MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT An Anton Media Group Special
MARCH 4 - 10, 2020
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS FROM THE WORLDS OF MUSIC, THEATER, TELEVISION AND FILM
Joyous Music School
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The Universal Language BY ANTHONY MURRAY AND DAVE GIL DE RUBIO
amurray@antonmediagroup.com / dgilderubio@antonmediagroup.com
Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once famously said music is the universal language of mankind and at Anton Media Group we’re definitely fluent when it comes to music. This past year, Long Island Weekly has talked to many of your favorite musicians from solo artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Andy Grammer, David Crosby, Aaron Neville and Melissa Etheridge to bands that include Fitz and the Tantrums, Goo Goo Dolls, Train, Daughtry and Chicago. Lenny Kravitz
Recorded at his home studio in Eleuthera, Bahamas, Kravitz’s eleventh studio album Raise Vibration was conceived through a series of dreams. Call it a stream-of-unconsciousness. “All these songs came from being asleep and waking up between the hours of 3 and 5 a.m. and having these songs in my head. It was a very interesting experience. And it was very freeing. You take your mind, ego and whatever preconceived ideas you have—all of that comes out. You’re receiving what it is that is yours and I love that.”
Andy Grammer
Grammer stopped by the Big Apple for his Don’t Give Up On Me tour to promote his fourth studio album Naïve. Grammer opened up about the driving force that was behind the creation of his newest album. “At heart, I was trying to make an album that was for people who are optimistic,” Grammer said. “I’ve been saying it’s a lot like the light bringer situation. It’s people who see the good in everything and when you are one of those people, the world looks at you like you’re stupid. I love the title of Naïve, which sounds like a revolutionary statement of ‘I don’t care if you think I’m stupid. I’m going to see the good in this world.’”
Melissa Etheridge
As an avowed lefty, suffice it to say that the 2016 election wasn’t quite the result Melissa Etheridge was expecting. With her 15th studio album, The Medicine Show, Etheridge used all of 2017 to put together notebooks full of inspirational ideas with the album serving as a microcosm of what
was going on in 2018. “It’s times like this where I see that music and art can do so much. As a way to look at this, I have no desire to preach to anybody. But I do want to reach into the hearts and minds of people and really give hope and find a way to inspire everyone through all this.”
Fitz and the Tantrums
The band Fitz and the Tantrums have been going strong for the past decade and recently dropped their fourth studio album All The Feels last year. The lead singer of the band, Michael Fitzpatrick, talked about how the band came to be. “It was five phone calls and I had a band together,” Fitzpatrick said. “We went into a rehearsal space and we played one song. I was so blown away that I walked out of the room and booked us a show at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles. We played our first show a week later and we haven’t stopped touring since.”
Daughtry
Chris Daughtry shot to superstardom overnight thanks to a little talent show called American Idol. Daughtry and his band, released their fifth studio album Cage to Rattle last year. One of the songs on the new album, “As You Are” has sentimental meaning to Daughtry, which he shared about. “That song to me was the heart and soul of the record,” Daughtry said. “My wife and I wrote the song in 2015. I believed in this song from the very beginning and I wanted it to see the light of day. It was the song that means a lot to us and we’re so glad to be getting the response that we’re getting from it.”
Train
What better way to celebrate 20 years of music than going on tour? That’s exactly what the band Train did last year. Besides being lead singer of the band, Pat Monahan opened up about hosting his own weekly radio show on SiriusXM titled Train Tracks. “I feel like new artists need a place to go to find their way,” Monahan said. “I just think it’s super important what I’m doing and I never really felt that way about anything before until now and I’ve been thanked by artists all over the world who say, ‘Thanks for giving me a shot. I didn’t think I would ever get played.’ It just seems like a cool thing.”
Goo Goo Dolls
Consummate road warriors, Goo Goo Dolls never lost the blue-collar ethic of hard work despite crossing over from being a scrappy punk outfit to a popular poprock act. Out on the road with their friends Train last year, Goos vocalist John Rzeznick shared his love for playing Northwell at Jones Beach, the local stop his band made last year. “Jones Beach is one of the first really big places this band ever got to play. And it was so exciting—to look at the top of the stands and see people up that high in the seats. It blew my mind man. We’ve had so many great shows there—getting poured on by the rain. Then it’s 100 degrees outside. Everyone just has a great time. I love it.”
Chicago
Still thriving five decades on, founding member Robert Lamm shared his theory behind the group’s longevity. “The songs. The music. Obviously, the sound of the band is appealing to a lot of people. The way the horns are used is very different than what other bands do. The idiosyncrasies of the way [they sound]—and believe me, I really had a chance to consider that when we did Chicago II. Those aren’t even songs—those are compositions.”
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Channel Surfing With The Stars BY DAVE GIL DE RUBIO
grew up with—very close in my heart, and it’s what Peter [Marc Jacobson, her ex-husband] and I like to write about. Inside, I still feel like that chubby girl from Queens with working-class parents. That’ll never go away. I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. I’m not afraid to not have money.”
dgilderubio@antonmediagroup.com
With television having become such an ubiquitous form of technology, networks have really upped their collective games in terms of producing content. Lucky for Anton Media Group, we’ve capitalized on the myriad performers who are working at projects at any given time.
George Takei
Fran Drescher
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ever since the Chicago native was 8 years old and saw Jimmy Durante perform. “I was always the funniest kid in school,” he proudly said. “[Jimmy Durante] inspired me. I asked my parents if that’s a job. They said yes and I said, ‘That’s a job I want.’”
You can take the girl out of Queens.... you know the rest. Drescher made her name as the lead in the CBS sitcom The Nanny, but made her mark in early but memorable roles in Saturday Night Fever and the 1984 mockumentary This is Spinal Tap as horrified publicist Bobbi Flekman. Through it all, the New York City native has proudly worn her accent and background as a badge of honor. “I never forgot my roots, and most of my characters are deeply tied with my past,” she said. “I keep the memories of my childhood and upbringing—all of the rich and colorful characters I
Jeff Garlin
Currently splitting time between playing the patriarch on the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs and Larry David’s fictional manager Jeff Greene on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Jeff Garlin has led a busy life with myriad projects that had the common thread of his being in a position to make people laugh. It’s been a goal he’s had
Having been imprisoned with his family by U.S. officials in an internment camp during World War II, Takei has taken a lead as an immigration and LGBTQ rights advocate. Projects reflecting that childhood experience include his role in The Terror: Infamy, an AMC horror drama anthology set in the same kind of camp Takei and
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TELEVISION his family were interred in. Also They Called Us Enemy, a graphic novel recounting Takei’s experience in those American concentration camps. And while he’s always had progressive values, his playing Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu on Star Trek wound up being a perfect breakout role for him. “Gene Roddenberry said the Starship Enterprise was a metaphor for Starship Earth and the strength of the starship lay in its diversity, coming together and working as a team. That was the 23rd century that he had envisioned and how true he was because we’re still having problems with that.”
Richard Schiff
While most people may recognize Richard Schiff for myriad roles he’s played as a character actor, most know him as Toby Ziegler, a White House communications director on The West Wing. The Maryland native first cut his teeth as a director. He recounted how this experience translated to the first time he got behind the camera on the beloved NBC series.
executive producer on the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood, Kyles has been walking the tightrope of being able to send a social message with comedy.
“I went from director to actor back to director. On The West Wing, I was always the protector of actors on the set; they trusted me to protect the story and integrity of what we were trying to achieve.”
is Barry, an HBO dark comedy about a hired killer that has become both a critical and commercial success and is going into its third season. Hader shared how the seed was planted for this unique series. “[Co-creator Alec Berg and I] came up with this idea and saw the story potential of a guy in between two worlds and his trying to navigate these two worlds. The situation was inherently crazy and funny, so we thought, ‘What if we played this very grounded?’ We made it very real. I think a lot of people would have heard this idea coming from us and thought it would be a very glib kind of over-the-top comedy, but I think the tone kind of surprised people.”
“In today’s television [world], what gives the show its unique voice is Born Cedric Antonio Kyles, the man the fact that we made this choice to known as Cedric the Entertainer made tell great stories that can put us in his bones on the stand-up circuit and situations of great conversation and controversy, yet, we find this funny later made a successful transition to film (Barbershop) and later television line where everybody ends up sharing in the laughter.” (The Steve Harvey Show, The Last O.G.) As one of the leads and an
Cedric the Entertainer
Bill Hader
Bill Hader may have launched his career via a storied run on Saturday Night Live, but he’s since shifted gears into becoming a renowned actor, writer, producer and director. His latest project
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Pop icon Janet Jackson recently visited The Joyous Music School Long Island Campus and received a private concert from its string orchestra. Joyous String Ensemble led by 13 year old cellist Justin Yu and 10 year old violinist Christine Yu.
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People from all over the world flock to New York City to see Broadway shows—and for totally good reason. New York City has some of the best Broadway shows around from Ain’t Too Proud and Hadestown to Beetlejuice, Jagged Little Pill and more. This past year, we’ve seen and spoken to some of the brightest and best performers the Great White Way has to offer. hilarious musical that tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon named Beetlejuice. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, Beetlejuice was sure to be a real scream on Broadway. The ghoulish musical embraces the topic of death and has no problem breaking the fourth wall as it Ain’t Too Proud pelts audiences with a constant Ain’t Too Proud chronicles how stream of comedy. Motown group The Temptations shot into superstardom. The musical gives the audience a deep dive into The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, the crooners rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top 10 hits, with 14 of them reaching number one. The thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal is Chicago set to the beat of the group’s A Manhattan institution, treasured hits including “My Chicago has everything that Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling makes Broadway great—a universal tale of fame, fortune and Stone” and more. all that jazz, one show-stopping song after another and the most Beetlejuice astonishing dancing one has Based on Tim Burton’s beloved film, Beetlejuice is a
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ever seen. Chicago has wowed audiences all around the world from Mexico City and Moscow to São Paulo and South Africa. Whether you’re looking for your first Broadway musical, seen the Academy Award-winning film, want to experience the show live onstage or have seen it all before and want to recapture the magic, Chicago delivers on every level.
Jagged Little Pill
Inspired by singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette’s Grammy Award-winning masterpiece, Jagged Little Pill, this production uses explosive choreography and the raw power of an onstage band to create a spellbinding musical experience that lifts its audience from moments of quiet, tender intimacy to pure rock ‘n’ roll release. The result is an electric, fearless look at what it means to be alive in 21st Century America and an urgent call for us to come together even as the world pushes us apart.
Tootsie
Hadestown
Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales—that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone—as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and director Rachel Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers, Hadestown is a haunting and hopeful experience that grabs the audience and never lets go.
Tootsie, which ended its run on Jan. 5 of this year, was based on the 1982 comedy of the same name. Like the film, Tootsie tells the story of a talented but volatile actor, whose reputation for being difficult forces him to adopt a new identity as a woman in order to land a job. The musical featured a Tony Award-winning book by Robert Horn and an outrageously clever score by 2018 Tony winner David Yazbek.
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Silver Screen Stars BY ANTHONY MURRAY AND DAVE GIL DE RUBIO
amurray@antonmediagroup.com / dgilderubio@antonmediagroup.com
If cinema is something between art and life, as famed director Jean-Luc Godard once said, then we at the Anton Media Group have been fortunate enough to speak with some true artists such as the likes of Rita Moreno, Andrea Martin, Chazz Palminteri and more within this big screen world of make believe.
Rita Moreno A (KEGOT) Kennedy Center Honors, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony winner, Rita Moreno is a legendary talent who continues to work, despite having turned 88 in December. Not only is she working on the Steven Spielberg cinematic reboot of West Side Story, but expect a documentary on her life this year drawn from her 2014 autobiography, Rita Moreno: A Memoir. She’ll be sharing some of the emotionally trying times she faced as a woman of color in Tinsel Town. “People only know what they see at the moment and that’s understandable. Why should they know I had terrible times in my youth? Why should they known that when I went to Hollywood that it was a really bad time for Hispanics, blacks, Asians and everybody? But they don’t know that, so it was important for me to talk about that.”
Andrea Martin
Nowadays best known for stage work that’s won her Tony and Drama Desk Awards, Andrea Martin made her mark on television as a key member of the Canadian comedy series SCTV. Interestingly enough, Martin shared that non-musical comedy was something she came to a bit late in life. 211816C
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FILM FILM from page 8B “I’ve done musical comedies, such as South Pacific and Oklahoma!, in summer stock and I’ve done dinner theater in Toronto and they were all little comedic musical presentations, but until I got involved with Second City, which then turned into SCTV, I never did sketch comedy before or stand up or anything in that variety.”
Luis Guzmán
Far more than a character actor, Luis Guzmán has considered himself a social activist dating back to his childhood growing up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Having established himself over the years in myriad roles, most recently on the Showtime series Shameless, next year will see him looking to work on a passion project of his—a film adaptation of the Ernesto Quiñones novel, Bodega Dreams. “Bodega Dreams has been out about 18 years and
gone through many hands. I’ve had it for the past Sebastian Maniscalco three years and I think that I found a writer/director, When he’s not selling out Madison Square who I can’t name,” he said. “It’s an incredible book. Garden, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco has also I’m hoping to be shooting it this fall. I’m just trying appeared on the big screen in films such as Green to elevate the whole Latino universe in this enterBook and Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. tainment world.” “Green Book is a story that I really fell in love with, and The Irishman was another,” said Maniscalco. “I read that they were making this movie [The Chazz Palminteri Irishman] three or four years ago with Scorsese, Al Last year saw Chazz Palminteri touring with a one-man show of his opus A Bronx Tale, which found Pacino, Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci. It sounded like it wasn’t even possible to make a movie with all him playing all 18 roles. those people, let alone be in it.” Not unlike fellow paisan After getting the chance to audition for the film, Sylvester Stallone, Maniscalco recalled that it wasn’t easy to get cast Palminteri got his break since he didn’t do too well on his first audition. After telling a story he wrote retrying, he was finally cast as ‘Crazy Joe’ Gallo. that he refused to sell off “I didn’t even get the part that I went out for,” unless he was directly said Maniscalco. “Scorsese thought I was good for involved in being the another part. I learned a hell of a lot about movcreative midwife. A ie-making [on that set].” handshake deal with Robert DeNiro led to a 1993 film adaptation. DeNiro directed and starred, while Palminteri penned the screenplay and performed the role of gangster Sonny LoSpecchio in the movie. The Big Apple native recalls how his initial break went down. “They offered me millions of dollars. I had $200 in the bank and said no. Finally, [Robert DeNiro] came to see it and said that I should play Sonny and I should write it because it’s about my life. He said he’d play my father and direct it and that we’d go partners and that’s how it happened.”
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Boyz II Men: Live in Concert Steve Hackett: Genesis Revisited Tour 2020 Martina McBride (7pm) Tommy James & The Shondells with The Grass Roots and The Buckinghams Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles Dave Mason and John Mayall Genessa & The Selena Experience Josh Turner: Live in Concert The Musical Box Presents A Genesis Extravaganza Volume 2 TKA’s 7th Annual Louder Than Love: 2020 Edition Featuring For the Love of Queens with Judy Torres, France Joli, & More! (7:30pm) Brian McKnight: Live in Concert Christopher Cross: 40th Anniversary Tour Whose Live Anyway? With Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Joel Murray and Jeff B. Davis An Intimate Evening With David Foster Featuring Katharine McPhee Dick Fox’s Spring Doo Wop Extravaganza (6pm) Big Apple Circus Robby Krieger of The Doors, Leslie West and Edgar Winter The Whispers, Peabo Bryson, and Regina Belle Howie Mandel Charlie Daniels Band & Marshall Tucker Band Blues Traveler Paul Anka – Anka Sings Sinatra: Back By Popular Demand! ABBA The Concert – A Tribute to ABBA The Temptations & The Four Tops (7pm) REO Speedwagon Alison Krauss Happy Together Tour 2020 with The Turtles, Chuck Negron Formerly of Three Dog Night, The Association & More! WFUV presents The Mavericks Scary Mommy Live Dick Fox’s Golden Boys Feat. Frankie Avalon, Fabian & Bobby Rydell The Go-Go’s: Live in Concert Governor's Comedy Clubs Present Vic DiBitetto Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang Rock & Roll Hall of Famer DION Johnny Mathis - The Voice of Romance Tour Dick Fox's Fall Doo Wop Extravaganza (6pm) Myriam Hernandez
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