MARK-EUGENE GARCIA
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • WORKS
    • Eight Tales of Pedro
    • Facing East
    • The Holy Cows
    • Shining In Misery: A KING Sized Parody
    • Standby
    • (un)missed connections
    • WIth Bated Breath
    • Short Works
  • MEDIA
    • Cast Albums
    • Stage Work
    • Screen Work
    • Print Work
    • Event Photos
    • Youtube
  • Resume
    • Acting Resume and Reel
    • Writing Resume
    • IMDB
  • Reviews
    • Acting Reviews and Awards
    • Writing Reviews and Awards
  • Tickets
    • EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO- Queens Theatre
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

News

Sometimes Career Highlights. Sometimes Blog Entries

Blog: Standing By

9/29/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
It all began with my reading a playbill ad looking for a book writer/lyricist…a gathering of my work and submitting. Then…


“Hi Mark,
My names is Amy Baer and I am working with Keith Robinson on the musical 'Standby'.  We received your application a few weeks ago for a book writing position via Playbill, and we enjoyed reading your work.  Thank you for submitting your materials.
If you are still available and interested in the collaboration, would you be available for a brief phone call or Skype over the weekend or next week?  We would love to tell you a bit more about our musical, as well as hear more about your work as well.”
…And with that begins one of the wildest rides I have ever been part of.
Boom- a phone meeting where we discussed my work and their vision, an assignment to read their script and come up with some ideas.  Then boom, a meeting was scheduled at Starbucks in Union Square.

I sat down with the script and their cd. Their script, written with book writer/lyricist Alfred Solis, was so full of heart and love. It was such a wonderful story, and a unique premise that I was immediately drawn to it. After one week of listening to their music and reading their script, working on the audition assignment they have given me, I did something I try to never do with a job…

…I fell in love with it.

I loved the characters. I loved the idea. I loved the project. And I wanted it.

Arriving at Starbucks, I saw Keith Robinson and Amy Baer already there and I handed them two blue folders, each containing my outline and examples of what I would do. We began exchanging ideas, connecting, learning about each other…Turns out we are all from California, turns out Keith and I both run, we’re all roughly around the same age…we ended up having a lot in common. We ended up talking a long time at Starbucks.
Mentally and emotionally I was already involved and I walked out of there thinking “God, I hope they liked me.”
…Then spent the next few days wondering if they did…
…But when the emails started coming, then the phone calls…well, I knew.
From then on, it was a beautiful whirlwind of events… The auditions. Meeting Marc Eardley, our director, watching everyone’s jaws drop at Jillian Gottlieb’s audition, seeing Mike Backes crashing the callbacks and nabbing the part…then the first production meeting where we outlined where the story would go. My first Skype meeting with creator and book and lyrics writer, Alfred Solis…the first music rehearsal where I nervously met Seth Blum- an original cast member who I’d been listening to on the cd for the last month and whom I was, and am, a fan of,  listening to Ashley Picciallo blast through “Without a Doubt” for the first time, listening to Matthew Corr sing through “To Feel Alive” for the first time, watching Michael-Anthony Souza breaking down  in “Breakdown.” It was all so magical.
I remember the nervousness I felt before every reading, the comments, critiques, questions and notes afterwards. I remember walking into Pearl Studios for the first time and seeing Standby on the screen. I remember the rehearsal room and the long rehearsals, skyping with Keith and Amy and Al late at night, more late nights at Keith and Amy’s working side by side on new songs…
It takes a lot of trust to collaborate. This show has been in my life now for nearly seven months. Keith and Al have been working on Standby for nearly nine years. But they trusted me with their baby.  I thank them for that, as I thank all of my collaborators, and the cast, and the directing team for their input and guidance, and ideas, and professionalism, and teamwork.
Our cast isn’t only a cast of actors. They are incredibly intelligent performers, and astute dramatists who brought ideas to the table that helped me in so many ways. Marc, our director, led us well in helping to shape and guide the show to where it is. Leasen Almquist  and Max Gosman helped it jump to its feet. It was a team effort, as all collaborations are.  I am happy to know each and every person involved. I have learned so much.
This has been the most amazing journey. Seeing the line around the building during the Fringe run, sitting in the nearly full house as the band grooved and readied the audience for what was to come, watching the lights dim, being amazed at the characters the cast had created, listening to their fantastic voices, hearing the applause, listening to people sniffle and cry all around me, being swept up in a sea of people as the show let out…then getting the message about Fringe Encores…and doing it all over again.
It has been amazing.
So here we are…one last show to go. Now I could use pull quotes from reviews to tell you why Time Out New York, or Gay Cities, or countless other people loved this show…but I’ve been doing that for weeks. I’m going to tell you why I love it. This show changed me. In learning it, and partnering with these people, and creating it together, it changed me.  It can change you. In experiencing the show I’ve learned that the human spirit cannot be contained, not in a room and certainly not inside of ourselves. I’ve learned that beyond all of our actions there is always the opportunity for redemption and hope. There is always a reason to look beyond the sorrow and try to find the love, just as our characters do.  
Standby is a very special show that will always be near my heart.
 If you haven’t seen it yet, then you have one chance before this flight leaves forever, only one more chance to see six people figure out how to travel on… So hurry, buy your tickets, head to the Players Theatre this Sunday September 30th at 5pm. I’ll be there. This group of wonderful people will be there. I hope you will be too.
1 Comment
https://bestwritingclues.com/reviews/ukessays-review/ link
5/23/2019 08:19:28 pm

If you know me, I am a self-confessed thespian and I love watching theater plays especially if I know who are the lead characters. In this case, I have to admit that I haven't watched this musical, that's why there is a special desire in me to come and watch the play. I can feel that it's going to be worth the time and there is indeed a lesson that I will get from it! I am looking forward to see more stuff and updates that have something to do with this musical. I am really interested.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Mark-Eugene Garcia

    Writer/Actor/Storyteller. Theatre Maker. Husband. Bad Hombre. Cat Taunter.

    Contents

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    July 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    December 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    May 2009
    March 2009
    January 2009
    March 2006
    November 2005
    July 2005
    March 2005
    November 2004
    June 2003
    July 2001
    October 2000
    June 2000
    December 1999
    November 1999
    June 1999
    October 1998
    July 1998

    Topics

    All
    Broadway
    Change
    Exercise
    Feeling Good About Yourself
    Happiness
    Helping People
    Inspiring Myself And Others
    Living Life To The Fullest.
    Mindset
    Motivational Interviewing
    Musicals
    Musical Theatre
    Running
    Success
    Theatre
    Weight Loss

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • WORKS
    • Eight Tales of Pedro
    • Facing East
    • The Holy Cows
    • Shining In Misery: A KING Sized Parody
    • Standby
    • (un)missed connections
    • WIth Bated Breath
    • Short Works
  • MEDIA
    • Cast Albums
    • Stage Work
    • Screen Work
    • Print Work
    • Event Photos
    • Youtube
  • Resume
    • Acting Resume and Reel
    • Writing Resume
    • IMDB
  • Reviews
    • Acting Reviews and Awards
    • Writing Reviews and Awards
  • Tickets
    • EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO- Queens Theatre
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram