Success

Well the show was a couple weeks ago and I'm just now getting myself together enough to post photos and tell you about it.

From my perspective (you know, the piano), it was a LOT of fun, and a total success, and I have not heard anything else from anyone, so I'm going to go ahead and assume that it was mostly enjoyed by everyone. :)

I have pretty fantastic audio of the show and as soon as I can figure out how to chop it all up into tracks, I'm all ready to put it on our Facebook Page as well as our bandcamp page.

But for now, enjoy these photos of the AMAZING, fantastic, unbelievable, awesome cast!  Biggest thanks to everyone!  You made my dreams a reality!

And this, I daresay, is only the beginning.

Beatrice the Formidable

This St. Patricks weekend Trina made a visit to Rexburg, the home of her actors. She had an opportunity to rehears with Jessica Lorenne aka Beatrice. They filmed some of their rehearsal so that you might see what they've been doing to prepare for the show in May. Take a listen.

Argentine Synopsis

Hey guys! We have a super treat for you. The creator of Argentine finally sat down and explained what this opera is about in the flesh. So please, take a seat, press play, and she will tell you herself what this rock opera is.

Performer Spotlight: Jessica Lorenne

There is little I can say about Jessica that doesn't make it sound like I'm in a committed relationship with her, and I will try my hardest to keep my personal feelings out of this. :).  I adore her, I admire her, I am awed by her strength, I am impressed by the wisdom of her youth, I am excited for her future.  Jessica is a power to be reckoned with.  Jessica is dramatic and emotional, and it's these elements that are going to make her the best danged Villainess since Kathy Bates in Misery or Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  She will make you think 'WOW, she's evil!!"

Other reasons to come see Jessica in 'Argentine': she's beautiful, single and super hot, but that's just the icing on the cake.


1) Name, where you are from and what you study at BYUi?

Jessica Lorenne
From the logger/hippy mixter town of Estacada, Oregon
Studying Theatre Performance and music

2) What is one of your special/freakish talents?

Uh...I hate this question. My special/freakish talents are…the amount of food I can cram
into my tiny body..? My wide emotional range that can go from a 4 to a 7 in seconds. I
have over a three octave range.

Yup.

3) What character do you play in Argentine and how do you feel about your character?
Do you find yourself relating to him/her?

I am Beatrice. I’m really excited to play the bad guy for once. The character/ingénue
princess is always fun, but it’s time to spread my wings!

When I first contemplated this question I didn’t think I had much in common with
Beatrice, but to be honest, I kinda do. For one, we both fight for what we want, and we
don’t let anyone tell us we can’t have it. We’re both attracted to power too. I just hope
I’m a better person than she is.

4) What attracted you to the project?

Trina’s hot. But besides that, I love to perform. I like the story, and the music. I’m
excited to be a part of any creative project. But I was also attracted to the project
because I feel that, even though I wasn’t involved in the creative process (cause that
was all Trina’s brilliance), I feel like I’ve been a part of this from the beginning. And I feel
that the message of Argentine is really important. To be a part of something this deep is
awesome. I’m also a sap for helping people, so I’m really into the idea of this production
helping women realize that they can be their own heroes.

5) What are you most excited about in regards to the Argentine production?

The performance itself. I’m excited to work with such an awesome group of people, and
to see what will come from the production itself.


6) What would you say to encourage people to come see Argentine?

I’d tell people that I’m in it (and I’m going to be crazy), and that a lot of talented people
are in it, and it’s going to be awesome! But besides that, I’d let people know that this is
going to be an awesome steam punk rock opera, and that the experience is one that
they’ll never forget.

Performer Spotlight: Jacob Chapman

I must admit something.  When I read this, I got all choked up.  It means a lot to have people like Jacob Chapman say this sort of thing about you, about your production, about your work.  And he likened my project to Deep Love (not saying it's in the same realm or anything buuuut still) that's just about the biggest compliment I could receive. 

Jacob sent me some tracks in January (i think) to sample his vocals, and I tell you, I was not prepared for what I heard.  I had to listen to them over and over and over because they were so fantastic.  If you ever get the chance to ask this guy to perform something, ask him to do 'Tango Till They're Sore'.  It'll knock your socks off. 

1) Name, where you are from and what you study at BYU-I?

Jacob Glenn Chapman, hailing from the major world power, Texas. Studying English Literature and Theatre Arts.

2) What is one of your special/freakish talents?

My nose flattens strangely. I do a little dance that involves what Liz calls my “booty”. And I can climb the outer walls of buildings (slowly).

3) What character do you play in Argentine and how do you feel about your character?  Do you find yourself relating to him/her?

I play Hammond, an intelligent man excited by the possibilities of science. When his scientific ambitions become an obsession, he forgets his humanity and becomes antagonistic towards those he loves. I appreciate Hammond’s passion for discovery and sympathize with his emotional struggles, but his destructive disregard for others is hard for me to understand. It’s important to realize that many people face the kind of ugly reality he represents. Love creates trust, and Hammond’s abuse of that trust makes me want to live my life better upholding it.

4) What attracted you to the project?

Deep Love is an inspiring production, and the idea of being part of that kind of a project—a meticulous blend of songcraft with storytelling—has been really appealing to me. So I’m thrilled to be a part of Argentine.

5) What are you most excited about in regards to the Argentine production?

Working with such amazing people! I love projects that surround me with creative minds and hearts.

6) What would you say to encourage people to come see Argentine?

Hey. What are you doing? Stop that. Come over here. Watch and listen to this rock opera. It’s a tremendous realization of the creative vision of an inspired writer and musician. The songs are beautifully crafted, the story is human and stylish, and the message is uplifting. To miss Argentine is to (significantly) miss out.

Favorites!

Now and then I step back from the piano, from the lined music paper, from the ink (why i refuse to use a pencil, i don't know), and I let my poor frazzled nerves settle.  In those moments when I'm not thinking, "this would be really great in 4 part piano" or being sick from the thought of actually DOING THIS, I like to go or do some light browsing of the internets for inspiration. 

Here are some of my favorite things I've found that make me really excited to a) dress up, b) perform and c) see all of you dressed up, watching the performance.  It's really going to be an extraordinary situation for me.  

Happy wardrobe planning to all!

And PLEASE, share!

Performer Spotlight: Liz Chapman

Ladies and Gents, i'm really, and I mean REALLY excited about this lady.  She is ... oh, she is special.  When I wrote the parts for Argentine, I had a very specific voice in mind for them.  When Liz auditioned for me in February, she wasn't at all what I was looking for in my mind: she was somehow more!  She was some kind of incredible mix of power and silk and glory and I FELL IN LOVE with everything about her. 

I am serious, dudes and dudettes, she is a treat!  Come see her May 4th! 

Meet Liz!

Me: Name, where you are from and what you study at BYUi?

Liz: LizAnne Chapman. I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area and Medford, Oregon (I claim both). I’m studying Theatre Education at BYU-I.

Me: What is one of your special/freakish talents?

Liz: I don’t know if this is a talent, but I’m a wellspring of trivial information. It’s the result of being an insatiably curious person, and watching a lot of documentaries.

Me: What character do you play in Argentine and how do you feel about your character?  Do you find yourself relating to him/her?

Liz: I am thrilled to play Argentine. I think she’s a dynamic and beautiful character, and even though she finds herself in a difficult situation (several, actually), she shows true strength and courage in the end.

Me: What attracted you to the project?

Liz: My husband.

 J/K. I’m always excited by people having the courage to take big creative leaps and sharing what they’ve got to say with the world. There’s something so powerful about people getting together to create something larger than themselves…I can’t get enough of it.  

Me: What are you most excited about in regards to the Argentine production?

Liz: I can’t believe I get to work with so many awesome and talented people! That’s a big part of it. The music is fantastic, and we’ve got some pretty exciting design ideas going on (steampunk, anyone?). But mostly, I think the message of Argentine is so important, and I’m excited for people to hear it.

Me: What would you say to encourage people to come see Argentine?

Liz: People. Twenty-five years from now, college freshmen in Rexburg Idaho will be asking their parents if they saw “Argentine” when the original cast played Sammy’s in 2012. Don’t you want to be able to tell them about it? Or even just your roommates next semester, when they ask you about it?

Performer Bio: Kieffer McBride

I have to say that I'm really excited about our cast.  I have fully enjoyed my time getting to know these dudes and dudettes and I am really excited for all that they bring to the table.  They are each so unique and singular, it is sure to be a riveting performance.

So without further ado,
Meet Kieffer.


Me: What is one of your special/freakish talents?

Kieffer: I can curl my tongue into three loops, and I can impersonate Optimus Prime.

Me: What character do you play in Argentine and how do you feel about your
character? Do you find yourself relating to him/her?

K: I’m playing the part of Felix. I personally feel overwhelmingly honored to play
Felix. I hardly think of myself as a White Knight character. But I love the idea. I can
relate to having friends like Felix. The entire idea behind him is relatable to almost
everyone I think. Everyone has someone in their lives that inspires them to do great
things. For most people I think there are many Felixes.

Me: What attracted you to the project?

K: I believe that too many times, stories like this one occur and there are too
many people that don’t know what to do with their lives after something like this.
Argentine is inspiring not just to those who have been used, but also to everyone
who has ever experienced anything that felt unjust or unfair. We are all capable of
being greater than others will let us.

Me: What are you most excited about in regards to the Argentine production?

K: I’m just excited to see people there that have come out of curiosity. I’m
excited to see it in fruition.

Me: What would you say to encourage people to come see Argentine?
K: Argentine is real. Argentine is love. Argentine is heartache. Argentine is you.

SteamPunk Argentine

If you've been following me you've probably seen some vague posts on our Pinterest board or Facebook.

We have just over two months until the show, wow! The time has come, therefore, for me to tell you all a nice story.

Once upon a time in an old age of new thriving technology and devices, there lived two young, brilliant scientists name Hammond and Argentine.  They worked side by side in a scientific companionship and it was only time before they fell in love.  They become so good and accomplished at their work, that they are invited into a prestigious guild of scientists.  The leader of the which, Beatrice, is a beautiful but terrifying woman and she lures Hammond deep into the arcane world of Mechanomancy (mingling souls with machinery).  One day Argentine wakes up to find that she has been his test subject and two decades of her life have passed without her remembering anything.  What with one thing or another, she meets a man named Felix, who is the most beautiful person she has ever met, but inside Felix is a clockwork man.

This is the end of the details, but the rest of the story includes a villain using mad science on herself, a battle and death, to name a few scenarios.

If nothing else, it's going to be a lot of FUN.

Be sure to save the date on your calendars, in your planners and subscribe to our Facebook page.

AND! checkout our Pinterest board for ideas, because the invitation will be come dressed SteamPunk. If you are confused as to what that means, check out the board, it will give you some fantastic ideas.

Kieffer McBride, my Number Two, is hard at work on design and I am really excited for the ideas we have come up with.  Shout out to Kieffer!  Not only is he doing all the design work and all the hours that go into that, but he is also playing Felix, and he's got a full work load and a full schedule of college classes and a TA position.  Thanks for all you do, Kieffer, couldn't do it without you!

Rock steady Friends! And PLEASE! Pass on the word.

Update on the Storyline

As I mentioned before I've decided to change the story line.

Without giving away too much I just have a few words.

Mad Scientist Beatrice
Steampunk Hammond
Clockwork Felix
Human Experiment Argentine

It's going to be fun.
Stay tuned.

News Yo

We have a couple new additions to the family.

We have selected Jacob Chapman to be our Hammond. One word, Rockstar.
We have selected a new Argentine.  Jacob's real-life wife, Liz Chapman. Two words: ah yeah!

Old Bones Productions LLC has offered to take Argentine on as its spring production.  What does this mean for everyone?  Just that I will have the help of some incredible people to make this show better than I could have hoped.  Thanks to Garrett, Ryan and Jeannette especially for believing in this project. In me.

I have one more announcement.  I'm changing the story a little.  But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I won't post anything until its finalized and had the 'yes sir ee' from the dudes that tell me 'yes sir ee'.

Cheers and, as always, thank you.

VIdeo One

Since putting this together several things have happened, but I just want to mention the biggest idea that I have had.

We (ok, I) decided to put a little more into this than just having it be a performance of my music.
I have decided to set up a donation fund for the night of the performance with 100% of the proceeds going to the Rexburg Women's Shelter, in order to raise awareness for abused women and to promote the idea that there IS help for them, they are NOT stuck in horrific scenarios in their homes and that there is a way for them to escape and make a happy life for themselves and their families.

More to come, stay tuned for some exciting and big announcements.

As always, thanks for being here!

Argentine, The Opera

Hi everyone and welcome!

This post right here marks our first official step into 'Argentine, the Opera' and I'm so glad that you have decided to join me.

At this point you probably have many questions and for your enjoyment, we are working on putting together a little video so you can get to know me and learn more about this project.

Again, welcome, I'm SO excited that you're made it.
Get ready for a rockin' good time.

And PLEASE, leave comments and questions.