— “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,”Rodgers and Hammerstein’sCarousel
These admittedly odd lyrics come from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Carousel, which we theater nerds know is one of the more problematic entries in their canon, for many reasons I won’t bore you with here! But nonetheless, the sentiment of this ditty strikes me as right for this midpoint of the year. New life, sunshine, vibrancy, joy.
June also brings opportunities to celebrate and honor diversity, inclusion and shared history. Juneteenth and Pride celebrations across the world offer opportunities to celebrate and honor heritage, progress and hope. Although, I believe deep in my bones that these conversations and recognitions should never be limited to any given month, it remains important to mark these celebrations. They are too crucial to our collective understanding and growth to confine them by the calendar. With all the vitriol in the world, now is the time to show love, strength and authentic allyship. Reading the news right now can be an emotional and existential affront to many of us. LMA is strongest when we stand together. Make your voices heard and check in on each other. #SayLove #LMA-MRGs
I find myself in a reflective and, yes, celebratory mood at the six-month mark of my LMA presidency. The energy of the #LMA23 conference hasn’t abated. Our hope was to provide an empowering and inclusive experience that amplified our profession and our community. You took those ideas and expanded them in beautiful, inspiring ways — much like a beloved dance remix, taking what makes any song special and reinvigorating it to keep the party going. (If you couldn’t join in person or want to view a session you missed, the #LMA23 Conference Recordings were just made available!)
Speaking of which, it only seemed fitting that I offer another playlist for your summer months. This may be the most eclectic bunch to date, but these are tunes and vibes that get me in a good groove. And, yes, you’ll see I really had Eurovision, Jill Scott,The Wiz, Reba McEntire and Verve Records on the brain, among a number of other standbys, when I put this together. Stream or download on Spotify and iTunes. (Fun fact: I just learned Spotify links expire after seven days. Why? No clue… So, if you’re reading this later and can’t access it, drop me a line and I’ll generate a new link for you.)
By the way, we had a great post-#LMA23 Legal Marketing Coffee Talk chat with our keynote Laura Gassner Otting about her new book, “Wonderhell.” Queen of Miami Athena Dion also joined us to reflect on how much meeting all of you fabulous souls meant to them. If you missed it, you can check out the replay here! We talk a lot about mental health, self-care, living limitlessly and showing support for one another in these challenging times.
I hope you have some self-care/re-energizing summer fun planned. It’s so crucial to take time away, unplug, have shared experiences, decompress and make new discoveries. Work and volunteer commitments will be there when you return and, in fact, will BENEFIT from you recharging and refreshing, bringing bold new ideas to your organizations.
Along those lines, LMA recently launched our Well-Being Pledge so we can commit to the well-being of others and ourselves. And please continue to avail yourselves of the excellent educational offerings through our Shared Interest Groups, Regions and Local Steering Committees. I know they refill my well of ideas and inspire me to do better, more fulfilling work every day.
Looking ahead, there’s still time to participate in the call for content/speakers for some of the regions’ fall meetings. The call for content for the 2024 international annual conference will launch later this month, too — plan now to attend! These are great opportunities for your voices to be heard, to share your ideas with colleagues, and to grow from collaboration. I know in the early days of my time at LMA (and through today) the firms which I have been privileged to support always appreciated the visibility this afforded them (and me!). I don’t say that from a place of ego, but to help connect the dots that your personal and professional growth has a holistic, organic benefit to the organizations you serve.
Now excuse me while I jam out to my latest, wacky, Day-Glo playlist and watch the geraniums bloom on my patio!
Love you!
Roy
President, 2023 LMA International Board of Directors
Fab guests Laura Gassner Otting and Athena Dion joined Rob Kates and me to relive a bit of #LMA23. But quickly (sequins notwithstanding) the conversation turned toward authenticity and advocacy and framily. …
Learning that wonderhell isn’t a destination but a journey; that once you’ve achieved your goal living in a place of “how can I top that?” is doing yourself a disservice; that achievement is about what you learn about yourself and others in the process; that taking the pause after is ok and good because your next adventure will come naturally and organically through; and more.
Yes, we talked about Florida and how #dragisnotdangerous but also how this moment has revealed the good (and sometimes the disappointing) in those around us. We learned that “you don’t have to give your trophies back” after achievement. They’re yours. You earned them. Don’t feel an apologetic need to put them back in the universe. And that sometimes after achievement, a fulfilling path can be helping others then find theirs. And, oh, sometimes “rage and greed” (and borrowed couture) are the only spark one needs to go to that next level!
Shout outs during the show to Megan McKeon, Jennifer Petrone Dezso, Lee Ashby Watts, Danna Tauber, Rich Bracken, Jessica Aries, Holly Amatangelo, Lisa McDonald Kamen, Kevin Iredell, Jessica Haarsgaard, Susie Sexton, and more!
As the saying goes, people support what they help create. Now that the dust (and sequins – more on that later) have settled and we’re back at it at our firms and organizations, I’m reflecting on what was extraordinarily created at LMA’s recent 2023 Annual Conference in Hollywood, Florida…abundant COMMUNITY. Nearly 1,200 of us coming together in person to network, learn ― and sometimes commiserate! But the energy and sense of community at this conference was unique, motivating and palpable. In addition to the many standing-room-only sessions taught by leadership and thinkers on top-of-mind issues in legal marketing, there was a widespread feeling of community, shared experiences and belonging – always LMA’s “special magic” and never more on display than at #LMA23.
True to our conference theme of “Amplify” (our voices, careers, teams, work), the stellar education sessions covered everything from how law firms are or are not using ChatGPT, what works/doesn’t work/needs fixing in the eyes of General Counsel (spoiler alert – they’re FOR using AI!), the crucial value of storytelling and narrative in client connection, how DEI can and must be a pillar of firm culture and evolution, the latest vistas in martech, how to develop and retain talent, and the crucial role of client teams in the engagement and growth continuum among myriad other hot topics.
One of my favorite a-ha moments came from Aarash Darroodi, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation General Counsel and Executive Vice President, and a compelling and provocative “contestant” on our GC panel “game show” (expertly moderated by conference co-chair Jennifer Dezso). He said, and I paraphrase, “Wining and dining is fine, but don’t take me to a football game. Come visit me AT my company and see our culture firsthand and learn what we do. THAT will show me you care.” He and the other panelists *might* have also noted (accurately) that marketing and business development ARE key differentiators in a firm and are crucial to clients’ understanding of capability and connection. You can take that to the bank!
And getting back to sequins, our 2023 conference theme, Amplify was kicked off with a highly-caffeinated, strobe-lit bang in our opening session. In a move to underscore LMA’s inclusivity and encouragement to amplify ourselves, we opened the conference with yours truly singing – well, big old community theatre-style belting – Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and sharing the stage with renowned drag queen and community activist Athena Dion. With a crowd on its feet singing along and cell phone cameras aglow, we kicked off the conference with an “everybody say ‘love’!” wake-up call (sorry/not sorry to those whose coffee hadn’t yet kicked in)! Sequined suits, rainbow chiffon and all.
Athena, Laura, yours truly
The message (I hope) was clear – each of us is born to be special and we should bring our authentic selves to our work and lives every day. And as my mama taught me, and I offered to the beautiful assembly: “Tell others what they mean to you IN THE MOMENT when it will mean something to THEM.” (You can watch the full opening production here on Facebook; Thank you, Kates Media and By Aries, for the excellent video support!) Just after that, fabulous, motivating and authentic-badass-wrapped-in-a-warm-hug best-selling author Laura Gassner Otting, delivered a rousing keynote address about how each of us can and should live limitlessly and, well, get out of our own way, removing boundaries and inhibitions to achieve our true potential: Conquer Doubt. Dream Bigger. Be Limitless. Perfect for our Amplify theme!
(In what I think is an unprecedented move, our keynote wrote about her experience at the annual conference on her blog – it’s a lovely Valentine to all of us, so give it a read here.)
All of this would not be possible without the leadership of our outstanding 2023 LMA Annual Conference Advisory Committee (ACAC) Co-Chairs, Jen Dezso, Megan McKeon and Lee Watts, along with the entire ACAC. They fueled innovative thoughts and formats, brought together top thought leaders to share insights and knowledge, and helped more than 115 speakers share best practices and approaches to successful law firm marketing and business development with nearly 1,200 attendees. For those who couldn’t attend, attended but missed a session, or want to relive and review a session you attended, the CONFERENCE RECORDINGS will be available later this month, so watch your inbox. The recordings are included in the Conference registration and are also available for purchase if you weren’t able to attend.
The BEST conference co-chairs Jen, Megan, and Lee (with some crazy man in sparkly pants!)
There’s really nothing like being in person at an LMA Annual or Regional Conference. The connections you make, the important information imparted, the nuanced tips and tricks shared among colleagues that are immediately implementable, and meeting with and learning about the new services, platforms and technologies available to make our work better through vendor partners (90+ at #LMA23!) make for an invaluable experience. I strongly encourage each of you to plan now to attend the 2024 LMA Annual Conference that will be held next April 3-5 in San Diego. Registration will open this August (with an Early-Bird Discount) and there will be a Justification Kit available to help you gain approval to attend. I can’t wait to go “All In” at #LMA24 and hope to see you there!
In the meantime, the party continues over the coming months in the events and get-togethers of our eight dynamic regions and more than 40 local groups. They provide of-the-moment learning, support and community year-round. Check out the upcoming events and the fall regional conferences here ― and go! You won’t regret getting involved. I’ve had the privilege of chatting with our amazing regional presidents the past few days, and I know they have BIG things planned for this fall. You won’t want to miss these unique opportunities to reconnect with your regional communities and continue the conversation begun at #LMA23.
Whether you were at #LMA23 in person or not, take that AMPLIFIED, limitless mindset, enthusiasm for our profession and all the incredible learning – (or upcoming learning through the conference recordings) – back to your firms and organizations and use your own version of “sequins” to be your most authentic, amazing, amplified and successful selves. Without authenticity, you never achieve brand differentiation – for your firms, for your companies, for yourselves. And with a “community” like LMA, anything and everything is possible.
P.S. In a wonderful and authentic moment of serendipity, GrowthPlay‘s Deb Knupp stopped me in the hall late on day one of #LMA23 and said she was so motivated by the session opening that she found her key mentors – including CLIENTSFirst Consulting‘s Chris Fritsch and Content Pilot LLC‘s Deborah McMurray among others – and told them that they were instrumental in her setting off and developing her business. And that they needed to know that. Shortly thereafter, who do I run into, but Chris Fritsch who says, “Craziest thing! Deb Knupp just came up to me and told me how important I had been to her career and her personal and professional growth!” Funny that! Don’t hesitate to tell people the positive impact they have had in your life. It makes a big difference to them. And to you.
Fate brings people together at just the right time and just the right moment. Laura Gassner Otting is such a gift. This message below had me beautifully gobsmacked. I’m honored and touched – but more importantly I love how she sees our Legal Marketing Association – LMA International community. These are special souls and her message will mean the world to all.
This past week I keynoted one of the most fantastic events ever. It was the Legal Marketing Association’s annual conference, and while you might think that an association conference could never be exciting or even surprise you… you’d be wrong. Dead wrong.
And here’s why.
Roy Sexton is the chair of the association, and Roy knew his members, and he knew what his members needed: an emotional release, unbridled joy, and amplification of their truest selves after a long few years of taking it on the chin. And, he decided to give them exactly what they needed in the form rainbows, sequins, wigs, and platform heels.
Yes, my friends, there was a drag queen duet to start a conference of 1100 legal marketers. Because why not, right?
My call time for the stage was 9am. At 8:15am the doors opened. All 1100 of the legal marketers in attendance filed in and found their seats. (My parents, who had never seen me speak, were also there and filed in alongside the attendees.) People were subdued, back together for the first time in years, an early morning after late night travel, and while they were excited to see each other, there was a palpable nervousness in the air.
At 8:30am, the room went dark, and Roy, backstage and bejeweled from head to toe in a rainbow-sequined tuxedo tails and silver shirt and pants started singing the opening bars to Born This Way by Lady Gaga. The audience started clapping in time as he came out from behind the curtain and performed the first part of the song.
But, wait! There’s more!
As he began to belt out the chorus, Athena Dion, The Greek Goddess, strode out to join him, and together they sang. The audience was on their feet. The room was pumping. The audience sang and danced as they worked the room like a runway.
Regardless of where you stand on the nonsense fight going on about drag queens — I mean, let’s face it, with the existential climate crisis and rampant mass shootings, don’t we have bigger fish to fry?!? — you can’t help but fall in love with love.
(By the way, if this week’s newsletter offends you, feel free to show yourself out here by unsubscribing. It’s cool.)
Roy wanted to open this conference — the first time they were all back together in three years — with a message: a welcome mat laid out wide, love for all, amplification for every one of us.
Here’s what I know to be true this week: There are million billion miles between being loved and being seen. (Tweet this.)
So many of us feel unseen. Even if we feel loved, we stand nervously on edge, worrying about whether of not people will love the real us when we show them who we really are. Roy blew the doors off of that notion, inviting the entire audience in to his world, and showing them that they could invite him into theirs.
Oh, and, from now on, I’m going to insist in my rider that a drag queen opens every keynote for me.
Stephen Sondheim’s passing hit me harder than I even had thought it might. I have been privileged to play BOTH Bobby and Buddy (from Company and Follies respectively): two sides of the same male-arrested-development coin. And, speaking of sides, I did my time in Side by Side by Sondheim. I have cherry-picked from his inestimable songbook for one-man cabaret shows over the years. I spent my high school summer in Japan obsessed with Madonna’sDick Tracy-inspired I’m Breathless, most notably the numbers “Sooner or Later,” “More,” and “What Can You Lose?”
But my deep love of his story-songs began with Barbra Streisand, Betty Buckley, and Dawn Upshaw, who wove magic with Sondheim, plucking tunes from his catalog, disentangling them from their source shows, imprinting the vocalists’ own hopes and heartaches on his twisty-turny lyrics, and giving the soon-to-be standards new life through clever and evocative arrangements. That’s when I saw Sondheim’s true musical brilliance, as a Rorschach test on the soul, malleable and elastic but never losing the unique zing that was purely him.
I find myself heartbroken yet also optimistic that generations of similarly intrepid performers will continue to be inspired by Sondheim and to explore the maps of their hearts through his work.
Let me see the world with clouds Take me to the world Out where I can push through crowds Take me to the world
A world that smiles With streets instead of aisles Where I can walk for miles with you
Take me to the world that’s real Show me how it’s done Teach me how to laugh, to feel Move me to the sun
Just hold my hand whenever we arrive Take me to a world where I can be alive
I love my brilliant, kind, creative friend Gail Porter Lamarche. She shared her wisdom and wit with me and a strangely absent Rob Kates on Legal Marketing Coffee Talk today. We discussed the importance of authenticity, the magic of #music and fabulous parenting, the benefit to firms of marketers who engage the community, how much we love Legal Marketing Association – LMA International, the fabulous learning and connection at LMA21, the power of digital thought leadership, how to coach attorneys to network with intentionality, Norman Love Confections, Theatre Nova, taco Tuesdays, beloved furbabies, and more. And how proud we are of ass-kicking Laura Toledo!
Shout outs to beloved family, friends, and colleagues include Nancy Leyes Myrland, Gina Furia Rubel, Heather Morse-Geller, Lindsay Griffiths, Megan McKeon, Kelly MacKinnon, John Byrne, Ross Fishman, Don Sexton, Nancy Slome, David Ackert, Passle, James Barclay, Tommy Franz, Kevin Iredell, Maggie Stuart Watkins, Adrian T Dayton, and more!
Legal Marketing Coffee Talk is brought to you by: By Aries and Kates Media.
Clockwise from top left: Justin Scott Bays, Roy Sexton, Elizabeth Jaffe, Diane Hill, K Edmonds, John DeMerell, Kristin Clark
Just FOUR more chances to see SING HAPPY! http://www.theatrenova.org … Come hear the music play – through Sunday!
This celebration of the work of Broadway’s famous duo, Kander and Ebb, features a star-studded ensemble of singers, who take the stage with showstoppers from CABARET, CHICAGO, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, and many others. Directed by Diane Hill, with music direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, SING HAPPY! is not just a musical revue. It’s a show that ultimately weaves a tale of strength and determination, one we can all relate to in these times.
AUDIENCES AND CRITICS ALIKE LOVE SING HAPPY!
From Pulp Magazine: While the show leads off with the encouraging “Sing Happy” from Flora the Red Menace, the show’s best moments are the wistful, introspective, and sad songs. The singers come and go throughout the 70-minute revue with no intermission. The tentative story they tell is one of guarded hope, which seems appropriate to our current situation.
Photo by Sean Carter
Director Diane Hill keeps it simple and the singers respond with performances that grasp the conflicting emotions that are at the heart of Kander and Ebb songs.
Photo by Sean Carter
John DeMerell brings a meditative quality to his rendition of “I Don’t Remember You,” a song about a once-close relationship that now seems lost forever. Justin Scott Bays brings more heat to a plaintive yearning for a lost love in “Sometimes a Day Goes By.” The two voices sing in counterpointed empathy.
Photo by Sean Carter
Perhaps the best-known song in this mood is the comic sad “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago. Roy Sexton sings the mournful tale of a man who wonders how invisible he seems to be. Kander’s music is a shuffle and Sexton glides across the stage making like a sad, dancing clown.
Kristin Clark brings that wistful quality to “Colored Lights,” another song about what might have been.
Photo by Sean Carter
K Edmonds brings her big voice and expressive face to a rollicking showstopper from Chicago, “When You’re Good to Mama,” a warning to inmates about how things work on the inside.
Photo by Sean Carter
Elizabeth Jaffe has fun with a sassy celebration of a daytime lover in “Arthur in the Afternoon.”
Photo by Sean Carter
Theatre Nova is alive and it wants to stay alive and offer a chance for everyone to come and see fresh, new, exciting plays at a reasonable price. In the music and words of Kander and Ebb, “what good is sitting alone in your room, come hear the music play, life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret.”
“What a fabulous evening of song! The energy level was high and the numbers flowed seamlessly one to another. I especially enjoyed seeing Kristin and her mom sing together. So great to be back to live theatre, and I appreciate the precautions you’re taking to make everyone feel safe.”
Photo by Sean Carter
“The show was yet another reminder of all the fabulous talent we have in our area. Great Performances, wonderful show.”
“Delightful show! Heartfelt and accomplished singers. Enjoyed every song.”
Lovely review of Theatre Nova’s #SingHappy! Excerpt: “Director Diane Hill keeps it simple and the singers respond with performances that grasp the conflicting emotions that are at the heart of Kander and Ebb songs. … Perhaps the best-known song in this mood is the comic sad ‘Mr. Cellophane’ from Chicago. Roy Sexton sings the mournful tale of a man who wonders how invisible he seems to be. Kander’s music is a shuffle and Sexton glides across the stage making like a sad, dancing clown.”
SING HAPPY! music by John Kander and Fred Ebb with musical arrangements by R. MacKenzie Lewis, a Theatre NOVA Fundraiser
A fundraiser for Theatre NOVA and presented in concert, Sing Happy! is a celebration of the work of Broadway’s famous duo, Kander and Ebb. An ensemble of singers will take the stage with showstoppers from “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and many others while weaving a tale of strength and determination. Directed by Diane Hill, Music Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, Sing Happy! features Justin Scott Bays, Kristin Clark, John DeMerell, K Edmonds (The Revolutionists, The Devil’s Music), Diane Hill (The Lifespan of a Fact, A New Brain, Follies in Concert, Admissions, The How and the Why, The Stone Witch, The Totalitarians, and The Revolutionists), Elizabeth Jaffe (The Elves and the Schumachers), and Roy Sexton (Follies in Concert). LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
Tune in Thursday, November 4th for a brand new Legal Marketing Coffee Talk featuring host, Roy Sexton, and his guest, Gail Lamarche, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.
The incomparable, effervescent Gail Lamarche was one of Roy’s very first “LMA fairy godsisters,” adopting him when he was new to the Legal Marketing Association ten years ago. Their close friendship, love of laughter, and keen interest in the power of digital and social marketing will fuel what is sure to be a wide-ranging chat. Gail is Henderson Franklin’s Director of Marketing and Business Development. Over her 14 year career with the firm, she’s helped them see the value of social media. Gail is a guest blogger and speaks to various groups on the use of social media in professional services. Oh, and her signature gifts are the artistically edible Norman Love Confections … if you’re a good kid, maybe she’ll send you some!
Prior to joining Henderson Franklin, Gail worked in the marketing department of Devine, Millimet & Branch, P.A., a prominent New England regional law firm. Gail previously served on LMA’s Social Media Shared Interest Group Leadership Committee, and has presented at three of its national conferences. For over a decade, she also served as a member of the Southwest Florida Seminole Booster Club. Board of Directors. Blending her two passions, she has served on the Red Sox Celebrity Golf Classic Committee for over a decade, raising funds for the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
Legal Marketing Coffee Talk is brought to you by: By Aries and Kates Media.
We had a wonderful opening weekend for Sing Happy! at Theatre Nova. My father’s *objective* review: “5 GIANT STARS!!!!! Not only are the voices terrific/ the song choices perfect/the pacing excellent/the entire cast is gorgeous❤️ If you miss this show you’ve missed the best Ann Arbor has to offer. Okay, I’m Roy’s dad but you do know parents can be real hard-sses😎on their kids.”
SING HAPPY! music by John Kander and Fred Ebb with musical arrangements by R. MacKenzie Lewis, a Theatre NOVA Fundraiser
A fundraiser for Theatre NOVA and presented in concert, Sing Happy! is a celebration of the work of Broadway’s famous duo, Kander and Ebb. An ensemble of singers will take the stage with showstoppers from “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and many others while weaving a tale of strength and determination. Directed by Diane Hill, Music Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, Sing Happy! features Justin Scott Bays, Kristin Clark, John DeMerell, K Edmonds (The Revolutionists, The Devil’s Music), Diane Hill (The Lifespan of a Fact, A New Brain, Follies in Concert, Admissions, The How and the Why, The Stone Witch, The Totalitarians, and The Revolutionists), Elizabeth Jaffe (The Elves and the Schumachers), and Roy Sexton (Follies in Concert). LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
Justin Scott Bays is excited to be making his debut on the Theatre NOVA stage. Mr. Bays has performed with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, West Edge Opera, and Toledo Opera. He has participated in the iSing! and Toledo Opera Young Artist Programs. Some of his favorite roles include the Emcee in CABARET, Nicely-Nicely Johnson in GUYS AND DOLLS, Malcolm in THE FULL MONTY, and Gordon Michael Schwinn in A NEW BRAIN. Justin has not only a love of performance, but he also has a great appreciation for coffee.
Kristin Clark is thrilled to be making her debut with Theatre NOVA after many seasons in the audience as the proud daughter of Diane Hill. Particularly at home on the classical concert stage, Kristin made her solo debut at Carnegie Hall in 2015, and she can be heard as Electre on the NAXOS recording of Milhaud’s L’ORESTIE D’ESCHYLE, which was nominated for a GRAMMY for best operatic performance. Kristin completed her doctorate in vocal performance at the University of Michigan and is currently a professor of voice and chair of the music department at Adrian College.
John DeMerell is ecstatic to be back Live on stage again and is excited to make his Theatre NOVA debut with this wonderful fundraiser! Some of John’s favorite musical roles consist of Billy Bigelow in CAROUSEL, multiple roles in I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, Dan in NEXT TO NORMAL, and the role of his life so far, Don Quixote/ Miguel de Cervantes in MAN OF LA MANCHA, which garnered him his first Wilde Award. Favorite dramatic roles include McMurphy in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, Selridge in BILOXI BLUES, and Valmont in LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES.
K Edmonds is a multi-faceted performer whose stage credits include performances in Jeff Daniel’s ROADSIGNS and WILLOW RUN, both at the Purple Rose Theatre, Bessie Smith in DEVIL’S MUSIC and THE REVOLUTIONISTS, both at Theatre NOVA, GOOD PEOPLE at Open Book Theatre, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN‘ at Performance Network Theatre and RUINED at Plowshares Theatre. An accomplished musician, award-winning director (Boxfest Detroit 2011), and actress (Wilde Awards 2020), K is also an alum of Second City Detroit. She’s thankful of the support from her mother and inspired by her daughter and so many performers she’s been blessed to work with throughout her career.
Diane Hill has performed at many Michigan theatres including the Fisher Theatre, Meadow Brook, MOT, Detroit’s Gem Theatre, Purple Rose, Tipping Point, Encore Musical Theatre, Croswell Opera House, Open Book, and The Ringwald. She won Wilde Awards for Best Actress for WIT and THE HOW AND THE WHY, along with other acting awards for ‘NIGHT, MOTHER and I DO! I DO! Favorite roles include Diana in NEXT TO NORMAL, Margaret in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA and Sherri in ADMISSIONS. Theatre NOVA audiences have also seen her in THE REVOLUTIONISTS, TOTALITARIANS, THE STONE WITCH and FOLLIES IN CONCERT.
Elizabeth Jaffe is excited to be back at Theatre NOVA where she was last seen in THE ELVES AND THE SCHUMACHERS. Favorite credits include Queenie in THE WILD PARTY (Wilde Award/Best Actress Musical) at the Dio Theatre, The Witch in INTO THE WOODS (Wilde Award/Best Supporting Actress Musical) at Flint Repertory Theatre, Lady of the Lake in SPAMALOT at Encore Musical Theatre, and Sally in CABARET at the Dio. Special thanks to the NOVA team for making this happen, her loving and supportive family and friends, her wonderful and caring husband Ken, and her new adorable and magnificent baby, Noah!
Roy Sexton has spent 25+ years “on the boards,” winning BroadwayWorld Detroit’s Best Actor Musical ‘17 (Ann Arbor Civic’s MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD). He authors the blog reelroyreviews.com, which also inspired two books. Roy is Director of Marketing for Clark Hill and serves on the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor, Legal Marketing Association (international president elect), Mosaic Youth Theatre boards. He was recently named one of Crain’s Detroit Business’ 2021 “Notable LGBTQ Leaders.” He thanks Diane for revisiting what was originally suggested five years ago to Penny Seats by his mother Susie Sexton, who passed away in August.
Want to see all shows and save with Flex Tickets or Subscriptions? SUBSCRIBE NOW!
As we reopen, the thing on everyone’s mind is “is it safe?” Here are the safety precautions we’re taking to ensure patron and artist safety, and do our part to mitigate the spread of Covid:
1. All artists and staff are fully vaccinated. 2. All personnel not on stage are required to wear a mask inside the building at all times. 3. All actors who are unmasked during the show will take a quick-response Covid test once a week. 4. All patrons are required to be fully vaccinated. Please bring your vaccination card or a photo or scan of it. 5. All patrons are required to wear a mask inside the building. Surgical masks will be available at the door for $1. 6. Two bathrooms (one upstairs) will be available for patrons. 7. High touch surfaces are wiped down after every performance. 8. Unvaccinated patrons will not be admitted. 9. According to Actors Equity guidelines, a ventilation audit is performed once a year. 10. Tickets will be sold at 50% capacity to allow for social distancing between parties. 11. We will not be selling concessions.
Policies are subject to change at any time, in accordance with fluctuating local, state, and federal guidelines. Please check our website for updates before attending.
As always, parking is free! But the parking lot is much nicer! Gone are the days of dust and gravel. Our beautiful new parking lot awaits you!
Tickets remain at 2019 prices! We’ve kept our prices affordable, with pay-what-you-can tickets available for all shows for those who need them.
*2019-2020 season subscribers will receive a credit for the shows they missed due to the mandatory shutdown in 2020.
It’s been too long. I needed this. Thrilled to revisit a concept my mom Susie Sexton and dad Don Sexton first suggested to The Penny Seats five (!) years ago. They had an acclaimed award-winning run, if I recall. Honored to be able to appear in it this go ‘round. Such a phenomenal cast and crew. Thank you, Diane Hill. Love you! ❤️
Theatre NOVA presents “Sing Happy!” music by John Kander and Fred Ebb with musical arrangements by R. MacKenzie Lewis
Oct. 28 – Nov. 7, 2021
ANN ARBOR, MI (September 29, 2021): Theatre NOVA, Ann Arbor’s resident nonprofit professional theatre presents a limited engagement of “Sing Happy!,” a celebration of the work of Broadway’s famous duo, Kander and Ebb.
An ensemble of singers will take the stage with showstoppers from “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and many others while weaving a tale of strength and determination. Directed by Diane Hill, with music direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, “Sing Happy!” features Justin Scott Bays, Kristin Clark, John DeMerell, K Edmonds (“The Revolutionists,” ‘The Devil’s Music”), Diane Hill (“The Lifespan of a Fact,” “A New Brain,” “Follies in Concert,” “Admissions,” “The How and the Why,” “The Stone Witch,” “The Totalitarians,” and “The Revolutionists”), Elizabeth Jaffe (“The Elves and the Schumachers”), and Roy Sexton (“Follies in Concert”).
The production and design team includes Monica Spencer (scenic design), Jeff Alder (lighting design), and Briana O’Neal (stage manager).
For the health, safety, and well-being of our patrons, staff, and artists, COVID safety measures will be in place. All of the artists and staff participating in the season are required to be fully vaccinated, and patrons must bring proof of vaccination and wear a mask while in the building. Unvaccinated patrons will not be admitted. Tickets will be sold at 50% capacity to allow for social distancing between parties, and concessions will not be sold. This policy is subject to change at any time, in accordance with fluctuating local, state, and federal guidelines. Please check our website for our current policy before attendance.
“Sing Happy!” will run for two weeks only, Oct. 28 through Nov. 7, 2021. Theatre NOVA is located at 410 W Huron St, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. General admission tickets for this limited engagement fundraiser are $30.
Tickets, memberships, flex passes, and subscriptions may be purchased online at www.TheatreNOVA.org. Tickets may also be purchased in person one hour before each performance. Seating in the theatre will begin 30 minutes before each performance. There is ample free parking, and quick access to the city’s restaurants, bars, bakeries, and coffee shops. New patrons can find Theatre NOVA across Huron Street from Ann Arbor’s YMCA, through a parking lot entrance on the north side of the street. For more information, visit www.TheatreNOVA.org.
Theatre NOVA is dedicated to raising awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and new playwrights in a diverse and expanding audience; and providing resources and outlets for playwrights to develop their craft, by importing, exporting, and developing new plays and playwrights.
John Kander is an American composer who has produced many well-known scores for the stage, television and film. He is best known for working with his musical partner, lyricist Fred Ebb. Kander was born in Kansas City in 1927. From a young age he played the piano and began formal music training at college, where he composed his first theater scores. After college he worked as a pianist for pre-Broadway musicals in Florida. Kander credits his big break as chancing upon the pianist for a production of “West Side Story” in Philadelphia. He was asked to stand in while the pianist went on holiday and, shortly after, he played for a production of “Gypsy” and was introduced to Jerome Robbins who asked Kander to write the dance arrangements for the show. In 1962, Kander had his Broadway debut with the musical “A Family Affair” and worked with producer Hal Prince. Although the show was not a success, it led to a successful future relationship with Prince. The following year, Kander was introduced to Fred Ebb and the pair began to write together. Their first song “My Colouring Book” was nominated for a Grammy Award. From then on, Kander and Ebb’s writing partnership grew and was consolidated with a string of musical hits. After a slow start with the Hal Prince musical “Flora, the Red Menace” (which featured a young Liza Minnelli making her Broadway debut), the pair wrote the musical “Cabaret” (1966). Their next big success came with “Chicago” (1975) and a fruitful collaboration with choreographer Bob Fosse. Both “Cabaret” and “Chicago” were made into hit films in the 1970s and 2000s respectively. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Kander and Ebb produced a steady stream of musicals with varying levels of popular success. 1990 saw the pair score another musical hit with “The Kiss of the Spider Woman.” His most recent show (without Ebb this time) is “Kid Victory,” which was produced off-Broadway in 2017. As well as his theatrical works, Kander has written the scores for several films and collaborated Ebb on the 1977 film “New York, New York,” as well as “Funny Lady” and “Lucky Lady” (1975). In addition to multiple Tony Awards, Kander and Ebb were made Kennedy Center Honorees in 1998, as well as receiving the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theater in 2000. In 2013 Kander received the National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Fred Ebb – One half of the dynamic musical duo “Kander and Ebb,” Fred Ebb was born in New York City in 1928. In 1955 he graduated from New York University with a degree in English Literature; in 1957, he earned his Master’s in Literature at Columbia University. Ebb partnered with other composers before meeting John Kander. He worked with Phil Springer to write individual songs (notably “Heartbroken,” made famous by Judy Garland). Later, Ebb partnered with Paul Klein for his first musical theatre endeavor, the Broadway revue “From A to Z.” In 1962, Ebb met Kander. Their first book musical to hit Broadway was “Flora the Red Menace” starring Liza Minnelli. Their next collaboration was “Cabaret” in 1966 (the 1972 film starred Minnelli). The duo went on to have a widely successful career, including many collaborations with directors such as Bob Fosse and Hal Prince: “Chicago” (1975), “Woman of the Year” (1981), “The Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1993), “The Visit” (2001). The pair’s last collaboration was “Curtains” (2006), a musical murder mystery. Unfortunately, Ebb died suddenly of a heart attack before it was finished. The pair’s last complete collaboration, “The Scottsboro Boys,” premiered in 2010. After Ebb’s death, the Fred Ebb Foundation and its award was established. The award is given to aspiring musical theatre writers – including Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, who won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Book of a Musical for “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” (2014).
Diane Hill (Director) was founder and Artistic/Executive Director of Two Muses Theatre, a nonprofit, professional theatre in West Bloomfield. There she performed in and directed many plays and musicals each year and did the work of technical director, publicist, sound designer, webmaster, and graphic designer for every production. Diane was a professor at University of Detroit Mercy and Oakland Community College, where she originated and designed the Theatre degree program. She has a Ph.D. in Theatre from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Theatre from the University of Michigan. She previously taught high school drama and music in the public school system (Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor) for 20 years. Diane has additionally produced and directed shows for professional theatre companies including Breathe Art Theatre Company in Detroit, Opus Mime in Ann Arbor, Jewish Ensemble Theatre in West Bloomfield, Tipping Point Theatre in Northville, and Heartlande Theatre Company in Detroit. Diane has been a Producing Artistic Director at Theatre NOVA since 2017. At Theatre NOVA, she produced several Michigan Playwrights Festivals, directed “Clutter” (Wilde Award Best New Play), “Follies in Concert,” “Whatcha Doin?,” “The W.I.T.C.H,” and shares with her cast and design team the Council Cargle Award for Excellence in Diverse Storytelling for directing “Kill Move Paradise.” Diane also produced all the Zoom projects since the shutdown, including the Zoom Play Festival and the pro shot filmed version of “A New Brain.”
R. MacKenzie Lewis (Music Director/Musical Arrangement) is composer and music director for EMU’s School of Theatre Arts, and lecturer and accompanist with its School of Music and Dance. Some favorite projects include orchestrating/music directing the national tour and Off-Broadway premiere of “The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical,” orchestrating/music directing “Gypsy” at the Hangar Theatre in New York (Broadway World Award: Best Music Direction); music directing “A Little Night Music” at the Performance Network in Ann Arbor (Wilde Award: Best Music Direction and Best Musical); music directing “Legally Blonde” as a guest artist for MSU (Pulsar Award: Best Music Direction); composing “Irrational” (Wilde Award: Best New Script); associate music directing the workshop of “Romance in Hard Times” with William Finn at the Barrington Stage Co.; composing music for “Mockingbird” (two Helen Hayes nominations), “Wings of Ikarus” and “Jason Invisible” – all of which were commissioned and premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. He also composed the musicals “Video Games: The Rock Opera,” “Treasure Island,” “Pinocchio,” “Soaring on Black Wings” – world premiere with Ben Vereen, and all of Theatre NOVA’s Pantos.
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FACT SHEET
WHO:
Cast: Justin Scott Bays Kristin Clark John DeMerell K Edmonds Diane Hill Elizabeth Jaffe Roy Sexton
Production Team: Director: Diane Hill
Music Director: R MacKenzie Lewis
Set design: Monica Spencer
Lighting design: Jeff Alder
Stage Management/Props: Briana O’Neal
WHAT: “Sing Happy!” music by John Kander and Fred Ebb, musical arrangement by R. MacKenzie Lewis
Theatre NOVA, 410 W. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Box office: 734-635-8450,
Reel Roy Reviews 