Saturday, July 11, 2015

NORWALK SYMPHONY AND NPT!

There has been much to celebrate with NPT!

Our new Acting Managing Director and business manager, Michelle Hopson, has been taking us to the next level with business and great non profit advice.   Check updated website www.nptheatre.org for streamlined mission and other great changes.

This weekend is our biggest event so far!  I was asked to produce the Norwalk Symphony's first Pops concert by the daughter of the dean of my college.  Both of us are midwesterners and both teachers. Becki also wanted the show to be outdoors and to be offered for free!

Becki and I agree on much about teaching, mentoring and involving community partners, so it was easy to collaborate on this.  Well, easy in our brains.

Much hard work over the last two months but it all happens tomorrow, Sunday! July 12th. 3pm in Cranbury Park- Norwalk.

I was able to get soooo much publicity on this event. I am proud of the coverage with the latest being TWO articles in Broadwayworld.com. Here is one:   http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwclassical/article/Scott-Bryce-to-Host-Norwalk-Symphonys-Broadway-Pops-Concert-712-20150629.

NPT kids and some of our adult singers are backing both Fred Rose and me on three numbers. Blow Gabriel, Anthem (from Chess) and Oklahoma.

We have six total non profits involved in this!  Musical Theatre of CT is one with their MTC glee kids singing "There's no business like show business".   Crystal Theatre has their kids (and a former student of theirs and NPT's FIRST "So Ya Wanna be a Broadway star winner") Cidalia Alves singing Hungarian Nights with their younger students backing her up.

Norwalk Youth Orchestra kids and some Darien Music for Youth students get to sit in with the pro orchestra and learn from them!

Finally Paul Bogaev is conducting.  Wow what an experience for everyone to get to work with this Grammy and Tony award winner!

And TV and Film star,Scott Bryce, is probably the greatest host ever for an event like this! He's an NPT board member as well.


I just have to keep my head tomorrow and follow my "to do list" with my amazing assistants Ilayda and Jake.  :)

COME ON OUT AND HAVE FUN WITH US!  I would suggest arriving by at least 2pm. :) Concert starts at 3pm.

Here are some rehearsal videos for you!


Oklahoma, from the "singer's" perspective, with Fred and NPT kids


Part of the West Side Story Medley


Cid singing with Crystal Theatre! 

Monday, February 23, 2015

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT WITH JAMIBETH MARGOLIS

We are THRILLED to have Jamibeth Margolis as our next SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT guest.
March 1st at 9pm.

PART of the way to create a career for yourself in any field is to understand the "business" behind it. This is a free experience, that you tune in from your own computer to listen and ask questions. She is a "decision maker" and representative of many casting directors. 

Use this link now https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/regist…/5593098367388426242  to register for free.

You will then be sent your own link via email.  Use that link at the time of the webinar (from your computer in your own home) to listen in and then ask questions!

Jamibeth Margolis is now entering her 19th year as a professional casting director in New York. She was with Johnson-Liff Casting, Cameron Mackintosh, and Margolis-Seay Casting and is now out on her own as a freelance casting director. Previous credits include the Broadway and National Touring Companies of such hits as Les Miserables, The Phantom Of The Opera, Miss Saigon, Cats, and Jane Eyre as well as two dozen other shows on Broadway. She also currently casts for Off Broadway, National Touring Companies and shows for prominent regional theaters and all of the major theater festivals in NYC. Her casting office is dedicated to the development of new plays and musicals. Additional casting credits include multiple television pilots and on camera industrials for major US companies. Current Casting Projects: The Brightness of Heaven (Cherry Lane Theatre), Sistas: The Musical (Off Broadway), Burlesque to Broadway (NY and Tour) and many more.
Jamibeth is also an accomplished stage director. Recent theatrical directing credits include Family Dinner at the Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row and Do I Hear a Waltz? and Jekyll and Hyde at the Arvada Center Theater in Denver. Jamibeth served as assistant director to Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks on the recent Broadway revival of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial and also on Jules Feiffer’s A Bad Friend at Lincoln Center Theatre. She has also helmed developmental productions and readings of the following new works: Naked In Encino, Owl Creek, Far From the Madding Crowd, Plane Crazy, Great Googley Moo, 1812, and Warsaw (which is currently on track for a Broadway production in the next two years).
Currently Jamibeth serves as Artistic Director For Musicals at the Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) where she fosters new writing talent and looks to bring a dozen new musicals to life each summer. Jamibeth also teaches musical theater, acting, and audition technique in studios all around NYC and is on faculty at Pace University.
Jamibeth is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Casting Society of America, and the Stage Directors And Choreographers Society. She served as a Tony Awards Voter for three Broadway seasons. She holds a B.A. from Ithaca College in Drama/Directing.
CLICK on this link now to get your OWN link so you can tune in on March 1st at 9pm from your computer.
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/regist…/5593098367388426242

Friday, January 16, 2015

OnStage Interview about NPT

I was so happy to be able to talk about NPT and our work on this popular blog.

http://onstageblog.com/2015/01/16/center-stage-with-special-guest-actress-kristin-huffman/

Here is some of it:

I had a chance to talk with Ms. Huffman about her career and the exciting things that The New Paradigm Theatre is doing.
You’ve had an incredible career that has not only put you on the Broadway stage but also operas and symphonies all over the world. What inspired you to become an actress and musician? 
My parents.  They are both singers and performers (my dad is a Lutheran minister/professor and singer, my mom is a singer and music educator) and we performed shows/concerts for non profits and groups together as a family.  I remember singing on stage with them as early as I could talk.  It was something that gave me confidence and that my parents encouraged me to do. I found that the creativity, the act of creating something, was addictive.  But even more than that, I saw, modeled in my parents, the concept of using your gifts not just to please yourself, but also in ways that benefit others.  My platform at Miss America was along those lines too.  Getting folks to use their talents in an altruistic way.  Supporting and encouraging an altruistic attitude. It’s very tempting to go “inward” as a performer.  I was lucky to have parents that encouraged the “outward” approach.
Kristin Huffman in "Company"(2006)
Kristin Huffman in “Company”(2006)
You played the role of Sarah in the 2006 revival of “Company”, which I have to say I absolutely loved, Being that it was a John Doyle show, not only did you act but you also had to play the flute, alto sax and piccolo. Had you ever had to do something like that on stage before? How was it working with Mr. Doyle? 
I actually wrote a whole series called “Actorquest” on Broadwayworld.com that outlined the experience starting at Cincinnati Playhouse right through the Broadway show.  It’s often humorous. I had never had to play and sing at the same time and while I was a flute and voice major in college, I had to learn the sax.  The whole experience was the most challenging and rewarding experience I have had onstage. John was great and very supportive of his actors.  He is a role model for me on how to have a vision and follow through on it, even if it’s different that what has gone before you.
Tell me about “After School at the Klein”. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity for young performers.
It is extremely rewarding for the teachers as well!  Part of The New Paradigm Theatre’s (NPT) mentoring mission is the development of young talent.  Not just as artists but also as leaders.  NPT collaborated with The Klein (also a non profit) in creating After School at the Klein (video created in the Video Production class (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ute6y-kvA_o) last year.  Helping with the growth of these students through the art (it’s all free for students in Bridgeport) is such a rewarding experience.
NPT”s MO is that we fit into or customize ourselves for other programs or non profits with our professional Broadway/Film/TV/marketing pros and allow the students the chance to learn from folks who are doing what they want to do.   Right along side of them!  An example of our teachers are Scott Bryce (TV and Film star) teaching the Acting for the Camera class.  Mark Holleran (Professional Video/Commercial Producer) teaching the Video production class.  I teach the voice class.  Jerold Goldstein (Broadway performer/musical director) teaching Acting and Chorus, and Andy Reimann (Professional Designer) teaches 3D set design.  It’s free for the students in Bridgeport.  This year NPT was able to keep working with ASK because of a generous grant from The Hubbell Foundation.  It’s great to have business like this supporting our efforts to educate the next generation of artists and leaders.  http://theklein.org/ask/
We are also creating a short documentary that will follow three of the students through this semester to show how they grown through the arts.3c040c06319a4a0760b9fefd8d3e1753
You’re currently serving as Producing Artistic Director of The New Paradigm Theatre, which looks like an exciting and new type of performance venture. What can you tell our readers about it? 
I founded it with my husband Andrew a few years ago and the concept was that the “If you build it they will come” idea of how to start a professional theatre (non profit) is very difficult in today’s climate. You have to work from the inside out instead. Think of “producing shows” in a way that involves and benefits a community and lets them rub elbows with the stars.   Let them tell you where to locate by their involvement and input.  Then when you open actual doors, you already have your audience because they have had a hand in developing what you do. I use a lot of Seth Godin’s (Best selling author) marketing concepts. But truly, you can produce shows almost anywhere and so we have been doing that for the last three years.
I also folded in all the things I have been doing my whole life into this theatre.  Teaching, performing for non profits and then doing actual shows.  We are lucky enough to have Mark Holleran (Holleran Media Productions:http://www.holleranmedia.com/) on our board and he does all our video work.
You can see the various elements of what we do on our site. www.nptheatre.org
I am very visual so this video is the best way to explain what we do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMO1gGTowNo
We are creating a new template in a few ways.  We focus the arts on developing young artists and leaders by putting them next to our pros in both theatre AND film and TV. As an “incubator” of new talent and leadership.  I always stress leadership or problem-solving skills through the arts because the reality is that most of the students are not going to become Broadway stars.  And even if they do, some folks would be surprised to learn how hard that is to make a living!  But to use the arts to create the next generation of leaders using all the skills that you learn through studying is very exciting to me. We have not only an adult board of directors, but we also have a Youth Board of directors who attend their own meetings each month, assist and appear in the shows, and learn about fund raising.  It’s made up of 15 teens from all over lower Fairfield. Learning to become altruistic individuals as well as artists.
It’s also obvious to me that a theatre company that can combine stage and screen will be able to stay on top of the market.  Social media and the active engagement of our audience, sponsors and students is one of our specialties as well.  And of course our youth board is great at this.
We are super lucky to have just hired Executive Director, Basil Hero, who brings a ton of fund raising and business sense to us as well as having the most engagedBoard of Directors who are behind our mission statement 100%.  Our annual Gala (where we will feature Celebrity Chefs from the Food Network and Broadway “sous” chefs singing will be April 30th.
Coming up on Jan 25th, New Paradigm Theatre is hosting Sunday Spotlight. What can you tell us about this event? 
Sunday Spotlight is A FREE educational webinar (you tune in from your own computer!) that features guest stars from Broadway, Film/TV as well as Voice Over Artists, Producers, Directors, Casting and all walks of the Entertainment industry. These pros give you their time so that you can learn about the business of the Performing Arts from the experts!  We have had folks like Randye Graff, Scott Bryce, Renee Lawless, Alan Rust, Christine Dwyer, Randye Kaye and more!
Anyone can sign up via the link below (free) and you will be sent your own personal link to use on the day of the Webinar.  Jan 25th. 9pm EST.  You see and hear through your own computer as well as being able to ask questions of the stars. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7179521021932180225
This month’s topic:  The era of “Pick me” is over!  “I will create my own!” is here!  NPT selected six successful college graduates to participate in a Round table discussion regarding their experiences in the “outside” world.  “Creating your own Career” using what each of them has learned in the arts, will be a big theme this evening.
Tune in from your own computer (it’s a free webinar) and hear successful grads give you advice and answer your questions in a thoughtful manner that will get you thinking about your own mission. Presented by The New Paradigm Theatre Company-NPT (a non profit) as a part of their mentoring mission to create leaders through the arts. http://www.nptheatre.org
TO ATTEND:  USE THIS LINK NOW TO SIGN UP FOR FREE https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7179521021932180225
(You will then be sent your own link to use on the day of the webinar which is:  Sunday, Jan 25th. 9pm EST)
Given your involvement with The New Paradigm Theatre and After School at the Klein, not to mention that you are also a professor at The Hartt School, is there an area in music or theatre that you’re still looking to get involved in?
I love producing. I think that is what I have been heading for all my life. Creating things. Projects that are topical, progressive, fundable and marketable. I think it’s a big theme now in the arts “Creating your own….” And it’s so much more possible than it was even 10 years ago. I will keep performing and teaching…but I think the producing side of theatre, new educational ideas and also video and web production work is where I am focused. Not just for myself, but for NPT. As a template for a progressive way to use theatre. I have a blog that follows the “Making of NPT” too called www.theatreringleader.blogspot.com.
Finally, what is the best advice you can give someone who is either looking to get started in theatre or music, or possibly looking to give it up?
Be Relentless!    Not just persistent.    Not just passionate.  There are tons of those folks. You have to be able to take rejection and pick and roll around it.  Remember that being an “Artist” can show up in many careers so don’t overlook any opportunities that come your way even if they aren’t what you originally planned.  Perfect your craft and then remember that this is a business.  Show. Business.  Treat it like that and you can create your own career using your particular talents. But mostly, BE RELENTLESS.
You can be a part of what NPT is doing by joining our mailing list http://www.nptheatre.org  or write to us: Info@nptheatre.org.  Also on Facebook of course!  “The New Paradigm Theatre”