First I must thank my team for being so wonderful and for their unwavering belief in our mission, our work, and the show.  Truly, I couldn't do any of it without them.  Tonight was an example of how important their work is as well as how attentive they are to both the show and to me personally.

The show this evening was just amazing - the energy was great, the audience was extremely appreciative, and there was something special in the air.  A lot of friends, colleagues, business associates, and family were in attendance which made it that much more special.  During intermission, as I was speaking with some of the audience members, I noticed that there was a situation that my publicist, Kristin, was dealing with.  Before I could excuse myself to walk over and see what was going on, Gerri (our director of global operations and logistics), noticing that I was about to head in Kristin's direction, came over to tell me that everything was under control and that I am needed backstage.  There is always something to do backstage at a live show, but nothing that required my attention.  Before I knew it, ACT II was in progress and the evening continued smoothly. 

After the show, we were all backstage and I asked Kristin and Gerri what was going on during intermission.  I have no words to describe how incredulous I found their answer so I asked Kristin to transcribe the conversation she had with two of the audience members:   

Transcript:

 

[Conversation with Fred and Paula, Saturday, June 14^th, 2008, evening performance.]  

Fred and Paula:  We feel that this show was completely misrepresented and had we any idea that the dancers were all going to be Japanese, we never would have purchased tickets. We would like our money back.

Kristin: I’m so sorry you feel that way.  Did you purchase your tickets through the website? (I asked this since the cast is listed on the site and there are pictures of Nanae everywhere.) 

 

Fred and Paula: No

 

Kristin: I’m sorry, there are no refunds.

 

Fred and Paula: Ok, but we’re still not staying for the rest of the show.

 

Kristin: Our dancers are the best dancers in this style of dance; we are not going to hire substandard performers just because they fit a certain ethnic profile. Nowhere in our promotional materials does it say that our dancers are of Middle Eastern descent, merely the style of dance is Middle Eastern.  Would you prefer to watch a sub-par performance simply because it featured Middle Eastern dancers?

 

Fred and Paula: Yes. We would prefer to watch a show with sub-par dancers if they are truly of Middle Eastern descent. We are subscribers to the Lyric [Lyric Opera] and the CSO [Chicago Symphony Orchestra] and we would never expect to be misrepresented by those organizations.

 

Kristin: When you attend an Italian opera at the Lyric and not all of the singers are Italian, do you walk out?

 

Fred and Paula:  That’s different because here ALL of the dancers are Japanese. We would expect something like this at a community theater, never at a professional show.

 

Fred: I’m a jazz musician and when I travel to Eastern Europe the musicians there are good but they just can’t cut it like Americans. It’s just not the same.

 

Kristin: That’s interesting since Jazz roots are African;  I feel fortunate that American artists were able to utilize those African rhythms and create an art form, just as we’re incredibly fortunate and honored that the cultural bridges from East to West which we are building by way of this show travel through Japan.  We feel that embracing various ethnicities only adds to the show and the overall concept.

 

Paula: We’ve traveled to the Middle East and seen dancers, you don’t understand, it just doesn’t look like this. These dancers are good, but it’s just not in their gene code to be able to dance in this style. 

 

 Fred and Paula: We love Asians.

 

Kristin: So when you attend a ballet do you expect all of the dancers to be Russian? Should Americans not attempt to dance ballet solely because their country didn’t create that art form?

 

Fred and Paula:  The Russian Ballet is still predominantly comprised of Russian dancers. If we went to a Geisha house in Japan and the Geishas were white it just wouldn’t be the same. The dancers in this show [A DREAM OF ARABIA] are great, they’re just misrepresentative. The entire show is misrepresentative.

 

Kristin:  I’m shocked that you wouldn’t want to stay for the second half if you enjoy the dancing.

 

Paula: We’re shocked that this is going on. 

 

Fred: We’re very liberal and we’re still not okay with this.

 

Kristin: It shouldn’t matter what ethnicity a person is as long as the performance is spectacular. This show is set in ancient Mesopotamia, before most modern day Middle Eastern countries were in existence. These are ancient, folkloric dances and we’re honored that people outside of the Middle East have taken interest in this style of dance.

 

Fred and Paula: How can we contact the producer?

 

Kristin: You can email him, through the website.

 This is, at least in part, why we are doing the show - to end these types of ideas and this type of separation.  As the producer, I couldn't be more proud that the bridge of cultural understanding we are building happens to go through Tokyo.  In fact, we are truly honored that another culture, on the other side of the planet, has so embraced our culture and we couldn't have asked for better ambassadors.   I am eternally grateful for the wisdom and care both Kristin and Gerri showed in dealing with the situation as well as shielding me from it.   So tomorrow's shows are dedicated to you "Fred & Paula" - Thank you for reminding us of why we do what we do!   

It is almost midnight and it feels like I haven't slept in a week... I think everybody is feeling that way after the amazing dress rehearsals we had today! 

It was a day of extreme focus and intensity as our entire cast and crew were preparing for the dress rehearsals, scheduled to start at 6 PM local time.  From the early morning, our creative team (hair, make-up, wardrobe) had been setting up their stations, arranging the work flow, and preparing for launch.  The theater team were also operating in full force preparing for opening night, the VIP lounge, and the other million and one details that must be attended to.  After morning rehearsals, the entire cast had to report to hair/make-up by 3 PM to begin the process of transforming to their A DREAM OF ARABIA characters. 

I spent the afternoon working with our stage manager and crew to make sure we are ready for the first "show".  There was a certain intensity, even electricity, in the air as more than 50 people worked tirelessly with laser-sharp focus in the final minutes before the call for "curtain-up" was made.  Our creative team was split on two floors with 3 dressing rooms, 1 costume shop, 1 massive hair studio, and 2 make-up wings.  Of course there was a delay because the cast was not done with hair!  According to our head hair stylist there were electrical problems in the studio but knowing him, he wasn't about to let anyone on the stage with one strand of hair out of place!  The next two hours were pure magic as the culmination of months of work came together in a brilliant performance.  Chicago, we're ready! 

Here are some photos from the day...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was the first day of tech rehearsals at the theater.  Everybody was excited to begin and the day began with the cast and Chicago crew getting to know each other. 

 The day started very early and Nanae and I had a private breakfast to discuss some the technical details of the show, the venue, and the day's rehearsals.  The trucks arrived late morning and the load-in process took about two hours after which we were ready to go.   The cast got to warm up on the new stage and become familiar with the space.  After about twelve hours of rehearsals we decided it was time to call it a day and we felt comfortable with how we needed to proceed.  Some new lighting equipment has to be ordered in the morning to accommodate for the unique lighting of A DREAM OF ARABIA, especially given the size and shape of the stage.  Our technical director, Bill Jenkins, will be making sure everything is ready for Day 2 of our rehearsals.  We made so much progress today, with the help of an extremely well-rehearsed cast and a top-notch professional crew, that Bill and I feel very comfortable that we will be ready for dress rehearsals on Wednesday without any issues.  This makes my life very easy given the amount of work we have ahead of us, the press and publicity I have scheduled over the new few days, and opening night only three days away...

Today the entire cast and crew descended on Chicago for our week in residence at the Lund and the premier of A DREAM OF ARABIA in my hometown.  Due to weather, there were a lot of flight delays but by the end of the day our little army had taken over the west side of campus.  From the look one of the drivers had on his face, I don't think he had ever seen so much luggage for one group of people.  Gerri, our director of global operations and logistics, had the entire team checked-in efficiently, quickly, and without a hitch.  Within two hours everybody had their keys, ID badges, security passes, and production schedule - now that is what I call planning! 

Nanae was very happy to be back in Chicago and she considers this to be her second home.  Her family will also be joining us in a couple of days and they finally get to see the place Nanae has been visiting so often in the past couple of years. 

Tomorrow is going to be a long day so after a quick planning meeting with the cast and crew, everybody was off to get some sleep.  Our production manager has to be up so very early to oversee set deliveries (two 26-foot trucks will be delivering our sets, equipment, and tools), stage set-up, and tech rehearsals.  I am looking forward to a productive and exciting day. 

We're finally here and ready to go - See you at the show Chicago! 

Today we kick into high gear as the cast arrives in Chicago and we are in final tech/rehearsals before the show's premier on June 12 at 7 PM.  Our entire team has been working 24/7 to have everything ready and this morning (a hot and muggy Sunday) is no exception.  It is hard to describe how many moving pieces there are to a production of this magnitude so everybody is quite busy, however we took a little break to watch "Chicagoing with Bill Campbell" on ABC where A DREAM OF ARABIA was featured for the entire episode.  The crew was quite excited as they previewed scenes from the show and Bill and I discussed at length the importance, timeliness, and scale of this production.  The one thing viewers didn't get to see is the "new and improved" set.  So below you will see a little preview that will give you an idea of what to expect when you see the show live. 

Again, our thanks to ABC, Elsa (the producer), the entire crew, Leslie from the Lund, and especially to Bill Campbell for taking such an interest in our work. 

 See you at the premier!

 

 

 

 I just got back from taping an interview with Broadway World.   Everything went quite well unlike most of the day!  I was running so late, traffic was terrible (it was raining for a good part of the day), we had an issue at the theater that I had to go resolve (big sets that weigh thousands of pounds can create quite a few interesting problems to solve), our wardrobe coordinator was also at the theater trying to figure out some logistics for the 150+ costumes for the cast, and my creative team was working today on the set of the new John Dillinger movie (meaning nobody was available to make sure I didn't scare viewers). 

The interview was conducted by Steve Leary and having done many interviews in the past two months, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised that Steve and his team had done their research:  He knew about the show, where it started, my company, MAQAM, information about Middle Eastern dance and music that most people wouldn't know, and even details about people who work with me that I didn't know were public knowledge!  The questions were well considered and thought provoking, the points raised were important and of interest, and we ended up covering things that nobody else brought up.  That made me feel very comfortable that this was a team of professionals (the camera man, Mike, was especially interested in the subject matter and I hope he captured the discussion the way I felt it went) who did their homework and were prepared to conduct this interview.  I am not sure how much of the interview will air on Broadway World TV but we taped for at least 40 minutes.  I am told that it may end up being broadcast in parts - here is the first installment:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=28722

 Overall it was a great day - many thanks to Steve, Mike, Rob, Miles, Robert, Billy, Rosalind, and Samantha for making sure that the significance of our work and its coverage by Broadway World is yet another significant and historical milestone in our mission.  I couldn't have done it without you! 

 

 A DREAM OF ARABIA is privileged to be featured on ABC's Chicagoing with Bill Campbell.  The entire 30 minute program will highlight our show, how it all started, the importance of it, and will preview many clips from the live performance.  We also had Leslie, from the Dominican University Center for the Performing Arts, join for a couple of segments to talk about the work they are doing to accommodate our traveling caravan!  Coincidentally, the studio where the program is filmed is the same studio where the Oprah Show went national back in 1987.  Also, the air date coincides with the 19th anniversary of the program.  It seems it was all meant to be. 

For anyone from Chicago, being interviewed by Bill Campbell is a true honor.  He has been a Chicago figure for almost thirty years and is a highly respected media figure.  I was thrilled to meet him and he was as kind and welcoming as can be - he actually is the real deal.  Also, it seems he has taken a real interest in A DREAM OF ARABIA, its importance, and timeliness of the show.  After the taping, we all stayed for a while chatting and getting to know each other better.  I have a feeling Bill and I will be friends for a long time.  It is an inside job after all! 

 The show airs on June 8 at 11 AM on ABC 7.  Here is the link to the site:  

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources/inside_station&id=6173017

Many thanks to Leslie for joining the program, Kristin (my publicist) for bringing it all together, Billy (our stylist) for making us look great, and Rosalind (our make-up artist) for ensuring we won't make people run in fear from their TV screens (I think she did such a good job nobody will recognize us)! 

 

Last month I taped the first of a series of interviews with NPR's Market Place (www.marketplace.org).  I am thrilled that Market Place has an interest in Middle East related stories, and today marks the beginning of a month long broadcast from the region entitled "Middle East @ Work".  It is a special month of coverage from Cairo and Dubai which includes compelling economic, social, and political stories, editorials, staff blogs, videos & slide shows, music, and much more.  It is designed to give the listeners and web audience a 360 view of an area that MP describes as "No region outside the United States affects Americans' pocketbooks, politics and portfolios more than the Middle East.". 

We are thrilled that the lead story for this month of broadcast features MAQAM and A DREAM OF ARABIA (http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/02/25/arab_music/).  Be sure to tune in, whether on the radio or online, to this month of interesting and important reports. 

Two weeks ago I returned from Los Angeles after completing my last round of interviews with Market Place and providing them with music for the entire month of broadcast from the Middle East. 

National Public Radio and all of its programs are an incredibly important part of American media - please support NPR (www.npr.org), Market Place (www.marketplace.org), and your local NPR affiliate so they may continue to enrich our lives with informative, educational, and entertaining reporting. 

I just got back from three hours of live broadcast on KALW 91.7 San Francisco, where I guest host a world music radio show called Tangents with the show's producer and host Dore Stein.  When I'm there, the show becomes "Tangential Arabic Radio" as we focus on Arabic and Middle Eastern music. 

I really enjoy doing the show with Dore because not only do I get to bring Arabic & Middle Eastern music to a wider audience, but also we discuss many issues on the air including the conflict in the Middle East, Israeli-Palestinian relations, social issues, the history of peace and harmony in the region, and what we can learn from it today.  Dore and I have become great friends and truly, this is peace in motion.  And thank you Dore for both nominating me for cultural ambassador and casting the very first vote in my favor! 

Of note today was the 8th anniversary of the passing of Ofra Haza, who never sought treatment for HIV/AIDS for fear of being discriminated against, shamed, and ostracized in a society where the disease continues to carry a tremendous amount of stigma, in particular for women.  Unfortunately the same is happening to women all over the Middle East, in particular in the Gulf region, where many also do not seek treatment for breast cancer and suffer in silence due to the extreme social stigma associated with the disease. 

The full play list from the show can be found here:  http://www.tangents.com/playlists/20080223.html  We even previewed some music from the upcoming A DREAM OF ARABIA tour! 

Dore also organizes a great music tour to Turkey every year.  If you have ever wanted to visit the region and do something beyond the typical tourist bus tour, this is the real deal.  Check it out at http://www.tangents.com/overview.html.

 

 

After several months of rehearsals, we are ready now to do final casting and role assignments for A DREAM OF ARABIA.  During that time, we have been thinking about the pieces, who fits where, and which dancers will do what numbers.  Based on performance, skill, and fit, today we completed final formations and everybody knows their spot! 

 Now everybody gets to work to perfect their role in the show, hit their marks, and really work on their specific character.  We made a few changes from our original plan and I am also having Nanae make some changes in her role/character.  The idea came to me after my friend (and lawyer) Connie asked me a question while she was watching footage from the show (her role is ever evolving as she is multi-talented).  The question suggested that perhaps some audience members may not be able to clearly see Nanae's character transition and evolution in Act 1.  The change does require Nanae to rethink how to present her role, changes to the choreography, and a new costume.  Even with only a few months left before the show's preview opens, I am confident that Nanae can handle it - she is such a pro!   What I love about working with an artist of her caliber is that despite all the pressure, demands, and expectations, she never complains and always delivers. 

So thank you Connie for inspiring a great improvement.  Where would I be without you? 

Read all about it! 

Nanae and I were so excited last November to come up with an idea for a new costume and rework one of the numbers of the show in Act 2.  The costume is very traditional Middle Eastern with an incredible intricate design - in fact, the costume itself inspired the new direction for the number and the choreography.  At the time we thought that the challenge was going to be that of the cast members who now have to dance in this new costume and how it would affect their movement.  I had complete confidence in Nanae's ability to get the dancers up to speed as she is quite detailed with a unique approach to instruction.  By the holidays, the costume maker in the Middle East was already working on the costumes, which are all hand-made, and we expected delivery by the first week of January.    It is now the third week of January and we are still waiting.  Between shipping, customs, and the Arabic "timetable", perhaps I should have been more specific that we expected the costumes in January 2008 and not 2009! 

 Costumes?  Costumes?  Anywhere? 

2008 is only a few hours away and here I am trying to finish everything that must be done before the end of the day.  I do run a global company and it has been quite a year with many technological investments, infrastructure upgrades, and significant growth.  After successful shows in Asia, and having Nanae on our team, we decided to open a base in Japan - MAQAM Tokyo.  In addition to all of that, A DREAM OF ARABIA is in full rehearsals and there are so many details to attend to. 

Leslie, the managing director of the Lund, and her entire team have been nothing but kind and helpful.  Today we figured out the final details and the deal is sealed.  I believe we will have a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Leslie and the Lund. 

 I think my new year celebration tonight will be to go home (hopefully before midnight!), have a nice meal, and think about all that we have accomplished in 2007.  With the help of many talented and dedicated people, we continue to envision projects of substance and positive impact and bring them to our audience and customers.  I believe our biggest success is the longevity of our team and their unwavering passion and dedication to our philosophy and mission.  Most have been with me from the very beginning and it wouldn't be the same without them.  We are family! 

2008 marks the 10th Anniversary for MAQAM (producer and presenter of A DREAM OF ARABIA) so I would like to thank everyone who has supported us throughout the years and wish you all the best of health and happiness in the new year.

After a fun party last night, at the best Brazilian restaurant in Chicago, where we celebrated both Nanae's birthday and our A DREAM OF ARABIA team (MAQAM team, the creative team, etc.) with lots of food, drink, and a big chocolate cake, today we have much ahead of us. 

The day started at 5 AM with taking care of company business, then hair/makeup for Nanae's photo shoot at 8 AM, the grueling photo shoot at 11 AM, and then off to the theater to meet with the technical director and crew and hammer out final production details.  That final meeting was like a credit card commercial:

            -Supplies for the meeting:  $150

            -Cost for stage and set models:  $500

            -The look on everyone's face when Nanae and I set up the entire show on the stage with our modular set-models:  PRICELESS! 

Some adjustments will have to be made to accommodate for the stage's unique configuration and size which will be easy to do.  There is going to be a lot of work ahead to get the stages ready for opening night.  Overall it was a great meeting and we were even asked to give a lecture to the theater students on how to put a show together - a great compliment. 

By the end of the day we were so tired and Nanae and I stopped to get a bite to eat.  At this point it was snowing and the city was covered in white - everything looked like it was straight out of a Christmas movie with the snow gently falling all around us.  There really is no place like Chicago during the holidays.  I guess we still had some energy left as a snow fight ensued!  For a little person Nanae can really throw a snow ball!!  The evening ended with hot chocolate and plans for tomorrow's long day of rehearsals. 

 

Nanae, the star of  A DREAM OF ARABIA, is in town for a few days so that we can work on some of the dance numbers, do rehearsals, finalize details with the theater, and review dancer progress.  We are very fortunate to have a great cast of professional dancers of the highest caliber with the talent, skills, and training necessary for the show.  The schedule is intense and the rehearsals are grueling because this is not just a dance show - it is a theatrical experience! 

Nanae is the only dancer we have ever signed as an exclusive MAQAM Artist.  She is an extremely talented dancer who respects the art, the culture, and most importantly herself.  We take our work very seriously as we have the opportunity to shape the experience of thousands, if not millions, of people of an entire culture.  I was personally impressed with Nanae's artistry, her commitment to be the best, and her drive to create a professional forum where works of cultural significance may be presented. 

 As we continue our mission of "From East to West, Bringing The World Together One Note at a Time", I am very proud that the bridge of understanding we are building between East and West happens to go through Tokyo. 

Once we had selected the venue, we decided that May would be a good time to kick-off the tour, especially since our Tokyo preview is scheduled for May 9.  Well it seems that we are going to have to change the Chicago dates to late May or early June.  Being from Chicago I know that the weather is just getting better at that time and with the Memorial Day holiday, there won't be anybody in town! 

June has always been a good month for me:  I was born in June, I got my first apartment in June, I started my first company in June, and now our first A DREAM OF ARABIA Chicago show will be in June. 

June - here we come!