| | | | | | |

On Stage, Everyone! On With the Show! — Julie’s Greenroom

ByBeth

The curtain is about to open on an exciting new offering from Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, Lisa Henson and a whole host of others, including brand new Henson puppets! It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids (and not-kids) to learn stagecraft and to experience all that the arts has to offer in a person’s life….

| |

Singing and Acting — Lessons for Life (and for Writing)

ByBeth

This post could be subtitled “Words of Wisdom from Bruce Coville (with embellishments by Beth).” I first encountered Bruce Coville, author of middle grade fantasy novels and other such wondrous things, at the Summer 2011 conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Los Angeles, SCBWI LA ’11. Not only did he…

| | | | |

Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton on The Great American Mousical — Interview

ByBeth

I am honored and delighted to present this interview with both Emma Walton Hamilton and her mother, Julie Andrews. What a gift they have given us all in agreeing to this interview! As those of you who are regular readers of my blog know, my Wednesday focus this fall is the upcoming musical production, The…

| |

What Do Katherine Anne Porter and The Great American Mousical Have in Common?

ByBeth

Katherine Anne Porter was an essayist, novelist, social critic, Pulitzer Prize winner, who learned to be a survivor from an early age, and whose writings reflected her understanding that no matter how difficult life gets, one must hold on and go forward. As a brief biography on the PBS website states, “Often concerned with the…

|

Waiting in the Wings — From Children’s Books to Musicals

ByBeth

Many successful children’s books have received a new life as stage musicals. Peter Pan has been soaring across stages on Broadway and beyond since Mary Martin first enticed Wendy and her brothers to Never Never Land. Mary Poppins began as a movie musical, written by the Sherman brothers, but has found a happy home on…

| |

M is for… Musicals, Mousical, and More!

ByBeth

It’s probably no surprise at all to readers who know me even slightly through this blog or my previous blog that I love musicals. The Sound of Music. Camelot. My Fair Lady. Annie Get Your Gun. The Music Man. Mame. Fiddler on the Roof. I also love a middle-grade novel called The Great American Mousical,…

| | | |

Music in the Schools, Minnesota Sinfonia — Spotlight Worthy

ByBeth

As I mentioned in Monday’s post, I am honored today to be interviewing Jay Fishman, Executive and Artistic Director of the Minnesota Sinfonia. Jay was the founder of the Sinfonia, which is a professional orchestra offering all its concerts free to all who want to have access to their music. This policy was inaugurated under…