I had a great catch up with all our friends from the play today. There is definitely some interest in developing and remounting the play soon in the future, which is awesome news. There is even a grant, but no definite dates yet. I’ll post up any developments. Here are some photos from our last production.
Happy to say, the play is going great! It is so much fun to do! Not a huge post cause all I would do is rave on about it. We have 4 more shows this weekend, which we are all looking forward to and are playing music in the bar on Sunday before the show to celebrate Bob Dylan’s Birthday. We played there after the show last night and thanks to John and his friends from Berry enjoying the tunes, not to mention him buying us drinks all night, and then being so generous as to basically pay us for the gig by way of an enormous tip, we ended up playing til close…and getting a cab home! Thanks John… hope to catch up in Berry for a gig sometime soon. (I have to talk to Nick again). Hopefully we will do it all again this weekend. I’m brushing up on a few of my favourite songs to jam to, hopefully with Steve on violin and Si, Lenni and Andy (who does an awesome Johnny Cash… and Radio Head).
The Old Fitzroy Hotel
On Saturday night I played a solo gig in Albany, joined by Mike Hyder on violin for a number of numbers in the second set. He also plays in an awesome strings outfit called Crossbow, and they are just fantastic! They supported me for the night and we even have plans to do something together next time which is VERY exciting.
The gig for me was very inspiring and a little daunting and challenging. It was in a very special space and the sound was amazing with a full rig and engineered by a true professional, Mark. The audience was quite selective and very attentive and following the full sound of Crossbow, I was just crossing my fingers that they were going to like my songs. My family and Albany friends were there so I’m sure their support helped shape the mood on the night, but it was still a test to see if the majority of the audience left feeling happy with their Saturday night out, especially since they had paid quite a bit for the tickets. By the end of the night I was pretty sure that most people had had a great night, as there were quite a few nice parting comments, so that is fantastic!
It has really inspired me to tee up a few intimate events, starting in Sydney which I am really looking forward to… so I will post some details about these soon.
Coming up next is The Chronic-Ills of Robert Zimmerman which I am putting all my energy into now. Here is the link to show info and tix etc…
TRS webpage (recommended)
moshtixs
Here is some info about it…
The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman: AKA Bob Dylan (A Lie) – A Theatrical Talking Blues (May 10&11, 15-18, 22-25)
By TRS Theatre – Posted on 18 March 2009
By Benito Di Fonzo
The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman is a surrealo-absudist theatrical re-imagining of the life and weird times of folk-rock legend and pop cultural icon Bob Dylan. Written by award winning Sydney poet, playwright, journalist and kazooist Benito Di Fonzo, The Chronic Ills is a reverently ironic homage to the man born Robert Allen Zimmerman sixty-eight years ago this May 24.
We follow Bob/Robert as he begins his career by running away from home at ten, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, fifteen-and-a-half, seventeen and eighteen years old. Instructed by Woody Guthrie, he goes in pursuit of a holy grail of songs armed only with a fascist-killing guitar and a dream. Accidentally renamed Dylan in a New York public hospital, he then encounters, corrupts, jams and gets lost at sea with fellow icons Ginsberg, Lennon, Pound, Eliot, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Billy Bragg, and a hipster-Yiddish speaking Abraham Lincoln (to name a few).
“It’s a long story mister, involving bible, ghosts, chaos, clocks, watermelons, everything”
Cast and Crew
Playwright: Benito Di Fonzo
Director: Lucinda Gleeson
Musical Directors: The Company
With: Andrew Henry, Lenore Munro, Matt Ralph and Simon Rippingale
Photography and Graphic Design: Dan Collopy for Think Five
Producer: Jennifer Hamilton for Bicycle User Group
Producing Company: bicycleusergroup.wordpress.com
The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman is part of the Tamarama Rock Surfers 2009 ‘Late Sessions’ Season, and is in development with TRS’s ‘Early Sessions’ development Program.
