Back to the Homeland

So this weekend has started off very well. David Garcia (choreographer of Insignificant Others and Homeland), Jay Kuo (composer/lyricist producer of Homeland and Insignificant Others) and I went to see the movie "Show Business" at the Opera Plaza cinema. The theatres there are tiny so it is always a very intimate experience. So there we sat, the three of us, Jay on my left, David on my right, watching this documentary that followed the Broadway shows Wicked, Caroline, or Change, Taboo and Avenue Q. A very well made documentary that for us show folk was a peak experience to be sure. The three of us have been working creatively together now for 18 months (David and Jay another year or more beyond that) and we have a long road ahead of us, but the way seems clear in so many ways. It is very frightening to think about the possibilities of success and failure as the stakes get higher and higher, but the thrill is invigorating, too. I must say I was quite moved by this film and it is not a "moving" film. I was moved because it seemed like another little nudge from somewhere telling us we're doing the right thing. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, don't look down - there's lots of people who will help you along the way even if some of them may be out for blood from time to time. (that photo is me in rehearsal for THE LAST SESSION in 2001)

I got home and started to work on HOMELAND again because we start a week of rehearsals before our one night only performance in Sacramento a week from tonight. It all came flooding back, the grand sweep of that show and all the intimate moments. We've got our work cut out for us, none of us has worked on this since last December. One foot in front of the other and don't look down.

We're going to have a San Francisco Cable Car (you know the kind on wheels) in the Pride Parade on Sunday for Insignificant Others. (It is such a gay musical about San Francisco - is that statement triple redundant?) The parade seems the perfect showcase for our commercial debut in 3 weeks.

Yes, Insignificant Others opens in three weeks and we are leaving it for a week to do Homeland in Sacramento. Show Business.

See the movie. See our shows. One foot in front of the other... don't look down.

june 18, 2007 in^significant others and homeland in one fell swoop

today is my father's birthday - happy birthday dad! and thursday is my mother's birthday - happy birthday mom! just got off the phone with them and we always talk for quite a while and have a lot of laughs.

so it is time to update this blog: the latest is that i've started working at the z space studio here in san francisco as the interim executive director. check out z at www.zspace.org and see what we're up to over there. three programs: word for word, youth arts and z plays run by three terrific artistic directors, susan harloe, joanne winter and lisa steindler. a great crew of people at the z space, david szlasa our production manager, clayton lord our marketing director and kasa cotugno our administrative coordinator are a small and mighty group. having all of the other theatre companies there sharing offices with us, too (cutting ball, crowded fire, fools fury to name only a few) is exciting. lots of creativity going on there.

in^Significant others - the musical we work shopped last summer @ NCTC (www.nctcsf.org) music and lyrics by jay kuo is opening on july 14 at zeum (www.isomusical.com) and i am having a great time directing this. everyone is doing their personal best. david garcia, our choreographer is doing amazing things with plumbing and office chairs on wheels... all of this is very exciting. keri fitch has agreed to do our costumes (i've worked with keri many times at NCTC and am thrilled to have her with us), cathie anderson who works at brava and did the lighting design for my recent production of songs for a new world at ray of light theatre is doing our lights. owen stephens is doing our set and everything is coming together really well. this show is going to be fun.

homeland again for one night only: you may remember we did a preview of one of jay's other original musicals homeland last december at the magic theatre. we're doing a one night concert performance for the oca national convention at the sacramento community center theater 1301 L street, in sacramento, on june 29, 2007 @ 8:30 pm check out the website www.homelandmusical.com

there hasn't really been time for much else so that's it for now. don't miss jay's daily blog about putting our show up at www.sfmusical.com it is a lot of fun.

- george