07 November 2007

Hi all...some updates

Just wanted to give you the latest update on things I've been working on...

Concert Tour: As some of you know, Paul, Emma, and I have been hard at work arranging our performance tour this spring. Earlier today, Joan was struck with absolute brilliance at a staff meeting...why not perform in Baraboo as a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of Baraboo which is in danger of closing for lack of funds? I've e-mailed the people heading up that effort, and we've been invited to perform February 2, 2008, so put that on your calendar. We'll be heading up, staying at the Wilderness, doing other fun things, and helping raise money for a great cause at the same time.

Beginning, Junior, Intermediate, and Opera Ensembles are anxious to do the things Senior Ensemble does...and they've got their own blog. Please take the time to head over to http://madcapperformanceensembles.blogspot.com/ and leave some comments for them...they are just starting out their rehearsal season, and many of them admire the close friendships, fine performances, and mutually supportive atmosphere of Senior Ensemble. Let's share the love a little.

Also, we'll be starting to talk about next year a little in the coming months...I have some big ideas, and have a LOT of exciting things in the works (collaborations with other groups, exciting possibilities, and our upcoming Disney Tour fundraising, etc). I love to hear your ideas, so keep them coming.

:)

kj

29 October 2007

bummer.

Items not yet shipped: Delivery estimate: January 3, 2008 - January 5, 2008 Spring Awakening - Vocal Selections Sold by: Borders teamed with Amazon.com, Inc. Yep, I'm kind of sad about this.

24 October 2007

19 October 2007

Hello form Paul

Hey everybody! First of all, I thought we did a very nice job last night at rehearsal for the most part. Kjerstie and I have a VERY rigorous rehearsal schedule put together, and it is very important that we stay focused and working hard. I know we can be even more focused and productive, and we will be pushing for that, but good work last night. Get off book so we can really start to have fun and play. Below is a really great demo of one of the hundreds of forms of Tai Chi. Notice the smooth, connected movement and where the man is focused. http://youtube.com/watch?v=nprZhmfpH40 Also, I tend to get very excited and focused on my objectives during rehearsals, and sometimes neglect to give casts a "big picture" about what is going on. First of all, the choreography we have done thus far is heavily rooted in Tai Chi. The choreography, like the music, will be a bit eclectic, and we will be doing VERY different movement for the other numbers(a little more "dancey"). Please get written in stone off book, so we can start polishing it here or there. We are doing that number for our Winter Concert. Thanks again for your hard work.

17 October 2007

...something we don't always talk about, but I've been thinking about it all day. Nice matters. Kind words, respectful regard for those around you, and genuine enjoyment of the process (creating ephemeral art) all contribute to the wonderful community we are part of at MadCAP. I'm so glad each of you are part of Ensemble; Thursdays are a favorite day of the week for me!



~Kjerstie

15 October 2007

Fall Retreat--who's ready?

Hi all! Some of you were asking where you could get a "Mulan" shirt like Melinda's...here are some pictures of a few.


You can find them at our online CafePress shop here: http://www.cafepress.com/madcap_sr_ens and remember that we can always add things to the shop. For example, if you'd like some sort of clothing that is not listed on the website, e-mail me and I'll see what I can do about getting it up there for you to order.


In a whole 'nother realm, Paul and I have been hard at work planning the fall retreat, and I think we've got some great activities planned for everyone. You'll be getting the registration form in e-mail this week, so keep your eyes open for that.


ALSO! Things are getting underway for our Spring Mini-Tours. We'll be heading out to Franklin Elementary School to perform on Monday, January 14. They are so excited to host us, and I think they'll love the show. Paul is still working on scheduling a special event at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells. They've never done anything like this before, so we're kind of struggling through some of the details. Hopefully we'll have some solid plans made by the end of the week and can work on the budget, etc.


Working ahead, Emma and I are working on some preliminary plans for our trip to Magic Music Days at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL in the 2008-2009 season. This year while planning for next year's trip, we're really making an effort to travel over a long weekend when school is out. I know families often travel during these times, but I'm hoping that with advanced planning, everyone will be able to attend our tour.


Last time we went (March 2007) we had such a wonderful time, I CANNOT WAIT to take the next group on tour. It's a wonderful opportunity to see shows together, spend time getting to know one another on a new level, and learning to cope as a cohesive group. It's a wonderful opportunity, and Paul and I are working on some more detailed curriculum about production values and the astounding budgets used by Disney World on a daily basis to provide the quality entertainment we enjoy participating in (Magic Music Days) and viewing (everything else). It will blow your mind.


Remember, all of our ticket sales from the MadCAP After Dark series goes into our Senior Performance Ensemble trip fund. I'm hoping that with enough planning and some active recruiting of audiences (this is where you'll be helping out immensely) we do well. For example, if each of you invites four people to see the show, and all four purchase tickets, we will have one hundred people in each audience. If we fill three shows this way at $10 a ticket, we will have raised three thousand dollars for our trip fund.


Our estimated costs for the tour are around fourteen thousand dollars to bring 25 people on the tour. {Trip estimates include flights, lodging, transportation to and from the airport, two special events, and Park Hopper tickets for four days.} This brings the individual cost to around $600/person, which is where we were last time. (However, there were lots of uncovered costs last time around.)


However, if we raise $3000 through After Dark performances, the cost will drop to $440/person. If you decide as a group to host and promote two more After Dark performances over the summer and bring in anther 100 people at $10/ticket, we will bring our trip cost down to a little under $400 a person. Just something to keep in mind. :)


Kjerstie

27 September 2007

Dear Anna in Germany...

It's not the same without you here. Hugs from all of us!

smile!

Hope you all are well...I'm looking forward to tonight's rehearsal and all that we will get started on.
Also, I'm getting excited to work on our spring trip, the shows we have planned this year, some community service things, and traveling with all of you in winter.
I haven't heard from you as much as I maybe have in the past...get those ideas to me! If you think of something Paul and I should consider or a great idea for our productions or somethin you want to do with MadCAP, let me know! I love to get e-mails from students. Seriously. It makes my day.
Hope you have a wonderful afternoon, and I will see you all tonight.

05 September 2007

So much happening...so excited....breathe Paul...breathe..

Hello everyone! Paul is doing something today that he has never done; BLOGGING! Here's to trying new things. As most of you probably know, I am working full time this school year wtih MADCAP. I am directing the TYA season as well as at least 2 ensembles (Senior and Intermediate). It is going to be an exciting season, and I cant wait to see you all soon. Auditions for Madeline's Christmas are this Saturday, September 8 at 10am and Monday, September 10 at 7pm at 100 N Hamilton. This a a very charming show, and I am confident our turn-out for audtions will be excellent. Senior Ensemble starts a week from today! Mulan is going to be a giant challenge, and the MADCAP after dark series will be a new exciting opportunity for you. I am also hoping that Emma can squeeze me into the first MADCAP after dark show (I have some ideas). Take care! I will see you all soon. Paul Milisch Producing Director, MADCAP

03 September 2007

Who is excited for fall?

I love back to school time. This may be partly because I don't actually have to go back to school...but I think it's mostly because I look forward to seeing everyone at MadCAP again.
Remember the dog that played the part of "Crabb" in the Shakespeare this past summer? Well, here is a picture of a young me with my childhood dog (which is still at my parents' house...the one that visited MadCAP is a "new" one that I found at SWAP while buying supplies with Joan, and I love him).
I hope you all have wonderful back to school Tuesdays, and I am looking forward to seeing each of you at lessons and Ensemble rehearsals next week.
xo
kj

14 June 2007

Floating Supper

...on Lake Wingra! So glad we got to get together. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you over the summer, and those of you who are out of the country or out of the state, I hope to see you when you are back in Madison. Please e-mail often, and if you send me an actual real life address, I'm pretty good at sending actual real mail!

12 June 2007

Happy Sunshiney Day!

Victoria came camping with me this past weekend, and we had a great time. This is at Governor Dodge State Park on a hike to Stephen's Falls.

Looking forward to seeing all of you on Thursday evening (happy birthday to Sara!) for our picnic, and can't wait to head out camping with all of you in August!

22 May 2007

Mulan

Who's getting excited?
(logo photo and layout inspired by Zon)

21 May 2007

19 May 2007

Special thanks...

...to all of you!

Last night's performances at "One Night Only" were truly incredible. The beautiful flowers you gave me are sitting in my kitchen looking more lovely than ever, and I wanted to share them with all of you...so there you are!

Looking forward to seeing you at the floating supper!

17 May 2007

These things make me happy...

Pansies really are friendly flowers. Don't they look like the might even be smiling?
Can't wait for the summer rehearsals and days when we'll have picnic lunches on the Capitol lawn every day!

14 May 2007

Shows I've seen lately...

...Miss Anna as the incomparable Lena Marelli & Sara as a MARVELOUS Tallulah...

...and our very own Casey as the Mouse Detective in The Wiz...

Thanks for the invitations to your shows! I enjoyed seeing you on stage! :)

06 May 2007

05 May 2007

Welcome to the Portage County Cultural Festival!

Special thanks to Anna, Emma, Margie, Ally, Victoria, and Grace for volunteering!
And now, a guest post from Margie!
Hey guys! We're had a great time at the Portage County Culture Fest! Very fun! Then we went to Kjerstie's parents' house for a cookout and icecream from Belt's! Yummy! I'm at the sleepover right now and we're having a lot of fun! Wish everyone was here partying with us!

03 May 2007

Yay Anna!

You looked and sounded great! :)

02 May 2007

Yay Sara! Looking forward to seeing Anna and Casey on stage too!

Today I headed out to Hamilton to see Bugsy on stage there. Sara was great, and I'm looking forward to seeing Anna in Bugsy tomorrow and Casey in The Wiz at Blessed Sacrament. I had intended to post a picture today, and I was so ready with my telephoto lens. However, I had taken the card out of my camera to print pictures and didn't put it back! Ug. Tomorrow. In the meantime, if anyone is looking for a fun little whimsy to make for your momma's for Mother's Day, try this:http://www.shimelle.co.uk/fabric/169/follow-your-wishing-heart for a quick and fun pattern. I just made one for my mom. It's red and the bird is purple. :)

29 April 2007

joy

Special thanks to Margie for bringing in such a LOVELY birthday treat! I'm just getting around to looking at the photos I have from that evening...mostly headshots for the programs this May. Anyway, here's some JOY for all of you! :)

16 April 2007

Some concert details...

f... for all of you that are wondering what the story isOur "One Night Only" concert is the last performance of the 2006-2007 Senior Performance Ensemble. Since dessert is served and it's a relatively formal & intimate concert setting, seating is limited to 60, and tickets are $15. All of you and your families will have the first opportunity to buy tickets! At the end of this week, invitations will go out to the families that participated in MadCAP this year as well as our Board members. One of our Board members will be helping with the planning and set up. It is important for us to sell out this show, because it's a fundraiser for us. Summer enrollments are coming in later than expected, and an income stream is necessary for us to continue the wonderful programming that you all enjoy (I hope--I enjoy it!) Adam handles all of the ticket sales, so if you'd like to order tickets, please e-mail adam at madcap.org to make arrangements. This Thursday you'll get invitations and order forms to send out to people if you'd like. And in other big news, starting Tuesday you can officially pick on me for being old, because I will be...

04 April 2007

The scrapbook is finished!

Here are the pages for our Disney Scrapbook that lives at MadCAP. I tried to get good pictures of the pages, but if there's one you REALLY want and you'd like me to do a high res scan and send it to you, e-mail me.
Enjoy! :)

boy, do I love my glue sticks and scissors.

Thanks for such fun at Scrap Mania the other night! I think it would be a blast to do another one! :)