VAUDE_VISUALS

Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee are

MORRO AND JASP

A HILARIOUS LOOK BACK AT THE BEST PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE!

The show is about two sisters going thru the day to day turmoil of a girl’s life in puberty together.

Here are a selection of photographs from the evenings performance.

It was a delightful romp thru these sister’s lives. Funny with very poignant moments.

A charming amount of audience interaction was on hand!

What is a sister without phone issues?

A secret life is revealed!

“This device must have been invented by a man”.

This audience member found out it has many uses.

A novel use of the sticky surface.

An innocent audience member gets subjected to the ‘makeover’.

The puberty age does have it’s consequences.

An audience member (Billy Dee Bedlam) becomes her Don Juan.

After a very trying experience discovering ‘puberty’. Whew!

The curtain call involved a friend who was involved in the production. It was his birthday!

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Many people helped make this show what it is but the main person responsible was Co-Artistic Director

Byron Laviolette

Byron Laviolette is a Canadian playwright, director, dramaturge and critic who has been involved in theatre making and production for the last 20 years. Highlights include the world première of Waiting for Gilgamesh: Scenes from Iraq; Theatre du Refuse’s five star run of The Hunt For Treasure in the Toronto Fringe and its remount in N.Y.C in 2007 with English Rose Productions; Morro and Jasp do Puberty with U.N.I.T. Productions as well as the Canadian Premiere of Reefer Madness at the Hart House Theatre in 2006.

Byron is currently completing a PhD degree in Theatre Studies at York University, working on a dissertation on Canadian Theatre History and his criticism can be read frequently in EYE WEEKLY.

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This show has been the recipient of many awards including:

Canadian Comedy Awards Nominee 2010

Best of Toronto Fringe Festival 2010

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Here is an interview I did with the Co-Directors at Goods Restaurant across the street from The Brick Theatre

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Morro and Jasp Interview by Jim Moore from Jim Moore on Vimeo.

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Here are a few visual highlights from this past weekends performance of THE ROTTEN PLANTAINS.
A collection of wild and wonderfully funny clowns that put together an evening of insanity and delightfully funny chaos.
Pictured below are the cast members that come from far and near!

Patrick de Valette - Paris/ Claudio Carneiro – San Paulo  / Julie Ferrier - Paris / Fred Blin – Paris

(Wayne Wilson and Daniel Passer – Not pictured – Will be in the next weeks shows!)

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Guest Artist this past weekend – Arnaud Maillard  &  Amy Gordon – Brooklyn NY

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Patrick de Valette and Fred Blin start the show off.

Patrick de Valette and Fred Blin acting out a fantasy.

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Julie Ferrier

Julie’s character is so wrapped up in her discussion of ‘art’.

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Claudio Carneiro

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Patrick de Valette

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Julie Ferrier

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Amy Gordon – GUEST ARTIST

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Arnaud Maillard – GUEST ARTIST

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Julie Ferrier roller skates herself atop of an innocent audience member in a wonderful routine.

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The Rotten Plantain’s cast take a bow!

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The show was an amazing, hysterical, collage of clowns on their day off!
IT will be running again at 45 Bleecker St Theatre starting on August 26th for 4 Performances ONLY!

Thur Aug 26th at 10:30

Fri Aug 27th at 10:30

Sat Aug 28th at 10:30

Sun Aug 29th at 7pm

Get your tickets HERE.

Actually it is the amazing channeler of Lord Buckley from Santa Fe, New Mexico. ROD HARRISON. If you haven’t ever heard of Lord Buckley do some internet investigating and see what you are in store for! A real delight! Rod brings Lord Buckley back to life with his humourous, uncanny portrayal.

6pm Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts – OUT OF DOORS Festival

See Rod Harrison here in a video I shot at The Bowery Poetry Club celebrating Lord Buckley’s B’day last year! Performing The Nazz.

In depth interview with Lord Buckley biographer OLIVER TRAGER coming soon!

CIRCUS is a new six-hour series that takes you on an unforgettable trip with the legendary Big Apple Circus. From the big top to the “back lot,” explore a distinctive world with its own rules, lingo and no fixed address. Follow the diverse characters who make up the Big Apple family and find out what it really means to live life in the ring. Premieres in November, 2010. (PBS Press Release)

I mention this because my first posting of my new series CLOWN  UN_MASK was Glen Heroy.

http://vaudevisuals.com/2010/02/the-clown-un_masked-glen-heroy/

He has a terrific place in the documentary showing off all his delightful talent.

Mark Lonergan knows how to put together a good ‘variety show‘. He has  produced quite a few MOVE IT shows in the past plus his usual calendar of shows gives him a good ‘edge’ over the competition.

This MOVE IT show included some amazingly talented physical/variety performers.

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Starting the show off was a delightful “Oddotorium Puppet Freak Show”. Performed by J. E. Cross.

A pupppet  ’Coney Island’ type side show with the barker and the ‘main attraction.

J.E. Cross and The Cosmic Bicycle Theatre

J. E. Cross and his COSMIC BICYCLE THEATRE presented a beautiful “Puppet Freak Show”.

A very innovative puppet theatre company garnered with much attention which it surely deserves!

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The next act to perform was juggler/dancer Jen Slaw.

Combing the best movement with the grace of a beautiful juggler she made her work look effortless and charming.

Her act was simple, stunning, lyrical and and she is very talented.

Jen Slaw with Clubs

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One of producer Mark Lonergan’s favorite performers and  collaborator on some of Parallel Exit’s best shows is a charmingly gifted funny man Joel Jeske.

His stage presence is hysterical and he played the audience well with his JOEL JESKE TRIO.

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Book Kennison is one of my favorite unique comedic juggling acts.

He is a young man wit lots of talent and abilities.

Keep your eyes out for ‘Book Kennison‘. He is a rising star in the variety scene.

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Shana Solomon’s Phastasamic Physical Theatre

Performing their interpretation of Akira Kurosawa‘s film RAN

The six member company made use of corporeal talent and  unique physical discipline to interpret the essence of the film on stage without hardly any words and no scenery.

A great actor uses these skills before adding the voice.

I was very moved with the creative work that went into this piece.

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A playful duet James and JF came on stage walking cardboard dogs.

The piece was set in the future and included plenty of verbal banter and visual gags.

The comedy duet James and JF consist of  Emily James and Ishah Janssen-Faith.

Inventive, wild, sexy and off the wall funny!

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The Final performer for the evening was one of my favorite clowns. Chris Allison performing his wacky “CONEY ISLAND CHRIS“.

This act is so curious. He proclaims to have learned how to perform  ’sideshow’ feats in an online class.

What happens to him in front of the audience as he attempts to show off his new found skills can only be described as ‘hysterical’.

He was one of the finalist on “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT” and just returned from Germany where he performed in a revue of ‘Newcomers’ with all international artists.

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The evening would not be complete without a chat with the audience by Mark Lonergan.

SUPPORT THE VARIETY ARTS!

He knows how to make it happen. It is up to you…the audience to support it!

Watch out for the next MOVE IT show. They are SOLD OUT fast!

For additional information about Mark Longergan and/or Parallel Exit contact: Parallel Exit

(This is not a complete description of the show. Many of the performers did another turn.

I covered the parts I had room for!)

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS © 2010 Jim Moore

©2008 Dan Piraro

Every Sunday at 1pm and 4pm on a historical restored waterfront barge there is a show! WOW! What a show!

Ring Mistress and Artistic Director Karen E. Gersch

It is called Showboat Shazzam and every week there are new performers doing their amazing acts!

Pictured here is ballerina Lea McGowan and acrobat Rudi Macaggi.

You have a view of the Statue of Liberty and see an amazing show. Great for families and adults.

Here is a photograph and video from Will Shaw’s very funny act. He performed last weekend.

There are two more weekends to go in June. Make sure you go and see it before it ends for the year.

Upcoming acts include a trained flea circus, handbalancing act, jugglers, silk aerial act, comedy slack wire, contortion, magic and more!!

For more information and tickets go here: http://waterfrontmuseum.org/circus.htm

Today I photographed a wonderful parade. Not your normal one. This was a parade that was promoted as “The Greatest Smallest Parade”. And indeed it was! Floats made from small toys and plastic characters were mostly waiting in line to head out for the grand Parade.

The company GREAT SMALL WORKS produce an Annual International  TOY THEATRE FESTIVAL that happens at St. Ann’s each and every year. This is their 9th year! They have a Museum and start the festivities with a Greatest Smallest Parade.

One of the Smallest Floats!

The floats were varied. But most of the were very very small. It was a fun time for the families that just happened to be in Dumbo today. There was even a float that was a ‘cloud’.

When the parade reached it’s destination St. Ann’s Warehouse it just so happened that a charming japanese couple were getting married. So they joined in and made the parade ever more festive. They even had a brass band to accompany them for their fun.

A marriage ceremony that landed right in the middle of the parade.

Once all the floats were inside St. Ann’s they are on display for everyone to see. I liked this one alot.

A charming heartfelt float by Jane Gish. She also did one of a boat.

"I planted my feelings" float...

Go to the website (HERE) to see what shows are coming to St. Ann’s. They start this week and promise to bring a smile to your face.

And the band plays on!

Sometimes a show comes along that is so different that anything you have seen in a long time. Funny, original, intelligent, and physical comedy at it’s best. That show is titled “666“.It comes to NY from the Madrid based  group Yllana.

MAKE SURE YOU SEE THIS SHOW!

It may be that another show of this calibre will not hit NY for sometime. One of NY’s most ingenious performers ZERO BOY is currently appearing in this show.

It is an amazing roller coaster of laughter from sight gags and physical comedy par excellence!

I loved it! See it!

Raul Cano looks at his magazine with wild eyes!

Zero Boy, Lance Windish, Jeff LaGreca waiting to 'fry' the convict.

Tonight we saw the Golden Nose Awards Ceremony. IT was a festive evening with Golden Noses going to Eric Davis for “Clown of the Year’. The “Clown Organization of the Year” Golden Nose Award went to Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit. Michael Christensen accepted the award. The Audience Choice award for Best Clown Act went to “Otto and Lewis” and the award was accepted by Brian Foley. His partner Matthew Duncan was in St. Louis getting married. The Audience Choice Best Clown Character went to Brett Alters for his – Squeeks the Clown.

Host and Producer Christopher Lueck leaves the stage a proud man!

Christopher Lueck (and Amanda Pekoe) have  produced the show for the past 4 years and has presented over 400 clown acts during that time. The entire clown community would come out for these shows which happened the 3rd Monday of every month. Christopher announced during the March show that he was going to not produce the show any more and the Golden Nose Awards Ceremony would be his last ‘hurrah’. It was a splendid evening with great performers and organizations getting their just awards. It will be missed!

Great Job Chris. We will Miss You!