the ides of janvier

FOLK WANDERING at Joe’s Pub on January 9 was such an amazing experience. I was able to add cello to the string orchestrations, and my dear friend, and excellent performer, Susan Mandel was gracious enough to endure the show’s insanity. The cast and musicians pulled off such an amazing concert version of the show. It was a success, and the audience went crazy for the show. I am so excited to see where the show will take off next. Yale, maybe?

What is on the horizon for the next couple of months… Well, I am still working for Rob Fisher. His and Sheldon Harnick’s Lyrics and Lyricists concert of the influence of W.S. Gilbert was this weekend, and it was a successful and great evening. Then, there is the American Songbook Series at the Allen Room at Lincoln Center where he will be doing a tribute to John Kander. Then off to CAROUSEL at Carnegie Hall. Glad to work for him so I can help him with these projects.

I am giving a recital of Judith Shatin’s works and a couple Ruth Schonthal pieces sometime in the next couple of months. I am hoping to give a recital in MD and also one in NYC. Of course, Chris Koelzer is my pianist.

Hopefully MISERY will still transfer to the Great White Way.

Giving a couple concerts here and there with a string quartet of modern repertoire, which seems to be the direction my performance career is headed (outside of orchestrating and theatre, of course). I grately enjoy it.

I have a manager named Isaac Dayley of Dayley Management. He is a great guy, and a friend, so I am excited to be working for him. He is creating a new “branding” and website for me. The current domain name is www.BlakeAllenMusic.net. Once it is officially launched, of course, I will announce it. Hopefully Michael Wiltbank will be able to take photographs for me.

Also, I am creating a new reduced version of Ravel’s opera L'enfant et les sortilèges, but of course, I cannot really talk about it until I get the rights to do what I want to do. Let me just say it will involve Ben Durocher, Christopher Koelzer for sure and a couple of other people/musicians here and there. My goal is to aim for a NYMF or Fringe festival somewhere, but it might just be a concert series at a venue out of pocket. It would be really cool to have it play at an opera house and start getting a following. More on that soon but not too soon.  I am excited about it though!