BLEEP Magazine 405 by BLEEP Magazine

JUNE 2014 Issue • 405

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ACTORS FROM SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE TOURS TALK ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE TOUR MOMENTS

WHY DRAG? PHOTOGRAPHER MAGNUS HASTINGS & YOUR “DRAG RACE” FAVS TELL US WHY

Frank DeJulio from HBO’s adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway play

THE NORMAL Renée Marino from the new film based HEART on the Tony-winning Broadway smash

JERSEY BOYS

ELECTRONIC MUSIC STAR JES FILMMAKER STEPHANIE RIGGS THE WALLS GROUP TALKS WRITING AT THE PIANO TALKS BROADWAY & FILM IN ON THE NEW SOUND OF BLEEP 1 & EDM ON THE RADIO “THE STANDBYS” GOSPEL MUSIC

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THE BLEEP LIST

We love television and the art it’s creating on a weekly basis. Now in a new golden age of scripted TV, we look back on the past season and the gifts it gave us.

WHY DRAG?

JES, THE EDM SUPERSTAR

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Drag has entered the mainstream in a new way since RuPaul brought “Drag Race” to TV, ask the millions of devoted viewers. We’ve got Magnus Hastings, photographer to the queens, about the art behind the makeup. She’s an EDM megastar and we talk with JES about writing dance music on the piano and playing at the Olympics.

THE WALLS GROUP

The newest faces on the gospel music scene, the sibling quartet of The Walls Group are bringing a new sound, a new look, and a new attitude to gospel.

CHARLIEMAC

His influences range from Diana Krall, Jack Johnson, Tony Bennett, James Taylor and Frank Sinatra but CharlieMac is creating a sound all his own.

ON THE COVER

RENÉE MARINO’S MOMENT

Renée Marino is on a roll. She went straight from the Broadway production of Jersey Boys to the big screen adaptation directed by Clint Eastwood. We catch up with one of our favorites.

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ON THE COVER

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LET’S BE FRANK

Making his second appearance in BLEEP, Frank DeJulio is on the rise. He stars in “The Normal Heart” on HBO, one of the biggest and most talked about films of the year.

THE STANDBYS

We catch up with Stephanie Riggs, director of the documentary “The Standbys.” The film tells the story of Broadway understudies and standbys, who spend each night waiting in the wings for their big shot.

LIFE ON THE ROAD

Some of your favorite shows are headed to a city near you and these talented faces will be bringing the characters to life. But there’s more to touring than a couple hours on stage...

SUMMER OBSESSED LIST

We’re obsessed about summer movies. Find out why and what we think you should be paying attention to this summer at the box office.

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BLEEP CREATIVITY. UNCENSORED. RYAN BRINSON Editor-in-Chief SARAH ROTKER Business & Audience Development Manager PABLO SALINAS Social Media Associate BEN HUMENIUK Cartoonist RACHAEL MARIBOHO Culture Editor COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: Eric Pietrangolare FEATURE EDITORS: Nathan Robins WRITERS: Caleb Bollenbacher Hatley Moore Courtney Shotwell Lisa Sorenson Laura Seitter Alex Wright FEATURE CONTRIBUTORS: Florian Hubertus WEB CONTENT: Sheena Wagaman Eric Lehman Jordan Shalhoub

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Letter from the Editor This is a special issue of BLEEP. We, as a magazine, haven’t been around for decades and don’t have an overflowing well of history to draw from. But we are currently in our fourth year and it’s been an exciting journey watching people we got to know in our first year grow and evolve in their art. There’s nothing better than seeing someone you believe in reach the goals they have set for themselves. This issue features two artists who are making repeat appearances on the pages of BLEEP, but their first time on the cover. Frank DeJulio and Renée Marino both appeared in our first year and since then have seen their careers change and grow. Frank just appeared in the HBO film adaptation of the Tony Award winning play The Normal Heart. Renée stars in another film adaptation of a Tony Award winning musical, this time on the big screen, in “Jersey Boys.” Talking to them in 2011, both already veterans of the stage, they each had dreams of working in TV and film. Now, they are starring in two of the most high-profile projects of the summer. Actually, not just the summer. Two of the most high-profile projects of the year. Knowing them outside of just working together, I can vouch for these two. I can’t always vouch for artists beyond what they tell us in an interview but both of these people are the real deal. They are extraordinarily talented on stage and absolutely wonderful people off stage. They care about people as much as they care about the art they are creating. To me, that’s worth more than any award or accolade (but come on, they deserve both awards and accolades.) So it’s a good month for stage productions being adapted into films and preserved in a different medium for audiences. It’s also a good month to catch up with two of our favorite artists and watch their dreams come true.

Ryan Brinson Editor-in-Chief

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Not all of the great shows just had their finales. “Playing House” is one of the funniest and well-written shows on television. Created and starring Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair, the premise is simple. A single mother-to-be ends her marriage upon discovering her husband’s affair with a woman online, and she turns to her best friend Emma for support. But this show is more than that. Much more. It’s witty and edgy and has a spectacular ensemble of actors rounding out the cast. “Playing House” is a breath of fresh air in a summer where “I Want To Marry Harry” is something that actually exists on network TV. “Playing House” airs on USA on Tuesdays at 10pm.

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Who says you have to be a size zero to be a ballerina? Airing right now on Ovation is “Big Ballet” a three-part series that chronicles the journey of a plus-size amateur troupe mounting a production of Swan Lake. Led by ballet legend Wayne Sleep, who worked through his own size issues as the shortest dancer ever to debut on the Royal Ballet stage, and Prima Ballerina Monica Loughman, “Big Ballet” shows the world that it’s not about the size of the dancer, but the size of the dancer’s heart and we think that’s BLEEPin incredible. Don’t miss out on this limited series and join us in celebrating art in all its forms.

The world premiere of Supreme takes place over New York City’s 2014 Pride Weekend. The festival’s main event will be held Saturday, June 28th at Capitale in Lower Manhattan. The spectacular party space, once the Bowery Savings Bank, will feature a celebrity performance by Azealia Banks (above) and music by internationally renowned Spanish DJ duo, Chus + Ceballos. Supreme Festival will also close out pride weekend on Sunday, June 29th, with a Red Light District themed party at Liberty Theatre. Sunday’s event will feature Bent Collective (left), two of Europe’s biggest DJ talents, Italy’s Danny Verde and Madrid’s Steven Redant. Tickets for both events are available now at www.supremefestival.com.

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the intersection by

caleb bollenbacher

Rebirth, Repeat

Sometimes we have to let our toys out of the box. I’m all for original. This is basis, everyone knows this constant stream of reboots and re-imaginings is a problem, and I know I’ve said it before. But I reiterate that stance here because I’m about to defend the opposition, so buckle your seatbelts. My hesitation towards the re-hashing, the re-creation – every aspect of the “re-“ culture that’s become so prevalent – is a serious one. Simply put, some stories are sacred. They must be handled with care. But they must be handled. We have a responsibility to the classics that have been left to us. I’m not talking about a reincarnation of somebody’s favorite obscure sitcom from the 70’s. By classics I mean the stories we were all raised on. What has become canon. Our inheritance. Fairy tales, things that go bump in the night, and other threads in our shared mythology can’t simply be left hanging, unused. Alice’s adventures in Wonderland become much more wonderful when there is the promise that they can continue through all manner of curiouser and curiouser scenery. Frankenstein’s monster becomes a truly terrifying concept when it becomes evident that the Promethean juggernaut cannot be constrained to the pages of a single novel. These, and so many other characters, are our responsibility, a prevalent myth that should be added to again and again. But only when done right. I recently began watching two shows that draw heavily from the shared stories, “Once Upon A Time” and Showtime’s new drama “Penny Dreadful.” Both are populated with figures from legend – the former in much more obvious fashion than the latter – but only one works while the other falls achingly flat, and the reasons for why are readily apparent. I wanted to like “Once Upon A Time;” I really did. My desire to enjoy it is so strong that I pressed through several episodes even though I would have veered away from just about any other show. I stayed because of the characters, because Snow White, Rumplestiltskin, and the Big Bad Wolf have been important and magical to me for a long time. But there’s so much that makes me want to leave. There’s almost a laziness 10 BLEEP

to it, too much familiarity masquerading under a thin veil of secret/stolen identities. The flashbacks to a fairy tale world aren’t fresh takes, they’re just old stories with new faces. We’ve seen Charming wake Snow with a kiss a million times as prerequisite to their happily ever. Showing me a dutifully faithful version of that same thing is tired. The magic isn’t alive, it’s recycled. On the subject of recycling, “Penny Dreadful,” with its tantalizing inclusion of Victor Frankenstein and his reuse of corpses definitely rocketed to the top of my must-watch-list after its premiere. While I was slow to get my hopes up, I quickly became enamored with the show. The premiere raised more questions than it answered, and I’m still not entirely sure where things are going, but the show’s world is intriguing and the dialogue is frequently beautiful, possessing all the right amounts of whimsy and mystery. When the premiere ended with Frankenstein coming face to face with his creation, I was hooked. It’s a scene I’ve read countless times, and even written my own account of, but here it was again and it was beautiful and fresh as if it had never been told before. Part of the appeal here is that while this specific scene was familiar, its context was something new. The surroundings had been stripped away and replaced by a different picture, while preserving the mystique of the original. The monster is alive, but the question of what happens next remains pressing. There was familiarity, but more like a dream half remembered than another re-read. There was reverence there to the living nature of a corpse stitched together into a new story. This is the key for every “re-”: this reverence that acknowledges the importance of what has come before. Storytelling is part of a grand tradition, but it should never become routine. Our favorite stories shouldn’t be allowed to collect dust, they should be taken out and played with, engaged with. But at the end of the day, proper respect must be paid. Old toys can look old, but they should never be allowed to lose their luster.

REEL LIFE

by Alex Wright

Life lessons from Lear

I used to lie in high school about liking Shakespeare. I was a theater kid, and I was surrounded by a group of peers whose united chorus of voices expounded their love of all things Sondheim and Shakespeare. God forbid my theater letterman jacket (they existed, trust me) be taken away if I told the blasphemous truth: I thought all Sondheim sounded the same, and I found Shakespeare boring. Good storylines, yes, interesting characters, yes, but a snoooooze fest. I had an extremely limited view of Shakespeare and his work and how it should be performed and studied, but once I expanded my knowledge of his writings, I quickly found that his plays expanded my knowledge of myself. One of my favorite characters in Shakespeare’s canon is King Lear. As he slowly loses his kingdom and his daughters, he also begins to lose his mind. The crowning moment of his insanity is when he rails and screams at a storm, a storm he describes later on as being a “tempest in my mind.” Soon, Lear’s scansion and rhythm becomes as fragmented and disoriented as his mind, until, at last, he loses his language and his life. I’m lucky enough to currently be in a production of King Lear. I am working at a Shakespearean repertory company in Los Angeles, performing in three productions—A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear, and All’s Well That Ends Well. It has yet to happen, but I’m terrified that while I’m performing Helena, one of Edmund’s lines from King Lear (in a gender-swapped production) will suddenly pop out of my mouth, declaring “now gods stand up for bastards” instead of “Stay, Demetrius!” That would definitely make for an interesting scene about unrequited love. It is my job as the actor to make these characters as distinct as possible. Nothing quite shows where your weaknesses lie and where your bad acting habits prevail as when you compare three characters who

are supposed to stand on their own as distinct human beings. My Helena in Midsummer should look nothing like my Helena in All’s Well, and you best believe it shouldn’t look anything like Edmund in Lear. My brain hurts now just thinking about this litmus test. More than anything, though, this process makes me feel gloriously fragmented, and as I examine each separate part of my own identity and personality, and as I sketch out these characters from all that is within me, I grow to a greater understanding of who I am as an artist and as an individual. All artists should expand their own definition of themselves, and should think of themselves as a vast well of inspiration. As soon as we limit ourselves, we limit what we can create. We are all much more than we think we are. Nothing has made me realize that more as I simultaneously sketch out a murderous villain and a lovable and loyal spurned lover. Constantly examining the ugliest parts of your being can be challenging and draining, but aren’t we all like Lear when we create art? A fragmented mind yelling fruitlessly at a storm, demanding organization whose chaos is organization in and of itself, a perfect chaos from nature that we can come close to understanding, but never really grasp. Trying to describe art is like trying to describe love. As soon as you try to understand it logically it ceases to exist, because so much of its life force lies in its mystery and complexity; as Shakespeare would say, it lies in its “composition and fierce quality.” We weren’t created to understand love or art or death. We were made to stand in awe of its complexity, so that we could stand in awe of life. I feel my most sane when my mind is fragmented by all these voices. I guess you could call me crazy: I hear voices, and they tell what to do, what to say, and where to go onstage. But I would rather live this way, with a growing knowledge of myself, including all the dark, stormy, and muddy bits, than to live a lie. BLEEP 11

My Take

by Laura Seitter

A screenshot from the app for “APP”

The Silver Screen’s Second Screen I’ve sometimes wondered what it would have been like to experience the first motion pictures. Cinematic legend tells the tale of the Lumière brothers’ 50-second, silent documentary film, “L’arrivèe d’un train en gare de La Ciotat” and how the audience fled, panicked by the unexpected sight of a train speeding toward them. Ever since that first revelation of motion picture technology, filmmakers have imagined a myriad of creative ways to enhance the viewer’s experience in the theater. We’ve seen films stretched to capacity in IMAX format, jump to the tips of our noses using 3D technology, and we even put up with a brief experiment with Smell-O-Vision in 1960. Today, audiences will no longer settle for simply being voyeurs of the world beyond the camera; we want to be in the action, as close to the center of the film as possible. As the digital age has descended, people have been brought ever closer to each other through the dominating power of social media and the internet. Media marketing has capitalized on this phenomenon, using a variety of digital platforms to integrate the audience into the production of reality television, sporting events, and beyond. In April, millions of tweeters, including myself, participated in a “Game of Thrones” Twitter campaign, where fans where challenged to tweet #bringdowntheking until a gradually tightening rope would topple a statue of the tyrannical child, King Joffrey. Tumblr users were put in control of Fox’s “The Fault in our Stars” nationwide promotional tour, using the blog site to determine which states would be included in the event. The benefits afforded by using the online community, though, do not pertain solely to the marketing aspect of film. Producers have slowly realized that second screen technology may also be used to enhance the viewer’s relation to the plot itself, progressing to a new form of transmedia storytelling. Last month, the Dutch thriller “APP” was released in the U.S., branding itself as “The First Second Screen Film.” Directed by Bobby Boermans, the 12 BLEEP

team behind the film collaborated to create a mobile app which viewers are prompted to download prior to the movie. Using digital audio watermarking technology, the app synchronizes with the film and reveals extra footage and graphics throughout, giving the audience special insights through the use of the second screen. Periodically, my phone would buzz in my lap, showing text messages between characters on screen, or news articles and Google screencaps foreshadowing some imminent happening. Sometimes, the app would reveal extra footage about what was happening on screen, as though it had been shot using my own phone’s camera. “APP” tells the story of Anna, a psychology student whose phone becomes infected with a malicious, virus-like app called Iris (Siri spelled backwards – see what they did there?). Iris somehow is able to interfere with surrounding electronics, including computers, phones and medical devices, wreaking havoc on people’s lives by broadcasting private videos to a whole classroom, updating Facebook statuses to accurately predict a character’s demise, and even inexplicably exploding at opportune moments. The film itself was pretty unimpressive, using a tired and cheap thriller formula. By the end, I didn’t really understand what convoluted motivations drove Iris to antagonize, or whether the app was somehow demonically possessed. Honestly, though? I didn’t care. The gimmick that was designed to distract me from what was happening on screen ultimately worked in holding my attention, keeping me immersed in Anna’s story. Just as the characters anticipated Iris’s next disaster, I excitedly

anticipated the next time my phone would buzz. Ultimately, it was definitely an innovative digital stunt that held this narrative together. The app behind “APP” is relatively simple, but Second Screen technology in general holds some intriguing potential for the movie-going experience. In a simple, Pop-Up-Video format a mobile application could reveal layers of trivia and bonus features, much like a Blu-Ray disc. Further development could make film truly interactive for audiences, allowing us to select which character’s story we will watch. Like a Choose-Your-Own Adventure novel, we could be the ones making decisions that affect where a character goes or how he behaves, ultimately deciding the outcome of the story. Oh…wait. There’s already a technology like that. I believe they’re called video games. The thing about transmedia storytelling is that we don’t really know where it will go. Will natural competitive spirit win out, causing filmmakers to make film into something that can be played and won like a video game? Will it be something else entirely? The Lumiere brothers certainly didn’t know what would become of their motion picture invention, and I’m sure the creators of Smell-OVision thought their invention would take off far better than it did. I do believe that Second Screen technology “gimmick” is more than just a fad, though. The world is constantly blogging, tweeting, buzzing and status-updating about reality, and it seems only natural that we would integrate that into our storytelling as well. As I walked out of the theatre after “APP” had reached its conclusion, my phone buzzed one last time. An ominous message of “WATCH OUT, YOU’RE NEXT!” appeared, implying that now my phone too was infected with the Iris app. The warning was too late; We’ve been infected by our smartphones for a while now. BLEEP 13

List

Twenty years ago, TV was a place where failed movie stars went to book the occasional movie-ofthe-week and where sitcom stars could become household names but were still relegated to the back of the Golden Globes. (the latter is still sadly true) But now, television has been telling stories with more gravitas than most films released in cinemas and is giving top tier talent a place to write, create and produce culture defining shows. This TV season has been full of shockers, from dramatic deaths to plot twists we didn’t see coming. It also gave us some beautiful moments and one iconic farewell to remember.

REALITY SETS IN.

The decline of the competition reality show is well documented, especially when it comes to the once impenetrable “American Idol.” While “The Voice” is still a ratings winner for NBC, none of the actual winners from the show have gone on to produce much more than a buzz worthy single followed by radio silence (literally). “X-Factor,” still a juggernaut overseas, never picked up the steam it needed in the States and got the ax (or the X). “Dancing with the Stars” dropped in the ratings (presumably due to a lack of...well...stars) and “So You Think You Can Dance” continued to barely get by, even though it’s producing some of the best art on TV. While “reality” TV still draws top ratings for the cable channels, prime time on the big five networks is a bleak affair for reality competitions when it comes to the arts. (When it comes to dating a homophobic misogynist named Juan Pablo, the masses still tune in apparently)

DEATH BECOMES THEM.

From “Scandal” to “Game of Thrones” to “House of Cards” to “The Good Wife,” surprise deaths became par for the course of telling the stories on TV’s top dramas. Death didn’t used to play as large of a role on TV dramas, when it came to main characters at least. Even J.R. didn’t die when he got shot. But when “Lost” killed off Boone during it’s first season, it stood as the disturbance in the force, the ripple-affect of which we are seeing on shows now who’s show runners have been empowered to tell bold stories, even if it means husbands, kings, informants, and lead characters are murdered (or “Regina Georged” by a D.C. Metro train).

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

TV has always been a place where sexy nighttime soaps, but this season, it was the casts of “DaVinci’s Demons” and “Devious Maids” who really got our blood boiling. Sure there are plenty of sexy people on TV, but these casts in particular were worth tuning in for each week. The cast of “DaVinci’s Demons” had that whole rugged/dirty/period/ sexy thing happening for them. None of the men look 14 BLEEP

especially like Calvin Klein models (which is just fine with us) and women are varied and statuesque. As for “Devious Maids,” we love that a cast with such a large age range between the characters not only allows women of all ethnicities to be the beautiful, smart and funny women we know they are, but it flips the “maids are subservient and not in control” trope on it’s head, painting a picture of women in charge.

(NOT SO) HAPPY ENDINGS.

The upfronts this year felt like TV was starting over again, with the news of shows being picked up seemingly coming every ten minutes. But with every beginning on television, there has to come an ending. That spot on the prime time lineup doesn’t free itself up. Plenty of shows got put on the chopping block over the course of the dizzying week of TV announcements, but three of the most notable (and painful) cancellations were “The Crazy Ones” on CBS, “Super Fun Night” on ABC and “Community” on NBC. “The Crazy Ones” was perhaps the smartest comedy on TV, with a cast that rivaled “30 Rock” in wit, timing and ability. “Super Fun Night” picked up steam in the second half of it’s sole season and became a hysterical show about unlikely friendships. And where do we begin with “Community.” We are still hoping for another network to swoop in and finish the bold work Dan Harmon started. #sixseasonsandamovie (And yes, we are still bitter over the cancelation of “Happy Endings.”)

BARBARA.

If you read her autobiography, “Audition,” you knew most of what Barbara Walters was going to say in her prime time special on Friday, May 16, when she said her goodbyes to the TV industry she helped shape. Her last week on “The View” read like a who’s who of notable guests, including Jane Fonda, Hilary Clinton and Oprah, and on her final show, the more than two dozen women in television who came to tribute her provided the most tangible representation of what her career has meant for TV. She is single-handedly responsible for knocking down the doors that allowed women to not just be on TV, but be themselves on TV. More than any series finale or awards show stunt, her final goodbye was the moment that will define the 2013-2014 TV season.

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WHY

DRAG? Magnus Hastingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new photo exhibition launches in New York

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This month, Magnus Hastings presents a remarkable installation of photographs that capture some of the world’s most celebrated drag superstars and asks them the question, “Why Drag?” Photos in the exhibit represent a wide spectrum of drag ranging from mainstream icons, underground drag royalty and the new breed of reality television stars, including the three finalists from this season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Bianca Del Rio, Courtney Act, and Adore Delano. “I have been shooting drag queens for the past ten years,” explains Magnus Hastings from his home in Los Angeles. “Drag is the creative love of my life. I view it as both a magical fantasy world and as an art form. In art, you can have a Picasso or a Matisse. You can also have a painting of velvet dogs playing poker. I like to think that my show is presenting a room full of Picassos.” To capture the image of Courtney Act featured 20 BLEEP

in the Why Drag? exhibition, Hastings photographed her in a filthy dumpster behind her apartment. For the Sharon Needles photo, he flew to New York armed with a straight jacket. He intended to photograph Needles in her hotel room but it was so tiny, they ended up shooting in the hotel lobby instead. “I was panicking that the security would stop me because we were causing a fire hazard.

I just clicked like crazy, without checking what the hell I was getting, and then sorted it out afterwards.” Thinking on his toes is how Hasting’s captures many of his most popular images. “Some see it as chaos but I see it as mixing it up,” he says. “Shooting superb photos is about being able to come up with an idea instantly, trying it, and hoping it works. I did a great shoot with Adore Delano running around the streets of West Hollywood simply grabbing anything that caught my attention as background.” The “Why Drag?” photo exhibition will be the first time Magnus Hastings’ work is on public display

in New York. In addition to the portraits, each queen featured answers the question, “Why Drag?”. It’s a simple enough question, but it’s interesting to see the girls that take it as an honest inquiry and those who view the question as an attack. Some mistake the question to mean, ‘What the fuck are you dressing up for?’ “My intention was to learn what lead them to their love of drag,” explains Hastings. “To uncover what drag means in their life.” The exhibition will take place at New York’s Out Hotel Monday May, 26th through August 31st, and will then move on to other North American cities. A coffee table book featuring many of the images from the “Why Drag?” exhibition is also in the works. www.magnushastingsphotography.com BLEEP 21

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We love creative people.

BLEEP CREATIVITY. UNCENSORED.

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JES IS A SENSATION. SHE’S A GRAMMYNOMINATED ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC [EDM] PERFORMER WHO HAS NUMBER ONE HITS ON THE BILLBOARD DANCE CHARTS AND WORKS ALONGSIDE THE BIGGEST NAMES IN DANCE MUSIC. WE CATCH UP WITH THE DANCE MUSIC POWERHOUSE ON COLLABORATING, PERFORMING AT THE OLYMPICS AND WRITING DANCE SONGS ON THE PIANO.

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YOU’VE TOURED THE WORLD WITH YOUR MUSIC. IS THERE A PLACE WHERE YOU FEEL IT’S MOST WELL-RECEIVED? It’s amazing, with music, how much it translates everywhere you go. Especially EDM. In certain countries it’s crazier than others but being from America, I feel most connected here because I do so much touring here. It’s also incredible when you go to Asia or South Africa or Australia. They like different kinds of mixes in different places, but the love is the same. YOU’VE WORKED WITH SOME OF THE GREATS IN THE GENRE. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR COLLABORATORS? I don’t come from dance music so I’ve learned a lot about creating a journey and even about working on different types of software. I’ve had a lot of time to learn what people use, what plug-ins people use, and the different approaches to writing. That’s the wonderful thing about collaboration. It shows you a different way of writing. DURING THE BEIJING OLYMPICS, YOU WERE A PART OF THE WE8 PROJECT BY COCA COLA, JOINING KASKADE, BENNY BENASSI, LUCAS PRATA, TIËSTO AND OTHER MUSICIANS IN A COLLABORATION WITH GRAPHIC DESIGNERS FROM CHINA TO DEPICT WHAT THE OCCASION MEANS TO THEM. I really fought to be there. The artist designed a Coke bottle and my name is on the bottle. I learned how to sing in Mandarin, went to China with Coca Cola and got to represent them at the Olympics. It was incredible to be there during that time, to be a part of something like that. I never thought I’d ever go to the Olympics in general, but to be there and be learning about Coke and much they try to give back and be green was in incredible experience. WHEN YOU TURN ON TOP 40 RADIO, ALL YOU HEAR IS EDM CURRENTLY. WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF EDM? I think it’s fusing into the mainstream. It’s interesting how many genres are coming out of EDM. I was reading how a bunch of top EDM artists want to be considered “artists” and not “EDM artists,” as if the title has some sort of

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connotation with it. But, I see the more niche sides of EDM going back to being separate as opposed to being merged with other genres. YOUR “UNLEASH THE BEAT” WEEKLY MIX SHOW ON ITUNES FEATURES UPCOMING RELEASES IN EDM, DANCE FLOOR CLASSICS, YOUR OWN NEW SINGLES, COLLABORATIONS, REMIXES AND SOME OF YOUR INFAMOUS TAXIGIRL MASHUPS. IT’S BECOME WILDLY SUCCESSFUL AND HAS BEEN SYNDICATED TO OVER 60 RADIO STATIONS WORLDWIDE. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? I am working on a couple things besides my radio show. I’ve been writing about cooking and health recently and I’m also working on an acoustic album. When I write a song, I write it from a place of just a guitar or a piano because that’s where I’ve come from. Most of my big tracks come from songs like that. I have some new singles coming out this month and I’m always working on music. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR ARTISTS WHO WANT TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL IN MUSIC AS YOU HAVE BEEN? When I got into it, I didn’t even think about what kind of life it was. I just did it because I love music and that’s what I wanted to do. You have to do it 100 percent. Are you really committed to yourself and your art and are you committed to following through? You can’t do it half-ass. You can’t be affected by what people say. You have to hone your craft, find what you represent and then work your ass off every day. It’s still about focus and hard work. For more on JES, head over to www.officialjes.com

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Sara Hurtado and Adrià Díaz were the first ever ice dance couple to represent Spain in ISU competition. Both skating since they were young, they again made history when they became the first ice dance couple from Spain to qualify for an Olympic games. We caught up with the duo on their Sochi experience and what’s next for the dazzling pair.

the newest p

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THE W

powerhouse in Gospel music

WALLS GROUP

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As the first act signed to Kirk Franklin’s Fo Yo Soul label, siblings Darrel, Rhea, Paco and Ahjah Walls are the new faces and sound of Gospel music. We talk with the siblings about working with your family and what sets them apart from gospel groups of the past.

people’s concept of the church is. Paco - Our sound sets us apart and we have that family vibe and blend. No one really sounds like us. Ahjah - Our ages. Darrel is the oldest at 23 and I’m the youngest at 16. We are young people doing this and that sets us apart. Darrel - We are sisters and brothers, a family unit and you don’t see that all the time. This is a young family thing. WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WORKING WITH YOUR FAMILY DAY-IN AND DAY-OUT? Ahjah - We have disagreements for sure but we don’t have a choice but to work it out. Especially when it’s work, we can’t go out there with our attitudes on because we can’t give God what He deserves.

WHAT SETS THIS RECORD APART FROM YOUR FIRST RECORD? Ahjah - This is the first record we’ve done on Fo Yo Soul and it’s not traditional gospel music. It’s musically forward. It’s the same message just wrapped up in a different package. Darrel - It’s our own sound and we do everything WHEN PEOPLE COME TO SEE YOUR CONCERT, WHAT from vocal producing to writing. We are able to make SHOULD THEY EXPECT? Rhea - When people come to our concerts, they can it our own. expect to be revived, refreshed and renewed and see “PERFECT PEOPLE” IS THE DEBUT SINGLE FROM YOUR a high energy show. FORTHCOMING ALBUM. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT’S YOUR DREAM FOR THE GROUP? IT? Darrel - We love to sing it and it was written and Paco - Our dream is to impact not just young people, produced by Kirk Franklin. It’s a pop, feel-good song but everybody. about how you shouldn’t judge people. Everyone has Rhea - To change lives. a past and we all have flaws but we are supposed to Darrel - To reach all the nations, not just here in America, but tear down barriers in every nation. love people and not judge. Ahjah - To change the game and the way people look WHAT’S IT LIKE WORKING WITH A LEGEND LIKE KIRK at gospel artists. FRANKLIN? Ajah - Working with Kirk is unreal. He has been in the IF PEOPLE KNOW ONLY ONE THING ABOUT THE WALLS game for so long and he’s a trailblazer. To have him GROUP, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW? take us under his wing and make us feel comfortable Darrel - I would want them to know we are just what - we are so grateful for that and for taking a chance they see. We are four kids who love God and love what we do. We are just regular people. on us kids. WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER GOSPEL GROUPS The Walls Group’s new album comes out September 7th but to find out more, including about their new singles, OF THE PAST? Rhea - Our look sets us apart for sure. We don’t look check them out at www.thewallsgroup.org like other churchy people we know or like what BLEEP 31

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AS SOMEONE WHO IS MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF, WHAT PRACTICAL ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS WHO ARE WANTING TO DO THE SAME THING? Never, ever, stop. Always believe in your heart that you’ll succeed. Put in the work everyday, and it will happen for you. Never turn down an opportunity, no matter how relevant it is to your “plan” in the moment. You never know where something will lead. I believe in that more everyday. Never be afraid to ask for help. I watched an amazing TED Talk called “Amanda Palmer - The Art of Asking.” She explains how when you reach out and ask for help, you actually make a very special connection. Most people are embarrassed to ask for help, when it fact it can be vital for your success. My Kickstarter campaign was successful because I put my pride aside, and asked everyone I knew for help. WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER SINGERS/ARTISTS? Everyone. Friends, colleagues, even producers from One of the most beautiful things about making shows I’d been in. You have to try, or you’ll never know. music is the total freedom you have to express yourself Go for it, and don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t. and your feelings. I know that my music is different, because I’m different. Different from anyone else, WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? and completely unique. I really try to stay true to that My dream is actually quite simple, and I’m pretty and create a sound that comes from deep in my gut, much living it right now. I wanted to create original regardless of what’s “on trend.” music, and put it out there into the world for people to I’ve always been listening to jazz and swing. I discover. After I released the free single, one of my best remember being a teenager traveling to Disneyland friends said “Charlie, I can’t believe it’s out there now. with my family. There I was in the back of the minivan You did it.” This sounds dark but it’s sort of amazing. listening to Sinatra on my disc man! I was just so “No matter what happens to you now, your music is memorized by that sound. I would be smiling, and out in the world… forever.” That part really gives me daydreaming, visualizing a day that I might be able to goosebumps. Of course I do have bigger dreams, and do that on my own. I’ve always been a big dreamer. I do believe that those will happen when the time’s Now it’s happening. right. I’d love to be touring the world, singing my songs. To sing a line into the microphone, only to have the WHEN DID YOU START TAPPING? audience finish the next one because they know your I started tap dancing at 13. We had just moved to music! I also love the idea of other musicians recording Edmonton in Canada, and I was looking for something my songs one day. new. I had played hockey, soccer, and baseball in the small town we moved from, but was always dancing and WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? goofing around the living room. There just so happened The EP is on iTunes and CDBaby.com, this summer I’ll to be an all boys tap class at a local studio, so I enrolled. be around New York performing my music in different I ended up having so much fun with it, and quickly venues. You can catch me at Jim Caruso’s Cast Party at discovered I had quite a knack for it. I’ve definitely had Birdland on Monday nights. If you haven’t been, it’s a more than my share of wonderful teachers. weekly New York evening that shouldn’t be missed. I’d love to see you there. IF SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER SEEN YOU LIVE BEFORE IS COMING TO YOUR SHOW, WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT? DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS. They can expect to be told a story. It might make An Old School-Goofy-Dreamer. them laugh. It might make them cry. They’ll smile a lot, and I’d bet money they’ll tap there finger or foot at For more information and to hear his music, check out least once. This EP features some really fun stuff. Classic www.charliemacsings.com swing, rockabilly, and even a little comedy.

harliema

YOU WERE BORN IN SCOTLAND, RAISED IN CANADA AND NOW LIVE IN NEW YORK. ARE YOUR MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS AS DIVERSE AS YOUR UPBRINGINGS? WHO INSPIRES YOU? Very diverse. In fact, if you were to stop me in the street, and take a look through my current playlist, it would seem like multiple people were sharing it. Everything from old Johnny Mercer songs to the “Best of Keane” album. I think there’s even some Gangstarr on there. I just love clever use of lyric, melody, and rhythm - all things that I strive to implement into my own music. So many people have inspired me musically, and I discover new ones everyday. This month I’ve been listening to a singer/songwriter out of New Orleans named Luke Winslow King. I bought the vinyl and I’m sure it will need replacing by the end of the year.

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While performing in Jersey Boys on Broadway last summer, Renée Marino found out Clint Eastwood was in the audience. He was preparing to direct the big screen adaptation of the runaway Broadway hit and was visiting the productions of the show. This summer, the film is hitting theaters, with Renée front and center. HOW DID BEING A PART OF THE TOUR/BROADWAY CAST OF “JERSEY BOYS” PREPARE YOU FOR THE BIG SCREEN? Being a part of the tour/Broadway cast of “Jersey Boys” helped me to prepare for the film by just allowing me to really become more and more comfortable with the story and the role of Mary Delgado. The more you play a role, the more in tune to the character you become. Even though it was a film as opposed to the musical, the character and her qualities were the same. Therefore, I was allowed to just live/breathe as the character. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A PART OF A FILM THAT IS JOINING THE RANKS OF OTHER MOVIE MUSICALS LIKE “CHICAGO,” “GREASE” AND “WEST SIDE STORY?” I am so incredibly honored. To be a part of a film that is about a story so near and dear to my heart is truly a blessing. The cool part about “Jersey Boys” is that even though it is based on the Broadway musical, it is really a movie with music, just as many have referred to the stage show as a play with music. The storyline of both the musical and the film are very strong and that is why I believe the show has been so successful. Fingers crossed for the same success for the film. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? Next for me is getting married! I am so very excited to be marrying a wonderful man who is also my best friend. After that, I will be moving back to LA to continue pursuing TV and film. To stay up to date with what’s happening, head over to www.reneemarino.com and follow her on Twitter at @ReneeMarino Photography by Eric Pietrangolare Styling assistance by Trina Scott Video by Sheena Wagaman

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“My advice is to keep training and that’s how you get to a point where you can trust. With the training comes trust. Remember why you’re doing it: Because you love it. Always remember that. I’m constantly a student of life and I’m constantly a student of my craft and that’s why it’s so imporant to always train, your entire life. Train and trust.”

renée

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After moving to New York in 2004, Frank De Julio spent two years studying at Circle in the Square and has been chasing his dream of making art on stage and on film. The first time he was in BLEEP, he had just finished a successful run in Unnatural Acts, an Off-Broadway play he co-wrote. Now, he was just a part of the monumental film adaptation of “The Normal Heart” on HBO. Having been affected by the play year ago, it was a full circle moment for the actor. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE A PART OF A FILM THAT WAS MADE FOR MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT? It’s the best feeling an artist can have. We all love working, but when you’re doing something that brings about an anxiety because of what this could possibly do to people, that’s when you know we are doing our job. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR COSTARS? I think the biggest gift, other then getting to work on this movie, was getting to watch others work. I have always admired and looked up to Mark Ruffallo, but after seeing him work and how he treats people was one of the best gifts. He is one of the most generous actors I’ve ever worked with. It was a true privilege to be around such a tremendous group of people who are doing it right in craft and also in heart. WHY DO YOU FEEL SO CONNECTED TO THIS FILM BEYOND BEING ABLE TO ACT IN IT? I remember reading The Normal Heart for the first time in my first year of school when I moved here in 2004. I was doing a scene from it in class and was playing Ned. Now keep in mind, it was my first year acting so I was still very nervous and not confident in my body at all. I remember doing that scene to this day. I was furious. I scared myself at how furious this play made me and how I put it into Ned’s character. It was the first time I put my whole heart and everything I was into something and completely lost myself in it. I remember that night, I didn’t sleep because I was so excited to go back to school the next day and work on it again. At risk of sounding cheesy, The Normal Heart made me realize how much heart I had as an artist.

Photography by Eric Pietrangolare Styling assistance by Trina Scott Video by Sheena Wagaman

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WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? I co-wrote and act in a play called Unnatural Acts with my theatre company, The Plastic Theatre. We were Off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company in 2011, and we have had a couple readings this year, but really hope to have another full production.

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“Don’t take yourself too seriously...I was nervous going into it because of the people attached to it, but you get there and it’s just a bunch of actors, just doing their thing. It really took the pressure off and for such a massive project, it was so calm. I’ve was more calm in that than in some of the other things I’ve done in the past.”

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a conversation with filmmaker Stephanie Riggs about making a film about theatre and some of the most talented people in the world who are waiting in the wings

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Right: Ben Crawford and Stephanie Riggs at the closing night performance of Tallgrass Film Festival Opposite page: Alena Watters, Stephanie Riggs, Merwin Foard, Nathan Lane at Hamptons International Film Festival

GIVE ME A BRIEF BREAKDOWN OF YOUR BACKGROUND. WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF THEATRE COME FROM? When I was a child growing up in Marietta, Georgia, the mantra at our house was “go outside and play.” Most of my free time was spent outdoors, playing in the woods, creating characters and stories with my brother and our dog. I had notebooks that went everywhere with me – on the hour-long bus ride to school, out into the forest, tucked under my pillow. I was always drawn to writing as a form to communicate. A lot of what I wrote were scenes in plays - probably because there weren’t many neighbors close enough to actually talk to. Theatre was a natural way for me to communicate. I found my voice in my high school drama club and ultimately studied Directing at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. I also earned a degree in HumanComputer Interaction, which is what I fell back on when I realized just how hard it was to make a living working in the theatre. First-hand knowledge of the 54 BLEEP

pay scales and the success ratios involved in theatre gave me a tremendous amount of respect for the people I’ve met while filming “The Standbys.” Even while working in the tech and film industries, I’ve continued to be a part of the theatre – from being part of the production team for the theatrical shows at Hong Kong Disneyland to directing world premieres of one-act plays in New York City. I always come back to the theatre. And I would love to direct more theatre. It’s a life-force. WHERE DID THIS IDEA FOR THIS PARTICULAR FILM COME FROM? The inspiration for this film began when I attended a concert series called “At This Performance…” in a tiny black box theatre on the Upper West Side. The title refers to the notice that is inserted into programs informing the audience that a replacement is playing the part for that performance, as required by Actor’s Equity. The men and women on stage were

Broadway’s understudies, standbys, and swings. I was blown away by how powerful their voices were. Their presence filled the theatre and wrapped around the audience as much as any Broadway performer I’d ever seen. These performers were anything but “secondbest” – a connotation that most audience members assume they are when they replace the leads. After performing, they told hilarious and horrific stories about being thrust into the spotlight to save a show. Some had gone on in front of thousands of audience members without a single rehearsal or in roles they had not even been cast for. Others had come perilously close to losing body parts to automated scenery they weren’t expecting. There were even stories of being booed off stage by an angry audience who felt they weren’t getting what they paid for. The incredible talent onstage contrasted by the bizarre backstage stories fascinated me. These were performers who deserved more appreciation and respect. I felt I could do that with a documentary.

YOU FEATURE A DIVERSE ROSTER OF PERFORMERS RANGING FROM UNDERSTUDIES TO ABOVE-THE-TITLE STARS. WHY DO YOU THINK SO MANY ACTORS WANTED TO BE A PART? The list of actors who were once understudies or standbys is extraordinary and elite. It includes Kevin Spacey, Glenn Close, Sigourney Weaver, Bruce Willis, William Shatner, James Gandolfini, Woody Harrelson, Taye Diggs, Jeff Daniels, and Sarah Jessica Parker, just to name a few. Even Natalie Portman and Britney Spears were understudies in the same show back in the early 90s. Especially for younger performers, the chance to understudy or standby is similar to an apprenticeship. They learn how to work with other professionals, how the backstage choreography flows, and they get to earn a paycheck while being on Broadway – even if they’re not performing. Contrary to how understudies were portrayed on “Smash” or in the classic film “All About Eve,” the theatre community has a tremendous amount of love and support for the BLEEP 55

Merwin Foard, Stephanie Riggs, Ben Crawford, Alena Watters

covers that make sure the show always goes on. Many because of them. have been in their same shoes and know the pressure I was also humbled and surprised by the openness that comes with and talent it takes to save a show. of the three featured performers: Ben Crawford, Merwin Foard, and Alena Watters. Broadway is a DURING THE PROCESS OF FILMING/WORKING ON “THE tough business – theatre critic Michael Reidel says in STANDBYS,” WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT THE the film that for every dancer on Broadway there are ACTORS/THE STORIES YOU WERE HEARING? thousands who would kill for that role. Many people When I first started putting the film together I considered for the film were supportive of it in one of my questions was: Why would anyone put theory but didn’t want to risk opening up on camera themselves through this?! Why would you take a because they didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the role where you don’t get to do what you love and opportunity to be on Broadway in any way possible. If when you do perform, audiences don’t want to see Ben, Merwin, and Alena hadn’t been so trusting about you? It takes guts and confidence and intelligence sharing about their professional and personal lives, to do what these performers do. I was consistently this film wouldn’t have the heart - or the heartache surprised and impressed by the professionalism, the that has resonated with audiences. passion, and the commitment these performers have toward their craft. For them it was more a question of: YOU’VE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO MERGE THE why wouldn’t I? FEELINGS AND REALITIES OF LIVE THEATRE WITH A FILM From an audience perspective I was most surprised AUDIENCE. WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU WHEN to learn that when you’re seeing a show where an CONNECTING A LIVE ARTFORM WITH ONE THAT’S understudy or standby goes on, it’s like you’re seeing CAPTURED ON SCREEN? an opening night. Instead of it being just another Theatre has been done wrong in film so many show in an eight-show week, all the performers that times before – it is difficult to translate the live night are on their toes - paying attention to every line action of theatre to the screen. Even though this and reacting to the new energy being brought on is a documentary, I wanted “The Standbys” to be stage. In many ways, audiences are not only getting a worthy of the big screen and to feel as grandiose and first glimpse of the stars of tomorrow when they see breathtaking as Broadway itself. Before we started these covers onstage, they’re seeing a better show filming, I sat down with renowned cinematographer 56 BLEEP

Director Stephanie Riggs and Cinematographer Julia Dengel backstage at The Addams Family

Tom Hurwitz and reviewed old Busby Berkeley films, “Rent: The Final Days on Broadway,” and other films that I felt had truly captured the essence of theatre – not just the story. Tom and Julia Dengel both did a beautiful work framing and filming the stories of these performers. Where the rollercoaster of being a Standby was really created for them film though, was in the editing. As Alena Watters says in the film “one minute you’re on Broadway, the next you’re homeless.” The film had to take the audience on that journey. Finding the right balance between the interviews and the action of each of the performers was a challenge that required extensive editing and audience prescreenings. And I think we succeeded. I will also say that the score by Jonathan Dinerstein played a significant part in coalescing the music from three very different Broadway shows while simultaneously reflecting the victories and set-backs of each of the featured performers. Each of these elements, the cinematography, the editing, and the score, were key to bringing live performances to a film audience.

or standby was announced, but after seeing “The Standbys” they waited by the stage door after a show where they saw an understudy to congratulate them. Changing people’s perspective and increasing appreciation for these performers means the world to me. But ultimately this isn’t a film about Broadway – it’s about each one of us who has been the person supporting the “lead”, who has worked tirelessly without acknowledgement from anyone else, and who has a dream that we worry may never come true. Broadway’s “Standbys” represent the passion, the fear, and the hope in all of us who do so much more than just stand by.

IF PEOPLE TAKE AWAY ONLY ONE THING FROM THIS FILM, WHAT DO YOU HOPE IT IS? The greatest compliment has been to hear from Broadway patrons who admitted that they were once in the audience booing when an understudy

For more info on the film and on Stephanie, follow her on Twitter @Riggs_Steph

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AS A FILMMAKER? And as a theatre devotee, of course I’m looking at all our options for turning “The Standbys” into a Broadway musical. I’m very excited to bring this story back to the stage. On the film front, I have several feature projects in the works that I can’t discuss yet but that continue to walk the fine line between documentary and narrative.

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ON THE

tour life

ROAD We talk with some incredibly talented performers, who are currently on the road in some of your favorite shows, about tour life, sleeping on the bus and songs that get stuck in their heads.

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jake emmer ling s is my first I’m on The Book of Mormon tour. Thi original tour and it’s been a blast so far! I’m an opened in company member with this tour which Chicago in 2012. ch fun it is The most surprising par t has how mu a great way and how fast it makes time fly by. It’s best ways to to “find your singing voice.” One of the on tour.You’re find out how your voice works is going en you’re constantly in a different environment wh Denver, the going cross countr y. When we were in my voice but altitude and dry air was amazing for s infection. San Francisco’s wet air gave me a sinu great to be in L.A.’s constantly beautiful weather was were blooming during the winter but it meant flowers al allergies go all the time, making my normal season ed to me . nuts. It was sometime that never occurr

TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST UNCONVENTIONAL SHOW/VENUE YOU’VE EXPERIENCED ON TOUR. So far, most of our venues have been great! The one thing most people, and sometimes actors, don’t think about is not so much the change of the house but the backstage. Shows create a sort of choreography backstage with the actors and crew. Our company opened in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre and the backstage there was quite limited. The crew had to puzzle piece everything in the show on the ground and even in the air.

I’ll do backstage or at the local cafe or Panera. Basically anything to get me out of the hotel. I think it’s amusing when people say “Oh, you’ve only got one/two weeks in such-and-such city? Too bad you don’t have more time to explore.” because you’d be surprised what you can do in a week. Our weekdays are usually free to explore and cities have their handful of iconic places that we get to go do or see.

WHICH CITY HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST? I think L.A. surprised me the most. I had been a couple times before A TOUR CAST SPENDS ALL OF THEIR TIME and didn’t have a great mood about TOGETHER. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN the city. When we were going back, YOU HAVE A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF? I wasn’t really looking forward to it It totally varies with each city. A lot (other than the warm weather) but it of it can be spent on Netflix. I actually actually surprised me how much fun I love exploring the cities we go to, had there. It’s such an interesting city usually trying to jog around the area and full of so much stuff to do and the one of the first days we get there to audiences were incredible. get a lay of the land. I also knit, which

You can find more on Jake at www.jakeemmerling.com and follow him on Twitter @jakiejake88

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WHICH SONG FROM THE SHOW GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD AND WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD? “SOS!” It lingers in my head for most of the second act and pops up in very random times throughout the day. I get mad at myself when I start humming songs from the show in my free time, so I generally just turn on Pandora and immerse myself in any station but Abba.

You can find more on Carly at www.carlysakolove.com and follow her on Twitter @carlysakolove

AS OPPOSED TO A SIT-DOWN PRODUCTION OF A SHOW WHERE THE CAST LEAVES AND GOES HOME, A TOUR CAST SPENDS ALL OF THEIR TIME TOGETHER. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF? The social aspect of a tour like this is unlike any other I have experienced. You are eating, sleeping, working, breathing with the same people all the time! It is important to snag some alone time when you can to check back in with yourself. I am

lucky enough to have my own hotel room each night, and I don’t take that for granted. A lot of times I will throw on a great TV show or movie, and pull out a ball of yarn and crochet up something cool! Talking to my girlfriend, my family, and friends from home also helps me stay in touch with reality! Other than that, It’s everybody all the time, and I’m a people person, so even though it’s a lot, I still love the company! WHICH CITY/TOUR STOP HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST AND WHY? On this last leg of tour, we stopped in Ames, Iowa and Mason City, Iowa, and to my surprise, they were some of the best audiences we’ve had on tour! They were so responsive, and up on their feet from the beginning of the curtain call until the very end of the finale. It’s small cities like this that we sometimes dread, but end up leaving completely uplifted!

car ly sakol ove I play Rosie on the National Tour of Ma mma Mia! which plays in cities across the US and Canada. I have been on the road for almost 9 mo nths! My first tour, before this one , was Girls Night: The Musical, a fun jukebox musical with girl anthems including: “It’s Raining Men,” “I Will Sur vive ,” and “Gi rls Just Wanna Have Fun.” I have been doing that sho w since 2008, but has always been only a handful of cities at a time, not 9 straight months like this one . When I started this tour, I didn’t realize just how much time would be spent on “the bus .” Hours upon hours! I learned all sor ts of cra zy ways to get comfortable including curling up on the sea down an egg crate on the floor, and stre ts, laying tching my body across the aisle. It’s funny, during “quiet hours” if you are at the front of the bus and I have to go to the restroom at the back, you have to crawl over and under a jungle of sleeping cast ma tes! Legs, arms, feet, it’s like a crazy obstacle cou rse . (One I’ve become ver y good at!) 60 BLEEP

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ng on the I’m currently Dance Captain and a swi ng Technicolor National Tour of Joseph and the Amazi -Januar y, Dreamcoat. We started rehearsals in mid nths. 3 mo and we’ve been on the road for almost biggest the Tour is full of surprises, but I guess k in a new surprise is at the beginning of each wee city (your last city. Just after you become used to the akfast, that favorite coffee shop, free continental bre t whispers tha damn cupcake place around the corner pped into a sweet nothings to you), you are then plo there always new hotel to start over again (though, ing your seems to be a cupcake shop nearby call rs ago yea 7 name). Last time I toured was almost llenge it is to and I had forgotten how much of a cha can be really adjust each week to a different city. It nce the cool to see a different place and experie it can but ng, community, the food, and the shoppi nds difficult also make “real world” things like erra ng. I would like ngi because your map is constantly cha for making to take this time to thank my YELP app this a bit easier.

WHICH SONG FROM THE SHOW GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD AND WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD? You know, it’s strange…the only thing I have consistently gotten in my head is not a song, but this one little fanfare theme that’s right before the “Baker & Butler” entrance at the end of Act I. I would literally sing it out loud without even realizing it. Other than that, it really is a new one each week that gets jammed in there, so I turn on Spotify and try to drown it out. TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST UNCONVENTIONAL SHOW/VENUE YOU’VE EXPERIENCED ON TOUR. We’ve been lucky to play some incredible venues, so everything is pretty much as we rehearsed with maybe some variations of where you change clothes. Though, there was one show when our female swing had to go on for a brother because the other male swing was already on and I

You can find more on David at www.davidrossetti.com & follow him on Twitter at @david_rossetti

AS OPPOSED TO A SIT-DOWN PRODUCTION OF A SHOW WHERE THE CAST LEAVES AND GOES HOME, A TOUR CAST SPENDS ALL OF THEIR TIME TOGETHER. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF? I like to walk around and explore a town by myself sometimes. I find it calming and a great way to experience the culture of a city. I’m also a big antique junkie (and vinyl records), so if I can sniff out one of those stores, I’m usually more than happy. I also could watch Food Network (i.e. “Chopped”) or anything on HGTV for hours. Like, I can lose sleep cause I’m watching it so much. I think I may have a problem. BLEEP 61

WHICH SONG FROM THE SHOW GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD AND WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD? Well, during in Mamma Mia it was “The Name of the Game” but in Sister Act it’s “The Life I Never Led” and when it gets to a point where I can’t shut my brain off I’ll typically listen to pop music or a new Broadway cast recording such as The Bridges of Madison County.

WHICH CITY/TOUR STOP HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST AND WHY? Washington D.C. was a surreal experience for me because I had never thought I’d get to see Lincoln Memorial in person or the White House. Everywhere you go, there has so much history to it I just found it extremely fascinating.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF? TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MOST Usually I will go to my room and UNCONVENTIONAL SHOW OR VENUE call my family or friends back home YOU’VE EXPERIENCED ON TOUR. just to check in with reality. There are Honestly each venue has had times on tour that you forget about something different that is life outside of the show and I like to fascinating to experience. In both be reminded of where my home is. Mamma Mia! and Sister Act there Other times I’ll pick a random movie have been times set pieces have to on Netflix and shut off my brain. be cut because there isn’t enough fly space or room on the stage to hold For more on Alex, follow him on them which keeps us on our toes Twitter at @alexmendoza6591 or on Instagram at @amendoza91 and keeps the show fresh.

alex mendoza

I cur ren tly live in Los Ang ele s and las t yea r I wa s apa rt of Mc Coy /Ri gby Ent ert ain me nt’s pro duc tion of Spr ing Awake nin g wh ere I pla yed the role of Ge org and the ir pro duc tion of Ne xt to No rm al wh ere I got to pla y one of my dre am role s, He nry. I rec ent ly join ed the 1st Na tion al Tou r of Sis ter Act The Mu sica l on Ap ril 28 th, so I’ve bee n tou rin g wit h this gro up for a abo ut 3 we eks but I’ve bee n on the roa d sin ce Aug ust , and wa s on tou r wit h Ma mm a Mia ! Wh at’s bee n mo st sur pri sin g asp ect of tou rin g wa s how sep ara ted fro m the rea l wo rld you are . You hav e to rem ind you rse lf tha t you hav e a life out sid e of the tou r as we ll but it get s difficu lt at tim es bec aus e you cre ate a rou tine tha t wo rks for the roa d.

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david r ossett i

was on a personal day for a one-night only benefit I was hosting in NYC. On tour, when it rains, it can pour and we had a lot of people out for injuries that week already. Unconventional, but I’m sure it will happen again. Tour is a crazy beast! AS OPPOSED TO A SIT-DOWN PRODUCTION OF A SHOW WHERE THE CAST LEAVES AND GOES HOME, A TOUR CAST SPENDS ALL OF THEIR TIME TOGETHER. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF? I like to walk around and explore a town by myself sometimes. I find it calming and a great way to experience the culture of a city. I’m also a big antique junkie (and vinyl records), so if I can sniff out one of those stores, I’m usually more than happy. I also could watch Food Network (i.e. “Chopped”) or anything on HGTV for hours. Like, I can lose sleep cause I’m watching it so much. I think I may have a problem.

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It’s the summer and that means popcorn movies. Well the summer of 2014 has given us plenty of films to be obsessed with and actually, it seems to be the summer of strong men. Is there anyone stronger than Magneto (or Michael Fassbender)? “X-Men” blew away the box office and our favorite mutants reminded us that they’re awesome in any decade. Speaking of a force, we don’t know a whole lot about “Jupiter Rising” but what we do know is that we can’t wait. Channing Tatum with pointy ears and Mila Kunis is a space princess? We aren’t sure how exactly that works but we didn’t know what to think about “The Matrix” either and that film changed filmmaking. Speaking of space, the “Transformers” franchise is back with a new cast and a new set of problems. But let’s face it. We just want to see robots fight each other and the sight of the dino-bots in the trailer set an entire generation of fan-boys hearts a-flutter.

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Speaking of intergalactic epics, “Guardians of the Galaxy” is set to carve a different path than the previous Marvel movies. With characters not known to the general public, it’s an opportunity for a group of space criminals to tell a new story and from the looks of it, tell it with more than a few laughs. Speaking of crime fighters, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” are re-emerging from the cinematic sewers to bring their tale of ‘heroes in a half-shell’ to the big screen. A bolder take on the tale since the last live-action telling (even though we will always love Vanilla Ice singing “Go ninja, go ninja go”) we are looking forward to how they re-imagine a childhood classic. Speaking of giant lizards, “Godzilla” has already left a path of destruction at the box office and though the monster wasn’t in the film nearly enough, perhaps that was intentional so we’d be begging for more. Speaking of more, we can’t wait for “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” The first film was awesome, which no one saw coming. Now the characters have grown up and we can’t wait to see how they steal our hearts all over again.

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