John Taylor's Blog

Christmas Time... Is Here !

2010-12-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

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.

January 2010

2010-01-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hello, and Happy 2010 !

2010 - Wow - it sounds like a sci-fi movie ( which it was )... Hard to believe that it's actually the year in which we live ! Amazing ! Well - I hope all of you have a wonderful beginning to a new decade that I'm sure will prove full of rewards and surprises, much like the last one did. I look back in reflection as to what 2000 through 2009 held, and I'm amazed at how many incredible things happened to the world, and for me personally ! I'm looking forward to seeing what the new year and new decade hold !

Speaking of which - TMTO ( Teen Musical Theater of Oregon ) is about to hold it's Auditions for the 10th (!) production of its' existence, "The Will Rogers Follies". The "Follies" is the musical telling of famed philosopher / comedian Will Rogers' life, in the high-style of the Ziegfeld Follies. Great music, dance, and poignant story all promise to be a terrific show for all to see, as well as participate in. Auditions are at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater, Medford, Oregon, Saturday, January 16th, from 10am to 2:30pm. Performances at the Craterian are April 15-17. Go to www.craterian.org for tickets, and to www.cmtoregon.org for more info...

Personally, some big changes are in-store for me this year. I can't go into detail right now, but suffice it to say, 2010 promises to have some major and exciting changes planned. Of course, as timing permits, you can learn about them here in my blog. Stay tuned for more on this - I'm excited as to what this year ahead holds. Be assured - you'll be impressed and surprised !

My birthday is tomorrow - another one already ?? I can't believe another one is upon me - the saying you hear really is becoming true : time really does go faster as you get older. I don't know how that happens, but it certainly does seem to be the truth. I'm very grateful for all of the blessings and good fortune I've had / do have, and to be honest, I still feel, mentally, about 28 years of age... I've also been blessed with good health, ( knock on wood ), so things are going quite well at this birthday.

Thanks for reading my blog, and stay tuned to this channel for exciting info as it develops this year... You don't want to miss it !

Have a great January, and come see TMTO's soon-to-be smash hit, "The Will Rogers Follies" in April !

- John.

Happy Holidays / End of 2009...

2009-12-22T02:05:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone -

It's been quite awhile since I added to the 'ol blog here - 2009 has indeed been a fun and productive year... Three amazing CMTO / TMTO shows, lots of terrific performances, and many good times, both professionally and personally, had by all...

I'm looking forward to an even greater 2010 - in addition to a spectacular Spring show coming up ( The Will Rogers Follies ), I think this will be a year of great transition, change, and growth. I have a feeling that many new things will take place in our lives, and that's the name of the game when it comes to living life successfully - embracing change...

The minute things stay the same, is the minute things start becoming stagnant. Occasionally, I notice that some people seem to abhor change in their lives - they seem to want things to stay exactly as they are... I've always experienced the most excitement when things change, even in unexpected ways...

I give great thanks and appreciation to all of the wonderful blessings I've had to date ; so many terrific people, a loving family, and friends to be thankful for...

Here's to a wonderful 2010, and all of the exciting and rewarding times it promises to provide.

- John.

The Grapefruit Days of Summer...

2009-08-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Again -

Thought I'd post an update here on the 'ol blog, although how many people are actually reading this, is anyone's guess...

We're opening "Once On This Island" tomorrow night, and I'm happy to say we've got another hit on our hands in CMTO ! Our partnership with Craterian Performances really has begun to bear fruit, as this production really has been a collaborative effort between the two entities. The show looks and sounds fantastic, and again, the "kids" really have done a remarkable job with their respective roles. "Island" is a tricky show to produce so that it makes sense, much less entertain, and I feel we have been very successful in these regards... All we need now, is an appreciative audience ! We'll keep our fingers crossed ; if the audiences are lean, it won't be because the show is sleepy. The show really is wonderful. What a team we have in CMTO and Craterian Performances.

In other news - my efforts to regain my shapely girlish figure are starting to bear results as well. I've lost 10 lbs in the past couple of months, and I'm now "getting serious" with my new Grapefruit Diet. It's actually quite easy to eat grapefruit only ; we'll see how long I can last. I AM extremely motivated, however, and that makes quite a difference when embarking upon something like this. I'm tired of not looking the way I want, so I've decided to make this happen. Stay tuned for my results - I'm excited to see "the new me" !!

Summer is winding down, and I'm about to begin rehearsals for the Oregon Cabaret Theater's Fall '09 show, "What's Goin' On - The Songs of the 70's"... Lots of fun songs, the cast looks to be really great, and of course, Jim Giancarlo, the director, is always fun to work with... The show opens at O.C.T. in Ashland on September 9th, and runs through November 1st, so come on down, catch the show, and say "Hi" to me !

Other exciting news - CMTO, our theater company for the past 4 1/2 years, is expanding by adding the new branch of itself, TMTO, which stands for "Teen Musical Theater of Oregon". In our past years of successfully operating CMTO, we've realized a specialized need for a teen-based theater company, one that can address the needs of the age group 13 - 19. We're very excited about this new venture, as it will allow us to produce more advanced / sophisticated material, and at the same time, still allow CMTO to produce separate productions for those performers ages 7 - 12. So, both age groups will have their respective productions, and it will create incentive for those in CMTO to excel and "graduate" to TMTO. Stay tuned to the CMTO website at www.cmtoregon.org for more info on TMTO and CMTO.

That's it for now - thanks for reading, and see you at "Island" tomorrow night, and through this weekend of the 21st of August.

- John.

The Second Post...

2009-06-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Again...

Well, today we just posted our Cast List for the 8th (!) CMTO production to open in August, the hit musical "Once On This Island"... A great show, and we've got another great cast, ready to go...

We start rehearsals July 14th, but the cast has about 4 weeks to learn as much of the material as possible... Over 50 people in the cast - another huge CMTO extravaganza, to be sure....

We're also really excited about the merger of CMTO and Craterian Performances, debuting officially with this production... For those unfamiliar, Craterian Performances / Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater is the premiere professional theatrical venue in Southern Oregon, hosting over 95 productions ( featuring national tours of Broadway productions, and regional / local shows ) this year alone... A fabulous theater, we ( CMTO ) are so flattered and excited to have become THE official youth theatre program for Craterian Performances. We hope to see everyone come to this wonderful production of "Island", and see the first of many co-produced performances. CMTO is known throughout the area for producing the very highest quality youth theatre performances in the Valley. Craterian Performances / CMTO is synonomous with the best semi-professional youth theater in the Rogue Valley.

Crazy weather this week - violent thunderstorms abound throughout the Valley... Stay out of the lightning, as it's been really incredibly "electrifying" everywhere this week...

Been doing double-duty these past couple of weeks with music, scoring / digitally-orchestrating both "Island" and O.C.T.'s "What's Goin' On - The Songs of the 70's" show slated for production this Fall at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Oregon. Check out www.oregoncabaret.com to see all of the great offerings for this year... I'll be playing live ( yes - live ! - a rarity these days ) for the "70's" show at OCT, as well as with an "All-Star" band for the Holiday show at the Craterian this December 10th - "CMTO In Concert - A Musical Christmas". Featuring players like drummer Teri Coté, saxophonist Michael Vannice, bassist Bob DiChiro, and guitarist Joe Diehl, this show will be accompanying 10 of the top CMTO youth performers in Holiday favorites... Don't miss this show - it's going to be a great one !

Finally - after going "vegan" a couple of months back - I finally lost 20 lbs. of my "married" weight, right before filming the CMTO Promo Video that I look so heavy on... Definitely a hazard of being a "married person", not eating meat and walking my dog each day for 2 miles has really helped me take of the pounds... I still have at least 20 more to go, but it's a start... Keep rooting for me to get back to my pre-married weight of 190 lbs....

Thanks for reading my blog, and we'll see you again next time !

- John.

Hey ! Its My First "Blog" Post !

2009-04-13T22:51:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone !

Well, I decided to start a weblog, or a "blog" as it is most popularly known... Although I'm not a big fan of putting everything up about my life on the Internet, I thought that perhaps it might be fun to just "skim the surface", and post some things going on, here and there...

CMTO, Rhonda, and I, just finished up the "Broadway II" show at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater in Medford, and it was a huge success. We had a wonderful cast of 60 performers, and the show was quite exhaustive in its' coverage of popular Broadway fare... Although lots of fun, I don't think we'll be doing this sort of show again in quite awhile, as it literally took everything we had - energy, money, resources... did I say energy ? Well, it did. But it was worth it, as everyone had a great time, both performing and watching...

The next stop on the CMTO train ( CMTO stands for Children's Musical Theatre of Oregon, for those of you new to it ), is the wonderful musical, "Once On This Island". I'm creating the music for the show now, and the auditions are slated for May 30th. Rehearsals begin July 13th, and run until August 15th. We open August 20th, and run for four performances. This is completely different than anything we've done to date, so we're looking forward to a really terrific and unique show... If you can make to Medford, Oregon in August, we'd love to see you out at the Craterian for the show - it should prove to be BOFFO ( as Stephen McCandless would say...)

Other plans for us and me this year coming up, are a CMTO Holiday Show of some sort at the Craterian in December ( with a live band and me on keyboards - yee haw ! ), as well as yours' truly appearing on keyboards and music directing the Fall show at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, titled "What's Goin' On - The Songs of The 70's"... A great cast of pro singers and dancers will be in this show at the Cabaret, and the show runs from mid-September to the end of October... C'mon by say "Hello" if you're in town for this one - I'd love to see you !

Spring of 2010 will feature CMTO back in action again for the musical "The Will Rogers Follies" at the Craterian. Another "first-time" event for us at CMTO, we're excited about the possibilities of this show - great music and dance, to be sure...

For the Summer of 2010 and CMTO, we're still weighing different options, but nothing concrete yet. Possibilities include "Hairspray" and Disney's "Aladdin - The Musical", but... don't quote me on these yet.

Well, that's about it for now. I'm enjoying the break from this last show - having pneumonia during most of it while having to orchestrate and direct was really a tough time. Remind me never to catch pneumonia again during a show ; its really something that should be enjoyed during your "off-time". I'm still hacking away from the illness - this darn coughing just won't stop...

Another fun thing that Rhonda and I have done this past week, was to re-adopt our practice of veganism. No, this isn't the worship of many gods, but a redirecting of our diet choices. No meats, dairy, or anything having to do with animals as food products. We haven't gotten rid of our leather sofas yet, so I guess we're not "true vegans" yet. But for the meals / food aspect of it, we have made the switch and haven't looked back. Just about a week now, I already feel cleaner, inside and out, and don't feel as sluggish and tired as I have. Perhaps not for everyone, but this way of eating / living certainly did agree with us right before we moved from Vegas. I was 40 lbs. lighter, and felt and looked much better. I'm now on a mission to get back to my Vegas weight of 190. I think with this new diet, I'll make it before the end of the year...

Thanks for reading ( IF you're reading, that is... ). I'll post more when I've got some interesting things to report.

Until then - stay happy and healthy !

- John.