Saturday, July 28, 2018

The Newports 7/28/18



"The Newports are a 9 piece blues, rock and soul super group of musicians from all throughout the South Chicago suburbs." - Newports

This was my first time at a Newports gig. What I enjoyed about their music is the life and vibe they give it, loving every note they play. Each member in their own right has a special part in this band. A few have ties all the way back to high school. I will highlight a couple of the members that I know later in this post.

You can find them playing in the Michiana / Illinois region; Acorn Theater (Three Oaks, MI), Elements (Valparaiso, IN), Bottoms Up Bar & Grill (Lansing, IL), and here at the Grapes & Grain (my old stomping grounds in Homewood, IL). Check out their events page by clicking "here".















"Sonny Lee" Tritt (photo below), is one of the most respected musicians among all the bands in the region. I first met Sonny Lee when he was doing some pickup sax for The Robots. His vibe is also true to his soul. You just want to travel with him on his musical journey.







Mark is fun to watch. He keeps the audience engaged. Once and a while there are moments like this, when Mark deeply feels life and takes it for what it is, explaining it to us in his play.



























This next photo was taken of St. Joseph's Catholic church as I walked back to the car.




The Newports



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Saturday, July 14, 2018

"Fun Home" at Towle Theater


Such a strong cast and beautiful performance. I thought it strange before the photo shoot that the Director (Jeff Casey) did not give any final instructions to the cast. This was because the casting was perfect, the practice and performance beyond reproach.

Fun Home? As a child I believe home is always fun. At least it was for me. This home, however, has its uniqueness. Is it a museum?  Is it a home?  Is it a mortuary? In all, it is a fun home with this family's problems.

Do not forget about the "airplane" at the beginning of the musical, because you will be cheerfully connected if you spot the ques near the end.

For me this musical rated up there to "Ordinary Days" that I photographed several years ago as my first "on-stage" photo shoot.  It was so extraordinary, like "Fun Home" is in it's own way. Jeff Casey has done one of his bests, in my book, directing this. It does help to have such a strong cast, as found in the casting.

Go see these artists perform. Let Alison take you through her life as she writes her memoir, her map of her life. Let small Alison help you see into her life as she interacts with her dad and siblings.  Let medium Alison find her happiness which she expresses so very well.

The other cast members need equal recognition. Without them this musical at the Towle Theater would not be as special as it is. Each played their part to support the show and to make it real for us. There individual characters are played to their extent to help share concerns or motivations one might have in this scenario. Thank you!

Cast
Alison   Meghan Hoyt
Medium Alison   Nicole Baker
Small Alison   Stella Hoyt
Bruce   Gino Generelli
Helen   Heather Clark
Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby  Jeremy Lewis Rawlinson
Joan   Rebecca Buechel
Christian   Jackson Lopez
John   Derek Diehl










  

  


  








  
  














  





  












  








  





  
  



  


  










  












  













  

   

  

  


  

  




  





Production Staff

Director —  Jeff Casey 

Vocal/Music Director —  Elizabeth Tuazon
Lighting Design & Operator —  Adrienne Petty
Set/Costume Design —  Kevin Bellamy


Musician
Piano — Elizabeth Tuazon
Guitar —  Robert West
Violin —  Shannon Yardley
Cello —  Nick Burrell 
Bass —  Carter Bisel
Multi-Reed —  Larry Meschi
Percussion —  Roye Robley



Towle Theater
5205 Hohman Ave.
Hammond, IN 46320
(219) 937-8780


You can see a categorized thumbnail of all my blogs by going to StreetPhoto.ME.

At the bottom of this blog post are five buttons to click on: E-mail this, Blog this, Share to Twitter, Share to Facebook, and Share to Pinterest. Please take advantage of them and share this blog post with your friends.

The "219 Music" and "219 Artare owned trademarks of Wes Bushby.