I saw two amazing things today...

...and they were both brand-new.

Khalia Davis, Alex Lydon & Steven Shear in The Gold Rush Musical!

First, I got to witness the world premiere of The Gold Rush Musical! at Bay Area Children's Theatre. (As BACT's Marketing Coordinator, I get cool perks like this!) The fast-paced, educational show will be touring Bay Area schools starting tomorrow - much like Tales of Olympus did earlier this year. Hats off to Austin Zumbro (writer & composer) and Nina Meehan (director) to creating a true nugget of a show (pun intended). Three on-point and energetic actors - Khalia Davis, Alex Lydon and Steven Shear - tell a suprisingly poignant story alongside the educational points (I'll admit, I'm a softy for any character shift in a show). And, of course, there's the fun choreography by Deedra Wong. The amazing thing about today's pre-tour performance was that some home-schooled kids got to attend and watch the show, which they otherwise might not have gotten a chance to see. What a creative way to do a preview! I'm excited for the actors to bring this show to kids throughout the Bay Area. Not only will they be educating kids about the Gold Rush in a lively way, but they will (arguably more importantly) be exposing kids to the arts, to theatre, to music, to dance, to imagination.

Second, I led a vocal rehearsal for The Song of the Nightingale, in preparation for its world premiere, and saw 14 actors give, give, give and work hard on fine-tuning the show (there are 16 actors in the show, but 2 of them had the night off - lucky them). Tonight was a demanding rehearsal; I had the actors focus on vocals while doing their movements/dances, sometimes repeating sections three or more times until I got the sound I was looking for. The amazing thing about this cast is that no one has a bad attitude, no is the bad seed, no one throws a hissy fit or acts like a diva. I am so lucky to be working with such actors. I am so thankful they are playing along with this story I've jotted down.

Today, I saw people having an impact and/or gearing up to have an impact on others. Perhaps that's why I love writing for the stage. I like to tell stories about people making a change for the better, and I believe theatre has power to help us make those changes. Yes, I think that's why I am compelled to write. Though today, there was something equally invigorating about being a music director and an audience member.

Becoming the Nightingale - An Interview with Deedra Wong

Theater is arguably the most collaborative artform in existence. It requires a reliance on others bringing their talents, skills and expertise, and a trust in their decisions and intuition. With The Song of the Nightingale opening at Altarena Playhouse in a few weeks, I wanted to showcase some of the amazing people who are helping me bring this show to life. First, I interview Deedra Wong who is playing the title role of The Nightingale.

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MIN: One of the most fascinating things to me about this project is the fact that most of the actors in this show do so much more than perform. Can you describe a little of what you do beyond performing?

DEEDRA: I like to read tarot cards and help people gain insight into their life.  I love the mystical arts and I love sharing what I know with people. I  started reading cards in 1986 and started my business Tarot Perspectives in 2012. I read for people over the telephone or in person.

I teach dance and choreograph musicals as well, and I like helping people become  better performers. In addition to Nightingale, I am choreographing The Gold Rush Musical! produced by Bay Area Children's Theatre, which will go on tour to local elementary schools in October.

Deedra's album Pisces Dream is available on iTunes or Amazon

I also wrote an album called, Pisces Dream. It's a  self-produced electronica album on iTunes. I hope to write another album  again at some point. Maybe I'll write a book too. The artist in me  needs to constantly be creative!

M: What drew you to work on The Song of the Nightingale?

D: A friend told me there was a local playwright in the Bay Area who wrote a  musical written for an all Asian cast featuring a dancing bird. I knew at  that moment I wanted to be in the show. I wanted to be a part of a local,  original project and help bring it to life. When I saw the first staged  reading in 2010, I originally thought I wanted to be play Feng because I  wanted to use my voice and be comedic. But then as time went on, I  realized the Nightingale role was more fitting since I am primarily a  dancer. I like the challenge of not using my voice at all and only using  movement to convey my character. To be graceful and smooth is a good  challenge for me.

Photo by Peter Lichty

M: What are your creative sources of inspiration in working to craft the  character of the Nightingale?

D: The music is my true source of inspiration for the Nightingale. The  music tells me what to do.

M:What kinds of dance are influencing her  movement?

D: I use a little bit of everything to craft  her movement: ballet, modern, jazz, latin dance, hip hop, Chinese  dance. The one thing I knew about the Nightingale was that she is not  only one style but all styles mixed in one body.

M: Well, I'm certainly thankful that you are a part of this project. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions as well.