This weekend, as part of Project: Motion's 25th season, the dance company presents AXIS: Long Distance Affairs at the Evergreen Theater. The title refers to the fact that all three pieces in the work have been choreographed by outside directors: jhon r. stronks of Houston, Amy O'Neal of Seattle, and Robin Sanders of Memphis's own Out Loud Artistry.
As my Intro to Theatre teacher always tells me, plays are always about the human condition. Next To Normal, currently showing at Playhouse on the Square, is definitely an example of some of the stranger corners of the human condition. While Diana (Leah Bray Nichols) and husband Dan (David Foster) attempt to get a handle on her mental illness, their daughter Natalie (Kelsey Hopkins) struggles with growing up in the midst of a family crisis.
Depicting mental illness is not traditional material for a musical, and Diana’s mental breakdowns are the focus of the family’s dilemma. The themes of family troubles and trying to move on are smartly interwoven together, and there are plenty of bright and happy moments to balance out the darkness. The lighting provided superb guide through the emotions in each scene and act.
The scene that most stood out to me was Diana’s first session with Dr. Fine (Seth Grugle). When the doctor asks a question, he is suddenly transformed into rock star—at least in Diana’s mind. While this moment is hilarious, it is also a vulnerable moment for Diana that we experience with her.
The last thing I thought about during the performance was the music, and I say this as a compliment. The different genres of music represented work seamlessly within the overall play. The orchestral placement, as well as the music selection, helps sell the performance, making Next To Normal a seamless total package.
Next To Normal runs at Playhouse On The Square through Sunday, February 12. Photo by Chris Neely Photography.
Armed + Dangerous: Art of the Arsenal, the current exhibit at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, offers an audio walkthrough via iPod Touch. Anyone interested in history would enjoy hearing more details on certain swords or armor plates, but most of my time was spent admiring the art on the weapons.
The exhibit kicks off with African and Persian spears and shields, each of which are carefully put in their context. But Armed + Dangerous is about much more than “weapons of war,” there is a bigger emphasis on the cultural artistry and beauty of each piece. Each section of the exhibit explains why people were inspired to make these weapons pieces of art. Yes, war has always been popular among human beings, but this exhibit points out that there is a deeper meaning behind all of this steel.
The arms and armor seen in the exhibit were selected for their historical value, including their artistry, beauty, and meaning, but my favorite was the last section on Contemporary Weapons. The pieces in this collection reveal the culture of the people who created them, and teach us a valuable lesson: Weapons have enormous implications for who we are as people on this planet.
Does everyone in your family have a Live From Memphis t-shirt? Well, they should! Check out our limited edition t-shirt collection IN THE LFM STORE! All tees designed and printed locally :)
It’s been a season of risk-taking at Playhouse on the Square and The Circuit Playhouse. From puppet sex (Avenue Q) to the use of vibrators to treat “hysterical” women in the early 1900s (In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play), the company has delivered shows that challenge the notion of what is acceptable for a stage play. The next show to open at Playhouse on the Square is no exception. Next to Normal is the Tony award-winning musical about a suburban mother who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The story is about the effect that her illness and her attempts at treatment have on her family. Ultimately, they get to the heart of what has pushed her over the edge in the first place in a gripping and beautifully honest conclusion. If it doesn’t sound like the typical bouncy, happy musical, it’s not. But while it sounds heavy, it’s laced with the kind of raw, relatable humor that can only come from characters who are at their wit’s end—the kind of humor that comes with an explicit theatre advisory.
Next to Normal is also unique for its critically acclaimed musical score. Its 30 original songs are, at times, playful and, at other times, infused with rock and lyrics that are smart and unapologetically direct. You’ll know exactly who these characters are by the end of the first song.
Next to Normal's strong cast includes David Foster (Ragtime; Santaland Diaries), Leah Bray Nichols (August: Osage County), Ben Laxton and Kelsey Hopkins, who were the leads in Avenue Q, Seth Grugle, a visiting artist, and Corbin Williams, a Rhodes student who made his Playhouse on the Square debut in Footloose.
Next to Normal runs January 20 – February 12 at Playhouse on the Square, which is located at 66 S. Cooper Street. Tickets are only $20 during opening weekend (January 20-22) and the Pay-What-You-Can performance is Thursday, January 26.
For more information, call 901-726-4656 or visit POTS's web site.
Well folks, another year has come and gone and, wholly cow, it's our 11th b-day!
Come help us celebrate staying alive just a little longer. We'll be chilling at the Live From Memphis headquarters the evening of Friday the 13th from 7pm till...
We'll have the DJ stylings of MC Griddle, a photo booth, beer, food, and lots of good peeps. Plus we'll be giving out the infamous WTF Memphis Award (that's "Working Together For Memphis", duh!)
So, come, hang out, bring friends - our doors are open to you!!
As we close out 2011, Live From Memphis would like to thank everyone who supported us in 2011 by visiting our web site, watching our videos, reading our magazine, and attending our events.
The 7th Annual Music Video Showcase is scheduled for March 1-4, 2012.
The weekend will be filled with Music, Film, Art and Culture, so get the dates on your calendar!
THURSDAY
@ LIVE FROM MEMPHIS (1 S. Main Street - Click for Map) 8-11pm - Opening Night Reception This party is to honor all the filmmakers, musicians, artists, volunteers, sponsors, and various other supporters that all come together to make MVS awesome! We’ll be chilling at the LFM studio, listening to music and just having a good ‘ol time, so join us! Feel free to bring friends and family, mingle, and meet new people.
FRIDAY
@ THE WAREHOUSE (36 E. GE Patterson Ave - Click for Map) 4pm - Lounge will open for check-in. 4-8pm - Opening of MOTO-AVX - An Audio / Visual Experience From the creators MX and Ninjacat, comes a new collaboration in experiential art and design. MOTO-AVX is a site specific, immersive extravaganza of interactive sound and visuals to stimulate your senses. Moto-AVX can only be seen at Music Video Showcase 7 (before and after the showcase screenings on March 2-4).
9:30 - Midnight - Dance Party Central with DJ Steve Anne! Stick around after the showcase Friday night to witness the awesomeness that this party will be. Resident DJ at Beauty Shop, DJ Steve Anne will be bring down the house with an eclectic mix of dance/ party music. (FREE with your MVS admission. $10 without)
@ THE POWER HOUSE (45 E. GE Patterson Ave - Click for Map) 4:00-9:00pm - Opening of the 3rd Annual Project Sketchbook! Project Sketchbook is an annual mail-art project organized by the Rozelle Artists Guild. We hand cut, assemble, sew, stamp, package, and mail as many miniature sketchbooks as we can (this year, nearly 350) to whoever wants one. You fill it up however you want, and we collect them. All entries are featured in an annual printed catalog, and in a open to the public exhibition, this year at Power House in conjunction with LFM’s Music Video Showcase 7. 2012 marks our third year, and we’re pumped to be teamed up with Live From Memphis to bring the exhibition to you! 4:00-9:00pm - Our Vibe. Our City. ArtSpace. Presented by ArtsMemphis. ArtsMemphis is pleased to present this space of art for mass consumption! Featuring works by Memphis- based video artists Jill Wissmiller. Wissmiller’s work has been screened in numerous festivals including Console-ing Passions: The International Conference of Feminism and Television, Film, Video and New Media. Wissmiller also creates interactive video designs for theater, and recently staged her work at the Julia De Burgos Art Center in NYC for the Danisarte’s My World/Mi Mundo theatrical festival.
SATURDAY
@ THE WAREHOUSE (36 E. GE Patterson Ave - Click for Map) 12:00pm - Lounge will open for check-in. 1:00-3:00pm - Visible Showcase Visible Music College is a faith-based, independent college located right here in Memphis. They work tirelessly preparing artists, technicians, and business professionals for the real world! Showcase Artists: Jo (country-rock) She Said (rock) Cayerio (hip-hop/rock) 3:00-5:00pm - Neosoulville Showcase An amazing organization and network of individuals who are all about the soul of Memphis. Check ‘em out online (neosoulville.com) or attend “The Word” (Memphis’ longest running open mic night) every Monday Night at the Rumba Room. Showcase Artists: Kirby Lauryen CC Hill Black Rock Revival Jamaal Wicks Ping Rose Tim Terry Showcase MC Tonya Dyson 5:00-7:00pm - Goner Records Showcase Goner is an awesome label and record store in Memphis. They sell all kinds of great, overlooked music on lp, cd, 45, and 78. They also sell t-shirts, books, magazines and dvds! Check ‘em out in Cooper-Young. Showcase Artists: Manatees Overnight Lows Sex Cult
9:30-Midnight - MVS Awards Show Awards show hosted by Memphis Jones! We’ll be giving out the cash and prizes to the lucky winners, so you don’t want to miss this! Featuring performances by Memphis Dawls, Artistik Approach, and Modern Convenience. (FREE with your MVS admission. $10 without)
@ EARNESTINE & HAZEL'S (531 S. Main St. - Click for Map) 1:00-2:00pm - Panel #1 “Stephen Pitalo: Shoot The Singer, Cue The Horse: Adventures In The Golden Age of Music Video (1976-1993)” With an obsessive-compulsive knowledge of the Golden Age of Music Video (1976- 1993), music video historian Stephen Pitalo will unveil untold tales from the genre’s heyday, compiled from interviews with over 60 music video directors from Michael Lindsay-Hogg (The Beatles) and Bruce Gowers (Queen) to Nigel Dick (Guns N Roses) and Kevin Kerslake (Nirvana). Pitalo will show specific music videos and discuss the hidden backstory or influences, and music video director/producer Jon Small will also attend the panel to share his experiences of the “Golden Age.” 2:15-3:15pm - Panel #2 “Jon Small: What A Director Needs To Know, The Inside Perspective” Eleven Emmy nominations, former touring musician, producer and director of music videos and live television concert specials... people, we’ve got a legend here. Jon Small shares his experiences from directing the ground-breaking Run-DMC/Aerosmith “Walk This Way” music video to working with such stars as Reba McEntire, Enrique Inglesias, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill, Rod Stewart, Sting, Lynryd Skynard, Garth Brooks and more. This is a don’t miss event for filmmakers, musicians, and music video fans. 3:30-4:30pm - Panel #3 “An Introduction to Direct-to-Fan Marketing for Creatives” with Bob Moczydlowsky Topspin is a Direct-to-Fan marketing and retail software platform. What ProTools and Final Cut are for music and video production, Topspin is for online marketing and retail: a software platform which makes your job as an artists easier. Come to this panel. Meet Bob. Learn about Topspin. Grow a database of fans—and market to them!
@ THE POWER HOUSE (45 E. GE Patterson Ave - Click for Map) 12:00-8:00pm - 3rd Annual Project Sketchbook Project Sketchbook is an annual mail-art project organized by the Rozelle Artists Guild. We hand cut, assemble, sew, stamp, package, and mail as many miniature sketchbooks as we can (this year, nearly 350) to whoever wants one. You fill it up however you want, and we collect them. All entries are featured in an annual printed catalog, and in a open to the public exhibition, this year at Power House in conjunction with LFM’s Music Video Showcase 7. 2012 marks our third year, and we’re pumped to be teamed up with Live From Memphis to bring the exhibition to you! 12:00-8:00pm - Our Vibe. Our City. ArtSpace. Presented by ArtsMemphis. ArtsMemphis is pleased to present this space of art for mass consumption! Featuring works by Memphis- based video artists Jill Wissmiller. Wissmiller’s work has been screened in numerous festivals including Console-ing Passions: The International Conference of Feminism and Television, Film, Video and New Media. Wissmiller also creates interactive video designs for theater, and recently staged her work at the Julia De Burgos Art Center in NYC for the Danisarte’s My World/Mi Mundo theatrical festival.
SUNDAY
@ THE WAREHOUSE (36 E. GE Patterson Ave - Click for Map) 2:00-3:00pm - Premier of the 48 Hour Music Video Launch Videos. For FuelFilm’s fourth 48hour film launch they’ve partnered with Live From Memphis to make 5 music videos in one weekend. Here’s how it works—a bunch of local Memphis acts submitted songs, of which 5 were selected (by a secretive and possibly corrupt star chamber...hey, that’s what the bands who weren’t picked are gonna tell you anyway) carefully considering which songs would inspire the best videos, and those 5 songs were posted online for review by our participants. Dozens of filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers gathered Friday February 24th to pitch their concepts. 5 of those concepts were chosen by popular vote and “Greenlit” - and everyone came together to create 5 music videos in 48 hours. These are the amazing results!
@ The POWER HOUSE (45 GE Patterson Ave - Click for Map) 12:00-5:00pm - 3rd Annual Project Sketchbook Project Sketchbook is an annual mail-art project organized by the Rozelle Artists Guild. We hand cut, assemble, sew, stamp, package, and mail as many miniature sketchbooks as we can (this year, nearly 350) to whoever wants one. You fill it up however you want, and we collect them. All entries are featured in an annual printed catalog, and in a open to the public exhibition--this year at Power House in conjunction with LFM’s Music Video Showcase 7. 2012 marks our third year, and we’re pumped to be teamed up with Live From Memphis to bring the exhibition to you! 12:00-5:00pm - Our Vibe. Our City. ArtSpace. Presented by ArtsMemphis. ArtsMemphis is pleased to present this space of art for mass consumption! Featuring works by Memphis- based video artists Jill Wissmiller. Wissmiller’s work has been screened in numerous festivals including Console-ing Passions: The International Conference of Feminism and Television, Film, Video and New Media. Wissmiller also creates interactive video designs for theater, and recently staged her work at the Julia De Burgos Art Center in NYC for the Danisarte’s My World/Mi Mundo theatrical festival.
