Tag Archives: spotlight players

Legal News coverage of #LMA15 presentation – and home again in #Indiana

6 April 2015

7 Comments

Thanks to the Detroit Legal News for this coverage of my upcoming presentation – alongside Gina Rubel, Heather Morse, and Megan McKeon – at the national Legal Marketing Association conference.  You can find out more about LMA at legalmarketing.org – here’s a scan of the article and the full text follows …

(Congratulations also to my colleague Marcy Ford and her recognition here as a recipient of the inaugural “Career Mastered: Women’s Leadership in Action” award in Southeast Michigan!)

Marcy Ford and Roy Sexton April 2015 Detroit Legal News

IMG_1410Trott Law, a Farmington Hills-based real estate finance law firm, announced today that Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Roy Sexton has been selected to participate in a panel on legal marketing at the 2015 Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Annual Conference. The conference will take place on April 13-15 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego, California.

As the authority for legal marketing that brings together marketing and business development professionals from firms across the Unites States, LMA invited Sexton to sit on a four-person panel, titled “Collaboration and Coexistence among Barristers and ‘Baristas.’” Sexton and his fellow panelists will focus their discussion on practical advice on effectively communicating with lawyers, leveraging generational commonalities, delivering results that will build credibility and establishing a career network.

IMG_1395Sexton earned his Bachelor’s degree from Wabash College in 1995 and is a 1997 graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned his Master’s degree in Theatre. In 2007, he graduated with his MBA from the University of Michigan. He is a graduate of Leadership Detroit, a governor-appointed member of the Michigan Council of Labor and Economic Growth, and was appointed to the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association Board of Governors in 2012. Currently, Sexton is an active participant in the Leadership Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti program.

Additionally, Sexton has been involved in a number of nonprofit boards and committees, including First Step, Michigan Quality Council, National MS Society, ASPCA, Wabash College Southeast Michigan Alumni Association, Penny Seats Theatre Company and the Spotlight Players. He recently published two books, Reel Roy Reviews, Volumes 1 & 2, collections of essays on film, theatre, and culture culled from his blog, reelroyreviews.com.

IMG_1403Prior to joining Trott Law, Sexton spent 10 years in various planning and communications roles at Oakwood Healthcare System, serving as the corporate director of strategic communications and planning. In this role he led a staff of 20 marketing professionals and developed the strategic direction for the $1 billion health care system. 

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IMG_1399And I had a great visit to Indiana this past weekend – yes, that Indiana (the one I famously excoriated in my last entry, which was reprinted in my mom’s “Old Type Writer” column here) – to spend time with parents and to celebrate my dad’s birthday and Easter and whatnot.

Well, we had a fabulous time, and the Easter Bunny brought me (via my thoughtful, clever parents) a beautifully custom-made “Reel Roy Reviews” sweatshirt.

We had some great meals out and about, catching up, at these various local eateries, with sweet Nancy Hartman, my high school classmate Cammie Simmons Casey, and Mad Men fan Steven Wegman.

Happy spring, everyone! Let’s hope for increased tolerance, acceptance, and love for all creatures … be they two-legged, four-legged, finned, feathered, insectoid, or reptilian.

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And a little hometown love from The Columbia City Post & Mail …

Roy Post and Mail LMA____________________________

Reel Roy Reviews 2

Reel Roy Reviews 2

Reel Roy Reviews is now TWO books! You can purchase your copies by clicking here (print and digital)

In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the first book is currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan and by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan.

My mom Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series is also available on Amazon and at Bookbound and Common Language.

You’re never too old to learn – Seth Rudetsky’s master class at Farmington Players, November 2

2 November 2014

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Seth RudetskyYou’re never too old to learn, I suppose. At least that was the lesson I gained today during Seth Rudetsky‘s wonderful master class taught at Farmington Players in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Thanks to the group and specifically to Amy Lauter for organizing the event, which saw local performers go through the exercise of auditioning before Mr. Rudetsky as well as an appreciative audience of approximately 130 people.

Sitting there, starting at noon, all of us guinea pigs lined up in the front row, nervously awaiting Seth’s appearance, not sure what to expect. Would he be more Simon Cowell, all glistening fangs and catty remarks, or Mr. Rogers, full of affirmation and delightful support?

Blessedly, he was more the latter, but not without insightful critique which inspired immediate improvement from all of us performers.

Seth opened the session with a brief overview, along the lines of this YouTube video – practical (and funny!) advice about how to prepare music, how to get ready for an audition, and how to put yourself in the proper head-space to succeed …

Following that intro, Seth began drawing our names from a hat … well, a decorative bowl … and one by one, we marched up on the stage, allowing Seth to a rifle through our prized binders of sheet music and to select a cut or two for us to perform. The age of the performers ranged from 11 to “we’d-rather-not-say,” with an array of songs from Broadway canon, pop, and beyond – Sondheim, Rodgers & Hammerstein,  and … er … General Hospital. You had to be there.

(I sat there nervously for hours wondering if my name was even in the bowl at all, but, finally, next to last, my name was called. I futilely tried to step directly on the stage from the front row – who needs stairs? At which time, I did this awkward army crawl/roll center stage. Yup, I know how to make an entrance. Sigh.)

Seth took his time with all of us, stopping at key points in our songs and offering us direction on how to improve our delivery: “be in the moment,” “what are you thinking about there,” “why hold that note and what are you conveying emotionally if you do so,” “plant yourself,” “take a position of strength,” “there are no songs that shouldn’t be used in auditions, but you have to find the song that features you and your talent best.” Pretty great life advice, let alone fabulous guidance for an exceptional audition.

I sang Pajama Game‘s “Hey There,” after fumbling disastrously with my own notebook, like a nervous junior high school kid. I blushed when Seth said he really likes my old-school songs (all raided from my mom’s exceptional sheet music collection). And I was a dutiful student, taking his advice on a song that I had sung so often it had become akin to “Jingle Bells” or “Happy Birthday” in my head … musical wallpaper.  I was struck by how different the final performance was that resulted – thanks, Seth!!

Thanks to “Legally Blonde the Musical” pal Amy Poirier for grabbing that quick clip from this afternoon, and enjoy the following video, taken by my cousin Alexandra Poor, of my performance of the song in Spotlight Players’ 2009 production of “The Pajama Game” …

Seth said I may be a little too old to sing “Real Live Girl” or “Corner of the Sky” any more … phooey, and I would have been very curious for his reaction to my take on Tom Lehrer’s “Masochism Tango” from Tomfoolery. Maybe next time!

Thank you, Seth! I may never make it to Broadway, but I feel like Rudetsky brought a little bit of Broadway to the future of my local performing.

But me being weird ol’ me, the highlight of the afternoon for me was this … Seth encouraged all of us to sing as if we were serenading a beloved rescue pet – sing every song thinking of an animal we love, bringing out all the authentic, vibrant colors of that pure emotion. He also let us know that Roberta Flack dedicated “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to her cat!  I like that song so much better now! Seth is an active Facebooker and sprinkles his promotional efforts with many, many posts to help our animal friends. Be sure to check out and follow his Facebook page, and if he comes to a town near you, go to his live show, sign up for his class, and thank him for all his generous and gracious work.

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Tomfoolery

Tomfoolery

Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Thanks to BroadwayWorld for this coverage – click here to view.

In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan and by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan.

My mom Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series is also available on Amazon and at Bookbound and Common Language.

A collective of crazies: Hard Taco’s Chisels ‘n Dust

1 November 2014

2 Comments

Penny SeatscompanyBecause time plays funny tricks, I find myself in the peculiarly delightful place of singing the chorus (as an army of miners nonetheless) on a song written by the elementary school-aged son Malcolm of my good friends Zach and Lauren. Malcolm, mind you, had not quite arrived in this world when I first met Lauren, who was pregnant with him when she first co-music-directed (along with Rebecca Biber) me in Spotlight Players‘ production of Company. WHEW! “Bobby, Bobby, Bobbeeeee.”

Anyway, enjoy the song “Chisels ‘n Dust” and Zach’s much funnier blog post (than mine) which follows.Company Fans Company Fans 2

Hey, be sure to sign-up for his blog. It comes out the first of every month, is chock-full-of-fun, and is FREE!

You can find all of Zach’s Hard Taco output (sounds rather odd to write that sentence) at hardtaco.org … but, for sheer vanity, here are shortcuts (in chronological order …I think!) to all the songs I’ve been privileged to perform with his collective of crazies – click title to listen/download (free!):

This has been so much fun … I look forward to many more musical adventures with them!Vainglorious Training
And if you find yourself in Metro Detroit tomorrow afternoon and you’ve got nothing to do, stop by Sirius/XM’s Seth Rudetsky’s master class at Farmington Players (noon to 3 pm).He will be torturing … er … teaching a dozen of us guinea pigs how to be better auditioners (auditionees?) to the delight and amusement (and horror) of the audience. Tickets still available at farmingtonplayers.org
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From Zach – view original post here …

November Hard Taco Digest:  Another Ick in the Wall

 

Jupiter ApproachDear Friends,

“There’s a pit where bad guys have to dig up crystals all day instead of going to jail.”

That is my son Malcolm’s vision for the new Hard Taco song, “Chisels ‘n Dust,” which he co-authored. I enjoyed this collaboration, and hope it is the first of many. I look forward to breaking up over aesthetic differences and grudgingly reuniting after a decade of unsuccessful solo endeavors.

I always feel a bit embarrassed about posting a link to my songs on Facebook, but I do it anyway, just in case one or two people are curious. Other than that, I’m a pretty reserved Facebook poster.

We all know people that exist at the other end of the spectrum. One of my friends furnishes her timeline with new material five or more times a day. Most of the posts are just three letter interjections, such as Yay or Ick, but within minutes, each of these garners hundreds of Likes and Comments.

So what is her secret? Am I an unpopular person or am I just providing unpopular content? To find out, I took 24 hours and posted the same kind of stuff as everybody else. The results will shock you.

1  2345678With warmest regards,
Zach

 

Tomfoolery

Tomfoolery

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Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Thanks to BroadwayWorld for this coverage – click here to view.

In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan and by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan.

My mom Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series is also available on Amazon and at Bookbound and Common Language.

Quick cut: Spotlight Players’ production of Barnum … and that’s no humbug!

21 April 2013

4 Comments

[Image Source: Spotlight Players]

[Image Source: Spotlight Players]

In the huckster spirit of PT Barnum, this isn’t really a review…but rather a shameless plug for some talented friends of mine, friends currently performing the Cy Coleman musical Barnum with Spotlight Players in Canton, Michigan at the Village of Cherry Hill Theatre.

In 21st century postmodern fashion, though, I should be additionally “transparent” (whatever that silly, overused word really means) and divulge that I was on the Spotlight Players board when this particular show was selected (not to mention chair of the play selection and director selection committees when the musical was on its way through the decision-making process).

Regardless, I urge you to go check out this production of a musical that is rarely performed. You have a unique chance to see this one staged, not to mention presented with great love and energy from a game and talented cast.

Why isn’t the show done much any more? I’m not totally sure – I will admit that there are some book problems. However, it was a precursor of sorts to the modern psychodrama musical where factual biography morphs with more fantastical, metaphorical elements and back again.  In essence, Barnum’s life is told in a pastiche of circus tropes. There are a number of shows that do better service to this structural approach, but this particular one is stuffed with catchy songs and many lovely character moments, particularly between Barnum and his wife Charity.

You have one more weekend to see Spotlight Players’ production, and it is a lot of fun. Clocking in at just over two hours (a blessing in community theatre), the show is briskly paced and performed with aplomb. The ensemble brings great heart, and the principals are a giddy delight. Leo Babcock sparkles as the titular showman, and Cathy Skutch matches him delightfully has Barnum’s saucy, long-suffering wife. The pair exude warmth onstage, particularly during one of the show’s signature songs “The Colors of My Life.”

Featured players Rebecca Winder as Jenny Lind, Tina Paraventi as Joice Heth, Jeff Foust as the Ringmaster,  Jim Jackson as Tom Thumb, and Sarah Rauen (“Black and White”) are all excellent as well. Winder deserves special note for bringing comic zing to Lind, particularly in her first meeting with Barnum, a truly funny moment of linguistic misunderstanding akin to the finest Marx Brothers routines.

Barnum is a tough show to pull off due to the spectacle required, but Spotlight does a fine job using visual tricks of lighting and proportion and makeup, clever choreography, and abstract but effective set pieces to achieve a Big Top atmosphere. In another clever touch, the orchestra, led expertly by music director Richard Alder, remains onstage the whole time as part of the action. And there are even a few novel surprises of the pyrotechnic variety during the climactic number “Join the Circus.”

Give this one a shot – one more weekend to see. Tickets can be purchased at www.spotlightplayersmi.org. You won’t regret it…and that’s no humbug!