Thank You for the Struggle!

This morning I saw on Timehop that it was a year ago today when I got the acceptance email into the music conservatory at the Second City Training Center. Our final class is this Thursday and our show, Thank You for the Struggle, opens for preview on January 4th.

Thank You for the Struggle!

It has been a big year for musical improvisation. Blank: The Musical opened off Broadway and perhaps has set the bar for musical improvisation. Studio BE became MCL Chicago and is now posed to be the epicenter for musical improvisation and sketch, if not just in Chicago then the world.

Last time I posted about musical improv I provided a bunch of links to related podcasts. Here are some more:

ADD Comedy Podcast - Dave Razowsky with Laura Hall 
Improv Nerd: Jimmy Carrane interviews Stephanie McCullough Vlcek
Magnet Theater Podcast: Creators of Blank! The Musical

Finally, I'm teaching a musical improv workshop at the Kansas City Improv Company this Saturday, December 27! It will be great to be back there for that!

Brava!

In case anyone is wondering, I've moved to Chicago. Still adjusting to this city's rhythms, but I think good things are ahead.

I was looking through YouTube the other day and discovered the Broadway deconstructions of Seth Rudetsky. It started with this video his analysis of one of my favorite recordings - At the Ballet from A Chorus Line.



And as I'm really interested in musical work (mostly in the world of improvisation) this gives me a chunk of stuff to consider. Anyway, he has dozens of those, and even more deconstructions of performers throughout the decades. This guy is clearly obsessed.

Then there's this:



I'm not even halfway through this five part series of bootlegs, but it's got me thinking of how to step up the game in musical improv, but it's also entertaining as hell.

And let's thank the Kansas City Improv Company for giving me a place to play. While I was there I performed a bit and taught four workshops on musical improv. Here's a video from the King of Improv show. I'll think of it as my going-away present:

Kick Comedy 062913 part 3 from Tom Ptacek on Vimeo.

A Resurrection - Act 2

For the first act of this production, click here.

I cannot get over how eclectic this production is.


Part 10


Part 11


Part 12


Part 13


Part 14


Part 15


Part 16


Part 17


Part 18


Part 19


Part 20

A Resurrection - Act 1

Back in the 90s I was a pretty big Indigo Girls fan and also a fan of the music from Andrew Lloyd Weber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. So when the two came together on CD it seemed like it might be a perfect fit. Strangely, I didn't enjoy the CD so much. However watching this footage from the 1995 production really kicks ass in the way that the CD never did. I'm presenting Act 1 from this performance, at least as much as I could find on YouTube.

I'll be posting Act 2 at some point in the future. Look out for it!


Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5


Part 6


Part 7


Part 8


Part 9

End of Act 1
Part 10

The L stands for love!

I'm totally listening to the original cast recording of A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant. It's kicking my ass in the most bestest of ways! From what I've been told, you probably won't get to see this performed, ever. Xenu has deep pockets.

I honestly don't have any love or loathing for Scientology. I'm just a fan of a good satire.




This evening I watched the Tony Awards and I was stoked to learn that Hair won the award for best revival. That makes me happy since it's the only Broadway show that I've seen in the last decade. Also, I just love the show in general and have done for years. This new production just burst off the freakin' stage.

At some point, I'm gonna have to get the cast recording.