MEET PAT CRUZ
Born in Daly City, CA, Patrick Cruz began his dance training at age five through the general school and performance program of Westlake School of Performing Arts. Finding his love and passion in Hip-Hop soon after he began dancing, he currently is a member of Gen2, and executive director of APT and The Company. With his choreography and staging abilities, he has lead WSPAs HipHop program to ultimate success in oompetitions. When not teaching at WSPA, Patrick has traveled all throughout California, Canada, Scotland, and Spain, teaching workshops and master classes such as Meccamee, Heavy Rotation, Male On Sunday, and has performed in the prestigious Carnival at the Key Club in Hollywood for Shaun Evaristo. A true innovator in the Hip Hop community, Patrick Cruz continues to inspire his peers and dancers all over the world with his passion and talent.
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THEATER HISTORY: The original Blowing Rock Stage Company Founder and Theatre Producer-Director Mark Wilson is interviewed by veteran broadcast personality Tim Baxter. Wilson brought the visionary proposal to start a new tradition of theatre excellence to the town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina in 1986 – a bold professional model in the tradition of Flat Rock Playhouse and the Barter Theatre.
In this video, Mark’s outlines in 90 focused seconds the dynamics of targeting the audience, making the mission clear and important personally for the viewer, and providing direction for Blowing Rock theater’s meteoric success. His infectious enthusiasm and authoritative positivity was credible and sincere. (But what was he thinking with that “mullet” hair back in ‘94? …Cue the old Magnum PI theme song!)
Mark was a powerful promoter, communicator, salesman, educator and motivator. He articulated the mission of the theater in a manner inclusive of rich and poor, residents and tourists, those who sought art and those seeking just an occasional good-time entertainment. He mobilized the Town of Blowing Rock and appealed to the greater Watauga County and Blue Ridge region, embracing and giving ownership to the community at large.
Under Mark’s artistic direction and fiscal leadership, the theater proceeded to sell out 6 consecutive seasons, establishing the first union professional theater in northwest North Carolina, rapidly growing a reputation for the newest, best and newly-developing shows, Off-Broadway style. By 1989, Wilson was appealing to his audiences in his popular nightly curtain speeches the instability and at-risk community status of being an orphaned company as temporary summer theatre residents of Blowing Rock’s school auditorium.
From the first season in 1986, Mark understood that casting professional actors made the difference in his success. These artists made a full-time career commitment to perfecting their work. They were not locals, students, academics or marginally talented entertainers, and the Blowing Rock audiences appreciated and embraced this bold initiative for distinctive excellence. In fact, audiences expected it.
“We understand where you’re headed – stay on track and we will support this,” said one committed patron during the inaugural 1986 run. “We have plenty of community and college theatre choices here already.”
Within three years, Mark adopted a union contract, gaining access to the nation’s greatest resource of top-level professional talent, bringing a meager but dignified personnel wage, and more importantly: retirement and health benefits to adult professionals. Within the the theater’s first decade, Blowing Rock summer theatre became a reputable and cherished destination in the New York professional network.
The Blowing Rock Stage Company produced 24 consecutive seasons, establishing the regional standard for professional excellence AND providing the seminal inspiration for Blowing Rock North Carolina’s lavish permanent performing arts center.
Tim Baxter, veteran broadcaster and local personality, conducted this 15 year old VHS interview for local cable promotion. He was easy-going, and easy to talk to, bringing the best out of his varied community guests, and he was a generous promoter of all community events.
Tim was an enthusiastic supporter of this theater, and a driving force for the broader tourism economy of Boone, Banner Elk and Blowing Rock. He was a huge factor in bringing community information to the year-round residents of the region, and a vital force in making the Blowing Rock theater project a success.
Tim remains an asset in the hearts of the Boone Blue Ridge Mountain community today with Baxter Mountain Properties. http://baxtermountainproperties.com
Duration : 0:1:40
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THEATER HISTORY and WHY this RADIO GALS (DEAR MISTER GERSHWIN) video is significant: Founder of the Blowing Rock Stage Company, Producing Director Mark Wilson had the great joy and fortune of being introduced in 1990 to the award-winning writing team of Mark Hardwick and Mike Craver. Mark Hardwick was one of the creators of PUMP BOYS & DINETTES and originated the role of LM on Broadway. Hardwick & Craver were co-creators of OIL CITY SYMPHONY, which played Off-Broadway for a year, and then at Mark Wilson’s theater in co-production with his colleague Robin Farquhar of Flat Rock Playhouse.
Wilson was the first person privileged in the Hardwick/Craver creative cycle to read an early draft of RADIO GALS, sitting alone in a country restaurant high in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. He told the writers it was like gazing into some antique Christmas tree ornament as a child, only to find an entire world magically at play in miniature. The sweet innocence of the concept, neighbors gathered daily around a radio transmitter live on the air (WGAL) in the early 1900s, was overwhelming. Wilson pled his case humbly to produce the show.
Cliff Baker, the legendary director of Arkansas Rep was to have the honor of the world premiere, and Wilson traveled out to Little Rock to see it. The production was a triumph, and Wilson believed it should have gone straight from that stage to Off-Broadway, so enchanting was Baker’s realization of its spirit.
The play continued in development, and Blowing Rock Stage Company in Blowing Rock, North Carolina was destined to be the second production. This time, writer Mark Hardwick was both to direct the production, and play the piano as one of the Swindle Sisters (one of the show’s charming gags). Some of the choreography came directly from the writing team watching old black and white Follies movies of the 30s at Wilson’s home, where they camped out tweaking the script. That is Mike Craver as Azilee Swindle that you see on upright bass in this show, which requires the actors to play a variety of instruments, providing all of the live musical accompaniment from the stage.
Very few of the theater family knew that Hardwick was terminally ill. He completed staging the show – his last public performance was at dress rehearsal – and his understudy went on for him opening night and completed the run. As you watch this video, Mark Hardwick is watching with you, in the back row of the theater, huddled under a blanket as the theater’s eccentric air conditioning unit rained frigid air down the back wall, icing all who had those back row tickets each performance. And they did – every performance was sold-out. Handing out Blowing Rock blankets for those ticket-buyers was standard procedure for the House Manager. Show business…
The Blowing Rock production of RADIO GALS was to be Mark Hardwick’s final earthly artistic endeavor. It was the greatest honor of Mark Wilson’s twelve years’ leadership to be of service to the legacy of these brilliant writer/performers. RADIO GALS made its way to Off-Broadway, and is often performed at both professional and community theaters worldwide. It included many of Wilson’s favorites: Egyptology, early radio, spiritualism, flying saucers, time travel, exotic women, and talent beyond comprehension.
The Blowing Rock Theatre production cast included Klea Blackhurst, Candyce Hinkle, Emily Mikesell, Vivian Morrison, Joel Spineti, Bob Birdsong and Mike Craver. Direction, Choreography and Musical Direction by Mark Hardwick. Designer: Jennifer OKelly. Costume Designer: Yslan Hicks. Properties: Patricia Quinn. Technical Director: Curt Hardison.
Klea Blackhurst, the great New York cabaret performer, premiered the performance of DEAR MISTER GERSHWIN heard here. She is the standard by which all others are measured. That song has become one of the most frequently heard tunes performed by young auditioning actresses (ask any theatrical producer – it should be in the Guinness Book of Records!)
Dear Mister Gershwin,
Why were you staring out into space …
That look on your face was ever so odd to me.
Was it hunger or grief … Or just plain relief …
Mister Gershwin, what did you see?
Another world so free …
…A flying saucer?
or a prettier girl than me.
…And that’s how I met Mister G.
- MARK HARDWICK & MIKE CRAVER
http://www.mikecraver.com/gershwin.html
(Sheet Music and much more available here.)
It all makes sense, from this old video tape, lovingly restored 16 years later for archival joy. Everything in life is allegory in the hands of artists. What a gift.
Mark Hardwick on Tony Awards 1982: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG6LA9UsJQ4
Duration : 0:4:3
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Set to open in 2011
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Shuttered since 1998 after 29 years of operation, the Old Blair Auditorium in Silver Spring, Maryland awaits a new audience – with your help!
Once a major performing arts venue in Silver Spring, the “Stickley Auditorium” was one of the best-used facilities in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The auditorium, located in the former Montgomery Blair High School building at the corner of Dale Drive and Wayne Avenue, has been boarded up for more than seven years and now sits unused.
A community effort is underway to breathe life back into the auditorium and make it available for performing arts groups, schools, churches, community meetings, etc.
We are making progress – but need your help to raise funds and let the Montgomery County Council know that this is a project that will make a difference in many lives, and cement Silver Spring as an arts venue in the greater Washington, D.C. area.
For more information and to make donations – point your browser to: http://http://www.oldblairauditorium.org/
Let the Montgomery County Council know that this is an arts project worth supporting by sending an email to:county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Thank you!
The Old Blair Auditorium Project
Silver Spring, Maryland
Duration : 0:3:56
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MEET PAT CRUZ
Born in Daly City, CA, Patrick Cruz began his dance training at age five through the general school and performance program of Westlake School of Performing Arts. Finding his love and passion in Hip-Hop soon after he began dancing, he currently is a member of Gen2, and executive director of APT and The Company. With his choreography and staging abilities, he has lead WSPAs HipHop program to ultimate success in oompetitions. When not teaching at WSPA, Patrick has traveled all throughout California, Canada, Scotland, and Spain, teaching workshops and master classes such as Meccamee, Heavy Rotation, Male On Sunday, and has performed in the prestigious Carnival at the Key Club in Hollywood for Shaun Evaristo. A true innovator in the Hip Hop community, Patrick Cruz continues to inspire his peers and dancers all over the world with his passion and talent.
Duration : 0:1:32
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Callanwolde Fine Arts Center is a non-profit community arts center offering classes for all ages in the visual, literary, and performing arts. Callanwolde presents arts events and is available for weddings and private events.
Duration : 0:8:56
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The opening scene from our 2006 production of “My Fair Lady.” Crown Point Community Theatre – also starring Sheree Gudeman as Eliza Doolittle, and Ted Rosdil as Colonel Pickering. I’m Henry Higgins, obviously. Bob LaMere did the wonderfully professional video, I’ll find his link and put it up here.
Duration : 0:9:7
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JP Morgan Chase and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in collaboration with the Orange County Performing Arts Center presented a week-long residency at Santa Ana High School.
As part of their programs, students will get an opportunity to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Orange County Performing Arts Center when Alvin Ailey returns to the Center March 2 – 7, 2010.
Duration : 0:2:30
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Free Street Theater in the 1970’s. Narrated by Studs Terkel
Duration : 0:7:24
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