She struggled with mental illness for years and this play is her testimony.  She touches on so many subjects, so many reflections on her life.  Her family, her sometimes untethered soul, the role of Judaism in her life, her late father and his biological mother, a Holocaust survivor he never met and how all of this and everything thing we all ourselves have in our lives come together to make each of us.

All these stories we all have spiraling around us, our own histories and those of those we love are at times the comfort we yearn for and at others a fog that prevents us from moving on, finding our own paths and our own traditions.  But they are there.  We must accept them and truly know them and then hopefully ourselves through them.  Finding a balance and a peace is the journey we all must take.

Amanda has created something rather remarkable. 

She gifts to us, with sweetness, hilarity and joy her story and then shows us her ability to wrap it around herself with grace and take it with her as she moves through her life.  She guides us in meditation and offers us moments of rare clarity.  I loved this play and I felt enlightened by the end of it.  Truly grateful.

I think she may be Hollywood Fringing this, so with luck you will have another opportunity to see “A Jew in The Ashram.”

www.thejewintheashram.com.

How to Be More Present in Your Daily Life

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Being present should be an objective we all prioritize in our daily lives.

When you’re not present, the effects can be more far-reaching than you might initially think.

For example, when you’re not present behind the wheel, it’s distracted driving. When it comes to distracted driving, accidents are more likely to occur in areas least expected.

Not being present can also harm your productivity at work. By trying to multitask and do everything at once, your work may be suffering even if that’s not your intention.  

Then, once you head home in the evening, if you’re not present with your partner and children, it can damage your relationships and make it hard for you to connect.

Being present isn’t just something that we pull from the pages of a New Age guidebook—it’s something that can improve safety, our relationships, our careers, how we feel and our complete quality of life.

Signs You’re Not Present

Some of the indicators or warning signs you’re not present in your life include:

  • Are you always feeling dissatisfied? If you’re not present in your life, you might find yourself constantly wanting more than what you have, or wanting to feel something different than what you currently feel. Someone who’s not present may have a tough time celebrating their victories and accomplishments because they feel like it’s not enough.
  • Your phone takes priority in your life. Smartphones and technology are two of the biggest reasons many of us struggle with being present. You might wake up and immediately reach for your phone, or you could only briefly look up from your phone when your family is talking to you. You may even feel frustrated if someone interrupts your time you’re spending with your phone, and that’s pulling you away from what’s going on around you.
  • You tell yourself stories. You may get lost in your own head and create stories as to why something did or didn’t happen, or you might start jumping to conclusions about another person’s motivations or rationale.
  • You’re caught up in worry and anxiety. That means you’re thinking too much about the future rather than the present.
  • You can’t remember small things, such as the last thing you ate. You get so lost in your own thoughts or whatever it is that you feel is going on around you that you forget about the small but very important things in your daily life.

So how can you be more present?

Set No-Phone Hours

One of the best things you can do for your mental health, to be more present and to be a better friend, partner or parent is to put your phone aside.

Create time during each day where you put your phone away so that you can’t even hear it buzzing.

Spend that time fully connecting with the people or things around you.

Along with no-phone time, try to make it a rule for yourself that you start each day doing something besides going through your phone.

Maybe you just get straight out of bed and do some stretching, write in a journal, or enjoy your cup of coffee without your device in your hands.

Start Single-Tasking

Multitasking is not the mark of someone who’s successful at work. It can be, but you may find that you’re more successful when you work on becoming a single-tasker instead of a multi-tasker.

Create a list each morning. Prioritize the items on your list, and start with the most challenging. Focus on tackling one task at a time, rather than moving back and forth.

People often feel like they’re more productive when they’re multitasking, but research often shows the opposite is true.

As you’re writing out your priorities for the day, be specific and outline chunks of time and what you want to achieve within those times.

Remind Yourself to Be Mindful

It’s easy, even when you start each day or week with intention, to lose sight of how important it is to be present and mindful. As your brain is working on overdrive you can get worn out. You’re going through your daily tasks and you get mentally fatigued, so your mind starts to wonder. You can easily find yourself in a dream-like state without even noticing.

This is why it’s important to give yourself reminders so that you can get present and stop operating on autopilot.

Maybe you make notes for yourself or even set a timer on your phone.

Each time your phone rings or buzzes, you can take a mindful breath and work on bringing yourself back to the present.

Practice Gratitude

When you are constantly wanting more or operating off the feeling that nothing is ever good enough, you can’t be present. To be present, you have to be grateful for what you have at the moment.

Practicing gratitude can also help rewire your brain and eliminate negative thought patterns, improve your work life, and make you a better parent and partner.

Practicing gratitude on a regular basis is a good way to improve your overall quality of life.

Let Go Of Control

One of the hardest things to train yourself on in your quest to be present is that there are some things that are out of your control. When you can accept this, it helps you be more present at the moment.

However, this doesn’t mean that you’re just giving up or losing sight of your goals, because there are plenty of things you can change.

Instead, work on letting go of those things right here, and now that can’t be changed.

You also have to work on accepting yourself, and you can work toward improving your weaknesses but that doesn’t mean you have to hate who you are at present.

Finally, listen to your body. Sometimes the noise that surrounds us makes us stop listening to what our bodies want or need and that can lead to unhealthy habits like overeating when we’re not hungry. Learn to take time to hear what your body is telling you and to respond appropriately.

When you physically feel your best, it makes it easier to tackle challenges in your life.

The Whitefire Theatre Presents “Fertile”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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The Whitefire Theatre Presents “Fertile,” Written and Performed by Heather Dowling.

Directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson.

One night only during Whitefire’s Solofest Wednesday, January 29 at 8pm.

The Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

I was fortunate enough to see Heather Dowlings brilliant solo show “Fertile” during last year’s Hollywood Fringe. 

Heather developed this play around her own misadventures with infertility and she has managed what few can, to take something deeply personal and challenging and make it into an hour of entertaining hilarity, honest and profound. 

Since I’ve already reviewed the show, I thought it would be fun to hear from Heather herself. So we asked her a few questions about herself and the show.

What inspired you to create a solo show? 

During the two-year run of my debut solo show “Unemployed. Finally.,” the five minutes that audiences responded to most was when I shared  about my personal challenges with fertility. Driven by that response, I felt I had to share my story more completely, but not JUST my story with this show. I interviewed dozens of women (and men, too) to discover, uncover and encourage a conversation about procreation that I could then bring to an audience, to keep people talking about this complicated issue of creating family.

How is this issue important to audiences? 

What I went through personally with infertility and family planning opened my eyes. I was shocked to discover how many women, how many couples had been through some version of what I went through…and they weren’t talking about it! People have the experience of shame, failure and doubt dealing with this issue and when they don’t talk about it, they are forced to struggle through it alone. I felt like writing this show, sharing my story and the stories of the people I interviewed would support people, encourage them and even give them a chance to laugh about it – and maybe cry a little, too.

Were you always dreaming of writing and acting?  

I am an actress and a writer who has been impersonating someone who wanted a “real job” since the age of 14. I never thought being a writer/performer was a “realistic” profession. And it’s not, it’s a dreamer’s profession. But I surrendered to my passion for performing and my creative call to write in January 2012, and have been full steam ahead ever since.

What advice would you give others?

On the personal side? With the issues of family planning? for that I would say… trust yourself. As you get bombarded with expert advice and endless feedback from EVERYONE in your life. Let yourself get quiet – pray, meditate, run – and trust yourself. Trust what you feel is the right path, the right LIFE for you. As for advice for writing and performing…SAME! Just start…with a writing class, and improv class, reading books about it. When I finally just STARTED moving toward what I wanted, the people and places best for me started to show up. There is no “right way,” no matter what anyone tries to tell you. And if you’re interested in solo-storytelling, I can’t recommend Jessica Lynn Johnson (.com) highly enough. She was my first writing coach, and I am clear that the huge success of both of my solo-shows could not have happened without her – in fact, they would never have been written!

What’s next for you?

I am so thankful and humbled that Fertile. has been selected for the 27th Annual Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF), March 26-29. This is an incredible, curated festival of female solo performers from all around the world and 20 minutes of Fertile will be featured on stage as part of it.

How can we see “Fertile?”

 No tour right now. The SOLOFEST Performance is 8pm Wednesday, Jan. 29th at Whitefire Theatre. Tickets at FertileConversation.com for your readers, I’ve created a discount code ‘noho’ for $5 off tickets.

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My performance at LAWTF will be part of their Friday night program “Boxed In” at 8 pm, at Theatre 68, at 5112 Lankershim Blvd, North

Hollywood, CA 91601.

I am now going to quote myself from my review of “Fertile” from Hollywood Fringe, 2019.

“Masterful is a term I would apply to Heather Dowling and her miraculous and heartfelt soloist abilities.  She is comic and moving, honest and profound.  This is solo work at it’s most meaningful and excellent….loved it!!! If you are lucky enough to get your mitts on a ticket you will be eternally grateful to have done so.”  Samantha Simmonds- Ronceros

See you at Solofest!!

Find out more at HeatherDowling.com.

Watch a preview…

Sasquatch Punches Productions Presents “Baccalaureate”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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Sasquatch Punches Productions Presents “Baccalaureate,” Written and Performed by Saurabh Kikani. 

Produced by Saurabh Kikani, Nihar Patel and Megha Kadakia.

“Baccalaureate” isn’t like any solo play I have seen.…and I’ve seen a lot. 

Written and performed by Saurabh Kikani, who is more comfortable on stage as a stand up comic, it’s the story of his summer spent at Oxford University in an academic camp for pre-college gifted students.

Most solo plays are about specific moments in the subjects life.  A journey, a revelation, a harrowing experience, a life choice.  Saurabh Kikani has written this story as a gently unwinding narrative. It’s a story about a time in his life that changed him, made him stronger, braver and unlocked his purpose.

No gimmicks, no pandering, just pure, vividly told story.

Saurabh Kikani is a born storyteller.  He takes the stage and holds the audience captive with his earnest, engaging and often hilarious anecdotes.  But this is no comic diatribe, this is a carefully crafted and beautifully written piece.  It as if he is reading us the movie of his life.  Each scene described in emotive detail, each character given life not by mimicry or impersonation, but with words lovingly wrought, painting pictures of these people he loves that are as real as you and I.

Sometimes I am surprised, even after more than 400 plays.  This play, this “Baccoulaureatte” was a wonderful surprise of a play.  His audience rocked with laughter and sighed with contentment.  The story is epic in its humanity.  It is sweet and funny and universal and important.  The journey is the unfolding of a life.  The revelation of a teenage boy more awkward than most and more driven and heartfelt than even he could have known.

I absolutely loved this play.  I see it will be at the Hollywood Fringe this year and let me tell you you would be foolish to miss another chance to spend a summer with a very young Saurabh Kikani and his equally nerdy friends.  It’s like Harry Potter had a baby with Enid Blyton and it fell in love with a spy.  Funny, relevant, touching, brave, gorgeously written and brilliantly performed.

January 16 NoHo News

Lisa Bianconi
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NoHo News!

Ritmo Thursdays. NoHo Dance Studios. Makin’ A Movie. Solofest. Acting Class Guide. L.A. Theatre District

Here’s your NoHo arts community update!  We look forward to sharing lots of fun and unique news, events, profiles and updates on what’s happening in the NoHo Arts District.

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.

Click on the image and to see the online version of our NoHo News…ENJOY NOHO!

 

NoHo News: Ritmo Thursdays. NoHo Dance Studios. Makin' A Movie. Solofest. Acting Class Guide. L.A. Theatre District

Follow NoHo News with Bloglovin

**** 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. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

 

The Heart of a Golden Retriever

Bethany Wilson
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The Heart of a Golden Retriever

Retrievers are very special indeed.

I love Flat-Coated Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. Others will swear by their Labrador Retrievers. You must know that they are all very similar, but we’ll focus on the golden. I’ll start with what inspired me to write this blog.

I grew up with many dogs, one of them a golden. She was wild and fun until the day she passed. Something that struck me about her that I didn’t know about the breed at the time was how loyal she was. I grew up with herding dogs. They can be stand off-ish, especially on a farm, which is where I grew up. I thought that was loyalty. Other dogs can be tolerant of new people, but not overly enthusiastic. They save that for their family. I also thought this was loyalty. What I learned from our family golden, then later confirmed it when I learned more about the breed, is that they are incredibly loyal to their loved ones, they just happen to love everyone else as well. When they are worked with and trained, they are VERY in-tune with their family and will protect them from danger, alert them if necessary and they feed heavily off of our emotions. They tend to be one of the more emotionally in-tune retrievers with their human. That makes sense. They are wonderful service animals and with the right training and instincts, the’ll save your kid from falling in the pool or running into traffic. They enjoy it if someone else pets them, but also won’t leave their owner for long. I always sensed this natural instinct with our golden. She loved everyone, but still wanted to be by us, with us, etc. I almost thought it was because she wanted to keep an eye on my baby brother all the time. It’s all very interesting to me. We might go to the fair with her or someone would come over and she’d be thrilled to meet you…now I’m going to stick with this little boy who needs me. She’d also plow that little boy over, knock him down and grab his shirt, but i’ll talk about that part of their behavior later, haha. Suffice it to say that she really stood out among the working breeds I was used to growing up around. She was different.

Fast forward to my life now training dogs in the city. My family came to visit me last summer. We just happen to have a golden here training and two staying with us for boarding that we had previously trained. My dad was perplexed by this. “How can anyone have a golden retriever in the house?” he said as he shook his head. I said, “What do you mean? They are great family dogs.” He said, “I know that, they are just bred to have so much endless energy…constantly happy and have to be moving all the time.” He went on to tell me these dogs are bred to run miles a day retrieving, swimming and still be wiggly and ready to do and learn more. They are not naturally dogs that work all day and are calm indoors, they often remain excitable and impulsive indoors. He’d rather have a Rottweiler or something like the pit he grew up with where they’d be happy to play and walk as well as crash calmly on the couch or on the floor with you. I was thrown off for a moment. I’m the dog trainer, so how come I hadn’t been thinking like this? As we talked I realized how I’d FORGOTTEN about that aspect of their temperament. 15 years away from farm life and my perspective had shifted because I’m so used to seeing overly happy, wild and out of control excited golden’s inside and outside in the city. I’m just focused on teaching them to settle that I’m not giving them the credit they deserve. It matters because it affects your conversations with your self about you dog and what they need. Bottom line, he was right. No wonder I get lots of retrievers to train. They are bred to endlessly have things in their mouth, find fun things to do and are higher energy dogs. How did I forget what they were bred for…hunting, retrieving and swimming. Now, all of a sudden, many of my clients problems with their retrievers made even more sense than before. Of course I know what they are meant to do, but having that image of what they are bred for day in and day out back on the farm really reminded me to not just write them off as an overly happy family dogs that get into trouble. They are serious working dogs and bred to love everything. That gives them a very high tolerance for things in life, making them great service animals.

What really sealed the deal in my memory of that conversation with him is him petting one of the golden’s. This sweet and very well trained golden was smacking everything with her tail while spinning and trying not to jump up because she isn’t supposed to. The brief petting got her so excited she took some time to lay down and settle. She still took some time to be able to watch everyone else in the house moving around calmly, without being at the center of it all. That was a feat that was very difficult to train her to be able to do, like most of the golden’s we see. Then we had a dog aggressive Rottweiler that was also dragging his owner around when he saw a bird or squirrel to a very serous level of intensity. When he was out with all of us, he got a pat and a belly rub from my dad. Barely moved other than to show his belly, then back to sleep while we all carried on playing games loudly into the night. It’s like you swap one set of issues, depending on the breed, for another. it was a great reminder for me. I’ll never write a golden off as an easy family dog again. They are just different.

To get back to our family golden retriever, when she was around 2 and definitely her most wild, we thought she needed even more exercise then ball and running around the yard. We didn’t hunt and we didn’t want her swimming every day in our small pond, so I started biking with her. Teaching her to do that wasn’t hard. They are very tolerant and take to new things well. She didn’t think it was a big deal and was happy to run along side of me. She was also happy to drag me into the ditch to chase a frog, shadow, or neighbor that yelled hello. As I mentioned before with my brother, plowing him over, we thought that is just the way she is, it’s the breed, she’ll settle eventually. We didn’t know at the time how to teach her not to do that consistently. On the farm we trained for basic obedience and whatever that dog’s instincts were on the farm, we worked with. If I only knew then what I knew now, my little brother wouldn’t have had to wait till he was older and bigger to be around her, haha. She never did settle. Many retrievers don’t, they just have shorter bursts of crazy happiness.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know not all golden’s are like this. ALL breeds vary plenty in temperament and energy level. I’ve met many calm and even lazy retrievers. I know they exist, but they are not the norm. I know they can have serious behavioral issues. We’ve had some that are not good with kids or dogs. Many we come across have anxiety and it is interesting because it is often masked as more happiness. When they are anxious they become overly jittery, needy and sometimes just seem overly excited when it’s anxiety. Teaching retrievers how to be calm is so important and goes against what their breed instinct is telling them to do sometimes, but it is crucial. If you don’t, you can end up with a very pushy and anxious dog that barks at everything that moves. The high energy and excitement level is what can make them frustrating, but also what makes them such wonderful dogs. At their core they are dogs and can have a wide range of behavior and instincts. With that being said, hopefully this shows you how special they are and why you should respect them for who they are and know what you might be in for. That way, your lifestyle matches the breed (breed mix) you are getting to the best of your ability. Just know that you aren’t just getting a potentially great family dog, you are getting a high energy working dog. They often need just as much slow and structured mental work as exercise.

Retriever specifics:

Bred to be tolerant of the elements like weather and noise. This makes them great service dogs.

Bred to love to train and learn new things with their favorite humans. This makes learning fun tricks and tasks easy for them.

Bred to have endless energy and loves to chase after things that move or land somewhere (like a ball or bird). This makes them fun, but challenging dogs inside even with the appropriate amount of exercise. Teaching them to not always be involved in their surroundings is very difficult and can cause built up frustration if not trained to be able to exist and observe rather than interact and feed off of.

Bred to hold things in their mouths, often softly. This is why we often don’t have to teach retrievers to retrieve, because it’s instinctual. They are bred to bring back birds that have been hunted and not ruin them, so they hold it softly in their mouths. This is a huge challenge from the puppy stage till they are 2-3 and adolescents. They will get ahold of anything they can and play and chew all day. You have to take great care in teaching what they can and can’t grab onto if you want them inside and be prepared to kennel train them when you are not home through those exuberant years.

Hopefully, this has shown you what a wonderful sporting breed retrievers are. I certainly make sure I look at them with the love and respect they deserve. They are a very special choice out of all the dog breeds to choose from.

Rob Alexander “Being Myself” Album Release

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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Rob Alexander “Being Myself” Album Release

This is Rob Alexander’s second album and it’s brilliantly produced, and is truly joyful music.

Rob Alexander has pulled together some pretty amazing musicians to help him create this album.  Musicians from Elton John’s band as well as current and former members of Frankie Valli’s touring band.  

The songs are a lovely mixture of soulful ballads and foot-stomping pop/rock anthems.  Alexander’s voice bears more than a passing resemblance to Sir Elton, but he has his own sultry rasp, and a deeper vibrant timber.

It’s a big album with gorgeously rich sound and utterly perfect production.  It’s a really tremendous band and with songs like these, all attention given to the detail of the arrangements makes all the difference, I think.

This album is theatrical, thoughtful and playful, with a sweetly sentimental nostalgic feel.  You’ll hear Sir Elton, but there’s also a lot of Billy Joel, Neil Diamond and even a bit of Leonard Cohen’s influence.  Expert musicians, gorgeous arrangements, some great songwriting and Rob Alexander’s strong, soulful, passionate voice telling each and every story create an album well worthy of attention! Loved it!!

Artist Links

Facebook  |  Website

Musicians:

Gabe Lopez: keyboards/drums

Robbie Angelucci: acoustic/electric guitars

Kevin Taylor: acoustic guitar

Matt Bissonette: bass

Kim Bullard: keyboards

John Mahon: drums/percussion

Rick Keller: saxophone

Brian Brigham: backing vocals

CHEMO BARBIE

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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“CHEMO BARBIE” now showing at the Whitefire Theater, Sherman Oaks, CA

Welcome to the eighth year of the Solofest at the Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, California.

It has become the crowning achievement of solo theater performances in Los Angeles created by the Whitefire’s producer Bryan Rasmussen. In the heart of Sherman Oaks, “Chemo Barbie” is a journey of renewal, discovery and reclamation. Its opening debut this past Friday the 10th had members of the audience entranced by the honesty of its writer, creator and star, Heather Keller. This touching performance takes courage and clever wit to expose the realities of a year of chemotherapy for breast cancer. It is poignant, warm and creative how Heather weaves us through her battle with the unwelcomed beast.

In this approximately 95-seat theater, the audience is asked to get involved with Ms. Keller in the most intimate of ways. It is the perfect spot for this kind of closeness. Personal and private details are shared to evoke an understanding of the trauma and love she simultaneously went through when this dreaded diagnosis was given. As she paces around the sparse stage emulating doctors, a husband and many friends during this ordeal, we get to feel everything. The needle pricks; the uncomfortable but necessary chest port, the deterred dreams of a woman losing her normal fertility, the early menopause, and the many, many questions. As she exclaims loudly, choices are taken away. Heather’s life is not hers to decide at this moment. Despite her exceedingly good health, being a vegan and a runner, cancer sets the agenda and the rules.

She laughs, cries and, despite the menopausal flashes, cold cap treatments and lost friendships, she continues with hope. She will beat the odds and not only survive, but rise. Sometimes, she surprises us with quirky medical tidbits and hospital tales. And at other times she shocks us with a full screen behind her showing the results of a mastectomy. Not to leave it on a sad note, Heather follows up with a quick flash of her perky breast. Both are part of her story now and ours as well.

It was very insightful of Heather to document her yearly ordeal and feel confident enough to share it with strangers. It is a brave act and truly a gift that she can make this situation, one of the most feared for women, into a living breathing story of ferocious strength and wisdom. Talented and creative, this solo performance should be seen by everyone. Her loyal husband with the rigorous cold cap routines to save her hair is a gem. Her besties are also to be commended on cheering up someone they clearly love deeply. Heather, your diagnosis was terrible, but you have such goodness and warmth around you, thank you for bringing this tale to the rest of us.

The Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks has its Solofest running through March 2020 highlighting 80 special and creative solo productions in 90 days. “Chemo Barbi” was directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. Thank you to Solofest founder and producer Bryan Rasmussen.

SOLOFEST 2020

Solofest runs through March 28, 2020 at the Whitefire Theater, 13500 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 

How Will Bitcoin and Blockchain Influence International Money Transfer

NoHo - North Hollywood
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If you’re a student who is working abroad and wants to send some money home from a part-time job, you only have a few different options to do this right now.

This can include using a bank to transfer your money, which will probably require having a bank account in a foreign country. You can write a check and send it back home to Canada or the United States and hope it can get cashed quickly.

Sending a Foreign Check

When you send a foreign check back home, you have to make sure that the bank in the United States will be able to cash it, which takes extra time to verify. This can be expensive as the American bank will usually keep a percentage of the total amount as a processing fee. You’ll also likely have to wait for those funds to clear, which can take days and even weeks.

Wiring Money Via Your Bank

Another option to send money home is by wiring money through your bank. You can ask your bank to utilize a wire transfer and send your funds from your local bank to a financial institution in Canada or the United States. To do this, you’ll usually need to wire money in the form of United States currency and expect to pay a fee. To ensure that this method gets performed correctly, it’s important to have the recipient’s bank account number, name and address.

Using a Remittance Service for International Money Transfer

You can also choose to use a remittance service to send money internationally. This type of transaction is initiated by using an online wire transfer or by visiting a physical office. To send money, you will use the local currency, which will be exchanged for United States dollars. This means you’ll have to think about converting your funds into the desired amount you’d like to send. There will be fees for this and different delivery dates.

Utilizing Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology

With the introduction of blockchain technology, there is a chance for massive disruption to occur in the way that international money is transferred. One of the main benefits is the decentralization that this technology relies on. It removes the middleman out of transactions and distributes the same information across several different nodes. Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to emerge that utilizes blockchain technology.

Providing Lower Costs

One of the advantages of using blockchain technology and Bitcoin in international money transfer is the extremely low cost that is required to process a transaction. The fee that’s charged when you use an international money transfer app that allows Bitcoin will be much lower than the fee charged when you wire money through a bank or are using a remittance service.

Faster Money Transfers Are Available

Another advantage of blockchain technology and the utilization of Bitcoin is the ability to provide faster transfers of money internationally. When you use a bank to send money home from your part-time job, it can take days to get the transfer completed successfully. There’s a significant difference in transfer and process time when you utilize Bitcoin. It usually occurs within minutes and takes significantly less time than it does for a bank transfer.

Greater Access to More Individuals

When you use Bitcoin and blockchain technology to send money home, it’s easier and more convenient as you don’t have to have as much information. This provides access and availability to people who don’t have a bank account. A money transfer can be quickly sent to a digital wallet that accepts a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin.

Increased Safety

You have probably heard stories about banks getting hacked and critical information stolen. This is difficult to do with blockchain technology due to its decentralized nature. This makes the use of Bitcoin for international money transfers safer than using a traditional money transfer method. Unique entries are created for each transaction on a digital ledger, which makes each transaction safe, immutable and secure.

Acceptance and the Road Ahead

Bitcoin and blockchain technology are still in their infancy as a way to transfer money internationally but show hope for an improvement in money transfers in the future due to the safety, low fees and speed of transactions. As more people adopt cryptocurrency and its use, the acceptance of digital money will become more widespread.

The JuNioR JaCKRaTS

Lisa Bianconi
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LPNSImprov’s monthly comedy show, “MAKIN’ A MOVIE,” stars the rambunctious improv troupe The MaD JaCKRaTS. It’s 90 minutes of unique improv comedy. (Read the review>>)

Each month is themed with a special name and The MaD JaCKRaTS start with a comedy act such as a musical parody, a sketch or a funny dance. Following the opening number, there are three 15-20-minute improv segments that each tell a complete story and are based on audience suggestions. It’s like mini movies are being created, costumed and performed right before your eyes, hence the title of the show, “MAKIN’ A MOVIE.”

“Each show is unique and never fails because we believe in really getting people ready to hit the stage hard, creating endless laughter,” says LPNSImprov founder, Lauren Patience Nadler. “It’s a full-blown theatre experience you don’t want to miss!”

This month’s “MAKIN’ A MOVIE” show adds a special group of guests, The JuNioR JaCKRaTS.

Who are The JuNioR JaCKRaTS?

This brand new troupe is called The JuNioR JaCKRaTS. Six years ago when we started the LPNSImprov show “MAKIN’ A MOVIE,” starring improv troupe The MaD JaCKRaTS, the name of the group came about as an acronym using all of the first letters of the original members’ names. For the last few years we had a troupe called The BaBy JaCKaRaTS who opened for The MaD JaCKRaTS several times. We affectionately called them the BaBies because they were a little younger and extremely adorable and it stuck. Some of the BaBies are MaD JaCKRaTS now and others are recurring guest stars. The JuNioRS JaCKRaTS is a completely new group of all guys who needed a new name. We’re affectionately calling them The JuNioR JaCKRaTS because they aren’t babies. They’re more like upperclassmen, ready to hit the ground running!

How can one get involved and become a JuNioR JaCKRaTS? Class times, locations?

The first step to getting involved is starting class! This unique improv format was created and cultivated by Lauren Patrice Nadler and is exclusively taught by her at LPN Studios. You can audit a class for free or jump right in. Classes are held Wednesdays from 6:30-10:30pm, Thursdays from 3:30-7:30pm, and Saturdays from 1-5pm. In addition there is a Master Class Mondays from 6:30-10:30pm and a teen class Sundays from 2-4:30pm. LPN Studios is located in North Hollywood. All info about the acting studio can be found on the website www.LaurenPatriceNadlerStudios.com.

LPNSImprov's
JuNioR JaCKRaTS Adrian Alexander Gamez and Matt Fuentes choose a suggestion for rehearsal.

Why did you start the juniors?

We started The JuNioR JaCKRaTS because it was time! There is no audition process. It’s more of a leap of faith on stage in front of a live audience. We invite those who are “ready” and create an outstanding troupe, and these guys are ready!

The last troupe to open came from the teen division, The MiNi BaBY JaCKRaTS, who performed twice in 2019. They came on the tail of The BaBY JaCKRaTS and now The JuNioR JaCKRaTS are ready to get on stage and show off their amazing talent! We’re also developing a new troupe of all ladies, so we have that to look forward to! We believe in rewarding talent when it shows up and LPN Studios strikes again with these rising stars.

You can see The JuNioR JaCKRaTS perform with The MaD JaCKRaTS in this month’s theme, “The Laughs Aplenty in 2020 Show!”

LPNSImprov's

WHEN:

Sunday, January 19 at 7:30pm

WHERE:

Theatre 68
5112 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

TICKETS and MORE INFO>>

 

Starring The MaD JacKRaTS and opened by The JuNioR JaCKRaTS.

The MaD JaCKRaTS: Micky Shiloah, Kuali’i Wittman, Christina Orloff, Ricardo Adam Zarate, Rachel Thundat, Andrew Gabriel and Edward Llerena.

The JuNioR JaCKRaTS: Matt Acho, Austin Bugarin, Matt Fuentes, John William Connolly, Adrian Alexander Gamez, Matt Tatom and Miloh England.

Directed by Lauren Patrice Nadler.

Produced by Christina Orloff.

**** 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. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

January 9 NoHo News

Lisa Bianconi
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NoHo News!

NoHo News: New Murals. Solofest. NoHo Dance Studios. Acting Class Guide. L.A. Theatre District

Here’s your NoHo arts community update!  We look forward to sharing lots of fun and unique news, events, profiles and updates on what’s happening in the NoHo Arts District.

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.

Click on the image and to see the online version of our NoHo News…ENJOY NOHO!

 NoHo News: New Murals. Solofest. NoHo Dance Studios. Acting Class Guide. L.A. Theatre District

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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. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

 

Actors Blog “2019 in Review”

Javier Ronceros
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Actors Blog “2019 in Review”

I’m one of those annoying people that loves “Top Ten Lists” of the best or worse movies of the year.

I like them because it reminds me of all the films that the critics and I disagreed about. I also love award shows.

Personally, I don’t endorse art as a competitive sport per say, however, every time I see friends and fellow actors in a waiting room of a casting office, there is some definite judging and sizing up of the “competition”. Another interesting phenomenon, is the way my colleagues greet each other. I see a friend on a lot, on a set, or in a casting session and I’ll ask, “How are you buddy?” They will answer back with one of the following responses; “Oh, my god, I have been so busy working and going out for pilot season.” “Good to see you too. I heard you were on “such and such show”, or “Are you back from “name any country or city.” When I ask that question, I am honestly asking if they are in good health, happy, or maybe, hoping they will tell me what project they went out for or worked on, so I can yell at my agent.

Putting all that aside, I would just like to say that 2019 for me was the year of gratitude and true personal growth. I was grateful for surviving another year in the treacherous waters of booking work. I am also grateful for all the work I booked or was hired for. It was a year that I booked a role on a studio film that helped my profile grow and be seen for bigger parts in bigger shows and films. The year I began my project as the writer and director of Ten Films/Ten Countries: A Cinematic Journey. I am grateful for the support my family has given me for the last thirty years as an actor, writer, and director and I am also grateful to all my acting and filmmaking students who inspire me, teach me, and keep me on my toes.

I have enjoyed reminiscing about the first thirty years of my career and look forward to the next thirty years. This is my last “NoHo Actor’s Blog”. Looking into the future, I am now on a cinematic journey that will occupy most of my waking hours.

The conception of this new project was started in 2012. The preparation was put into practice 2018 and in October 2019, “Ten Films/Ten Countries: A Cinematic Journey” was launched with the first film being shot in Munich, Germany. I am currently in Sydney, Australia shooting the second film. I will somehow find the time to write about my work as a filmmaker and the progress of this project for everyone on the NoHo Arts District website, starting next month.

As for now my dear readers, I wish you all the best and remind you to never, never, never give up, the journey is the thing… Cheers.

Get to Know NoHo Artist Corban D. Lundborg

Lisa Bianconi
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The NoHo motto is: “NoHo is only as great as its people.”

Meet Corban D. Lundborg, a North Hollywood visual artist who recently painted the murals at AMP Rehearsal Studios in the NoHo Arts District. Grab a pour over or some awesome coffee from Amp Coffee LA and enjoy the art…and music. Corban’s background is quite unique and an inspirational story of exploring the world and letting your calling develop organically.

Meet North Hollywood artist Corban D. Lundborg via the official NoHo Arts District Guide; www.nohoartsdistrict.com

Q: How did you collaborate with AMP Rehearsal?

A: I was brought into the Amp Rehearsal/Coffee renovations shortly after returning from East Africa, after being deployed as a combat photographer for eight months. My friend was leading the coffee expansion and was kind enough to bring me in as the artist.

Q: Why did you choose the singers/groups for your murals?

A: Amp Rehearsal has a long history in the neighborhood. Musicians of all ages and genres rehears there. We wanted to cover that large spectrum of age, style, history and influence through the walls. We envisioned it to be a space for inspiration and hope.

Q. Growing up did you create art? When was the moment you knew you wanted to pursue art?

A: Growing up, I was always ahead of the curve when it came to art and creativity. I was introduced to graffiti at a young age through older kids at the skate park. I took to the streets pretty young and ended up getting in a lot of trouble. Through high school I was in legal and academic trouble. I started taking art classes because it was an easy “A” for me but I didn’t see value in creativity. At the time, a career in art was not in the picture.

Meet North Hollywood artist Corban D. Lundborg via the official NoHo Arts District Guide; www.nohoartsdistrict.com

At the young age of 18, Corban enlisted with the United States Air Force and arrived at his first assignment in South Korea where he served as a Chemical Warfare Supply Specialist. He started a tattoo apprenticeship on the weekends in Seoul at a tattoo shop called Tattoo Korea, and this experience reignited his love for the arts. He was then assigned to Aviano Air Base in Northern Italy for a three-year tour where he started painting canvases and started his brand, COLD Studio. After four years of honorable active service in the Air Force, he decided to move back to Minnesota to start college and teach youth art classes. He did a year-long art tour across the country living and working out of a mobile studio. Corban has had the opportunity to travel around the world, visiting nearly 60 countries learning about art and culture.

He is currently a Staff Sgt. in the Air Force Reserve as a photojournalist at the 4th Combat Camera Squadron based out of Charleston, South Carolina where he travels to monthly for routine duty.

Q: How did you get the position in the reserves as combat photographer?

A: I was in my final year of high school and lacked vision for my future. I didn’t have money or the desire for more classrooms. I was longing for adventure, so I enlisted in the Air Force. After four years of serving overseas on an Active Duty tour, I found a new love for art and travel. My first military job, logistics, was not exciting or creative enough for me so I transferred to the Air Force Reserve where I retrained into photojournalism. At that time, the historic 4th Combat Camera Squadron had been shut down but shortly after graduating from Defense Information School (DINFOS) the squadron was reactivated in Charleston, South Carolina, where I quickly applied for a slot.

On November 5, 2019 Corban was featured on NBC’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show” where she shared his MRE coffee art collection. He used instant coffee from his “Meals Ready to Eat” field rations to paint memories of his East Africa deployment.

Q: MRE coffee pieces, brilliant! How did this come about?

A: I was in East Africa with a lot of inspiration but little supply. I turned to the materials around me and started making art, the coffee looked better on paper than it tasted.

Corban’s COLD Studio is now based out of North Hollywood where he creates art full time. He and his wife Anele also run a media company called CALM Collective where he works as a creative director and cinematographer. “I want to create motion pictures and tell stories on the big screen,” says Corban. The husband and wife team are working on producing their first movie together.

Q: What’s your favorite medium?

I enjoy learning and exploring new mediums but acrylic with spray paint has been my favorite fix. I like to work quick and acrylic allows me to do that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2o88HglHiv/

Q: What public art would you like to see in the NoHo Arts District?

A: I believe NoHo Arts District could evolve into a leading creative space in this city. Very few places in the world have so many artistic people and opportunities packed into one community. North Hollywood holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. I would like to see this neighborhood embrace its creatives.

We always ask successful artists what advice they can give to aspiring artists. You never know what may resonate and inspire others to create their art. “My advice to an aspiring artist is value,” says Corban. “Understand it. Value time, friends, family, faith. Humility is important. Remain a student of life, there is something to learn in every situation. Find community and live generously.” 

 

Thanks for helping to #KeepNoHoArtsy!

**** 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. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

“Solofest 2020”

Lisa Bianconi
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Great things can happen when given the space and encouragement to create. The Whitefire Theatre has given artists this platform since 2012 with their annual Solofest.

The NoHo motto is unofficially: “NoHo is only as great as its people.” In this case we applaud the many dedicated actors, writers, directors, producers and tech folks who create and produce the annual Solofest at Whitefire Theatre. We chatted with Bryan Rasmussen who founded Solofest and continues the yearly tradition with an expanded line up of 80 shows in 90 days for “Solofest 2020” running through March 28, 2020. 

What is Solofest?

Solofest is a festival of one-person shows, or solo theatre, that is a celebration of the solo journey, not a competition. We do a completely different show every day during January, February and  March and it has become the largest solo show festival on the west coast. 

When and why did you start Solofest?

We sttarted eight years ago. In 1991 did my own solo show about Vincent Van Gogh, I learned a lot about the difficulty of producing a show. When I got the theatre, I wanted to create a safe harbor for solo artists in order to create and develop their shows. I started with the solo series at the Whitefire running multiple shows in “rep” (meaning running once a week for six weeks rather than two or three weekends in a row) then came up with the idea of “Solofest” by learning about producing shows.

One of the things they are different than other shows because it is only one person and always a challenge to get audiences. I was lucky because Van Gogh was a famous name, but if you don’t have a “name,” the subject matter will be more difficult. Knowing the large amount of issues, I set out on a journey to find a way to help the solo artist.

During the recession of 2008, I needed to come up with a way to fill the calendar. “Taking a page from the solo template running once a week, in order to run solo shows” gave me an idea to produce all the shows at the Whitefire. I created the vertical rep paradigm. Lots of logistics that are involved so I spent a few years experimenting with the idea. And because it went so well, I decided to make the entire season as vertical rep. I needed also find out what were the things really needed. Most solo shows area notoriously low budget but high quality and dealing with issues that film and TV had not yet done.

In 2012, I began with the first Solofest. And it worked so well I decided to do it at the same time every year. The solo genre has become the purist form of storytelling in theatre.

What type of shows are you looking for?

I don’t go with review or credits. I found that if I went with my instinct about the story, that is what helped make my choice. That has proven to be successful. br /> br /> The other thing that made it work, because of budget issue, was “paying for the show” with ticket sales instead of all money upfront. This was a game changer for solo artists.

Solo shows are usually done with other people’s sets and lights which is not conducive to a good production. With the development of technology, it allowed high production value for low cost.

We are fortunate to have one of the best spaces in the city and are allowed to do this. If everyone did just one show, then they could get their show paid for by ticket sales.

What suggestions do you have for solo show performers?

Keep it simple and focus on the story. Great lights and great acting and great writing are the key ingredients to a powerful solo.

Do you have any success stories? Or any interesting stories to share?

The success is the journey and success of all the shows that have launched at the Whitefire.

Whitefire has produced over 1000 solo shows over the years I have owned the Whitefire. I am extremely proud of the stories I have been able to produce and develop which have gone on to performing all over the world.

Success show: “Billie! Backstage with Lady Day” now in its 10th year!

Anything else you’d like to highlight?

One of the things I’m most proud is the diversity that we have brought forth: ie. Geronimo, Billie!, Martin Luther King,

The incredible amount of stories have has been the most surprising discovery for me personally. Everybody has a path. In the past, solo shows were vanity showcases. Going through cancer was the story, unfortunately now that is so common, but the real story is how the person dealt with their journey. That is the most important.

Live streaming is new for us. It allows us to share these stories worldwide.

WHEN:

The annual Whitefire Theatre SOLOFEST 2020 runs January 4 through March 28.
Performances are scheduled for select Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays at 8:00 pm; Sundays at 3pm and 7:30 pm.

WHERE:

The Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

SHOW SCHEDULE & TICKETS>>

**** 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. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

Want New Students for Your Acting Class?

NoHo - North Hollywood
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NoHoArtsDistrict.com is the official website for NoHo and North Hollywood.

Since 2005, we have been responsible for the marketing of the District – we have played a major role in growing NoHo into an arts and entertainment destination.  NoHoartsdistrict.com is the #1 resource for theatre/acting in San Fernando Valley!

Los Angeles now has the highest concentration of actors in the country – 140,000 actors needing to learn their craft.    For this reason, in spring 2019, we created the Acting Class Guide.  We now have 21 Acting Workshops listed in the Guide with each member averaging 1,000 click-throughs to their classes per month.

The Acting Class Guide is promoted to our 300,000 monthly visitors, 30,000 social media followers and 10,000 Enews subscribers.

The guide itself will provide each participant with the following:
 
A full-page in our Guide with all the information for your classes, dates, times, cost etc, pictures,  video and links to your website, social media as well as your contact information.  Sample:  http://nohoartsdistrict.com/classes-nohoartsdistrict/1221-actors-workout-studio 
 
Here is how the guide works:
 
Click on Theatre “Acting Classes” on the navigation bar or the large Acting Class AD on the home page of NoHoartsdistrict.com  This will take you to the list of Acting Class ads and click the individual AD to the full page class listing.
 
The guide will be on a shuffle system to ensure everyone gets top billing.  
 
All this for a total of $179 for a 12 month listing.  If you join prior to Jan 31, price is $149 per year.

For questions:  Please contact Nancy Bianconi, 818 506-3132 or nancy@nohoartsdistrict.com

 
To get started this is what we need:
 
History/bio of your classes/teachers
Location
Phone 
Email
Website
Social Media
Class Description (as long as you like)
Photos
Any other information you might feel is valuable to your page.

 

We look forward to promoting your acting classes/workshops.

Dull Boy Productions Presents “Musket and the Rat”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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Dull Boy Productions Presents “Musket and the Rat.” Written by Sammy Horowitz.  Directed by Simon Lees.

Running January 4 through 18, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday at 8pm

The Arena Stage 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood, 90028

This play is like watching caged animals trying to survive, needing each other for warmth and protection, but always aware of the nearness of destruction. 

thumbnail Musket3
Adrian Burks, Emma Hoss

Each of these authentic and terrifyingly real characters, torn from the streets of Chicago where the playwright Sammy Horowitz once lived, are quite literally climbing out of their own skin.  Their stories are essentially nothing new.  Bored or lost or forgotten or just too poor or too broken to find any other way forward, they steal and sell drugs and get high to pass the time they would rather not be fully conscious to remember.

The center of the play is Musket. A young women living with her alcoholic mother, she is trying to keep the family afloat by selling heroine, hoping her younger brother can find a better life.  When he is arrested and put in county jail for being in the wrong place at the wrong time she is frantic to make his bail and keep him safe…but life is never that simple.

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Maya Schnaider, Adrian Burks

Her boyfriend is robbed of her hard saved cash and her stash of heroine and the next couple of days are spent doing everything she can to find the money to to save her brother, so sure is she that something bad will happen to him in jail as he awaits court.

It’s a bit like the harsher parts of “Law and Order.” The bits in between the cops and the court and the smart lawyers trying to do their best for their clients.  But there’s no justice here.  No sense of peace or retribution.  Musket and her friends don’t wise up, or get saved.  They just do what caged, scared, wild animals do. No matter how beautiful they are, they tear each other apart.

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Maya Schnaider, Lucas Jackson

“Musket and the Rat” is a sharply written and beautifully crafted play. 

The characters are large and crushingly real.  They collide brutally just as often as they break our hearts with their moments of clarity, in this dark world of no real chances and fatefully twisted, achingly desolate days.

It’s dark but far from dull.  Sad but full of love.  Crass, but with Shakespearean poignance and classically balanced.  Musket is haunted from the start and her spiral downward through the layers of bad luck and bad neighborhoods are compelling and thoughtful, and utterly believable.

If you don’t like cursing, this probably isn’t for you.  But if you appreciate stories that artfully frame the world of survival against the odds so clearly stacked in urban deserts like these then “Musket and the Rat” will be the perfect kind of spiritual journey you might need.  That the lead character is female is particularly brilliant.  That she is played with the strength and the energy that would normally feel more obvious coming from a man is a stroke of genius, both on the part of the playwright and the very fine actor who plays her (Maya Schnaider). 

Plays like these, full of grit and intensity, hard-fought humor and deeply felt love are few and far between.  These are the stories of the streets that most theatre goers do not live on.  And yet the theatre is such an important place for them to be told.  Theatre is life and death, quite literally darkness and light.  These stories are ancient ones and worth telling over and over if only to remind ourselves where our world really is.  Fighting to survive every day with poetry and terror and love.

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Adam Pasen, Maya Schnaider

It’s a pretty short run, but I would recommend you see this play.

 It’s tough but pure and the performances are absolutely excellent…bravo!

The cast includes Maya Schnaider in the role of Musket, Lucas Jackson, Adam Pasen, Garrick LeWinter, Angel Lizarraga (from the recent extended hit show Always Running at Casa 0101), Michelle Holmes, Adrian Burks, Simon Lees, Curt Cornelius, Emma Hoss, Sammy Horowitz and Chas Mitchell.

Stage manager: Jeffrey Gibson. Set design: Aaron Glazer. Lighting design: Greg Crafts.

TICKETS>>

Seven Year Itch: 5 Universal Relationship Issues (And How To Fix Them)

NoHo - North Hollywood
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You may or may not have heard of “seven-year itch.”

The phrase is used to describe that point in a long-term relationship when things seem to start to decline and couples feel unsatisfied and restless — leading to arguments, emotional distance, and cheating. 

And whether you believe in this phenomenon or not — surely, not every marriage experiences a seventh year from hell? — the truth is, there are some relationship issues that are nearly universal, especially when you’ve been together for this length of time.

In this post, we’ll be covering five big relationship issues that you may face when you come to that dreaded seven-year mark in your relationship. Read on for some useful tips on how to tackle and beat the seven year itch.

1.  Your sex life loses its fire

We all remember how passionate and exciting the start of our relationship was; you couldn’t keep your hands off each other and it seemed like you had sex all the time and everywhere.

But seven years down the line and with that honeymoon period far from sight, it feels like your sex life has all but disappeared.

Between your jobs, children, housework, social commitments, and hobbies, things can get pretty stressful and tiring. And one of the first things to go is a healthy sex life; at the end of a busy, stressful day, it’s just easier to fall into bed and save sex for another time… until you realize that it’s been weeks since you last touched each other intimately.

Stress and work pressure can also have some other sexual side effects, such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and the inability to get aroused. Luckily there are ways you can tackle problems like this: ED medication like Tadalafil can help you to enjoy an active, healthy, sex life (Tadalafil side effects are rare too — read this post from The Independent Pharmacy to find out more).

As for the rest of it… embrace that your sex life is going to change as your relationship ages. And that is fine. But it doesn’t mean that you will stop having sex. Instead, find new ways to excite each other. Try out new things that you haven’t done before. And, if you really have to, allocate some “fun” time by yourselves each week (yes, it’s that dreaded sex schedule…).

2.  Having children or trying to have children

Children are great. And there is nothing more amazing than bringing life into the world. But starting a family is exhausting, and will have a huge impact on your relationship dynamics. What was once about the two of you is now about your family instead; you’re no longer a couple, you’re co-parents. And it’s very easy to lose yourselves and your connection when you’re facing sleepless nights, toddler tantrums and endless school parents’ evenings.

It’s not just having children that is stressful and tiring, either. Trying to conceive and struggling is a mammoth issue for couples to deal with. Sometimes, this can involve years of fertility tests, treatments and preparing for parenthood while you’re trying to start a family (not to mention juggling careers and the rest of your lives at the same time). However, sometimes couples should begin with something as simple as a sperm test kit.  

This can put a huge strain on any relationship; many people — both women and men — internalize their feelings and blame themselves, feeling guilty and “not enough.” It can lead to arguments, emotional distance between partners, and sometimes even separation.

Parenthood — and the journey towards it — is challenging. Our advice? Remember that you’re on the same team. You’re in this together; talk about it frequently and honestly, remember you have each other’s backs and that you love each other, and work together to find a solution. You’ve got this.

3.  Financial struggles

Financial struggles are a universal problem that couples face. Having problems with money is hard enough on your own, but when you’re in a relationship with two bank accounts, it’s much harder.

Money can drive a real wedge between partners when you’re struggling to make ends meet, An extra strain is all too common seven years into your relationship, when you’re saving to do all of the things you want to as a couple, like going on vacation — or bigger life goals like buying a house or starting a family. And if one of you is good at saving and the other is a splurger, this can lead to plenty of bickering and big fights.

This can become even more exacerbated if your salaries are substantially different. It’s all too easy for resentment to grow; one of you can afford to do what you want (possibly paying more into your joint bank account), and the other struggles to just break even, let alone contribute to your savings.

Money conversations are difficult to have too, which is why so many couples avoid having them. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the problem goes away, and the outcome is often a full-blown argument about your financial state as a couple.

It’s best to tackle these troubles early on. Be sure to have honest, open and regular conversations about money — and make sure you really listen to what your partner is saying too. Drawing up a future financial plan and setting out clear goals for yourselves will help to keep you united and on track when it comes to your finances.

4.  You don’t find time for each other

When you’re first in that honeymoon period of your marriage or relationship, all you want to do is spend time with your partner. Everything else is great, but frankly, you’d much rather be hidden away in your home together with the rest of the world outside.

Unfortunately, as your relationship continues, the world tends to encroach on it. Jobs become time-consuming as you further your career; social obligations take over as you try to juggle various sets of in-laws, friends and work colleagues; running around after your children and their needs takes priority. Before you know it, the last time you had a good conversation and some quality time with your spouse was last July.

Finding the time for each other is hard, but it’s super important for maintaining a healthy relationship.

Set aside a date night once a week — clear your schedule and take some quality time to appreciate your other half. Get romantic and do something you enjoy together — whether it’s a movie night, dinner out, ice-skating or a hike in the fresh air.

If you have children, then make sure that you book in some time where it’s just the two of you. Ask your parents or siblings to look after the kids and book yourself a weekend away.

5.  You begin to compare yourselves to other couples

It’s all too easy to compare your relationship to that of other couples around you — especially if said couples post incessantly on Instagram about their latest romantic dinner out, or their exotic trip abroad together, or gush endlessly about how amazing their partner and their relationship is… #blessed.

Firstly, it’s important to remember that social media is not an accurate depiction of a relationship and all its complexities. We all have our quirks and fails, and every marriage has its ups and downs.

Secondly, not every relationship is the same. What will work well for one couple will not work at all for another; do what is best for the two people in your relationship, and not what you think is a universal relationship truth.

Let go of the desire for a “perfect” relationship and find happiness where you are now. You’re just adding unnecessary pressure and stress to your relationship.

Instead, remind yourself of all the things you’re grateful for in your partner. Make a list and let them know how much they mean to you, and how much they’ve changed your life for the better.

Regardless of whether the “seven year itch” is real or not, the five examples above are universal relationship issues that can have a huge impact. However, that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to fix.

 

If you want to be with your partner for a long time (hopefully forever!), then you’re going to have to work at it. Commit to making it work; talk frequently, communicate your feelings, and remember that you are on the same team.

 

 

Merging Your Money When You Marry

Lillian Appleby
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Merging Your Money When You Marry

Getting married is exciting, but it brings many challenges.

One such challenge that you and your spouse will have to face is how to merge your finances. Planning carefully and communicating clearly are important because the financial decisions that you make now can have a lasting impact on your future.

Discuss your financial goals

The first step in mapping out your financial future together is to discuss your financial goals. Start by making a list of your short-term goals (e.g., paying off wedding debt, new car, vacation) and long-term goals (e.g., having children, your children’s college education, retirement). Then, determine which goals are most important to you. Once you’ve identified the goals that are a priority, you can focus your energy on achieving them.

Prepare a budget

Next, you should prepare a budget that lists all of your income and expenses over a certain time period (e.g., monthly, and annually). You can designate one spouse to be in charge of managing the budget, or you can take turns keeping records and paying the bills. If both you and your spouse are going to be involved, make sure that you develop a record-keeping system that both of you understand. And remember to keep your records in a joint filing system so that both of you can easily locate important documents.

Begin by listing your sources of income (e.g., salaries and wages, interest, dividends). Then, list your expenses (it may be helpful to review several months of entries in your checkbook and credit card bills). Add them up and compare the two totals. Hopefully, you get a positive number, meaning that you spend less than you earn. If not, review your expenses and see where you can cut down on your spending.

Bank accounts–separate or joint?

At some point, you and your spouse will have to decide whether to combine your bank accounts or keep them separate. Maintaining a joint account does have advantages, such as easier record keeping and lower maintenance fees. However, it’s sometimes more difficult to keep track of how much money is in a joint account when two individuals have access to it. Of course, you could avoid this problem by making sure that you tell each other every time you write a check or withdraw funds from the account. Or, you could always decide to maintain separate accounts.

Credit cards

If you’re thinking about adding your name to your spouse’s credit card accounts, think again. When you and your spouse have joint credit, both of you will become responsible for 100 percent of the credit card debt. In addition, if one of you has poor credit, it will negatively impact the credit rating of the other. If you or your spouse does not qualify for a card because of poor credit, and you are willing to give your spouse account privileges anyway, you can make your spouse an authorized user of your credit card. An authorized user is not a joint cardholder and is therefore not liable for any amounts charged to the account. Also, the account activity won’t show up on the authorized user’s credit record. But remember, you remain responsible for the account.

Insurance

If you and your spouse have separate health insurance coverage, you’ll want to do a cost/benefit analysis of each plan to see if you should continue to keep your health coverage separate. For example, if your spouse’s health plan has a higher deductible and/or co-payments or fewer benefits than those offered by your plan, he or she may want to join your health plan instead. You’ll also want to compare the rate for one family plan against the cost of two single plans.

It’s a good idea to examine your auto insurance coverage, too. If you and your spouse own separate cars, you may have different auto insurance carriers. Consider pooling your auto insurance policies with one company; many insurance companies will give you a discount if you insure more than one car with them. If one of you has a poor driving record, however, make sure that changing companies won’t mean paying a higher premium.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans

If both you and your spouse participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you should be aware of each plan’s characteristics. Review each plan together carefully and determine which plan provides the best benefits. If you can afford it, you should each participate to the maximum in your own plan. If your current cash flow is limited, you can make one plan the focus of your retirement strategy. Here are some helpful tips:

  • If both plans match contributions, determine which plan offers the best match and take full advantage of it
  • Compare the vesting schedules for the employer’s matching contributions
  • Compare the investment options offered by each plan–the more options you have, the more likely you are to find an investment mix that suits your needs
  • Find out whether the plans offer loans–if you plan to use any of your contributions for certain expenses (e.g., your children’s college education, a down payment on a house), you may want to participate in the plan that has a loan provision

The information in this newsletter is not intended as tax, legal, investment, or retirement advice or recommendations, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek advice from an independent professional advisor. The content is derived from sources believed to be accurate. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. This material was written and prepared by Broadridge Advisor Solutions. © 2018 Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc.

Art + Practice | Stephen Towns & Ramsess

Raleigh Barrett Gallina
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In Historic Leimert Park, Art + Practice collaborates with The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA). Curated by Cecilia Wichmann, on exhibition at Art + Practice are two artists from opposite sides of the country who synchronously reimagine injustices through quilting.

Hailing from Baltimore and Leimert Park respectively, Towns and Ramsess chose quilting as their medium. While Towns is self-taught, Ramsess has been quilting for years. Both artists feature unique styles which complement their concurrent themes. Truly it appears that both artists were tapped for a group show, but it was happenstance of imagination which brought the two together.

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Towns quite literally shows us the fabric of the United States – but through his quilting he opens up the seams to show us the erasures of historical writings. Wet nurses are one such example of this erasure of an historical body which wove together American families and isn’t oft thought of when we consider crucial players in advancing  U.S. Society.

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Ramsess brings together reimagining of both classic art and historical iconographic photography. Emphasis is placed on stories of those who are passed by because of politics of race, age, and gender. The span of Ramsess content covers ground from a reimagined Last Supper to a mug shot of George Stinney Jr, the 14-year-old child executed in the electric chair in 1944.

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Conjointly, Towns and Ramsess created separate exhibitions which feature transgressions against (and erasures of) individuals who sought nothing more than to operate in shared spaces.

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These brutal violations are depicted in an art form quietly pieced together, and in a medium which symbolizes everyday use: quilting. Quilting itself is an icon of heritage, but with everyday use. And how easy it is to forget heritage when we handle it every day.

Postscript: At the back of Art + Practice is an interactive mural imagined by Ramses. Ramsess sketched an outline of American rapper, entrepreneur, and community activist Nipsey Hussle. Gallery-goers can select a fabric swatch, or cut their own, and affix it to the mural which will later be touched up by Ramsess.

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Art + Practice:  https://www.artandpractice.org/ 

Artists:                                
Stephen Towns
Ramses 

Exhibition Dates:            
October 12, 2019 – January 25, 2020

Hours:                                 
Mon – Sat 12pm-6:00pm 

Price:                                   
Free 

Location:
3401 W, 43rd Place.
Los Angeles, CA 90008

               

Review – Uncut Gems – A hustling, scheming force of nature!

Mike Peros
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Review – Uncut Gems – A hustling, scheming force of nature!

To say that Adam Sandler’s jewelry dealer in Uncut Gems is living on the edge would be an understatement.

A hustling, scheming force of nature, Howard Ratner (Sandler) is always gambling: besides a series of ill-fated sports bets that have earned him the perpetual ire of some alternately clownish/menacing debt collectors (led by an intense Eric Bogosian), he’s counting on his semi-estranged wife (Idina Menzel) to stay with him after Passover (this in spite of his having a second apartment complete with live-in mistress (Julia Fox),  and he’s wagering that his big find from Ethiopia (a rock glittering with uncut opals) will get him a huge price at an auction house.

If you’re familiar with directors Josh and Benny Safdie’s work (and I’m thinking Good Time with Robert Pattinson), their style can be seen at being overly frenetic, but in Uncut Gems it is necessary for the filmmakers to match the pace of Sandler’s wheeler dealer who drops more balls than he juggles and never seems to know the graceful way out, even when the exit is right in front of him. Faced with paying off a $100,000 debt to a trio who are progressively less than amused, Sandler’s Ratner can’t help getting himself in deeper and deeper. After he shows NBA star Kevin Garnett his stone, he allows Garnett to take it as a “good luck charm,” while holding on to Garnett’s championship ring both as collateral—and as an alternate way of gaining a bankroll. The fact that Ratner’s plans generally implode in the most untimely manner possible (including a bravura sequence at a school play) does not seem to deter him in the least—if anything these embolden him for the next endeavor.

Sandler is terrific at channeling the many shades of Ratner, fusing the schemer’s indomitable will, obnoxiousness, occasional crystal-clear perception, insensitivity, and foolhardiness into a memorable, cohesive, and even sympathetic whole. It’s not a one-man show however, especially with neglected wife Idina Menzel simmering barely contained contempt, lead nemesis Eric Bogosian exuding equal parts menace and disbelief (aimed squarely at Ratner’s mischievous machinations), Kevin Garnett (good at playing a perhaps more driven version of himself??), Julia Fox as Ratner’s affectionate and resourceful co-worker/mistress, and Judd Hirsch as Ratner’s father who becomes an unwilling participant in his son’s schemes. I haven’t even mentioned the others who are in Sandler/Ratner’s orbit (including “retiring” radio personality Mike Francesa as a bookie), but they are vital components of an exhilarating (and sometimes exhausting) slice of a whirling dervish’s life.

Meet Doug Haverty of The Group Rep

Lisa Bianconi
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The NoHo Arts District motto is “NoHo is only as great as its people.”

Did you know that NoHo has the highest concentration of theatres outside of New York City? Our theatres are why everyone calls our neighborhood an arts district. We are grateful for all of the people who work so hard to #KeepNoHoArtsy.

Meet Doug Haverty, a huge contributor to so much theatre in L.A. and especially our one-square-mile, 20+ theatre haven. He will take the helm as artistic director of The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre.

Doug Haverty, artistic director at The Group Rep via www.nohoartsdistrict.com
Doug Haverty, artistic director at The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre

You have a long history in theatre.

I studied Theatre, Journalism, Music and Graphic Design at University of the Pacific. Did Summer Stock in Columbia (CA), Eugene (OR), and Houghton Lake (MI). Locally, I’ve done theater here in Southern California (as actor/and or writer) at: Group Rep, Theatre West, Laguna Playhouse, Falcon (now Garry Marshall), Evergreen (now Fountain), Callboard, Cast-as-the Circle, The Hudson, Access Theatre, NASA, NoHo Arts Center, The Lyric (on LaBrea), The Lyric (on Hyperion), The Grove Theatre Center, Advent Theatre, Mammoth Lakes Repertory, Theatre 40, just to name a few.

Can you tell us your greatest achievements in producing theatre all over the country?

I have produced plays at: The Callboard, The Colony, The Cast-at-the-Circle, The Evergreen (now Fountain), Theatre West, The Grove Theatre Center/Burbank and, of course, Group Rep. Greatest achievements at Group Rep include co-producing THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ (Musical Biography about the Righteous Brothers) and LOST IN YONKERS. The musical on the Righteous Brothers was tremendously successful and YONKERS was critically praised and emotionally satisfying.

I haven’t really produced around the country, but I have had plays and musicals produced around the country: The Long Island Stage (NY), The Cherry Lane (NY), Charlotte Repertory, Florida Studio Theatre, Dallas Theatre (TX), Theatre in the Square (GA), Phoenix Theatre (AZ) and Alaska Rep, just to name a few. I’ve also had plays produced overseas in Zurich, Melbourne, Tokyo, Istanbul, Ottawa and most recently in Belgrade, where our musical, INSIDE OUT, is now in its second year there.

What made you accept the invitation to become the Artistic Director for The Group Repertory?

It seemed like a natural progression. I have been on the Artistic Council (helping the Artistic Directors select plays for the seasons) for several years now. A year or two ago, Larry Eisenberg told me he thought I’d make a good Artistic Director. I had not really even considered that, but it was a seed planted and then it just seemed to make sense. For the past 20 years, I’ve been co-moderator of the writers workshop at Theatre West, guiding playwrights with their full-length plays and short plays. I plan to reinstate Group Rep’s Playwrights Unit (originally founded by Lonny Chapman) and we will develop new plays and musicals. We’ve already started and it’s going to be very exciting.

Tell us about your 2020 season – why these particular shows?

I am so excited about our new season. I appointed a five-person Artistic Council and we looked at a lot of plays and musicals. This year, 2020, is an election year and there will be lots mud-slinging and speechifying and political craziness. So, we set out to find plays that would offer great escapism, so that our audiences could get away from Breaking News and all things political. We wanted to find plays that we could do well, that audiences would like to see (that haven’t been overdone) and plays that have some kind of feel-good, which will — we hope — engender good word-of-mouth.

We start out with a play that is near and dear to me. It’s a play I wrote and it was the first full-length play presented in our current facility. It’s called IN MY MIND’S EYE and it was the play I initially submitted to Lonny Chapman, and he developed it through his play development process. This play is a love story/memory play based on true events. A teacher of mine inspires it. My first day of junior high, was her first day of teaching and was legally blind. Even then, I recognized that this was a brave woman. She fell in love with the English teacher next door. The play also deals with the blind teacher’s mother who has grown dependent on her special needs offspring.

Then we return to the world of Neil Simon. Mr. Simon inspired me as a young playwright and I even got to meet him when he was a guest speaker at his brother’s (Danny) writing class where I was a student. We are doing his LONDON SUITE, which is similar in structure to PLAZA SUITE and CALIFORNIA SUITE. It’s four unique plays that just happen to take place in the same suite in London. We also get to re-visit Sydney and Diana (whom we met in CALFIORNIA SUITE). Many people have not even heard of this play, so we are hoping people will enjoy discovering rather unfamiliar Simon wonderfulness. They are reviving PLAZA SUITE on Broadway with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. When they announced the production, Broderick said, “We all need a little Neil Simon now.” And we’re hoping that is true.

Then we’re doing a big, Broadway musical. This musical won the Tony Award in 1970, so this is its 50th Anniversary. Based on “All About Eve,” this musical is APPLAUSE. It has a wonderful score (by Charles Strouse who wrote BYE BYE BIRDIE and ANNIE), full of musical comedy classics and a sharp, witty book (written by Comden & Green who wrote ON THE TOWN and SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN). It’s a huge show and rarely done because it has so many mammoth production requirements. We’re going to do very theatrical presentation that still lets it live in all its glory.

TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE WE GO by Joanna McClelland Glass will follow that. I saw this play in the early 90s on Broadway with Eva LaGalliene and Kim Hunter. I loved it. When I was working with the Colony, Barbara Beckley asked me to recommend a great American family drama and I told her about this play. Her subscribers loved it and she thanked me profusely every time I saw her after that. It’s about Grandie who’s trying to cope with widowhood and retirement and suddenly all her middle-aged children have to move back home due to financial hardships. So, it’s about that and also claiming your life and following your bliss regardless of what age you start. I think it’s even more timely today than it was when it originally presented.

I love mysteries and thrillers. We tried to get THE DESPERATE HOURS last year and it wasn’t available, but this year it is! This is a classic thriller, really well written about an all-American family who is held hostage in their own home by bank-robbers on the run. Based on the best seller by Joseph Hayes, the Broadway version starred Paul Newman and the film version starred Frederick March. Father, mother, daughter and son are captive and try to prevail over a terrifying situation. And the conclusion is breathtaking.

We close the season with a wonderful holiday treat by Ken Ludwig (who wrote LEND ME A TENOR). It’s part murder mystery, part thriller, part farce and part Christmas play. It’s called THE GAME’S AFOOT (HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS) and it’s wonderfully theatrical and unpredictable. Ludwig is known for zany plays and this is no exception. We hope it will be the perfect holiday alternative confection for theatergoers.

That’s our mainstage season. We are also planning exciting things for Upstairs-At-The Group as well. We will start the season up there with TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. Our current Artistic Director performed beautifully in this play last year at Sierra Madre Playhouse with direction by L. Flint Esquerra. So, we will be bringing this touching human story to North Hollywood.

We are continuing our series called NINE WINNING ONE-ACTS upstairs too. Writers from around the world submit ten-minute plays and we select nine. This has been a very successful endeavor and we hope it will continue to thrive.

When our building at 10900 Burbank opened in August 1984, our very first production was a program of one-acts called MOTEL 66. The plays were all written by our members (as opposed to Nine Winning One Acts which are outside submissions). The set is the exterior courtyard of a motel along Route 66, any city, any year.

Then we will close out the season upstairs with ORPHAN’S REVENGE, which is a good, olde-fashioned, musical melodrama complete with villain, hero, heroine and lively songs. This was done at Group Rep previously, written by one of our members and was tremendously successful. We’re hoping to repeat that rollicking success.

What advice would you give to a person wanting to produce their first show?

I would say that once your formulate a budget, just add 25% as a contingency, because you’ll probably need it. Don’t produce a play to make money. Produce it because you love it and you want to see it up on its feet. The first place people try to trim a budget is with marketing and publicity. Don’t cut these. If you are going to mount a glorious production, you want people to see it, right? Hire a good publicist and spend some marketing money. And start that process early.

Doug Haverty, artistic director at The Group Rep via www.nohoartsdistrict.com
Doug Haverty with the “Loose Knit” cast at The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre

What makes you stay at Group Rep?

I guess I’d have to say that people and the process. Initially, I stayed because of Lonny Chapman. He was a little enigmatic, and often times his comments were cryptic. But once you started to understand that shorthand, it was very informative. He was delightfully fearless and liked to take chances.

I enjoy building tight relationships with creative types and working with the same people in different aspects on different shows, as you would at a rep company. I also enjoy our open door policy and welcoming new artists into our creative process. The other night I was at the Road Theatre Company seeing another one of their excellent productions. Two patrons came up to me and told me that they’d recently seen me in two productions at Group Rep that were playing in repertory: AGATHA CHRISTIE’S THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS and OTHERWISE ENGAGED by Simon Gray. They said they enjoyed both shows and that they travel down from Santa Cruz to see their grandchildren and go see theater while they’re here. They go down to Long Beach and out to Pasadena and everywhere in between. But they really like the plays at Group Rep. How cool is that? I do love discussions with our audiences and that’s why we have talkbacks for every production.

The Group Rep  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER

This year it’s time to put more theatre in your life!  #KeepNoHoArtsy

**** 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. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

Write Act Repertory Presents “Holiday of Lights – A Cabaret Celebration of Music by Michael Antin”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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Write Act Repertory Presents “Holiday of Lights – A Cabaret Celebration of Music by Michael Antin.” Musical Arrangement and Direction by David Kaminer.

Starring David Michael Trevino and Dana Shaw.

This lovely retrospective of Michael Antin’s musical show stoppers is an annual event at the Brickhouse Theatre, which has become a home away from home for this particular writer.

It ran for just a couple of nights this year, which is a shame, but at least I got a ticket!

He’s an interesting fellow, Mr Antin.  A retired tax attorney, he swung in a radically different direction when he retired and began writing musicals.  I think he’s somewhere around the six or seven number by now, all whimsical, historical and overloaded with songs.

This Christmas concert is a glance back over some of his most popular works and include the songs that were the biggest crowd pleasers form his many plays, as well as his own personal favorites.

The evening was hosted by Derrel Maury and he took us lovingly on a journey through the musical career of Micheal Antin, including hilarious anecdotes and stories about the themes and origins of the songs performed during the evening.

The performers were Dana Shaw, a Micheal Antin regular and the rather gorgeous David Micheal Trevino, who I am lucky enough to have worked with myself.  They performed Antin’s songs with love.  They are both wonderful vocalists and actors, playful, skilled and absolutely brilliant…I’m sure Micheal Antin would have been thrilled to hear his songs sung so beautifully.

It was a lovely evening of song, including the story of Micheal Antin’s success and his long journey to musical theater, told powerfully by Derrel Maury and the musical talents of Larry Klein (Drums), David Kamenir (Music Director and Pianist).  It was a truly wonderful way to round off the year…there was even a sing along!!!

The Brickhouse Theatre is home to many interesting, entertaining and boundary pushing plays and musicals.  Holding this Christmas concert, full of this wonderful music so beautifully performed is simply the icing on 2019’s cake!  

You can check out what comes next at The Brick house here https://www.facebook.com/writeactrepertory

Don’t forget to support your local theatres!!! #KeepNoHoArtsy

Cast/musicians

Larry Klein (Drums), David Kamenir (Music Director and Pianist), Dana Shaw (Performer), Derrel Maury (Performer), and David Michael Trevino (Performer).

Casio vs Yamaha Digital Piano – Which Is Better?

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Are you suddenly gripped by an intense need to play the piano? Are you planning to buy your own digital piano?

Then, we are sure you must have heard a lot about Casio and Yamaha. It is quite easy to get confused between both these brands as they are great competitors in this market.

If you are genuinely confused between these two brands and cannot figure out which is better, then we are here to help you.  If you’re looking for digital piano reviews, PianoNadu.com is a great resource which will help you to decide.

We have analyzed each brand individually and are going to present an unbiased comparison of these two brands.

Introduction

Music is the language of the soul, and one of the most heartfelt ways that it can be expressed in is Instrumental. If we look at one specific instrument, it will be the keyboard or piano.

There is a real sense of satisfaction that you experience as you let your fingers dance across the keys of a piano and hear the notes come alive in the air around you. It is almost as if someone breathed life into the very being of the air around you.

Ever since pianos and keyboards entered the musical market, there have been multiple companies that endeavor to produce the most beautiful keyboards and pianos. The top two companies in this market that are known for their quality are Casio and Yamaha.

Between these two giants, there has always been a question about who is a better manufacturer of digital pianos. Instead of going by word of mouth, let us have a look at all the key features of the digital pianos of each brand.

Sound Quality

The sound quality is one of the top factors to consider when buying a digital piano. You need to assess your need and use of the keyboard when you buy it. This helps determine the sound quality that you may require.

Traditional pianos have the acoustic sound of the notes due to the hammer action on the strings. This implies that the harder you hit the key, the louder the note will be produced.

In the case of digital pianos, this is not the case. Any piano player will appreciate a digital piano that is true to the traditional piano. Speaking of Yamaha and Casio, the sound quality of their similarly priced models of both the brands is the same and cannot be differentiated much.

Key Action

Speaking about the key action, both the brands employ a different type of hammer action. Casio is known for its Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action. This allows the keys to be set on three different sensitivities, and they may feel heavier or lighter according to the setting. It also depends on which keys you are playing.

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In Yamaha, the digital piano employs a Graded Hammer Action. It has four levels of sensitivity that is obviously one more than Casio. The performance of this is just as good as Casio, although some users find it better as compared to Casio.

Value for money

If we look at the prices of digital pianos with similar features from both the companies, the first thing is that they are reasonably priced.

Considering the entire range of digital pianos by Casio, the price is reasonable and apt for the features provided.

On the other hand, Yamaha is slightly pricier for digital pianos with the same features as compared to Casio.

Brand Reputation

Casio and Yamaha have been around for as long as digital pianos have been around. They both are leading names in the music industry. Usually, Casio digital pianos are cheaper than Yamaha digital pianos. So, people tend to buy Casio in the initial stages before moving on to pricier Yamaha models. Although, the new range of Casio digital pianos is quite the competition for Yamaha.

Variety of models

Both Casio and Yamaha have a wide variety of models in their digital piano range. Some models have similar features, while some of them differ by a lot. This makes it quite hard to compare them individually.

If you look in terms of number, Yamaha has an impressive range since they deal with other instruments too. Casio is more devoted to pianos and keyboards. Even then, Yamaha has an undoubtedly better and wider range of digital pianos.

Features of their pianos

Casio and Yamaha both offer sounds, effects, and connectivity options. Let us consider them individually.

In terms of sounds and voices, both Casio and Yamaha offer a wide range of choices. In spite of this, Yamaha offers slightly more options than Casio. In higher models, it is harder to create sounds, and Yamaha provides more choices in these models too.

elictronic keyboards1.png

The effects in Casio and Yamaha are almost the same in quality and quantity. The features in a Casio are available at a slightly lower price as compared to the same features available in a Yamaha.

At last, considering connectivity options, both these brands provide the same connectivity options as the other. These include MIDI compatibility, USB connectivity, headphones, and more.

Summary

When we look at Casio and Yamaha individually, they both have a great set of features. They have their pros and cons too. Since these brands are well established and good at what they do, it is quite hard to determine which one is better.

Casio offers excellent products for a low price and is also loaded with features.

Yamaha, on the other hand, offers a wider range of products with fantastic sound quality.

In the end, it depends on your needs and requirements that determine the better digital piano for you. Casio and Yamaha are equally competitive in their digital piano market and offer excellent choices for all levels of piano players, whether they are beginners, intermediates, or pro players.

Rue Brown “Sugar Baby/Make Me Smile”

Lisa Bianconi
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Rue Brown “Sugar Baby/Make Me Smile”

What We’re Listening to…Rue Brown.

Soulful songstress and storyteller Rue Brown gives us melodic tales with “Sugar Baby/Make Me Smile” at Sofar NYC.

Have you ever been to a Sofar show? Sofar is simply songs from a room and that’s what they do. They pick unique venues all over Los Angeles (and the world, 444+ cities and growing) and three acts take the stage for four songs each to give us an intimate show of new music. You don’t know where exactly the place will be, just a general area like NoHo Arts District, Venice, Hollywood, etc. The day before they send you the exact location. But you still don’t know who you’ll hear until you get there. We love the musical surprises!

Here’s Rue Brown’s Sofar NYC show…enjoy!

Rue’s Facebook about section gives us a quick soundbyte into who she is as an artist. “Rue Brown is a multifaceted singer, with a strong background in dance and musical theater. Born and raised in D.C. and now residing in Brooklyn. Ms. Brown is a blend of jazz, hip hop & soul, a unique sound that reflects her journey, love, and the times.” Yep.

We picked her for this month’s What We’re Listening to music blog because we were captivated by her rhythmic story about finding love in a most unexpected place. It was accompanied by music – her soulful voice, a trumpet player, snare drum and backup singers who helped tell her story. She sprinkled in spoken word rhymes then switched back to song. It was an enthralling story we didn’t want to end.

And during these shopping days it sort of fit perfectly. But more than that, we need more stories in our lives. Happy ending stories would be nice too. To hear more melodic Rue Brown songs, check out her soundcloud.

May the new year be filled with fun stories, experiences and lots of love….and some good deals on shoes.

Follow Rue Brown on all her socials

Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | Soundcloud

Keep making music that moves us.

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