Tuesday, April 28, 2015

04/28 DEANA MARTIN, HERB ALPERT'S VIBRATO

DEANA MARTIN – UPCOMING PERFORMANCE AT HERB ALPERT’S VIBRATO 5/3 AT 8:00PM

Deana Martin is a world-class entertainer equally comfortable with a celebrated symphony at a legendary concert hall or on an intimate cabaret stage with a swinging jazz quintet. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, a gifted actor, a vocalist of incredible depth and passion and a licensed pilot. When talent is part of the family pedigree it can sometimes be difficult for an artist to forge an individual path, but Deana Martin has successfully navigated that tricky terrain.

Deana’s latest album, Destination Moon, is a loving homage to the Great American Songbook that features her distinctive take on such classics as “I Love Being Here With You” and “Beyond the Sea” as well as four new gems written for Deana, nestled among her longtime favorites. “Where Did You Learn to Love Like That,” “Stuck in a Dream With Me,” “Read Between the Lines” and “Paradise” are finely crafted new tunes that fit perfectly alongside the timeless hits on Destination Moon. The album closes with “True Love,” a duet with her father Dean Martin that demonstrates where Deana gets that talent for bringing a song to life.

“There is just something so timeless about these songs and they can be interpreted in many different ways. The words have meaning and the music can be a little complicated,” Deana says. “We have such a mix on this album. We have “G. I. Jive” by Johnny Mercer and “Stuck in a Dream with Me” that was written by my friends John Proulx and K.L. Dunham, and “Break It To Me Gently,” which I loved the minute I heard Brenda Lee sing it years ago. We’ve put all these different songs on this one album and they fit beautifully.”

Destination Moon is Deana’s fourth album, following her 2006 top ten hit CDMemories Are Made Of This, her acclaimed holiday collection, White Christmas, and Volare, which entered Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart at No. 22 and Billboard’s Heatseeker chart at No. 7.  Deana brings her recorded repertoire to life with an engaging stage show that keeps the busy entertainer on the road 280 days a year performing in a variety of venues from major Las Vegas showrooms to intimate jazz clubs to symphony halls accompanied by some of the country’s most prestigious orchestras.

“The most important part is to feel the song and to connect with the audience,” Deana says of her approach to performing.  “There are a lot of incredible singers out there with beautiful voices, but you have to be able to grab the audience and make them feel it. Hopefully that’s something that I have. There’s that feeling you get on stage. It’s just so great when you are up there and the music is just right and the audience is just right and you are singing a great song with a fabulous arrangement. There’s nothing better.”

It’s easy to see where Deana gets her passion for performing. Her father is among the world’s most iconic entertainers and has left a lasting legacy treasured by his family, friends and fans. As chronicled in her best-selling book, Memories Are Made of This-Dean Martin Through His Daughters Eyes, her father grew up in Steubenville, Ohio and worked hard to parlay his God-given talent into a multi-faceted career. His daughter has done the same.  In addition to her acting and recording, Deana is a savvy businesswoman whose interest in health and fitness grew into the successful Bodies By Deana company, which spawned the top-selling workout video “The Deana Martin Total Body Workout.” She’s also a licensed pilot, radio show host, noted philanthropist and respected entrepreneur. Among the projects she’s most passionate about these days is seeing her book become a movie. Joe Mantegna is slated to direct the film with Jennifer Love Hewitt set to star as Deana. Actress/writer Bonnie Hunt is writing the screenplay. “My dad would always say ‘Deana, when you dream, dream big, because dreams do come true. There’s nothing you can’t do honey if you really set your mind to it and work hard.’ And that’s exactly what I do, because knowing that he believed in me has always given me the strength and determination to shoot for the moon … Destination Moon.”

Armed with an abundance of talent, a dedicated work ethic and a buoyant personality, Deana was determined to step out from her famous father’s shadow and launch her own successful entertainment career. Though she grew up learning from her dad’s legendary pals like Uncles Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Jerry Lewis (who penned the foreword to her book), Deana also received a formal education from Dartington College of Arts in the United Kingdom.  She’s amassed a wealth of stage experience including roles in Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Six Rms Riv Vu and The Tunnel of Love. Her first major break was in the Neil Simon play The Star Spangled Girl.  “I was staring in the National Touring Company with Jimmy Boyd and George Hamilton,” Deana recalls. “The play was a great success and it was a wonderful experience to work with such talented actors. I knew I was on my way.”

Deana’s acting career expanded into film with the 1968 western Young Billy Young co-starring Robert Mitchum and Angie Dickinson.  Her movie career continued with staring roles in Strangers at Sunrise with George Montgomery and A Voice in the Night with Vitto Scotti.  In addition to her work as an actress, Deana also signed a contract with Reprise Records and scored hits singles with the “Girl of the Month Club” and “When He Remembers Me” produced by Lee Hazelwood.

For many years, Deana’s recording career took a backseat to raising her son Mickey, but she continued keeping in contact with her devoted fans through live concerts around the globe. And they were thrilled when she returned to the recording studio with Memories Are Made of This in 2006. Deana has a beautiful, evocative voice that brings out the best in a song and she puts that amazing set of pipes to good use on Destination Moon. “We record the music at the Hit Factory in Miami because my arranger/conductor Charlie Calello and a lot of my favorite musicians live there. Then we go to Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA to lay down the vocals, do the mixing and mastering. It’s my favorite place to record because I get to work with my dear friend and brilliant engineer Al Schmitt. He’s the man with the golden ears and I believe he’s the greatest engineer on the planet.”

Destination Moon was produced by Deana’s husband John Griffeth, and they recorded the vocals in Studio A at the legendary Capitol Records in Los Angeles where her father recorded many of his best-loved hits.  “You can feel the electricity in the air the moment you walk in,” Deana says. “I just feel cloaked with the energy of the great artists that recorded there before me. You can hear their voices as you walk down the hallways lined with huge black & white photographs. It gives me goose bumps walking by my dad, Peggy Lee, Bobby Darin and Uncle Frank [Sinatra]. They’re all there. The first studio you come to is Studio A and that’s where everyone loves to record. When I was a very young girl, I remember sitting in Studio A with my mom, watching my dad record “Memories Are Made of This,” which became his first very #1 hit. Those are memories indeed that I will never forget.”

Returning to the famed Studio A as an artist in her own right was special to Deana. “It was an amazing feeling,” Deana says. “I was using my dad’s microphone, recording in the same studio and using his same chart. John found the original hand written Nelson Riddle arrangement of Cole Porter’s ‘True Love’. I was standing in the studio with my headphones on, listening to all the beautiful strings and then … my dad’s voice. I could barely sing it was so overwhelming. For me to record a song with my dad was an incredible highlight in my life and another dream come true.  It was just perfect. A few minutes later we listened to the playback I was thrilled to hear how beautifully our voices blended together and how we sounded so much alike. It’s an unbelievable memory that I will carry with me forever.”

It’s the perfect close to an album by an artist who lovingly brings a contemporary freshness to a collection of songs that will forever stand the test of time, and it’s just the latest in an impressive discography that continues to grow. Martin has a passion for keeping alive the Great American Songbook and her smooth, silky voice combined with her passion for those classic lyrics and melodies make her the perfect torchbearer to keep these songs alive for today’s generation. Whether reviving “Mack the Knife” on her inimitable Volare album with verve and sass or sweetly crooning “Love Me Tender” on that same great album, Martin brings fresh life to popular music’s best-loved gems.  On her holiday collection, White Christmas, Martin delivers a lively, elegant take on such timeless fare as “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow” Let It Snow!” Whether she’s serving up Christmas favorites or bringing her own distinctive style to her dad’s signature “Everybody Loves Somebody” on Memories Are Made of This, Martin is a superb stylist whose skill and charm bring out the best in every song she sings.

Like her esteemed father, Deana Martin loves to entertain people and she knows the power of a great song. She wields that power on stage as someone who has a true and abiding love for the music and respect for the legacy she carries on. Whether writing a best selling memoir, touring the world or working on a new record, Deana Martin approaches every endeavor with the same commitment to excellence and passion. She could easily rest on her laurels, but that’s not something she ever plans to do. “I love entertaining people,” she says. “It’s what I was born to do.”

Deana and her husband John Griffeth divide their time between Beverly Hills, CA and Branson, MO.

WWW.DEANAMARTIN.COM

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

04/21 FRANK STALLONE, UPCOMING PERFORMANCE AT SPAGHETTINI AND THE DAVE KOZ LOUNGE

FRANK STALLONE – ACTOR, SINGER, SONGWRITER – UPCOMING PERFORMANCE AT SPAGHETTINI AND THE DAVE KOZ LOUNGE 4/24 AT 8:30PM

Frank's live performance is now bigger and better with a newly added three-piece horn section, new energy and as always, great music. Be one of the first to experience his new sound and bigger show live.

Friday, April 24 at 8:30pm
Spaghettini and the Dave Koz Lounge
184 N Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, 90210
310-424-4600

Grammy and Golden Globe nominated artist Frank Stallone is one of the most versatile actors, singers and musicians in the business. His explosive voice and his range from comedy to drama and rock to blues to big band, leaves audiences entertained and captivated.

Frank has garnered four Platinum Albums, ten Gold Albums and five Gold Singles and has acted in over 60 films and TV shows including Walker Texas Ranger, multiple sitcoms and variety shows, Hudson Hawk, Staying Alive, Fred Claus, and Tombstone, in which he made a big impact as “Ed Bailey,” a dangerous gunslinger. One of his most memorable film roles was as “Eddie,” the bartender in Barfly, which was touted by critic Roger Ebert: “Barfly is a terrific film that features an outstanding performance by Frank Stallone…he’s both captivating and terrifying at the same time.” Frank recently made his online comedy debut with the parody film short CHUPACOBRA from Break Media (Break.com), will be seen in the upcoming film Reach Me from director John Herzfeld and will soon be heard as a new character in Hasbro’s hit animated series Transformers Prime.

Frank has written and published over 200 songs and, with a single in the hit film The Expendables 2 (Don’t Want to Fight With Me) and three original songs, written and performed by him in the upcoming film Reach Me (Dir. John Herzfeld, 2014), Frank has written and recorded compositions for twelve films. The list includes Rocky I, II and III, Rambo II, Paradise Alley and Over the Top. But, it was Frank's nine songs that he wrote and recorded for the Saturday Night Fever Sequel Staying Alive that earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Sound Track and a Grammy nomination for Best Original Song with his single, Far From Over. That song became a massive #1 hit around the world and stayed on the top charts for more than four months and his songs are still played on radio stations throughout the world.

At a young age, the Maryland-born, Philadelphia-raised native pursued his musical ambitions, forming a series of bands, and finally turned professional at the tender age of 15 (“I had to lie about my age,” admits Frank). His group, Valentine, included lead guitarist John Oates (Hall and Oates) and was signed to RCA Records in 1975, when they recorded their first album. Frank made his on-screen singing debut, performing the self-penned acapella song, Take You Back in the opening scene of the film Rocky. “The only reason I got the part was that I was the only musician my brother, Sylvester, knew…and I worked cheap.”

Frank has recorded nine solo albums receiving praise from legends Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Sammy Cahn. His rock-influenced Full Circle, “which I feel is my best” was followed by his American songbook albums, In Love in Vain, with Sammy Nestico, Stallone on Stallone by Request, a compilation of Frank's film soundtrack tunes, and Songs from the Saddle, showing Frank’s more acoustic side. He’s a big fan favorite in Australia and he performs in concert halls, theaters and clubs all around the world, gaining critical acclaim wherever he goes “he has the crowd enthralled.” (New York Daily News)

Frank is a guitar, music, mafia and art aficionado, is one of the best boxing historians and collectors in the world and is an avid collector of guitars, guns and memorabilia. When he’s not writing songs or filming a project, he can be found on a shooting range or at the gym but he’s happiest with a guitar, beautiful women and good glass of vino. If you ask why he’s never been married, he’ll tell you “I guess I just forgot.”

WWW.FRANKSTALLONE.COM

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

04/14 DAN LAURIA, DINNER WITH THE BOYS, JAMES WILDER, 3 HOLES AND A SMOKING GUN

DAN LAURIA - STAGE AND SCREEN VET DAN LAURIA WILL HEAD OFF-BROADWAY IN HIS NEW SELF-PENNED COMEDY, DINNER WITH THE BOYS

ABOUT DINNER WITH THE BOYS: 
Written by: Dan Lauria
Directed by: Frank Megna

Dinner with the Boys is the deliciously hilarious new comedy starring Dan Lauria (“The Wonder Years,” Lombardi), Ray Abruzzo (“The Sopranos”) and Richard Zavaglia (“Donnie Brasco”). When two wise guys from the old neighborhood, Charlie (Lauria) and Dom (Zavaglia), find themselves at odds with the Family, they must serve up perfectly seasoned performances with their puttanesca to escape danger. This odd couple await their fate as they prepare dinner for their special guests. It’s an evening filled with belly laughs, killer plot twists and plenty of garlic. The only question remaining – will this dinner be their last meal?

DINNERWITHTHEBOYSPLAY.COM

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF BROADWAY
ACORN THEATRE AT THEATRE ROW
410 WEST 42ND STREET,
NEW YORK, NY 10036
212-239-6200

PERFORMANCES BEGIN APRIL 21

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
TUE 7, WED 2 & 8, THURS 8, FRI 8, SAT 2 & 8, SUN 3
RUNNING TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 95 MINUTES.

MORE ON DAN LAURIA:
Lauria, an Italian-American, was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Carmela (née Luongo) and Joseph J. Lauria. He also lived in Lindenhurst, New York. He graduated from Lindenhurst Senior High School in 1965 as a varsity football player, and he briefly taught physical education at Lindenhurst High School. A Vietnam War veteran, Lauria served as an officer in the US Marine Corps; he served at the same point in his life that Jack Arnold, his character in The Wonder Years did during the Korean War. He got his start in acting while attending Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, on a football scholarship.

Lauria is best known for his portrayal of Jack Arnold, the money-conscious father on the TV series The Wonder Years, that ran from 1988 to 1993. He also played James Webb in the 1998 TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon and Commanding Officer, USA in 1996's Independence Day. More recently he has appeared in a War Veterans public service announcement and as Police Commissioner Eustace Dolan in The Spirit. He appeared as Coach Hamstrung in The Three Stooges N.Y.U.K. onAMC in 2000. Lauria appeared on stage in New York in the summer of 2006 in an Off Broadway production of "A Stone Carver" by William Mastrosimone with Jim Iorio and Elizabeth Rossa. Lauria also had a small role in a Season two episode ofArmy Wives, as well as a season one episode of The Mentalist. In 2009, Dan has appeared as General Lee Whitworth, M.D. on T.V. series Criminal Minds Season 4. He has also appeared in an episode of Boy Meets World, starring Ben Savage, the younger brother of The Wonder Years's Fred Savage. In late 2009, Lauria returned to the Off Broadway stage, appearing asJimmy Hoffa in Brian Lee Franklin's Good Bobby, a fictionalized account of Robert Kennedy's rise. In 2010, Lauria appeared as Vince Lombardi in the Broadway play Lombardi. The play received positive reviews, with sports writer Jim Hague commenting, "Lauria truly becomes Vince Lombardi. You almost forget you're watching an actor. He's Lombardi through and through, down to the wire-framed glasses and intimidating scowl." North Bergen football coach Vince Ascolese, who met Lombardi, commented "I really felt like he was Lombardi. It was uncanny." Lauria's portrayal of Lombardi was used during the NFL on FOX introduction to Super Bowl XLV, where the Green Bay Packers, the team Lombardi coached to victories in the first two Super Bowls, defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 2012, Lauria played the part of Jean Shepard in the Broadway production of A Christmas Story: The Musical, a role which he reprised off Broadway at Madison Square Garden in 2013. From 2012 through 2014, he played Jack Sullivan on the Steve Byrne sitcom Sullivan & Son.


ACTOR JAMES WILDER, TALKING ABOUT HIS LATEST ROLE IN “3 HOLES AND A SMOKING GUN”            
 
For anyone who may have forgotten what a powerful and versatile actor James Wilder is, just check out his latest role in the indie psychological thriller “3 Holes And A Smoking Gun.” For his stunning portrayal of a duplicitous washed up screenwriter, Wilder garnered a Best Lead Actor nod at the Red Dirt International Film Festival, Best Actor at the Winter Film Awards, the Independent Spirit Award at the Garden State Film Festival and the Recognition of Dramatic Excellence at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival. Wrote the London Film Review: “(Wilder delivers) an excellent performance and burns up the screen.” The film was also awarded the prestigious Grand Jury Prize at the Red Dirt International Film Festival and Best Screenplay honors at L.A.’s Downtown Film Festival.

The actor’s indelible portrayals include an ambitious lawyer in the Emmy Award-winning drama “Equal Justice” (co-starring Sarah Jessica Parker) and the charmingly sleazy drug dealing seducer in “Melrose Place.” His demonically authentic rendering of serial killer Carl Isaacs in the acclaimed Miramax film “Murder One” that led the New York Times to comment: “James Wilder, as Carl Isaacs, is a thoroughly malevolent character, one in whom evil rather than insanity seems to prevail.”

Wilder, however, is no one-trick pony. In fact, acting wasn’t even on his radar when he started out as a street performer in his native San Francisco and later in LA, New York, and Europe. Renowned for juggling three running chain saws as part of his perilous crowd-pleasing act, Wilder was only 14 when he performed at the legendary Moulin Rouge in his mother’s native Paris and was barely out of his teens when he staged a one-man show on Broadway. When Wilder did catch the acting bug he threw himself into it like everything else he does. He studied at the famed NY Actors Studio and quickly began getting high profile roles. At some point, however, the offers ceased being interesting and he turned his attention to his other many artistic pursuits.

Although not formally trained, he has become a formidable architect and designer who transformed a dozen empty lots throughout California into singularly unique residential art spaces that have attracted a stellar cast of celebrities and creative types. Over the years many of his properties-- collectively known as The Modern Villas -- have hosted long-term A-list tenants and served as sites for numerous photo shoots and exclusive events. One of his homes was even recognized by HGTV -- alongside a Frank Lloyd Wright property -- as among LA’s top three architectural gems.  He also designs exclusive leather jackets and jewelry, refurbishes vintage furniture that he finds at auctions and flea markets, collects classic cars and commits to acting projects only when it inspires. “3 Holes And A Smoking Gun” is one such project.

JAMESWILDERACTOR.COM

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

04/07 JOHN PYPER-FERGUSON, TNT'S THE LAST SHIP, DON MOST

JOHN PYPER-FERGUSON – ACTOR, TNT'S THE LAST SHIP - PREMIERES ON JUNE 21ST      

John Pyper-Ferguson` has died over 40 times on screen in film and television and counting.  Pypers ‘ latest role as Tex Nolan on TNT’s new critically acclaimed hit series, THE LAST SHIP, produced by the phenomenal Michael Bay, fans tune in each week find out to find out the fate of his prolific character.

Over an extraordinary career, he has given many provocative performances playing characters such as the most anxious deputy in the West in Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven; a neurotic possessive narcissistic gunslinger in the cult series Brisco County Jr.; a shy, reclusive bassist in the mocumentary punk rock film Hard Core Logo; a preppy dad in the comedy She's the Man; and a quiet, driven, ruthless sheriff in Hungry Hills. Pyper-Ferguson has been in two movies titled Drive, one a kung fu classic, the other opposite Ryan Gosling. He has portrayed the occasional cameo appearance, in such movies as in Conviction, opposite Hilary Swank in order to challenge and expand his range.

Recently, on the big screen, Piper-Ferguson played the ever effervescent, happy-go-lucky, ferocious Wild Joe in David Hayter's directorial debut Wolves, and Pastor Shay, a conflicted man in search of his faith finding the courage to lead his flock, in The Remaining.

On television, Pyper-Ferguson portrayed a drug-addicted immortal on the TV show Highlander, for which he was nominated for a Gemini for Best Guest Star. He recently won Best Actor for his transformative performance as bereaving father seeking vengeance for his son's death on the ABC drama Motive. Audiences also recognize Pyper from such critically acclaimed dual-role performances as a profiler and serial killer on Fringe and as the penultimate villain in the final season of Burn Notice.

 Born in Australia and raised in Canada, Pyper-Ferguson currently resides in Los Angeles, where he considers himself a ‘20 song guy’ playing guitar in the intimacy of his living room and is inspired by artists like Lyle Lovett and ‘the Boss’.  He frequents the range with his ‘industry’ friends to improve his handicap and enter a place of Zen. He is also a huge fan of his Canadian hockey team, the Canucks as they battle in the rink.  That aside, Pyper mostly practices dying for a living or sweating it out at Birkim Yoga.


DON MOST - TO DISCUSS MUSIC, CAREER AND PROMOTE SHOW ON THE 9TH AT "ROCKWELL TABLE & STAGE" IN LA ON WITH JUDY NORTON

"Rockwell Table & Stage," in Los Angeles will soon be proudly introducing their new artist in residency - Donny Most (Happy Days), who will be "Singing & Swinging" with guest artist Judy Norton (The Waltons).

Date:     April 9th, 2015
When:   Doors Open 6:30pm / Show 8:00pm
Where:  Rockwell Table& Stage (1714 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027 323-669-1550).
Tickets: $20 /

Both Don and Judy were singing before being cast in their iconic TV roles (Ralph Malph & Mary Ellen Walton) and have now very successfully returned to their first loves - Music.

Edited sample links to use on air: http://vimeo.com/102595928, http://vimeo.com/103193659, http://vimeo.com/103105493

Donny Most  recently appeared before a standing room only capacity at the Catalina club with "Donny Most Sings and Swings."   Although best known for the role of "Ralph Malph" in the hit series "Happy Days," it is his first love as a skilled singer that is literally taking center stage now. Most's style is reminiscent of era that has and continues to thrive.  His Rat Pack quality seems to bring in audiences of all ages and backgrounds, as he offers classic renditions of "Lady Is A Tramp," "It Had to Be You," "Im Beginning To See The Light," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Shake, Rattle & Roll," "Mack The Knife," and much more. Shifting easily between vocal styles, Most pays homage to The Chairman of the Board, Dean Martin, and his idol Bobby Darin, while paying tribute to the path that brought him back to his musical roots.

SHORT BIO:
Don is probably best known for his co-starring role as Ralph in the long running television series “Happy Days”. During this time, he worked with such emerging talents as Ron Howard and Garry Marshall. Recently, Don was seen in a recurring role on the hit TV show – “Glee”, as well as starring roles in the indie film – “The Yankles”, and “Chez Upshaw”, starring Kevin Pollack and Illeana Douglas. He just finished starring in “Campin Buddies”, along with a role in the independent film – “Remember Isobel”, and the short film – “Duality” Most’s other feature film credits include “ED TV”, directed by Ron Howard; “Crazy Mama”, directed by Jonathan Demme, and “The Great Buck Howard”, starring John Malkovich. In television, his other guest starring roles include “Men Of A Certain Age”, “Century City”, ‘Star Trek: Voyager’, ‘Yes, Dear’, ‘The Crow, ‘Sabrina’, ‘Sliders’, ‘Dark Skies’ and ‘The Family Guy’.

Following in the footsteps of some of his peers, Don has now directed three feature films. “His first, “The Last Best Sunday”, had its World Premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival, and was a feature film winner at the Telluride IndieFest. “Moola”, starring William Mapother, Shailene Woodley, Treat Williams, Daniel Baldwin, and Curtis Armstrong, premiered at The Newport Beach Film Festival, where it earned Most The Outstanding Achievement In Directing Award. Don also directed “Harley’s Hill”, his first family film, which was recently seen on Showtime, Starz and Encore. In another area, Don has recently gone back to his first love – singing. Don has always loved the standards/swing/big band style of music, and has just mounted his show – “Donny Most Sings And Swings”. He recently performed it at “Catalina’s Jazz Club” in Hollywood, CA…and “Vitello’s Jazz Club”, in Studio City, Los Angeles to great acclaim.

WWW.DONMOST.NET