“Cabaretto” in Miami – A Client Request I Should Have Declined

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Corporate shows scare me for multiple reasons, though the cash and the non-show working conditions are so often sublime (I love to travel and stay at high-end hotels and resorts).

Challenge number one: The client usually wants the show to include improvised hilarity “customized” to the company, the president of the company, the product, and so on. This kind of thing is of course a big selling point for some comedy troupes, but in my experience the customizations fail a lot. Not always, but often. The performers may do the best anyone could, but the audience members

Continue reading “Cabaretto” in Miami – A Client Request I Should Have Declined

Kwame A River: The Chronicles of Detroit's Hip-Hop Mayor

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The holiday season is traditionally a hectic time for musicians, scrambling to cover the wealth of available gigs. I did a lot of piano playing as usual, and this time I also got a job writing music for Marc Warzecha’s  ”Kwame a River: the Chronicles of Detroit’s Hip-Hop Mayor.” The show is a satirical look at Kwame Kilpatrick’s colorful reign as mayor. Marc Warzecha wrote the book and lyrics, and in November he asked me to be the composer. Rehearsals began on December 15, 2008 and the show opened on New Year’s Eve.

Jenaya Jones Reynolds as Carlita Kilpatrick takes a swing at Connell Brown Jr.s Kwame Kilpatrick

Jenaya Jones Reynolds as Carlita Kilpatrick takes a swing at Connell Brown Jr.s Kwame Kilpatrick. Photo Credit: WILLIAM ARCHIE/Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Free Press describes it as:

“show boasts witty writing, gifted cast …  a LOL funny overview of the past decade in Detroit politics, sparked by clever writing and a talented, homegrown, six-person cast.” Continue reading \”Kwame A River: The Chronicles of Detroit’s Hip-Hop Mayor\” »