May 31, 2008

FOREIGNER

I mentioned in an earlier post that we did a show last week with FOREIGNER in San Francisco. It was a major hit with those who attended the 100th Anniversary Gala Awards celebration for the National Association of Electrical Distributors. It was really fun to watch about 1000 40-60 somethings reliving their youth! It was hilarious to see hundreds of executives in tuxedos and formal gowns swaying in front of the stage with brightly lit cell phones held high overhead (what ever happened to bic lighters?). The band was led by founder Mick Jones. His guitar solos were amazing, and the rest of the band blazed through nearly an hour and a hlf of classic rock hits from the band's stellar career. I think the audience's favorite was "HOT BLOODED". The members of the band could not have been more gracious, and the crowd really had a blast. It was the perfect ending for the association's 100th celebration. Here are some shots from the show.

Monday, May 26, 2008

A Summer of Wine

Summer is finally here! Today is Memorial Day and the weather in Nashville is perfect to set the tone for the summer to come. I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things at home after being out of town for the past week. My journeys took me to San Francisco for work and the California wine country for R&R. It was a fantastic week!

If you haven't been to the Wine Country, you should plan a trip. I just spent the past few days there and it was spectacular. The Napa and Sonoma valleys are home to an endless array of boutique and commercial wineries that offer tastings of world class wines that you'd never be able to find - or afford - in your local stores. I visited about 10 wineries and had never heard of any of them prior to this trip. Each of them made me feel as if I had discovered a wonderful treasure! You can also rent bikes and do tours of some of the back road areas where the grapes are grown and crafted into wonderful wines of nearly every variety. Sonoma County is especially beautiful, where the town of Healdsburg is the cultural and epicureal center of the wine scene in that area. The restaurants there are amazing, and the the town's arts community flourishes with painting, pottery, jewelry, and fabrics created by local artists and craftspersons. Healdsburg even had a big parade on Thursday sponsored by the Future Farmers of America! It was a great trip, with many pleasant memories. Here are some photos I took along the way. 

Not a bad way to start the trip!

Taylor's Refresher is one of the local culinary hot spots and curiosities. This 1950's era drive in offers incredible gourmet hamburgers, sandwiches and milkshakes...and a wine list with $100 bottles of wine. Only in California!

Many of Sonoma's wineries are surrounded by fabulous landscaping and gardens. 

This is a privately owned family vineyard called Graeser Wineries. The owner/winemaker was more than happy to share colorful tales of life as a wine pioneer while he poured tastings from his selection of outstanding vintages. 

This was the view from the front door of our cottage. Our hosts purchased a run down farm in the 1980's and turned it into a wonderful facility with guest cottages and a barn for special events and weddings. The gardens were spectacular. It was my first time to pick an orange from a tree in our front yard and have it for breakfast. Very tasty!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

AN EVENING WITH KENNY LOGGINS

My client, Lynda Healy, and me just before the show last Monday night.

Let me apologize for slacking off on making blog entries this past week. I have been in San Francisco working on a major corporate show for over a week. We were producing the National Association of Electrical Distributors Annual Leadership Summit. This was a convention for 1000 of the top executives and owners of the country's largest electrical distributors and equipment manufacturers. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the association, so they pulled out all the stops in terms of entertainment and production.  In addition to producing business sessions and award shows, we produced Kenny Loggins and "Foreigner" concerts on consecutive nights during the convention. It was a musical high for me. Kenny Loggins is one of my favorite acts, and Foreigner was a real crowd pleaser with my client. San Francisco was beautiful, and the weather could not have been better. Here are some shots of the Kenny Loggins show. I will post shots from the Foreigner concert in a separate entry. 

After the shows were over, my wife and I went to the wine country for a few days. Napa and Sonoma are some of my favorite places to relax, and without a doubt they are some of the most stunning places you could ever see. I will post those shots in my next entry. It was a truly great weekend!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

THE MAJESTY IN BERMUDA

The Majesty cast departed Nashville this morning for Charleston, SC, where they will board the ship for the first time. Brandon, Kelly, Barbara, Ruben and Bree accompanied the cast from GMC. We wish them the very vest for a fantastic 6 months spent sailing to Bermuda each week. If you haven't been to Bermuda, its a place you should definitely visit. It is a beautiful island with some amazing beaches and great views. These shots were taken during my last couple of visits to the island.  

Norwegian Cruise Line and The Gary Musick Company are proud to announce auditions for Singer/Actors for the Norwegian Jade and for Dancers for several NCL ships.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Shout, the Mod Musical
And the World Goes Round

Showdown!

Seeking soul, R & B, jazz, musical theater singers/actors who move
Must be at least 18 years old. Audition pieces should include Motown
classics, R & B standards and/or selections from Smokey Joe’s Cafe.
A pianist (please have sheet music in your key) and
CD player will be provided.
Please bring a picture and resume or C.V.

Auditions will be in the following locations...

May 13 (Tuesday)
Screenland Studios
10501 Burbank Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

Open Call Singer Actors 10 AM to 4 PM
Agents email for reserved times
Auditions@garymusick.com

May 13 (Tuesday)
Open Call Dancers 9:30 AM

May 14 (Wednesday)
Call backs
(times will be given at audition)

May 19 (Monday)
Giordano Dance School
614 Davis Street
Evanston, IL 60201
(Chicago, IL)

Open Call Singer Actors 10 AM to 1 PM
Agents email for reserved times
Auditions@garymusick.com
1:00 PM to 6:30 PM Call Backs

May 19 (Monday)
Open Call Dancers 9:30 AM

May 21 (Wednesday)
ATLANTA--more info to be posted soon!

June 1 (Sunday)
Vancouver--More info to come

Rehearsals for Singer/Actors begin June 30 for six (6) weeks and contracts
are for six (6) months in the Mediterranean. Further information available at
www.garymusick.com/auditions.htm

Also hiring singers and dancers for fall contracts on NCL and Celebrity ships…
Stay tuned for more audition details or send an audition reel to:
The Gary Musick Company
885 Elm Hill Pike
Nashville, TN, USA, 37210
615-259-2400
please see website for details or email auditions@garymusick.com

Friday, May 9, 2008

BON VOYAGE TO THE MAJESTY CAST!

Boy, have I been slacking off on keeping up with the blog this week! Its only because we have been busy and time has been at a premium. This week has also been stressful in many ways. We are working on getting the MAJESTY cast ready to head to the ship tomorrow, and their road has been a bumpy one to say the least. We've lost 3 great cast members because of medical technicalities, and have had to quickly arrange for equally great replacements. Our hearts go out to the cast members who will not be able to join us this time (don't worry guys, we'll give it another try!). A big thanks to the entire cast for handling all of this so professionally and positively. We are proud of everything you've done so far, and we look forward to seeing you take the stage in a couple of weeks! Here are some shots taken at their farewell dinner last night. Great looking cast!

The cast of the MAJESTY, from left to right: Mark McLaughlin, Megan Gleckler, Jason Kennedy, April Holloway, Taryn Escobar, Hayden Escobar, Blake Rowden, Lucy Wilkerson