Where Did November Go?

Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

The Holly and the Ivy -- digitized interpretation by M.E.
Happy Homicide December 10 Duck Projects Zaal 100 Amsterdam 21:00 Direction: Katie Duck Performance: Sharon Smith Film: Ilaria Honsinger Music: Alfredo Genovesi and Andy Keep

Read more about it! plus Read about the artists and MORE!

Theater/Cinema/Circus scholar John Towsen's piece about our long-separated friend Mamako Yoneyama in Craft and Art of Physical Comedy. More GREAT articles there!

Coffee, created By The Improfessionals Wednesday, December 8 · 8:30pm - 11:30pm Peniche Antipode face au 55 quai de la Seine, 19° arr, M° Riquet/Jaurès Paris, France

"She looks like someone just left her... Who's that old man over there waiting for?... How did that couple pay for those expensive clothes?... They're probably not married. I bet he's cheating on his wife... What is that pretty girl smiling at?... etc... etc..."

Coffee is an improvised show about people watching. The audience discovers a coffee bar frequented by a myriad of characters. Every character is created from a face drawn by an audience member before the show. A director guides the show and pulls characters out of the coffee bar to discover more about them and their personal story. Coffee is an original Improfessionals format created by Mark Jane. "It's a taste, an odour, a culture, a philosophy, a way of life, a feeling... but above all, it's people like you and me."

Washington DC's only Clown Cabaret December 13th at Fort Fringe on New York Avenue in Washington DC. ... we ain't twistin' no ^%$#@! balloons!


Jango's American allies Pat Cashin and Mandy Dalton are part of this monthly event.
2011 SEASON: January 10, February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13 The Shop at Fort Fringe - 607 New York Ave NW

The rest of P-Funk's 2010 schedule:
Dec 3 2010 8:00P -- B.B. King Blues Club & Grill New York, NY
Dec 4 2010 8:30P -- State Theater Portland, ME , US
Dec 9 2010 8:30P -- L.C. Pavilion Columbus, Ohio
Dec 10 2010 9:00P -- Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA

It's Japan for the Funk Mob in early 2011!

Trouper Allies Making GOOD:

While watching the new movie Burlesque on my birthday, I wondered what my distant friend Keith (Bindlestiff) Nelson might think of this flick. He was raised on Coney Island, experienced the “old” Times Square, and worked with actual practitioners of Burlesque. Oddly enough, he wrote on Facebook the same night I got back from seeing this movie, and mentioned that one of his co-workers was in the film:

(Center) Digitized Viktoria Shvartsman, introduced by (Left) Kinko the Clown and (Right) Ringmistress Philomena of New York's Bindlestiff Family Cirkus.
Viktoria Shvartsman … imagine, the first time she performed with Bindlestiff was with our Cavalcade of Youth, and now she is doing “Burlesque” with Cher.

Funk, Winter, and Fun!

There is so much happening as Autumn turns into Winter!

Davey Norket playing Gumbo Night in Amsterdam with drummer Toon Omen earlier in November.
Theater/Cinema/Circus scholar John Towsen wrote a piece about the Great SL Mime Troupe's long-separated friend Mamako Yoneyama on his blog John Towsen's Craft and Art of Physical Comedy. There are a number of eye-poppingly GREAT articles there -- especially an eyewitness account of Charlie Chaplin's grandson James Thiérrée in performance.
I will regularly direct your attention to that wonderful site!

Mamako Yoneyama -- each movement has meaning!
Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Barcelona, Spain La Poderosa November 22-26

Jango Edwards -- Cabaret Cabron at Freedonia in Barcelona on November 27

Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Happy Homicide December 10 Duck Projects Zaal 100 Amsterdam 21:00 Direction: Katie Duck Performance: Sharon Smith Film: Ilaria Honsinger Music: Alfredo Genovesi and Andy Keep

Washington DC's only Clown Cabaret (Yes, clowns who use naughty language) on December 13th at Fort Fringe on New York Avenue in Washington DC. ... and watch out out folks ... it's full on. Let's just put it this way -- we ain't twistin' no ^%$#@! balloons!


Jango's American allies Pat Cashin and Mandy Dalton are part of this monthly event.
2011 SEASON: January 10, February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13 The Shop at Fort Fringe - 607 New York Ave NW

We Want The Funk! Gotta Have That Funk!

FIELD REPORTS
From Funkateer Extraordinaire Gina Hall: Thank you San Francisco for funking up Yoshi's right and proper. You dropped a funk bomb so PHAT that you set off the fire alarm. When the fire dept arrived at the club, the first man in called it a "Code 4 - there's a SKUNK LOOSE IN THE BUILDING!! Nice!"
From P-Funk guitarist Shaunna Hall: Extra thanks to the local crew: Kevin & John from Tone Tubby, Alex Studer, Phil Milner & Jordan for helping us fly right! If you missed all the fun, don't worry, we'll be back in January (27)!

Kim Manning Hari Kartar on roller skates -- she specializes in singing Red Hot Mama with the P-Funk All-Stars
Singer Kim Manning Hari Kartar: Singing with pfunk (Saturday night) at Yoshis in SF -- upcoming tour for January -- plus I'll be out with George Clinton in Japan.

More from Gina: Nov. 19 -- members of Parliament Funkadelic sitting in with Stax Bros at the boom boom room after the p Funk show @ yoshi's...What a night
Who sat in last night Gina? RonKat (Spearman), Michael Hampton, Eric McFadden, Shaunna Hall, a flock of funkateers let by Dr. Illinstein they did Cosmic Slop, Red Hot Mama and We Want The Funk...props to the Stax Bros also, they get down. The audience went nutz ...

The rest of Funky 2010:
Dec 3 2010 8:00P -- B.B. King Blues Club & Grill New York, NY
Dec 4 2010 8:30P -- State Theater Portland, ME , US
Dec 9 2010 8:30P -- L.C. Pavilion Columbus, Ohio
Dec 10 2010 9:00P -- Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA

NEXT it's Japan for the Funk Mob!

Footsbarn , India, Katie, Madrid, P-Funk & San Francisco

'Way over there and back again -- in a week (!!!)



From Asian Age Nov 16, 2010 by Neha Jain:

The circular stage at the Lotus Temple has been turned into a barn and glints with lights to welcome Victor Hugo, with a leading English theatre group ... having opened its doors to stage its masterpiece, The Man Who Laughs, in New Delhi on November 14 and 16.

All things are in this laugh of mine, at which you laugh today!

...set in England in 1690. A nobleman, who has offended the King, is put to death and his son is punished with a permanent scar across his face: A grin that will remind him “to laugh forever at his fool of a father”. As he grows to manhood, the scarred boy journeys through our bizarre world, always half-sad and half-smiling.
The adventure of the play begins on the coast of Cornwall in a stormy night, where Footsbarn began its own epic journey 35 years ago and the protagonists are traveling clowns. Set against the background of a Shakespearean world, they travel ...

Renowned for their visually acrobatic adaptations of classics — Shakespeare and Molière, for example — that transcend the barrier of language with a unique blend of visual theatre, music and magic, the group will play in a mixed version of French and English ... our adaptation of the story has been appreciated by the audiences wherever we have performed, informed Paddy Haytor, artistic director of the group.

Footsbarn gets its name from the barn ... in Cornwall where the group began its rehearsals in 1971. The idea to set up the company was to take theatre to people who didn’t have access to it. We used to perform on the beaches, in villages and on streets ... In 1975, we started performing in a tent that could accommodate around 200 people.
(I was there, setting up that SAME tent!)
... During the late ’70s, we had to leave our country but we chose to be around Europe. The times were changing, theatre was evolving and so was the company. What began as an English theatre group started turning into an international group with Polish, French and Greek artistes joining it. Since then, we have been touring countries like France, Germany and India, conducting workshops and performing at various places. The language barrier no more exists and we perform in Greek, French and other languages as well, said Haytor.
The group first came to India in 1995 ... he has seen the Indian audience evolving and youngsters getting more and more interested in English theatre. The most amazing experience was when five Indians joined us when we did a workshop in Kerala. Though not all of them are with us ... Indian musicians are great to work with ... I find them eager to work with them for some good English productions. They are always open for cultural exchange and they love to talk. We are looking forward to building a theatre tent in India with Indian architects. This will open up the exchange of theatrical activities which will encourage more theatre tours to India, said Haytor.
After completing their Indian tour, the group is looking forward to work with Indian actors and musicians for their next production, The Tempest by Shakespeare, concluded Haytor.

On the Iberian Peninsula:

Workshop Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Estudio tres Madrid Spain workshop November 19, 20, 21

Performance Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi plus student group Estudio tres Madrid Spain November 22

Workshop Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Barcelona, Spain La Poderosa November 22-26

(Jango will be doing a Cabaret Cabron at Freedonia in Barcelona on November 27.)

Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

This ought to be GOOD:

December 10 Duck Projects Happy Homicide Zaal 100 Amsterdam 21:00 Direction: Katie Duck Performance: Sharon Smith Film: Ilaria Honsinger Music: Alfredo Genovesi and Andy Keep


George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars are starting a winter tour:

Nov 19 and 20 2010 8:00 PM and 10:30 PM
Yoshi’s San Francisco, California, US
This is an unusual type of gig for Parliament/Funkadelic -- two sets a night are almost unheard-of for the Funk Mob, and they RARELY book back-to-back venues.

Gentleman saxophonist and personable scat-singer, Greg Thomas of the P-Funk All-Stars -- Knee Deep maestro!
I bet they'll be some AMAZING jams with the talent on hand by The Bay!

The rest of Funky 2010:
Dec 3 2010 8:00P -- B.B. King Blues Club & Grill New York, NY
Dec 4 2010 8:30P -- State Theater Portland, ME , US
Dec 9 2010 8:30P -- L.C. Pavilion Columbus, Ohio
Dec 10 2010 9:00P -- Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA

Doing the "Second Line," with an Umbrella ...

Henry Roeland Byrd AKA "Professor Longhair," the architect of New Orleans' distinctive polyrhythmic music after WWII. The legends vary, but I first read that his nickname was ironically associated with his first hit Bald Head in 1950.

Swampy Davey Funk-ifies Amsterdam!

Davey Norket showed his unique "swampy" rhythmic piano stylings to an appreciative public during a special New Orleans Gumbo Night in Amsterdam. He traded knowledge back and forth with musicians who had studied the bag of tricks known as "second line," the foundation of New Orleans Soul. The term comes from marching bands who lead street parades -- the big bass drum not only powers the professional musicians up front, but leads the clapping, singing, beating, rattling, dancing crowd in back as well. The shifting, back-and-forth interplay of rhythms mutated into a sound of its own, and showed up in great dance records the whole world still imitates.

Check out Davey's new music on his website.

November 8 - 14, 2010
Workshop Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Bilboa, Spain
(In Basque country, on the north end of the Iberian Peninsula.)
Performances Katie Duck Alfredo Genovesi and groups 21:00 Bilboa, Spain L'Mono Fim

November 13 Saturday 15:00 Wonderland MLK music and dance for/with kids and family Maarten Luter Kerk (Dintelstraat 134) Amsterdam Dance/ Anna van Balen, Malgorzata Haduch, Makiko Ito Music/ Michael Moore, Mary Oliver, Natalio Suedo

November 14 Sunday 16:00 Wonderland #42– music and dance for/with kids and family OT301(Overtoom 301 1054HW)
Entrance 5-euro (kids free) Dance/ Leela Stokholm, Sayaka Akitsu, Or Hakami, Makiko Ito Music/ Michael Moore, Oscar Hoogland, Dana Jessen Lights/ Ellen Knops

Stuart Curtis continued to play in Corvallis, Oregon USA.
Gregg Moore wrote about Buster Keaton's masterpiece The General running in a 100 year old church in Northern California with a live band accompanying the action.

Barcelona Calling!

The Nouveau Clown Institute sponsors Cabaret Cabron every weekend at the club Freedonia.

NOW -- vember!

(L) Alfredo Genovese, (C) Katie Duck, and (R) Manuela Tessi,
digitally manipulated by M.E.
November 7 Sunday 16:00 Wonderland – music and dance for and with kids and family ” Dream Factory” Pleintheater (Sajetplein 39) Amsterdam Dance: Manuela Tessi, Sylvain Meret, Makiko Ito Music: Mary Oliver, Felicity Provan, Robert van Helzen

November 8 - 14, 2010
Workshop Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Bilboa, Spain
(In Basque country, on the north end of the Iberian Peninsula.)
Performances Katie Duck Alfredo Genovesi and groups 21:00 Bilboa, Spain L'Mono Fim

From L'Mono's (English) Website: L´mono is a project in Bilbao that creates a place where artists of different disciplines can work and develop a space of meeting, exhibition and get-together. The project is financed by studio rent and the proceeds from events such as concerts, dance performances or audiovisual expositions... L’mono seeks to be a place in motion; open to various, long- or short-term, innovative work propositions. It is changing constantly.

Mechanical translation from L'Mono's Spanish Website: The work of Katie Duck is an international reference point in the framework of the dance-improvisation. In addition to dance, this American based in the Netherlands creates its own choreographies ... Its aim is to teach discover through improvisación the logic of the existence, the way in which operates the human being.

On the south end of the Iberian Peninsula:

All Saints Day Fell On A Monday in 2010

Alfredo Genovese (guitar) and Manuela Tessi (dance) in Profile by Katie Duck & Ilaria Honsinger. (Click to enlarge the image, or go to the Hockaday Museum of Art to see it on the wall.)
November 8- 14 workshop Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Bilboa, Spain L'Mono Fim

November 19, 20, 21 workshop Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Estudio tres Madrid Spain workshop

November 22-26 workshop Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi Barcelona, Spain La Poderosa

Re:Imagining Cultural Space 17-19 November, Orionteatern, Stockholm (Website)

Chris Torch asks:

How do we establish creative spaces for culture? How do they grow? How are they organised? How can they be financed, given reduced political will to support Arts and Culture?

Is cultural policy out of sync with the needs of the culture sector and the audiences? If so, what needs to be done to bring policy and practice closer?

Chris Torch, as emissary for the Living Theater
circa 1976, and today.
Chris Torch is founder and Artistic Director of Intercult and an outspoken advocate for intercultural action. While active as a director, producer and actor he founded Jordcirkus in 1977, an independent and international theatre company based in Stockholm, and Shikasta in 1993 ... Chris currently holds the post as vice president for CAE (Culture Action Europe) and is on the steering group of Platform for Intercultural Europe.

Stuart Curtis performs with Corvallis' Hilltop Big Band Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30-9:30 pm at the Old World Deli ...
Special note to opera buffs: this will be your only chance this year to experience a live performance of Bill Holman's swing arrangement of the "... Anvil Chorus" from La Traviata. (That's Oregon, USA)