Wonderland essay contest - Winners to receive Patel Conservatory class, tickets to Wonderland and dinner at Maestro’s !

Students in grades five, six, seven and eight throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties are invited to participate in the “Find your Wonderland: what makes your family wonderful?” essay contest, held by the Patel Conservatory at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

One winner in each grade level will receive four tickets to the Broadway Family Night performance of Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure on Wednesday, Dec. 2, complimentary valet parking, dinner for four at Maestro’s Restaurant, tuition to a Patel Conservatory class (restrictions apply) and a Wonderland prize pack. Additionally, award-winning students each will pick one teacher to receive two tickets to Wonderland.

To enter, students must submit a written essay answering the question “What makes your family wonderful?” in 500 words or less to the Patel Conservatory between Monday, Oct. 5 and Friday, Nov. 6. An impartial panel of judges will select the winners.

“The topic of our contest, ‘What makes your family wonderful,’ explores the tendency for each of us to drift in our own wonderland—unaware of those around us. We need to take the time to appreciate the wonderful people and joyful experiences in our lives, and share them with others,” said Wendy Leigh, TBPAC’s vice-president of education.

Performances of Wonderland will begin Nov. 24 in TBPAC’s Ferguson Hall and run through Jan. 3, 2010. “Wonderland will be a tremendous Broadway-quality show and for these contest winners to study the performing arts right here at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, where Wonderland will premiere, will be an incredible and unprecedented opportunity,” Leigh said.

The story of Wonderland, set in modern Manhattan, tells the story of author Alice Cornwinkle, a descendent of Lewis Carroll’s muse Alice Liddell, who is struggling with her career, her husband and her daughter. Audiences will journey with Alice to Wonderland and the Looking-Glass World, strange-yet-familiar places where she must reclaim her daughter, defeat the Queen and learn to follow her own heart.

Essays must be typed or printed clearly on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper and include contestant’s name, age, school, grade level, name of parent/guardian, mailing address and phone number. Essays must be mailed to Patel Conservatory, Attn: Essay Contest, P.O. Box 518, Tampa, Fl 33601-0518 or delivered to Patel Conservatory, 1010 North W.C. MacInnes Pl., Tampa, FL 33602-3720.

As part of the non-profit Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the Patel Conservatory offers classes for children and adults of all experience levels in all kinds of dance, music and theater. More information is available by calling 813.222.1002, and by visiting www.patelconservatory.org.

Is This Thing On?

Come see the latest group of developing comedians at Is This Thing On?, a showcase by the Stand-up Comedy students of the Patel Conservatory. This is the sixth term of successful comedians to 'walk the plank' at Patel.

Performing under the name “The Patel Standup Comics,” the students perform on Monday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. at The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Shimberg Playhouse.

After eight weeks of analyzing, writing, creating, destroying and reworking material, these students will meet the challenge of eliciting chuckles in a 90-minute performance hosted by local comedy vet and instructor "ranney."

Instructor "ranney" is the stand-up comedy, spoken word and scene-study instructor for the Patel Conservatory. "ranney" is an international comedian/poet who has headlined London's The Comedy Store, Dublin's The Comedy Cellar, and various venues at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. "ranney" was the premier comedian at Laff Tuesdays at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. As a spoken word artist, "ranney" won the Universal Poets competition in 2000 and was nominated Best International Poet 2003 by the Farrago Poetry Group of London. "ranney" has developed and performed nine one man shows, with the last one, "Cufflinks and Jolly Ranchers for Dummies" performed nightly at the Underbelly at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The tenth, "The Black Plague" will premiere soon.

Is This Thing On? will contain explicit language and themes. Tickets can be purchased at the door or through The Center Ticket Office at 813.229.STAR.

Eastman School of Music named “Hottest Music School”

Newsweek named the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY as the “Hottest Music School” in their August 20th issue. “Eastman is heaven for instrumentalists, but students also get to study at the University of Rochester, of which it is a part. It’s perfect for aspiring musicians who don’t want to sacrifice academics.”

TBPAC was honored to host the school’s Eastman Jazz Ensemble and director Bill Dobbins for a week-long residency last October at the Patel Conservatory. The EJE boasts such accomplished alumni as Chuck Mangione. This generous and talented group of musicians performed three free concerts for the community, a master class on jazz piano, plus an all-day workshop for over 250 high school musicians. Credit for arranging the residency goes to Patel Conservatory music instructor and Eastman School of Music alumnus James Crumbly.

James is not only an incredibly talented musician - who plays piano, composes, arranges and conducts music for productions at the Conservatory and elsewhere - but he is also a enthusiastic and versatile instructor who inspires his students to reach musically. Students in his Adult Group Voice class range from folks who haven’t warbled a tune since high school chorus to those honing songs for performance gigs. James also created the Jazz Ensemble class for musicians in grades 8-12 who want to focus on jazz improvisation and ensemble playing. He’s already sent six of his Jazz Ensemble students off to college to study music and forge their own musical paths.

So, if you’d like to join James in a music class, visit our website soon as classes start Aug. 27. And if you ever have the opportunity to see James perform, don’t let it pass you by!

James Crumbly, on piano, warms up Voice Ensemble students for their Summer Showcase.

-Carol Cohen, Education Marketing Coordinator

Juggling and poetry workshops

Poetry Off the Page with Glenis Redmond

Experience poetry coming to life! Join workshop leader Glenis Redmond, performance poet and educator from North Carolina, to learn ways to use brainstorming, imagery, and layering to write powerful and effective poems. Clear and easy poetic structures and formats empower you to expand your imagination and to cross creative boundaries. This workshop is for all who wish to know and express themselves more intimately; writing experience is not necessary. Before you begin writing, you will be given prompts to guide you in expressing your own spirit and truth.

Sat., April 28 at 1:00 pm at the Patel Conservatory at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

Call 813-222-6453 to register

Glenis Redmond's love of words has carried her across the country for thirteen years. She logs over 35,000 miles a year bringing poetry to the masses. This Road Warrior Poet though steeped in Afro-Carolinian roots, speaks a universal tongue of love, loss, celebration, sorrow and hope. Her verse uplifts family, culture, and community. Glenis is a gentle pen pusher as she encourages others to find their voice at diverse venues across the country from prisons, universities, festivals, conferences, camps, keynotes, rallies, to schools. Her poems soothe, illicit and inspire others to pick up their pen and travel their own poetic road.

Glenis is a 2005-2006 NC Literary Award recipient and a Denny C. Plattner Award winner for Outstanding Poetry, awarded by the Appalachian Heritage Journal. She has been inducted in the Mt. Xpress' Hall of Fame for Best Poet in Western North Carolina after winning for over seven years. Glenis is a national workshop leader with the Kennedy Center's Partnership in Education Program in Washington, D.C. Her work has aired on National Public Radio. She is a past winner of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam and a top ten finalist in the National Poetry Slam. Glenis' work has been published most recently in Meridians, African Voices, EMRYS, Asheville Poetry Review, 2006 Kakalak: A Journal of Carolina Poets, Appalachian Heritage and the Appalachian Journal. Her manuscript Under the Sun was short listed by Autumn House Press.

www.glenisredmondstore.com

Sara Felder (of June Bride) Juggling Class

Grades: 5-Adult

This juggling class is for people of all levels from beginner to advanced. The coordination-challenged are especially welcome. Everyone learns to do something they didn’t think they could do. Leave the silk shirt at home and get ready to sweat. Big fun.

Sat., April 28 2-4 p.m.

Call 813.222.1002 to register.

Both workshops are free to Patel Conservatory students; $5 all others

Get Blown Out!

The Patel Conservatory's Rock School Blowout is this Sun., starting at 1pm. Here's a recap of last year's event via CULTURE SHOCK.

Led by Rock School guru Lee Ahlin, along with Maggie Council DiPietra and Evan LeFloch, these 14 bands remind us why we were born to be wild and the benefits of wanting to Rock ‘n’ Roll all day! Blankets and stadium seats are permitted for this outdoor event, but chairs with legs are not. Food and beverage will be available for purchase. This is a FREE, non-ticketed event outside on the Riverwalk at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center!

Plus, hot off the presses, there will also be one Rock School Jr. band playing first. Three little rockers, grade 2-4, so I have to imagine they're bound to be cute.

This summer, The Patel Conservatory is offering three classes of this type: Rock School (grade 5-adult) and Summertime Blues (grade 5-adult for more advanced students focusing on the blues)—both 10-week classes, and Rock School Jr. (grades 2-4)—5-week class. Look here for more information.

-dj

Stand-up comedy 'final' for Patel Conservatory course

See the below email from "ranney" - local actor, author, director and teacher. I've seen his solo act, as well as las year's class final. It's all worth checking out. C'mon, it's only $5, and what else are you doing on a Mondya night?

Come and see the latest class of stand-up comedy grads do their thing. They've been working hard the last 10 weeks (ten weeks of abuse from me; you should come and hand them medals for that alone), and this is a really funny group of ladies and gentlemen.

I'll spoil the suspense now: you will be offended by someone. If I've done a half decent job, we all will be offended by the end of the evening. Lighten up and come take a few punchlines. This is the most diverse group I've had and they need your support.

SOAPBOX MOMENT: Not everywhere, but many places treat stand-up comedy like a bastard artform and then, all of a sudden, everybody wants a comedian to host, sell products, spice up their speeches, etc. I've heard countless performing artist say "It takes such guts! I could never do that." But then they never come out and support comedy (If it doesn't apply, let it fly). Look, this an always evolving artform. Many a comedian is creating - in collaboration with you, the audience - their work right in front of you with the pressure of making a room full of strangers of different backgrounds and personalities laugh. It is ironically helpful when that audience is sizeable and loud (with laughter).

enuf.

Come, bring some peeps, and send some peeps.

And hey, join us for some drinks at The Hub afterwards!

be well and tranquil.

incontrovertably,

"r"

www.itsranney.com

www.myspace.com/mrfunnyblackman

-dj

Suzanne Farrell in Tampa

She left her home in Cincinnati at to go to New York City and audition for the legendary George Balanchine. On her fifteenth birthday, she danced for him in a private audition – 2 days late she had a full scholarship to train at his School of American Ballet. By 16, she was a member of Balanchine’s acclaimed New York City Ballet. He created Meditation for her. He created Tzigane for her. He created Diamonds for her. He was her teacher and friend. She was his muse.

By the time she retired from the stage in 1989, Suzanne Farrell achieved a ballet career without precedent or parallel. During her 28 years on the stage, she danced a repertory of more than 100 ballets, nearly a third of which were created expressly for her by Balanchine and other choreographers, such as Jerome Robbins and Maurice Béjart. Her autobiography, “Holding On to the Air”, was published in 1990 and has been reissued by the University Press of Florida. The film Suzanne Farrell – Elusive Muse was nominated for an Academy Award in 1997 as Best Feature Length Documentary.

A 2005 recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, Farrell now spends her time traveling the world as a repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust and as artistic director of her own Washington, D.C.-based company The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. She’s in Tampa this weekend at the Patel Conservatory auditioning young dancers for her summer intensive program Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell – a rare and enriching experience for the area’s dance students.



- Paul B.

Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, Aasif Madvi ....

The list keeps getting longer and longer. So many Tampa connections right now to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I've already talked about Aasif Mandvi's Tampa connection, and you hopefully all have your Jon Stewart tickets (don't mess around now - I will thump anyone calling me a week before the show asking if I can get them tickets!).

Perhaps one of the coolest connections right now is a 9-day residency coming up with Lewis Black and his cohort Joe Grifasi - who will be in town to put up Lew's play One Slight Hitch as a staged reading here at the Patel Conservatory's TECO Theater Dec. 14-16.

A staged reading is basically kinda what it sounds like. They've cast the show, they'll have a rough approximation of a set, they'll rehearse a minimal amount - but in the end they'll have scripts in their hands. This is going to be an opportunity for Lew to revisit this play - which he originally wrote in the 1980s. He'll be revising a bit while in rehearsals with the actors (he's strictly here as playwright - his colleague and friend Joe Grifasi is directing) and every night during the public staged readings Joe, Lewis and the cast will take part in post-show talk-backs with the audience to answer questions and solicit feedback on the piece. This will likely lend itself to more rewrites from night to night.

It's really an incredible opportunity not only for the local actors to work with a nationally recognized playwright and director, but it's a great opportunity for the public to get some inside access to the creation of a show and a chance to pick his mind on his creation. I had the opportunity a while back to have dinner with Lewis and talk about his life in the theater, and what I'm trying to do here in Tampa.

Did you know: Before becoming a stand-up comedian, Lewis black studied playwrighting at Yale under the legendary David Mamet? Well, now you do!

This is almost an event too cool for Tampa, right? Staged readings with a New York director where the playwright, who's you know - on TV regularly and is probably one of the workingest comedians of his day, is actually in town at the performances gathering feedback and tweaking his creation through the process.

Wowsers. Next thing you know you might actually be able to buy groceries or gas while you're Downtown.

Nah ... now that's just crazy talk ...