Eric M Chicago » Acting

Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille

ericmchicago — Sat, 14 May 2011 03:11:21 +0000

May this inspire you as it inspires me as an artist, and encourages me to keep creating no matter what I think of my work (both as an actor and as a graphic artist):

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine

how good it is;
nor how valuable it is;
nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.

You do not have to believe in yourself or your work, You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate YOU.

Keep the channel open…
No artist is pleased…

There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction; a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”

Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille

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Sweet & Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen

ericmchicago — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:41:01 +0000

So my current project right now is Sweet & Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. I’m loving it! It’s definitely a challenge; we aren’t allowed characters or a story/plot which for me at least (I strongly consider myself an actor before a singer) is forcing me to really step outside of my comfort zone and explore the world of cabaret singing. I definitely have, um, NOT cornered the market on this, but it’s an interesting and exciting new landscape to explore! I have SO much respect for cabaret singers after this one. SHEESH. ;)

Another great aspect of doing this show is getting to know some of the great Arlen songs! I have a newfound love for “I Love To Sing-a” which I get to sing with the luminescent Stephanie Herman. Anyway here’s some reviews for the show.

Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre at No Exit Cafe

Chicago Tribune- Recommended

“…Anzevino understood here that the Arlen songbook needs different types of performers to do it justice. Aside from Thomas, in touch with Arlen’s bluesy side, he cast Stephanie Herman, a crisp, removed and glamorous singer who suggests urban nighteries, and the giving Sarah Hayes, who evokes a warmer, softer, needier and yet equally retro persona. On the male side, Kristofer Simmons matches up nicely with Herman (most of the night, at least), Eric Lindahl drives the vocal energy of the show, and the terriffic, multivalent Eric Martin takes care of its heart.”

Read Full Review

Chris Jones

Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended

“…this revue is so superb on every level that you may find yourself standing in a line that extends down to the Gold Coast. And frankly, if the producers at the new Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (formerly the Drury Lane) were smart, they’d lift it from its current location and install it on their little jewel-box stage.”

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Hedy Weiss

Time Out Chicago- Recommended

“… Standout solos include Bethany Thomas’s beautifully rueful “Man That Got Away” and the brassy Sarah Hayes on “I Had Myself a True Love.” But much as Boyd robs the songs of context, Anzevino’s significant reworking of her script scrubs it of even her barest suggestions of characters; we don’t sense the performers as anything but themselves. Though we’d be hard-pressed to call this theater, it’s a perfectly pleasant concert.”

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Kris Vire

Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended

“…Director Fred Anzevino interjects a lot of unclear, unconvincing stage business–the singers hang out in a bar, sometimes, maybe, and sort of have fleeting crushes on one another–and David Heimann’s choreography is perfunctory in conception and execution. Worse, the performers rarely have a moment to pause for breath, let alone capture a deep psychological moment, while cramming all those songs into two hours.”

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Justin Hayford

NewCity Chicago- Recommended

“…Theo Ubique is cleverly seeking to bridge the gap of that disconnect by presenting “Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen,” a revue of nearly forty of Arlen’s more familiar songs where you bask in such a transcendent level of songwriting Nirvana that you need to pinch yourself that all you are hearing came from the mind of a single individual. Six performers of varying talent levels and a high-octane pianist—who even throws in a song himself here and there—take the stage in various combinations, but the best moments are the solo moments: Bethany Thomas’ melancholy and sultry “Stormy Weather” followed by the unbridled optimism of Stephanie Herman’s “When the Sun Comes Out,” Eric Lindahl’s “Buds Won’t Bud” and Sarah Hayes’ bluesy rendition of “I Had Myself a True Love,” where you can literally hear a pin drop.”

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Dennis Polkow

Copley News Service- Recommended

“…While Arlen’s music is the heart of the show, equal credit does to an A List of lyricists, who included some of the best in the business, notably Ira Gershwin, E. Y. Harburg, Arlen himself, Ted Koehler, and best of all, Johnny Mercer. Mercer’s word for “Blues in the Night” create a great stand-alone prose poem.”

Dan Zeff

Centerstage- Highly Recommended

“…But in the end, it’s about the songs. And they are stunning. The show does right by them far more often than not, so it’s more than worthwhile for Harold Arlen fans, current and soon to be.”

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Zev Valancy

ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended

“…Theo Ubique, under Fred Anzevino’s leadership, returns to their cabaret roots by paying homage to composer/songwriter Harold Arlen. This revue contains many of the finest songs from the 30’s- 40’s and 50’s including “Over the Rainbow,” “Stormy Weather,” “Get Happy,” “It’s Only a Paper Moon” and “I’ve Got the World on a String” among the 37 songs with music by Arlen in collaboration with many of the finest lyricists of the era.”

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Tom Wiliams

Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended

“…Anzevino’s staging occasionally comes off as having actors move just to have actors move, and “Over the Rainbow,” which receives a mention on the poster, could have received a lot more attention. Fortunately, David Heimann’s choreography always infuses energy into the songs. I’m not usually a fan of musical revues. Most of the time, they seem to me like live compilation albums meant to score a few more dollars from deceased songwriters. But with Theo Ubique’s focus on intimacy and simply presenting songs the whole team obviously loves, they come up with a show that has a tangible effect on the audience. This Sweet and Hot is a living experience.”

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Barry Eitel

Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

“…Most of all it’s a welcome homecoming to return to so many Arlen gems, perfectly packaged by Steve Carson’s musical direction. When Sarah Hayes and Eric Martin ruefully admit that “It’s Only a Paper Moon” or Kristofer Simmons recreates Groucho’s “Lydia the Tattooed Lady,” you see how great Arlen’s range is from the sublime to the silly. Apart from a brief tribute to “The Wizard of Oz,” this revue is mainly a tribute to how well these love ballads stand on their own and stand the test of time. Because they set the Broadway bar, that’s WHY they’re called standards.”

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Lawrence Bommer

Patti Lupone: Rose’s Turn

ericmchicago — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:57:34 +0000

I am so glad someone snapped this video of Patti LuPone singing Rose’s Turn! I love it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Although, don’t get caught doing it!

Click here to view the embedded video.

My Love Affair With New Works

ericmchicago — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:51:55 +0000

One of my favorite things to do as an actor is to work on new musicals. I love creating roles and getting to develop characters that haven’t been explored before. It’s absolutely exciting to me, and I honestly can’t think of anything that I would consider more creatively fulfilling. There’s nothing like the freedom of a role that hasn’t been done a thousand times before. Since I graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2006 I have truly been fortunate enough to work on a number of new projects. My first show out of college was the Chicago premiere of Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story. That was an amazing experience. I got an unbelievable amount of press and was basically showcased in a 1-1/2 hour 2 man musical where I got to explore the mentality of a murderer manipulating his best friend, who is in love with him. Oh yeah, and he was a pyro too. It was so much fun! So terribly deliciously evil!

Click here to view the embedded video.

“There’s Nothing Like A Fire” from Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story
(NOTE: I am not responsible for the book.)

After Thrill Me, I was offered a part in another new musical: Toy Soldiers. This was a new self-proclaimed RENT-style musical that dealt with the consequences of the war in Iraq. At that time my brother had already been deployed to Iraq in the Army, and so this was a subject that was close to my heart and it was a story I was interested in telling. It was for a start-up theater company, so the experience wasn’t the most professional I’ve had, but I was able to find enough meat to sink my teeth into. I played the angry, revolutionary anti-war protester (in true Forrest Gump style) and spoke out against the war through his portrayal. After Toy Soldiers I was asked to be in the chorus of the American Premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera. Oh, come on. This was an absolute blast, and while not very artistically hearty for me it was a hell of a lot of fun and just such an interesting project to be a part of.

I continued on to do Reefer Madness and Weird Romance, neither of which are new musicals but both are fun as hell and not done very often. After that I was glad to be a part of a very edgy production of Cabaret, in which I played Clifford Bradshaw, the unfortunate writer. Great role, often overlooked. I think that many directors fail to realize that while Sally is the leading lady of Cabaret, the story is Clifford’s and it is told through his voice. I rarely see that point of view being taken with productions, and I think that’s unfortunate. After Cabaret I was fortunate enough to land one of the four parts in a brand new musical, Jacques Brel’s Lonesome Losers of the Night. This was a collection of all new English translations of the famous (and not-so-famous) Jacques Brel songs, some of which had never been heard in English before. The translations were done by the brilliant Arnold Johnston, who is the only man authorized by the Brel estate to perform English translations of his work, and it was an absolute honor to be trusted with this work.

The lyrics were ingenious, deep, and more meaningful than most any other lyric set I’ve ever heard in my life. The press we received was astounding; the leading theater critic of The New York Times came to see it. People from all over the world flew into Chicago to hear these specific English translations. Now, Jacques Brel is considered one of the greatest poets/songwriters of all time in France. His body of work is considered a masterpiece and is known for only being able to be performed accurately by Jacques Brel himself. I had a 60-year-old Frenchman who had seen Jacques Brel perform many times come up to me after the show and tell me that I did very nice work and that I “came close. Not quite, but close.” That was the most flattering and humbling compliment I have ever received from that show. I’ll never forget it. The experience was one in a lifetime, and truly proved to me once again why I love to be a part of new works of art.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“My Childhood (Mon Enfance)” from Jacques Brel’s Lonesome Losers of the Night
(NOTE: This is the first recorded film of the English translation of this song. Cool, huh?)

I just auditioned for another new musical, Cousins Grimm, and I haven’t heard back from that yet. I would love to work on this project… I believe the characters are written to be a bit older than I am, but my goal at the callback was to change the director’s mind about that. I really want to sink my teeth into the lead character of this musical. Of course, all the characters in the show are fun and interesting and would be great to play. But we’ll see what happens! If not this time, the wonderful thing about new works is that they never stop coming! Especially in Chicago – The Greatest Theater City In America. Enjoy one of the great songs of Cousins Grimm and (whether I’m in it or not) be sure to check it out this summer with Bailiwick Repertory here in Chitown!

“The Kiss” from Cousins Grimm (Demo Recording)

The Best Review You Can Get…

ericmchicago — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:26:44 +0000

The best review you can get as an actor doesn’t come from Chris Jones, or Hedy Weiss, or even Charles Isherwood. It comes from someone you personally know and respect as an artist. My best friend/roommate/colleague Harmony gave me a review on her blog Behind The Curtain that means the world to me. As well as talk me up like my shit don’t stink, she also showcases some video clips from my past shows. You can check out the blog post here.

Thanks, Harm! I owe you a Harmony shrine on my blog. Will do.

Heath Ledger

ericmchicago — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:57:49 +0000

Heath Andrew Ledger (April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008)

You were the most promising young male actor I have seen yet in my lifetime. There is no other young male actor that I hold above you, and I respected you greatly. I feel an absolute hole in my heart now that you are gone, which is weird because I was never a crazy fanatical follower of yours. I just knew your work and thought it was absolutely spectacular. You were a meticulous actor and blended strength with vulnerability in a way I have rarely seen. You serve to be an artistic role model and inspiration for me. So thank you, Heath, and good luck with your career if it turns out there’s a Hollywood in Heaven.

Who’s got Park Place?