Tracy Stark: News

This month was killer. I mean, both creatively satiating, and completely exhausting. I guess at this point, not having a day off for 7 months is getting to me. But, I will make some time for vacation in August.

I LOVED doing the SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED gig. With over 60 vocalists, there was not a clunker in the bunch.
And a large number of them, were just breathtaking.
I worked my ass off, playing some of that stuff.
Sondheim is HARD. And some of his stuff is just ridiculously difficult.
I put my hands through so many repetitive motions this month, that my tendonitis flared up again, which hasn't happened in about 26 years.

In August, I look forward to working on Marcus Simeone's new CD, playing Ellen Hoffman's new show, and also bringing back Marissa Mulder's debut show.
Marissa is currently in the finals for the MetroStar competition, and I'm hoping people start to notice her.

I'm also hoping to get my ass in gear for my own CD. We'll see how soon that happens. My own music always seems to be at the bottom of my TO DO list. I'm workin' on changing that...

I just realized, it's been a year since I've written anything on this blog.
I really suck at that sort of thing, and I apologize to those who actually take the time to visit me here!
Writing arrangements and playing music keeps me extremely busy, and I usually update my calendar when someone says to me, "Why isn't my gig on your website?!"
OK, well -- I just updated for the rest of May/June, and some future dates that are set.
So, if you are someone I play with, and you don't see your gig on there, it's because you didn't confirm the dates with me.

So, as of this writing, I just finished Musical Directing the 2010 MAC Awards, at BB King's. It was a blast! Plus I won my 4th MAC Award. This time, for Musical Direction.
I was also nominated for Song of the Year, for a song I wrote with Michael Quinn, called "This Time."
Apparently, *this* time was not the time for "This Time". But, I was actually thrilled that our song was even nominated! I've been submitting songs into that category for over a decade!

Anyway, I know it's been exactly a year since I've written, because my last entry was about the 2009 MAC Awards.
Time goes by way too quickly.

Moving on......I am currently putting the music together for the Malt Shop Cruise, with Lesley Gore. I am anticipating a wonderful experience. Not just because I will actually have a little time to be still and relax during the days, but also because I get the luxury of playing with a horn section. These days, it's usually too expensive to add horns. But, we'll be playing with the ship's band.
Plus, I know a few of the musicians who play with the other acts, who will be there.
All of us, including Lesley, are happy to be doing this gig.

I will try not to let a year go by, before my next entry.

I won 2 MAC awards!!!!
It was an amazing night for me. And, the best part, was that both of my categories were in the first 5 minutes of the 4 hour presentation. So, I got to relax for the rest of the show!

Plus, the wonderful Ben Cherry won for Male Debut, and Miles Phillips/Karen Oberlin won for Duo show.

What an amazing experience, being on a stage with Carson Kressley, Michael Urie, Hillary Duff, and Sarah Dash, overlooking 45,000 enthusiastic people, who care enough to walk to abolish AIDS. They raised 4.5 million dollars. I played with Sarah Dash (from LaBelle) -- we closed the ceremony. It felt magical to me.

I musical directed 3 shows last year, that were nominated for MAC awards!!
Ben Cherry, for his debut show, "I Hate NY (a love story)"
David Gurland/Brian Farley do Rogers and Hammerstein
Miles Phillips/Karen Oberlin for "The Pleasure of Your Company"

PLUS, I was nominated for 2 categories myself!
For Musical Director, and also for Piano Bar.
Yee-haw! I love my job. And I love having such unique and amazingly talented friends.
The awards are on May 18th. I'll try to remember to update this, after the ceremony -- but I can't promise anything....

I'm hard at work, writing arrangements, and rehearsing. I have a bunch of fun shows coming up in March, including Ellen Hoffman's Once Upon a Dream, Donna Moore's Cougar Cabaret, and Ben Cherry -- who just won the Cabaret Hotline Award for Debut Male Vocalist! Yay! He's reviving his debut show, I HATE NY....A love story. And then we'll be working on his follow-up show.

I'm also writing and reworking arrangements for the Delivery Girls gig on March 20th. That's always a fun gig!

Also, Karen Black is going to be back in town!! Just booked March 23rd with her. She's doing a show that melds her past 2 shows together. So, this one will be autobiographical, plus -- she'll also be doing scenes. I think she's brilliant. I always have to be careful to pay attention to my own job, when I do shows with her, because I get so emotionally involved when I watch her act.

OH! We have 1 final show of "The Pleasure of Your Company" which is the duets show of Miles Phillips/Karen Oberlin, on Feb 28th, at the Metropolitan Room. It's a beautiful show!

I love CDbaby.com! They have this really easy way of setting up a website, so I can actually control it myself. It's idiot-proof! So, maybe now I can actually update my website every so often, instead of every 8 years!