It’s been a little while since I’ve performed at a club. You can find me performing Saturday night, July 2nd, at Otto’s Shrunken Head in the East Village NYC. I’ll be playing percussion with Willie and the Wolves. (So I guess that makes me a wolf). It’s the release party for the album I recorded with the group. You can hear some of it on Reverbnation.
Willie (William Beaufort) is using Kickstarter to fund the production of the album. The album is made up of old and new original compositions with all NYC based musicians. Please consider contributing.
Otto’s Shrunken Head
Saturday, July 2nd, 7:30 PM
538 East 14th Street, New York, NY
(212) 228-2240
Willie and the Wolves combine steamy Latin grooves, red hot R&B, jumpin’ jivin’ swing and (yes) a side order of waving-riding surf rock into a entertaining mix sure to delight (dazzle, even)
Update:
Below are two videos from the show and the lineup.
Vocals: Anne De Acetis
Guitar: Willie Wolf
Sax: Caras Paton
Trumpet: Fred Ginsberg
Bass: Tony Ventura
Drums: Keith Dorgan
Percussion: Alexander Rea
Shot by: Nicole Miller
Camera: Canon 5D MkII, build in microphone, 24-105mm
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQOWF3m2jQc
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0j-5UgQ_1k
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 | Posted In Producing • Theater
Read the NYT Article on The Zipper's Closing
Above The Belt, an aerial showcase that I’ve helped Britt Nhi Sarah produce got it’s start in The Belt Theatre. The Belt was a small cabaret space next to the Zipper Theatre and both were part of the venue known to most as The Zipper Factory. Opened in 2001 it was home to such productions as “The Sensuous Woman” by Margaret Cho, “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,” “Jesus Is Magic” by Sarah Silverman, “Betty Rules” and Alan Cumming’s adaptation of Jean Genet’s “Elle.” The website is still live. An eerie reminder of a great place.
Above The Belt started in the Belt space and moved next door when the Belt was turned over into the Tavern. The grid and stage area remained and we staged what would become ourlast show to a packed house on December 18, 2009. Suddenly, on January 14th 2009, the theatre abruptly closed. No one saw it coming. Not the managers, staff and least of all any of the acts including us. (Read the NYT article here)
Nine months later I was walking by coincidently enough with Britt Nhi. We had just come from a nearby space where we were shopping the show and I noticed workers coming out pushing large demolition dumpsters. I walked up and asked if the space was open. They said yes and we walked in. Below are photos of what we saw. The entire space gutted. Stripped clean down to the bone. What was once one of the most unique theatre space I had ever seen in this country was now all but a memory. I only wish I had as many photos of the place when it was alive. I wish I knew where all of the well curated artifacts that littered the place are now. And where did all the car seats go? Warning, these photos may be shocking to some.
(p.s. If you have photos of theatre space, especially the lounge/bar area, please email them to me)
The Zipper Factory (2001- January 14, 2009)
[flickrset id="72157622885838209" thumbnail="square" overlay="true" size="medium"]
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 | Posted In Performances • Theater
I’ll be playing drums tomorrow night with Katie Petterle at the Metropolitan Room.
Katie Petterle debuts with a brand new show! Singing the greatest pop rock songs from the last 50 years, Katie and her accompanist, Greg Schlotthauer, sing favorites from the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley, Carol King and more!
Kate Petterle grew up performing in theatres all over the Sacramento area. She attended The Boston Conservatory on a merit scholarship and moved to New York after graduating in 2001. She has been heard on TV singing the theme
song for the Saturday morning cartoon “Fighting Foodons” and on promotional ads for FOX’s Saturday morning cartoon lineup. Kate has also lent her voice to a number of characters on “Pokemon”. She is most proud of singing with The Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart and recording music in Paris with popular jazz pianist Franc Monbaylet. Recently she was lucky enough to perform on California’s Central Coast with the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts. Favorite roles included Marta in “Company”, Hattie in “Kiss Me Kate” and various characters in “Urinetown”
Metropolitan Room
34 West 22nd St Betw. 5th & 6th Ave.
New York, NY 10010
(212) 206-0440
20.00 Cover + 2 Beverage Minimum
Please become my fan at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexander-Rea/260478881464
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | Posted In Performances • Theater
Last night at the Kirk Theater in Theater Row, I played drums for the reading of the musical Plagued or How to Escape Persecution at the Hands of an Angry Mob.
View Program
Book and lyrics by Daniel John Kelley
Music by Nick Moore
Music Director & Accompanist: Matt Vinson
Director: Peter James Cook
From the book and lyrics writer’s website:
So…the reading of PLAGUED happened Monday night, and boy howdy, was I proud. The show is in great shape- there’s still work to be done, but it’s a giant leap from where we were back in July. We had a great turn out, and the cast gave it all they had, and now we proceed onwards.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 | Posted In Performances • Theater
I will be playing drums for Suzanne Fiore at The Metropolitan Room this Saturday, October 24th at 5 PM. Please call for reservations at (212) 206-0440 or book online.
Continue reading ›
