"The Spy Who Fleeced Me" - One Night Showing

Update:  There will be an announcement soon for the free night in which all films will be shown, so stay tuned!

Recently, Ed Griffith called up and wanted to peruse talent that will be appearing in "The Muley and Friends Show" (on which he will be Director of Photography and a Co-Director) among other talent from our great city! 

The 48 Hour Film Competition was our event.  Friday, July 26, 2013, we met at The Cove on Broad Avenue for the start of the event.  At 7pm we drew our genre:  Spy Film.  They gave us our "have to be in the film" items next: Character: Christine Cherry, Bartender. Phrase: give me some kind of sign. Prop: Bell.  Could we do it?

Immediately following we met back at our studio home and hashed out the story line details, writing from 8pm until midnight, and we had a script.

Saturday, July 27, filming began at 10am and ran through 8pm.  Editing through Sunday, July 28, when the DVD was turned in at 7pm.

Now, Tuesday, July 30, all 20 groups who participated will be showing their approximately 7-minute movies at Studio on the Square.  Group A will begin at 7pm, while our group, Group B, will show at 9pm.  Entry is $10 at the door.  If you come see the movie tonight, bring your sketchbook and get a free drawing of the lead character in the film!

So, come out (or thanks if you did) to see "The Spy Who Fleeced Me!"
You'll be glad you did!

 

Di Anne Price Blues Note Dedication - 7/21/2013

Hopefully, you have a facebook account and can click here to see the photos from the event.

 

Di Anne Price Blues Note Dedication Service - 7/21/2013 3pm - ?

UPDATE: July 20, 2013

The Blues Note Dedication for Di Anne Price will happen on Beale Street, Sunday July 21, at 3 PM at BB King's Blues Club.  The Facebook Event can be found by clicking here.  Immediately following the dedication will be an official reception in BB King's Blues Club hosted by the Memphis Music Commission.  This is where we will be as well.

Mayor Wharton's office has notified that they have received a letter requesting his attendance.

Itta Bena Restaurant (above BB King's Blues Club) is expected to host their own reception following the event where they will unveil a portrait of Di Anne to hang in their restaurant.

This from the Commercial Appeal:
SUNDAY
Honors for Di Anne
In March, Memphis pianist Di Anne Price passed away at age 63 after almost literally a lifetime — she started playing in her church at 7 — of thrilling local audiences with her unique takes on blues, jazz, and gospel. Price gets a belated and much-deserved honor when she is inducted into the Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame. The free ceremony takes place in front of B.B. King’s Blues Club (143 Beale).

###

(Update below was 3/18/2013)
Most recent update from Di Anne's Nephew George -

"I am grateful to announce that the Memphis Music Foundation has graciously chosen to honor and celebrate the life and musical contributions of my aunt, Di Anne Price by awarding her a Beale Street Brass Note. The attendance of all who supported, were close to, acquainted with or enjoyed her is greatly encouraged by her family and close friends.

Ceremonies are scheduled to begin Sunday July 21 at 3 PM on Beale Street. More details are forthcoming as they become available.

On behalf of Di Anne's family, we gratefully thank all who took part in putting this event together and all who love and care for her always."
 

(The following was originally posted 3/18/2013:)
Stay tuned here for updated information about a Life Celebration of Di Anne Price. As we gain details, we will upload them here.  Hope this helps.

As of 3/18/20103, from her Facebook fan page:
For those wondering about a service for our Di Anne...

"Di Anne did not wish for any service proper, but rather for a "celebration of her life and the great times she was able to have with everyone." So it will not be a service proper, per her wishes, but there will be a gathering. We are still finalizing the details, but when arrangements are complete we will keep everyone updated."

Photo by Scott Haynes

Our tributes to and celebrations of Di Anne Price:
(They follow; but, here they are in order)

The Sky Is Crying: Di Anne Price, a Memoriam - our memories, links to news stories, and photos galore, including links to video of Muley performing with Di Anne, and a link to a youtube playlist of videos of Di Anne Price.

Di Anne Price and Muley at The Vault (2007) - Video from 2007 that has never been seen before.

Two Caricatures - Di Anne Price - two cartoons of Di Anne drawn while attending some of her performances.

Muley the Mule in "The Red Mullet Movie"

We were doing some work here and started talking about one of the places where Muley has shown up in other projects. 

Well, most recently, and mentioned in an earlier post, Muley appeared in the Moth and Ethan comic strip by Andrew Chandler.

Before that, our friend Greg Cravens at Hubris Comics was kind enough to give a shout out to Muley on the sportsy website.  Be sure to give them a visit sometime if you haven't already.

But, let's back up to Andrew Chandler for a moment.  He got connected with cartoonist (and artist extraordinaire) Jay Chuppe about Chuppe's The Red Mullet.   So enraptured by this character, Andrew created (not only a costume but also) a fan film, sort of a documentary about the life of The Red Mullet.  Mostly improvisation and shot on location by us with Andrew, this fan film has arrived with much acclaim around the ... globe?  Anyway, we were happy to take part and for Muley to guest appear with The Ninja, SuperKid, and Super Soup as part of the R.C.A. (Reasonable Civilian Assembly).

You can catch Muley in the film's trailer by watching this:
 

To see even more Muley in "Mullet Action", you can purchase the movie by clicking here.

See you in the skies.

 

Feed Me (Git It)! - Little Shop of Horrors - My Obsession

Maybe because it beckons back to a soulful sound from STAX's days of recording original music, but I don't know what it is about this one song from a whole movie musical directed by Frank Oz, starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, and so many others with so many songs sung throughout.  What was it with all those characters and songs that made Feed Me stick?  Heck, in 2005 Feed Me was so embedded in my mind that sometimes it was the only song that kicked in (especially when I'm eating). 

A recent photo of me with my Audrey II.

There was one period of time when I could ABSOLUTELY not get the song out of my head.  It was in there when I woke up and went to sleep, it was there when I was at work, when I was at home, watching other shows or movies and listening to other songs.  I was either subconsciously obsessed by it, or it was just so ear-bugged in my ear that I was totally caught up in it.

Therefore, I decided, if I constructed the puppet of Audrey II then maybe it would go away.  I got two large 4" cushion foam pieces and carved the upper and lower piecesw of the pod from that.  I carved the pods with a sharp knife and scissors.  The interior of the mouth I pulled out, pinching the foam bit-by-bit until it took a form that I wanted it to have.  Including the tongue, I picked it out around the area that the tongue would be, and left it as a part of the bottom part of the pod.  I painted the pods with really watered-down acrylic and a piece of the leftover sponge (which I still use when painting sometimes).  The teeth were torn from white pieces of foam (and have yellowed since).  I used fake flower leaves for the remainder of the pod after I made a mouthplate so the two pods were stuck together and created a puppet.  (The different uses of the puppet follow).

I couldn't get that song out of my head still, so I decided I had to perform it.  One of my friends, Lin Workman, directed me and a buddy named Tim Brown, through the song that we planned to perform at Mid-South Con's costume and masquerade contest.  So, during the day, I walked around with the puppet, and that evening the costume went to Tim and I dressed all in black for the performance which Tim's wife, Traci, recorded for us.

That performance resulted in something pretty awesome.  First, nothing like this had ever been done at the convention before.  Second, you can tell from the audience reaction, they've never had a musical brought to them before much less with such a well-trained voice as Tim's for when he begins singing they are completely taken aback and applaud with wild fervor.  I think it changed how people performed during that contest from then on (before were people in costume monologuing).



March 2005 Mid-South Con Costume & Masquerade Contest
Click to see us perform "Feed Me (Git It)"

It had two different stems:
I could reach in from behind the pot and use the plant as a walk-around, and could come up from through a table, and perform the pod. The other arm from the red coat had a fake arm and hand under it.  And, yes, all my fingers (even on the fake hand) had Band-Aids on them. 



Me in the Walk-Around Audrey II Costume.

Or, a thinner stem behind which I could stand and perform as shown in this video which, in a cool way, someone has added us to their playlist of videos that they call "Awesome Audreys."



MptLvr on Youtube.com added us as 15/15 Awesome Audreys! Thanks!!

By the way, at the convention show, there were no microphones.  So, they put in the CD we had for Feed Me, and we had to scream the vocals out for everyone to hear it.  Needless to say, the Audrey II voice was painful, but I did it.  Why?  Because I love it.  And we performed it with all the gusto and the heart that the characters originally had in other stage shows and, hopefully, the movie. 

On a sad note, one of the three panel judges was Michael Sheard who performed Admiral Ozzel in the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and, as a joke, when Audrey II sang the line, "..a lot of folks deserve to die!"  I had Audrey II look at him (he died in the film).  However, he passed away in August 2005.  Since then, I don't look at anyone when singing that line!

One thing of note, after posting the video (which we did for fun) we got some negative feedback from people who aren't creative other than to post some "how to play this video game" videos--nothing of their own.  So, poo-poo on them; but, to answer the one statement I hear most:  The size of the plant is wrong.  Correct!  However, with all the Muley stuff I have going on there is nowhere for me to store/keep a 4' x 3' x 3' plant in my house (although it would be cool)!

So, after all of that back in 2005, what about that song that was so stuck in my head?  Well, it's in there but now with the catalog of other songs I love and doesn't overcome me as much as it once did back then.  Yet, when I'm hungry, and when I'm waiting to be served, I keep thinking ...

FEED ME!

You can find the music here or here.

Anyway, if you're a theater local to me, I would LOVE to be 'on hand' to help train your puppeteers and perform the voice of Audrey II in the play.  So, am I for hire?  Yes.  Gimme a call...and I promise never to look at you singing that one line.
.

Post Audition Update - The Muley and Friends Show

Keep an eye out soon for a new website to be announced for just the show; in the meantime, here are some photos of the days' eventful auditions where we had the chance to meet many cool, talented people!

The entrance to the audition hall, followed by a
check-in table.

Walk this way!

 

STOP! These are your next updates about what
you will be doing next.

Large copies of the script for studying the roles of Human or Puppeteer.
(Still not sure why "puppeteer" isn't considered "human"?)

Cue card, camera: View of the auditioning participant.

A boom mike over your head to pick up what your saying.
Never chew gum during an audition with this boom at loom
over your head--it gets picked up.

Auditions happened in front of this curtain.  You can see the
puppeteer stools here.

Wide shot of the audition hall.

Another view with Muley and Gang waiting to begin.

Several hours later, we're exhausted!

The cast waits for more participants.

Jason Negen and Martheus Wade guard the critters...

Andrew Chandler listens in on a conversation,
while Roy Duck does not (apparently, ducks
don't have ears...)

Production Manager Brad Alsobrook discussing
the magic and wonders of bacon...

 

"The Muley and Friends Show" (TV) Announcements

"THE MULEY AND FRIENDS SHOW"

ANNOUNCEMENT

We are proud to announce the pre-production work for a television show for Muley the Mule and Friends, based loosely on the comic strips and featuring the puppet versions of the 6-year-old characters in new adventures that, if you pay close attention, might teach you something.  The program will be directed at families, using stories and entertainment to bring everyone together to laugh, cry, learn, and connect with one another.

There are also plans to do a Christian-based version of the show for a Christian-themed television network as well.

I am interested in participating with the show.  How can I help?
Writers, puppet builders, set designers and construction, costumers, etc., should e-mail all their contact information including a PDF and photos of their work to muleytmule@hotmail.com.  Be sure to list "Muley and Friends Show" in the subject line so the e-mail does not get deleted.

AUDITIONS

Additional information follows the poster.  Please feel free to copy and paste the poster which follows.

Auditions will be held April 14, 2013, at First Congregational Church, 1000 S. Cooper St., Memphis, TN 38104.

MAPS BELOW THE POSTER.

We are looking for all ethnicities and ages of male and female adults and children to perform recurring human roles on the show as supporting cast to the puppets, as well as puppeteers ages 18+.  Some of the human characters will make one-time appearances, most of the kids on the show may not have speaking roles and be there to compliment the characters while other kids will have speaking roles.  The puppeteers will be expected to be "on hand" to support the lead performers as well as handle background puppet characters and in some cases help develop new characters.

 

Click here to get directions.

 

I am interested in auditioning, what do I need to do first?
The best first thing is to get to know the characters.  You can read all their biographies by clicking here.  You can also see videos by clicking here.

Next, we want to get to know you a little in advance.  Please put "Muley and Friends Show" in the subject line of an e-mail to muleytmule@hotmail.com letting us know you are interested with your headshot, performance resume, links to any video performance you may have online, and let us know if you are auditioning for a human role or puppeteering role on the show.

What do I need to expect when I come to the audition?
The person auditioning will check-in (print his/her name on the evaluation form, get his/her photo taken, and wait to be called in).  We are going to video record all auditions, so you may wish to have a prepared monologue or song, but expect after your introduction and presentation to perform with Muley and his friends.  The auditioning puppeteers will have the same process; but, will mostly have his/her hands in the air for a bit of time to see how the puppetry will be performed.  Auditioning puppeteers are invited to bring along their own puppets for the audition*, and we will also have a pair of "eyes" the auditioner can use for the event.

Scripts for the auditions are below the character charts.

As a review of skill, puppeteers will be asked to recite the alphabet, zero through 10, and some names before working with Muley and friends.  All auditioners will have some improv with Muley and friends to test how natural he/she can be with the characters.

Information that will be requested on your Evaluation Form:
Name, Address, E-mail Address, Phone Number, Age/Date of Birth, Hair Color, Eye Color.

Performers will be evaluated based on:
Look for the show, actions, facial expressions, interactions with actors/puppets, believability, preparation, voice tone.

In the meantime, to understand the characters better, here is a character chart and our "Secrets of Puppetry" handout.  These can be right-click/saved to your computer to see the full-sized images.

You can learn more about the characters from this character chart.

This hand-out will be a good reference for
those wishing to audition for puppeteering roles.

HUMAN AUDITIONS SCRIPT (2 PAGES)

PUPPETEER AUDITIONS SCRIPT (2 PAGES)

*Don't have your own puppet yet?  You can make one using a pattern from http://www.projectpuppet.com and can find plenty over the internet (usually on ebay).

The performances and participation for the show will be on a volunteer basis at this time (no budget yet).  The audition video will be property of Kevin L. Williams Productions. 

 

When Dinosaurs Ruled...the...Bible...

There are always great ways to participate with sharing the great stories of the Bible, and Andrew Chandler has created a bit of a hilarious time-warp in having his own Moth and Ethan work though a period of time in which  Noah is loading his ark and getting ready for the big flood.

But, the funny thing about comic strips is that those time-warps just keep on happening!

Muley the Mule and Missy Mule make a surprise visit during the one year celebration of the comic strip's online presence, and I hope you'll get over there and visit our dinosaur friends.  Click here to go see what kind of trouble those two have caused.

And stick around here, too, because I think Roy Duck will have some cool news to share before too long about his pal Andrew. 

Two Caricatures - Di Anne Price

As we're looking through different things, we're finding  more wonderful items to share.  Both of these drawings were in the same sketchbook from 2006.  The first one is from a club in Memphis; the other is from The Vault.  Enjoy!

 

 

 I wanted to share the lyrics of her final song from her sets: "I love being here with you":

I love the East, I love the West
And North and South, their both the best
But I only want go there as a guest
'Cause I love being here with you

I love the sea, I love the shore
I love the rocks and what is more
With you there, they'd never be a bore
'Cause I love being here with you

Singing in the shower, laughing by the hour
Life is such a breezy game
Love all kinds of weather, long as we're together
I love to hear you say my name

I love good wine and fine cuisine
And candle light, I like the scene
But baby if you know what I mean
I love being here with you
I love being here with you

I like a dance by Fred Astaire
And Brando's eyes, Yul Brynner's hair
But I think to tell you's only fair
That I love being here with you

And Cary Grant, oh do-dah-day
His utter charm takes me away
But don't get me wrong, how do you say
I love being here with you

Basie's band a-swinging, I like Ella's singing
Because there's something else, you know
They know how to say it, they know how to play it
They wind it up and let it go

I love the thrill of New York shows
I'd love to kiss Durante's nose
But I'd like to say before I close
That I love, and is love, I love being here with you

Di Anne Price and Muley at the Vault (2007)

While prepping for our memoriam yesterday, we found some video footage from the interior of a club (which is why it's a little dark) called The Vault on Highland in Memphis, TN.  One of the neat things about going to see Di Anne Price perform is that if she thought it was fun, she'd do it.  We'd talked before and she said I should bring Muley over at some point, so I did, and this was the outcome.

While there is another video online of Muley singing "When You're Smiling" and "Fly Me to the Moon," this video offers an alternate version of "When You're Smiling" along with "Sweet Home Chicago" in which Muley does some pretty rotten math, other than to say, "1 and 1 is 2, 2 and 2 is 4, I love this woman right here, she's the one that I adore!"  Yep, Muley, Kevin, and so many other adore Di Anne.

Di Anne performs piano assisted by Captain Phil McGee on Saxophone, and vocals (?) by Muley the Mule.  It was a fun night!  Then again, any time with Di Anne was fun time!



Click the image to see the video.

Videography by Lin Workman.