New Mexico Entertainment Magazine October 2015

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OCTOBER 2015

THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR MEAT LOAF! We look back at the roles and music that helped build his career as he prepares to rock out at Route 66 Casino.

Legally Blonde

A FREE Publi cation

The Year of Rocky

Nicholas Star

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PG 16

COVER STORY

There’s Always Room for Meat Loaf!

The powerful voice behind the amazing album, Bat out of Hell, shares love of music, his favorite piece of work and his legacy. ® Photography by Niño Muñoz

PG 7

PG 8

Legally Blonde!

Albuquerque Little Theater brings Elle Woods to life on stage!

Taos Chamber Music Group The creativity ensemble prepares for their 23rd season

LET US ENTERTAIN YOU

PG 11

PG 12

Nicholas Star The up and coming comedian continues to make his mark on the comedy scene.

A Month of Rocky Our love for the cult classic.

MAKE ‘EM LAUGH

EXTRAS

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PG 21

Wes Craven Horror loses an amazing director that won’t be forgotten.

Reclaimed Wood - Todd Contratto Contratto finds the beauty in the discarded.

THE ART WORLD

NOW SHOWING: IN MEMORIAM

PG 22 EVENTS

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TURN IT UP

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NME STAFF Teresa Robinson-Ewers Publisher/Editor-in-Chief NMEntertains@gmail.com Ariel Bisbee Photography & Mulitmedia Director Rhonda Heyns Copy Editor CONTRIBUTORS Winter Elise NME Board Teresa Ewers Ariel Bisbee Darlene Esquibel Winter Elise Eddie Robinson SUBSCRIPTIONS New Mexico Entertainment magazine is $24 a year within the Continental United States.

Please place your order online at www.NMEntertains.com.

Please note the first issue will take 4-6 weeks.

All events submissions can be placed at NMEntEvents@gmail.com

231 Sierra Dr. SE, Ste. 11 Albuquerque, NM 87108 505.450.4706

www.NMEntertains.com

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LET US ENTERTAIN YOU: LEGALLY BLONDE Top: Stafford Douglas and Virginia Asbury; insert: Bryan Durden and Virginia Asbury Photography by Randy Talley

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egally Blonde, the first musical of Albuquerque Little Theatre’s 86th Season is a fabulously fun, international award-winning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde!

The plot follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. This action-packed musical explodes on the stage with memorable songs and dynamic dances. Equal parts hilarious and heart-warming, this musical is so much fun it should be illegal!

Virginia Asbury plays Elle Woods, the Malibu sorority sister who, after being dumped by her aspiring politician boyfriend, Warner (Stafford Douglas), for not being “serious” enough, uses her underestimated intelligence to get into Harvard Law School to impress him. Far from her comfort zone, Elle is suddenly a misfit, who, with the help of new friends Emmett (Bryan Durden), a teaching assistant with a working class background, and Paulette (Courtney Awe), a down-on-her-

luck hairdresser, finds her true calling in life (hint: It’s not Warner). Also guiding her is a “Greek chorus” made up of her UCLA sorority sisters, who only she (and later Paulette) can see. Her biggest foils are Harvard elite mean girl Vivienne (Angelique Felice), who also happens to be Warner’s Jackie O-like girlfriend, and the agenda-driven Professor Callahan (Chris Armijo).

Legally Blonde opens October 9th and runs through November 1st. Curtain times and ticket prices can be found at www.albuquerquelittletheatre.org. NME

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TURN IT UP: TAOS CHAMBER MUSIC GROUP

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reativity and artistic excellence continue to be the hallmarks of the Taos Chamber Music Group’s twenty-third season.

Eight programs combine chamber music masterpieces with more contemporary surprises, as well as works that reflect our home in Taos, New Mexico.

In addition to favorites by Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Brahms, Ravel, Debussy and Fauré, highlights include a world premiere written for TCMG, an all Spanish program, a collaboration with sound and light artist Sasha vom Dorp, music and poetry informed by dreams, and the return of special guests, the American String Quartet and virtuoso pianist Gleb Ivanov.

Concerts take place in the Arthur Bell Auditorium at the 8I

Harwood Museum of Art where TCMG is the Resident Chamber Music Group. All performances begin at 5 p.m so that you can enjoy dinner out afterwards at one of our participating restaurants.

TCMG’s 23rd season opens with masterworks by Mozart and Mendelssohn featuring virtuoso Russian pianist Gleb Ivanov. An unusual arrangement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 for piano, flute, violin and cello will be performed as well as Mendelssohn’s Variations Serieuses in D minor, op. 54 for solo piano, Mozart’s Andante in C Major for flute and piano, and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor. For more information on the group and shows visit www.taoschambermusicgroup.org.

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MAKE ‘EM LAUGH: NICHOLAS STAR

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affeine addicted and and an extrovert to boot, Star’s stand-up comedian, charisma wins people over.

“I’ve made most of the Nicholas Star, took a blind leap into the comedy scene two years original comedy goals I set for ago. That includes an almost year myself,” expressed Star. “I’ve long hiatus after his first show. played paid shows and traveled.

Now a member of Player-Two, a I would love to visit Boston and comedian run Production Com- Chicago to do comedy.” Between pany with Open Mics around his full time job and his love of town, Star is fully committed to cooking, Star host shows for Player-Two at Posh Nightclub on his comedy goals.

After quite a bit of prodding, Wednesdays and Back Alley on he took the stage for the first Mondays. The members of Playtime at the third Thursday com- er-Two are what make the group edy contest at Tractor Brewing great - Caitlin Minton, Devin in Wells Park. Hosted by Rusty Rivera, Kevin Baca, and Royal Rutherford, this contest is for Woods III. Star always stands newcomers and seasoned pro- out with his full red bread in that fessionals alike. Star admits he group.

“Write jokes until you run should have started with going to a local Open Mic, but admits out of jokes and then condense he’s a “jump-in” kind of guy. He them down,” shared Star. “Then won the contest, but left the com- condense them down again and edy scene soon after for a year. He turn them into bullet points. is now back on the scene with a Memorize the points and try not vengeance. One of the only sober to be an asshole.” NME - Winter Elise comics you will meet in town, New Mexico Entertainment • October 2015 I 11

EXTRAS: A MONTH OF ROCKY

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t’s the cult classic that has everyone pulling out their fishnets and corsets. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was considered a cinematic failure when it premiered in 1975, but thanks to a midnight showing and some catchy callbacks, it became an annual, sometimes monthly, treasure. New Mexico is getting Rocky Fever this month with two options of seeing the beloved show on both stage and screen.

In 2011, PRIDE & Equality magazine, in the attempt to promote their publication, came up with a nutty idea. Rocky Horror was an annual tradition in Albuquerque, but hadn’t seen the light of day for almost ten years. “I had never seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show live before,” admits Teresa Ewers, publisher of PRIDE & Equality. “I realized that if I want12 I

e d to see it, I was gonna have to make it happen.” Ewers, partnering with veteran Rocky performers and friends, Dustin Martinez and Ri Ri Syn Cyr, brought the classic to The Guild Cinema for a two-night show. A week before the first show happened, tickets for both shows sold out, which lead to a third show on a Sunday evening, which also sold out. Every year since then, the magazine presents the movie with a full shadow cast and props, allowing generations to take part in the full stage experience - selling out every sin-

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gle year. “It’s been a whirlwind,” shares Ewers. “It’s been exciting to see that this one annual event lead to others creating their own monthly shows. Even though the groups didn’t work out or may be struggling, we’re excited that we inspired and continue to offer this event for our fifth year anniversary.”

That’s right, five years! They have a five-year-old and they show no signs of stopping. When asked what is the secret behind their staying power, the answer was simple. “I think it’s twofold,” says Ewers. “First, the special thing about Rocky is it’s almost like Christmas. Rocky is that time of year that you anticipate.

Our show offers that supply and demand for our fans. The second part is quality. You have to have the right people on your shadow cast that understand what the show means. The right people that are committed to make the show entertaining for the audience - the audience is what the show is about.”

Well this month, audiences are also getting to see Rocky on stage. Musical Theater Southwest is presenting the Rocky Horror

Show, the musical stage show that inspired the movie. MTS realized the excitement that Rocky Horror brings. Jeff Cleveland, a set designer from New York, will be creating the sets for this production, along with Jeff’s partner who is designing the costumes.

The stage, which is quite different from the movie experience, is still one to witness and get under your Rocky Horror belt. “With our production it’s more of an immersive theater project. It’s a complete environment,” shares Jonathan Gallegos, who plays Frank-N-Furter in the production. “They’re not by-standers, they participate.”

The Fifth Annual Rocky Horror Anniversary Show at the Guild Cinema is on October 23rd-24th.

Tickets can be purchased at www. myprideonline.com/rocky-horror.html. The Rocky Horror Show presented by Musical Theater Southwest will run for the month of October, with opening night on October 9th. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.musicaltheatresw.com/rocky.html. Bring Rocky into your life this October and “let there be lips!” NME - Teresa Ewers

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NOW SHOWING: ANGRY MEN REVIEWS: IN MEMORIAM: WES CRAVEN

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y mother was a lover of horror films, she introduced me to gory slasher films and would read to me true crime stories of serial killers from decades past. Mostly she loved the mindless inhuman monsters that were pretty much just moving mulchers that butchered teenagers right and left with out a care in the world, which explains why she was attracted to my father (budum CHINK!).

While that got me over my fear of gore and most things that go bump in the night by the time I reached a decade old, it didn’t really endear me to that genre of film because I liked my villains 14 I

with a little personality. Then I met Freddy Kruger.

A Nightmare on Elm Street was a game changer. By that time Wes Craven was already a name in horror after The Hills Have Eyes and Last House on the Left, but Nightmare was different because it tapped into something that other horror films were missing at the time - a fun villain. It also has the distinction of being Johnny Depp’s first film and he gets killed in a fountain of blood while sleeping in his bed.

See to me Freddy was a turning point. I never found most slashers scary. Freddy, on the

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other hand, could get you anywhere, and you could only hold off sleep for so long. It also helped that even though it seemed hopeless, his victims would still try to fight back in some way, instead of just turning and running away, only to trip over a root or some shit and get killed.

I quickly became a Wes Craven fan, going back and watching his earlier horror work, waiting with excitement for his next project, and generally making myself a nerd for his stuff. I even saw this in the theater just because his name was on it. Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer smash Mama Fratelli’s head with a basketball was worth the price of admission. I followed your career up to the “Scream” movies, and then… well… yeah.

Of course this doesn’t change the fact that I think he was one of the best (and underrated) directors of the last few decades. He truly seemed to be having fun and loving his work. It showed in what he made from Swamp Thing to Shocker - Vampire in Brooklyn to New Nightmare. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the project, I don’t think he has ever made a movie, or TV show, that was just “phonedin” by him (the actors on the other hand - I’m looking at you Mr. Murphy).

He may never go down in history with the likes of Spielberg, Coppola, or other supposed “Greats”, but in my opinion he has left a huge hole in Hollywood that no one else will ever be able to fill.

You will be missed Mr. Craven. NME - Andrew Ragealotski

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“I told the band, if I die on stage, leave me laying there and play When The Saints Go Marching In.”

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COVER STORY: MEAT LOAF

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here is no mistaking his voice and style. Michael Lee Aday, who we’ve come to know as Meat Loaf, has created a presence that shakes you like an earthquake, which we will have the opportunity to witness during his stage show at Route 66 Casino on October 16th. Meat Loaf has recorded with Motown, created a memorable album with Bat out of Hell and became a cult classic hero.

But before all of that about, Meat Loaf was a student who loved theater, performing in school musicals and loving every moment of it. The love of acting lead to one of his memorable roles in the cult film classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, celebrating their 40th anniversary this year.

His time during the stage show and filming was a fond one. “I remember the laughter,” shared Meat Loaf. “I have never in my

life seen an audience laugh that hard with the show, which lead the rest of the cast succumbing to the laughter as well.”

Around the time Meat Loaf was filming The Rocky Horror Picture Show, he returned to the studio, along with Jim Steinman, to created one of the most powerful albums in history, Bat Out of Hell. Meat Loaf remembers the first meeting. “Well, I had two different piano players the first one that came in with me to auditions was Paul Shaffer and the other was Steve Margoshes.

So, I remember I took Steve with me - you see, I got an agent and he said, ‘OK. If you are going to do anything worthwhile in New York, you have to go to The Public Theater’ - so I walked in and Jim was there in a room all by himself. So, Steve sat down and played and I sang a song called

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“I’d Love To Be As Heavy As Jesus”. Then - and I’ll always remember this - Jimmy’s comment was ‘I think you’re as heavy as three Jesuses.’”

The album has since gone on to sell more than 34 million copies worldwide and made Meat Loaf a multi-platinum star. Since then, Meat Loaf, with a discography of over 12 albums, is currently promoting his new album, Braver Than We Are - another collaboration with Steinman guaranteeing to offer something new for the listening public. “It’s completely different from anything that’s out there right now. When you hear the opening track, your mouth will hang open. The first song people will either love or despise, which is the way I like it - the opening number is pretty wild. The second, third and fourth songs are long.

After that, you’ll have to listen and hear.” New Mexicans will have the opportunity to listen to the old and new of Meat Loaf’s repertoire when he performs on October 16th at the Legends Theater at Route 66 Casino. Tickets are available on the Casino’s website through HoldMyTicket - http://holdmyticket.com/event/215026 With a career spanning over 45 years, one, that still to this day, he is continuing to build on, During an interview with Billboard, Meat Loaf shared a statement that seems to wrap up what he would like his legacy to be. “I told the band, if I die on stage, leave me laying there, play When The Saints Go Marching In, then get the audience to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game. And, if leaving me laying there is too morbid, remove me and then do those songs.”

NME - Teresa Ewers

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THE ART WORLD: TODD CONTRATTO

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eeing beauty in what other people consider junk, Todd Contratto is giving new life to old wood. Living just outside of Albuquerque, Contratto found himself engrossed in a life-changing hobby of taking old pallets and doors and turning them into frames for his most precious memories. It wasn’t long before he was making frames for friends and family.

It was a warm day in March a couple years back when Contratto was out at his brotherin-law, Aaron’s, house in Tucumcari. He stumbled on some old pallets of woods and barbed wire hidden in a corner. After a short talk with Aaron, Contratto loaded the wood in his truck and bought it back home. It sat for a 20 I

short while with Todd thinking what he could do with the wood.

His answer came to him quickly and he began spending his unwinding time in the barn with his wood and his stereo creating frames.

Some of his masterpieces are complete. Others have room to add family photos or certificates. Contratto listens to what the reclaimed wood and other re-purposed materials say to him. He does take special orders.

He adds personal mementos and wood-burning to personalize the decorations.

Beautiful pieces made with a loving touch reusing discarded things makes each piece unique to itself and special.

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- Winter Elise

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

OCTOBER 24, 2015

FIFTH ANNUAL ROCKY HORROR ANNIVERSARY SHOW AT THE GUILD CINEMA http://www.myprideonline.com/rocky-horror.html

UNTIL OCTOBER 22 • 5:30PM MIND + BODY + ACTOR WITH CATHARINE PILAFAS The Orpheum Art Space 500 2nd St. SW Albuquerque, NM 87104 www.southwestsceneworks.com UNTIL OCTOBER 27 • 5:30PM ABQ UPTOWN GROWERS MARKET Presbyterian Hospital Parking Lot 1100 Central Ave. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 www.abquptowngrowersmarket.org/index.html 01 • 6:00PM JAY LAFFARR, DANNY INGLE AND KEITH BRECKENRIDGE The Stage at The Star 54 Jemez Dam Rd Bernalillo, NM 87004 www.thestageatthestar.com 01 • 6:30PM DON QUIXOTE National Hispanic Cultural Center 1701 4th St SW Albuquerque, NM 87102 www.nhcnm.org 01 • 7:30PM RASCAL FLATTS, SCOTT MCCREERY & RAELYNN Isleta Amphitheater 5601 University Blvd. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 www.isletaamphitheater.org 03 • 9:00PM THE DCN PROJECT Lounge 54 54 Jemez Dam Rd Bernalillo, NM 87004 www.thestageatthestar.com

07 •7:30PM ZAC BROWN BAND Isleta Amphitheater 5601 University Blvd. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 www.isletaamphitheater.net 09 • 7:30PM FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE Isleta Amphitheater 5601 University Blvd. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 www.isletaamphitheater.net 09-31 • 8:00PM, 4:00PM THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW MTS Center for Theatre 6320 Domingo Rd NE Albuquerque, NM 87108 www.musicaltheatresw.com/rocky.html 20 • 8:00PM JIMMY BUFFETT Isleta Amphitheater 5601 University Blvd. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 www.isletaamphitheater.net 22 • 8:00PM THE INTERNET - THE EGO DEATH TOUR Launchpad 618 Central Avenue SW Albuquerque, NM 87102 www.holdmyticket.com/event/218322-the-internet 23-24 • 10:30PM FIFTH ANNUAL ROCKY HORROR ANNIVERSARY SHOW AT THE GUILD THEATER Isleta Amphitheater 5601 University Blvd. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 www.isletaamphitheater.net

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