Wednesday, March 1, 2023

"Artist Originals" Session 10



Life. How do your portrait it; how do you discuss it? My bride Christi has improved my life. Bubba (my dog) has taught me how to improve my life. How to be a better human. Stories, perceived or real, can pass along what was to describe life. Some stories are told around the fireplace. Some are told on the front porch. Some in a small social setting. Some are read in books. And finally, told (and some times unspoken) through music. All portrait life because that is the foundation. There is usually some take away for the audience, for them to reflect on their life.

The person telling the story has the most investment. As a listener you have the prerogative to take what you are listening to and to do with it as you will. Tonight as Mark Mybeck went through his set list, I caught myself feeling like I was elsewhere. The first set was like a family gathering. The second set was like a rush of thoughts moving in different directions. Not chaotic thoughts, just intent in many directions that tied together. Both sets were life. It could have been a remembrance, whether perceived or real, but do you really know? The fact is the music brings emotion from the storyteller to you. How you choose to interpret can be strongly influenced by the teller, or by you the listener.

This is not to say Mark's set list was intended at all to take you on the trip I was on. What Mark's list was for sure, was his stories, told and played in a way that allowed you to do with it what you wanted to. No group head banging conformity (you could also say head nodding, foot stomping, finger tapping . . . remember the scene from Dead Poets Society in the court yard?). No local talking (first set), and an exuberance of noise while he played the second set because of an anxious human vibration in the air.

Here are some photographs from the evening. Enjoy!






















And for some further entertainment, check out Bill Hayden's vid of Mark . . .

Part 1

Part 2



Please support your local artist. They depend on us!


Mark Mybeck

of

Nomad Planets


Austin Community Tavern

81 East 34th St.
(on Steger Road, 1 mile West of I-394)
Steger, IL
708.248.6791


You can see a categorized thumbnail of all my blogs on Mark Mybeck and Nomat Planets by going to StreetPhoto.ME.

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

Friday, February 24, 2023

Mrs. Cole Porter at the Towle Theater


(the life of Mrs. Cole Porter)

This was interesting. It brought to mind past musicals and plays that I have seen where I have learned about someone, a different perspective, or even a different outcome for "what if". For instance, did you know that Cole Porter was born in Peru, Indiana? And did you know he went to Yale, then to Harvard?

Linda (Linda Lee Thomas) and Cole Porter met in the year 1918, and married in 1919. This musical is about Linda's life with Cole, including some of her family accolades (of sort), and of course Cole's pursuit of music and the unconventional life they had.

Linda Porter is played by Linda J. Wilczynski. She is just beautiful on stage. She is flamboyant, just as you would picture Linda Porter's life. A very wonderful performance leaving me knowing Mrs. Cole Porter.

My bride and I enjoyed photographing our Linda on stage. So graceful, full of expression, opening up to us. Such a beautiful set for this musical too. As always, I wish I had taken better photographs of Linda on stage. Given that, here are some photographs for you to enjoy.




















































Exclusive Show Sponsor

Calumet Electric Supply Corporation


Season Sponsor

Leon Dombrowski & Seda Turan

Accucraft Imaging, Inc.


Production Staff

Director – Jeff Casey


Music Director – Valerie Webdell

Ron Fary – Percussion

Amanda Kraupner – Bass


Lighting Designer – Jeff Casey


Set / Costume Designer – Kevin Bellamy



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


You can see a categorized thumbnail of all Towle Theater related 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.