HMS Pinafore

Anybody want to join in the fun?

Happy December decorating!

Book Tutorial

...just in case you were wondering how to make the book that we created at the overnight! Here's a set of video directions.

Enjoy!

kj

Let's have a Slumber Party!

Celebrations

I'm getting excited for fall!

The open house is September 6 from 10-12 AM. Come downtown to enjoy the farmer's market and stop by our studio at the same time.

I'm so excited I may just make some cookies.

Perhaps my favorite recipe right now...http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/pw-oatmeal-crispies.pdf

Enjoy!

Zoom A Zoom Zoo @ MadCAP

Djam Vivie came to the zoo for a day of drumming and dancing :: Enjoy!

Wonderland

Thanks all! :)

kj

On the Prairie

Today we went to the prairie at Lussier Family Heritage Center in McFarland (in Lake Farms County Park).

We saw frogs, toads, grasshoppers, butterflies, silly teenagers (oh yes! We brought them with us.), and lots of birds.
Nate G. told us all about what kind they were. (the birds.) Here's a frog. We had to be really quiet so that we could see him on the side of the boardwalk.
At the halfway point in our hike, we sat on the deck in the wetlands and wrote in our journals. Simon and Colton got new hairstyles.

What a great day!

**Guest blog entry by Abby.

Lake Mess News!

...and don't miss the videos of these stories on our youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/kjerstielinn

of Poems and Nature

Special thanks to Miriam, Jillian, and Coltono who've composed this brilliant message about biking to keep a cleaner environment...

Photo Albums

Thanks to everyone for a WONDERFUL performance weekend!

Sleeping Beauty and Macbeth were both outstanding. Please visit the photo albums we have at Shutterfly http://madcapjuly2008.shutterfly.com/action/ and take a peek at what we've got here. Videos will be up shortly!

kj

Macbeth - this one goes up to 11

Thank you to all for a wonderful first week of rehearsals. We have roughed block the whole show, costumed about 2/3rds of it (yay Maya and Taynasia) and choreographed two awesome fights (thanks Paul and Alexander). I am very impressed with how well you all know your lines. This will help a lot next week when we put the books down and experiment with and polish the small scenes. We will begin working with music at the Bartell as well, so that you get used to entering to and in some cases speaking over very loud music. I thank you for your willingness to try new things and explore this wonderfully gritty play with me. Next week we meet at 214 Henry street (Madcap Studio's) and hike over to the theater Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We will return to the MadCAP studios in time for two oclock pick up. Thursday and Friday we will be in the small acting studio or an alternative space but we will meet at 214 Henry street regardless of our final rehearsal location. Please look over your lines and your blocking this long weekend and be prepared on Monday to put your scripts down and HAVE AT IT!

Rock on,
Evy

Highlights from Aristocats

Thanks for all of your hard work these past two weeks...what a great performance!

Week 1 in Review

Enjoy! Thanks for such a wonderful start to our productions....

Day 2

...the update!

Go AristoCats

WOW!
Thanks to the cast of Aristocats for a FABULOUS 1st rehearsal. Everyone was amazing today. We blocked and sang the opening number, the second most complicated scene in the show.. Today we also learned the music to the finale and the bows. Everyone sounds great!!!!!!! The interns are all very impressed with how well you sound and how great the opening number looks and so am I. On Wednesday we will do the finale which is the most complicated scene. We will also begin learning the middle of show. I always like to do the tough stuff first, which is usually the opening and closing numbers. Then when the tough stuff is finished, it’s much easier to learn the middle. Tomorrow (Wednesday) you will get scripts and CD’s to take home and use to practice, practice, practice. The cd’s can stay home with you or be played wherever you have a cd player (I play it in my car. My son knows all the music just by listening to it whenever we drive somewhere) The scripts must go home with you and then COME BACK to MadCAP for every rehearsal.. DO NOT LOOSE YOUR SCRIPTS! THEY ARE PRECIOUS!!!!. I am having a lot of fun with all of you and I hope you are having a lot of fun as well. You all ROCK.

Crazy Man Crazy
Evy

First day in June programs

Thanks for such a nice start to the week!

Hello AristoCats

Hello cast of AristoCats!!!
I am eagerly anticipating seeing you all on Monday and starting work on AristoCats. It is a very fun show. My son Simon and I have been listening to the CD in the car for a month and the music is great, the dialogue is funny and I keep doing the dances at the grocery store because I can’t wait to teach them to you.

I am sure many of you are wondering about auditions and how roles are assigned. On Monday we will meet and play theater games for an hour then we will have a snack. After snack I will explain the available roles and have cast members say what roles they are interested in. Bridget will teach music and sing with those who are interested in singing solos. For the last thirty minutes I will do a quick audition technique were I will say “Everybody who is auditioning for Duchess stand up. Walk like a rich cat. Say “come along kittens, etc.” I will do this for all roles. Casting decisions will be announced Tuesday morning.

There are thirty actors in the cast and 19 named roles in the script, but Bridget and I will see that any one who wants a singing solo will get one. We are very good at creating special parts for every actor who wants a speaking or singing solo.

See you all on Monday – please bring a snack, water bottle, comfortable clothes and all your ENERGY.
This show will rock – crazy man, crazy

Evy

Bill Haley - Rock Around The Clock (1956)

This song is definitely (well, I think it is) the inspiration for the song "Bobby Sock Hop" which is prominently featured in our show. Listen to the opening line of the song in the video and see if you can pick out two important structural elements...

1. The accompaniment plays solid chords on beats one and four of the first few measures framing the singer's part

2. The sung melody ascends through a triad (singing on the first, third, fifth, and octave of the chord, just like in a warm up).

Later on in the song, you'll hear the eighth note chords in the upper register keeping time.

Gene Vincent - Be-Bop-A-Lula

"Be Bop A LuLa" is good example of a song using a shuffle rhythm (think "Yellow Jackets") and the traditional 12 bar blues form.

12 bar blues is a structure that was frequently used in popular music in the beginning of the Rock n' Roll movement that continues to be employed in song writing. It is a 12 measure structure utilizing the three main chords in a key signature (I=tonic, IV=subdominant, V7=dominant seventh). The V7 chord will always lean towards the I, or tonic. This brings us back to the original key at the end of every song.

Some useful links for yo!

http://www.history-of-rock.com/DooWopSound.htm

Visit the site, take a listen, and learn about the early stages of Doo Wop. Leave a comment for me and tell me what your favorite Doo Wop song is! Can't wait to find out...

Five Satins - In the Still of the Night

Here's an even better example of that 12/8 ballad style that "Star Love" is written in. Listen to the bass and tenor lines carefully and try to sort out the sounds.

The Platters - Only You (1955)

If you listen carefully, you'll hear the piano playing that 12/8 accompaniment pattern that we have in "Star Love"...there are three eighth notes for every strong beat in the song. The backup singers are harmonizing nicely, and the sound blends into one rich blend.

Listen to the stylizations of the soloist and back up singers and experiment with that sound in "Star Love".

Elvis Presley, Hound Dog

Here's a classic Elvis piece...this is the young Elvis Presley as referred to in the show.

Our New Studio Space!

MadCAP's Board of Directors, Executive Director Joan McCarthy, and outstanding volunteer Ellen Rosner have been hard at work finding a new space for MadCAP's creative endeavors. We are in the final planning stages of moving to 214 North Henry Street.

Looking forward to our shows!

Hi all! I am looking forward to our upcoming performances of Prince and the Penguin & Bugz!

Thanks for such a fun weekend!

Photos can be found on our Kodak Gallery album site here:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=5f74ocd.9xnrwa0l&x=0&y=-kivvz1