Christmas Time... Is Here !

Happy Holidays Everyone !

It's amazing that I haven't posted on my blog in almost a year ! I can't believe it's been that long - where in the world does the time go ?

Well, better late than never. It's been quite a year, this 2010. Amazing things, amazing shows, all of it pretty astounding !

A recap - in the Spring of 2010, I decided to get on the "getting-in-shape" bandwagon, join the gym, and get healthy again after putting on almost 60 lbs. of weight that wasn't with me when I moved to the Rogue Valley in 2005. So, after lots of sacrifice, hard work in the gym and dedication, I finally dropped the 60 lbs., and got back to my current weight of 180 lbs. It's nice to not see what I was seeing in the mirror previously, not to mention the sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and chronic snoring that also has disappeared.

In the world of our TMTO ( Teen Musical Theater of Oregon ), we had some incredibly great shows this year ; in the Spring, we produced "The Will Rogers Follies". A daunting show to attempt, much less make great, but our cast and team did it in high-style. Our "kids" ( I say that lovingly - many of them are almost 17-19 - young adults practically ! ) never cease to amaze me. What talent these remarkable performers have. Needless to say, our "Follies" was a big hit. So proud of each and everyone of our TMTO / CMTO "kids"...

In the Summer, we continued the TMTO / CMTO tradition of great, splashy, highly-produced shows, with the musical, "Seussical - The Musical". Another blockbuster show, this time, with the added fun of having our "little ones", the CMTO branch ( Children's Musical Theater ) join their older brethren in a cast of 60 (!) for what turned out to be a gigantic, live-action "cartoon" of the the very best of Dr. Seuss in a Broadway-musical scenario.

Another incredible cast ( we always seem to get the very best, and just the "right" people, for our shows - we're so blessed ), and audience once again rose to their feet in standing ovations and sold-out performances at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater in Medford for the TMTO Summer 2010 hit show. It's exciting to see that, after 5 years of existence of the TMTO / CMTO entity, that our shows truly approach the quality and production values of national touring act productions one would see in a major city. Credit for that goes to our kids, our talented production and artistic staff, and of course, the place that does it ALL for us - The Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater - our hallowed home.

On a personal note - it was exciting to finally connect with my paternal father and sisters whom I didn't learn about until I was 40 years old ( I'll be 47 a month from now ). Rhonda and I hired a private investigator to locate my father and sisters, and we had the great fortune of meeting up with all of them in Las Vegas for a three-day visit. What an incredible feeling to finally meet your father, face-to-face, after living a lifetime without having the privilege of knowing him, or my sisters, for that matter.

All three were / are, terrific, and it was truly a joyful connecting. It's great to have them in my life for the first time - I'm so grateful for having the good fortune in knowing them - especially my father, before he gets any older.

In October, TMTO / Craterian Performances staged and produced, "A Howlin' Halloween", which was a musical / dance review featuring the most favorite "spooky / supernatural / Halloween-ish" musical numbers from television, movies, and Broadway. Another great show, with a sold-out performance at the Craterian.

And now, tomorrow night we'll be wrapping up the TMTO 2010 season with our reprise of "TMTO In Concert - A Musical Christmas". This show, by popular demand, is a remounting of the similar show we produced last year, and features eight of TMTO's very finest young performers in a musical review of the most revered Christmas musical numbers from television, movies, and Broadway. As a "bonus" ( I guess that's what you'd call it ), I personally play keyboards / piano with a live band for the performances. Two shows are scheduled - Friday, December 17th, and Saturday, December 18th. It should prove to be a fun holiday treat for all...

2011 is coming up fast on the horizon, and we'll kick off the TMTO 2011 season with the classic musical, "Hello, Dolly !", with rehearsals commencing January 3rd, and the production opening at the Craterian on Thursday, March 5th, running the entire first weekend of March. Another talented cast in the chute for the production - you don't want to miss this classic Broadway musical !

Lots more exciting things coming up in 2011, including a special CD project I'll be producing with one of Southern Oregon's premiere vocalists ; also, look for an exciting Summer 2011 TMTO show, as well as a possible Halloween offering, and perhaps some Christmas 2011 surprises in-store, all courtesy of Craterian Performances, TMTO, and of course, yours truly...

I'll sign off for now - have a joyous Holiday season, and I hope to see all of you come out for the TMTO shows throughout the year !

Happy 2011 !

- John.