Ham’s Disgrace (feat. Tikka Smiley and Tommy Amoroso)

Tikka Smiley and Tommy Amoroso sing a clip from “Ham’s Disgrace” during our rehearsals. From the musical Who is Esther in the upcoming Kingston Fringe Festival performance – tickets info here: http://www.whoisesther.com/tickets

An exercise in precision timing: The Perversity Rehearsal

One of the most challenging songs is Perversity, a driven “patter song”. It requires exceptional detail on timing, vocal expression, movement, and acting for every single actor in the scene. Watch Mr. Verious (Mitch Lauer), Ham (Tommy Amoroso), and Brice Leunkeu (Uncle Mo) work through the details. Meanwhile, the chorus (Michelle Kettrick, Sedona Jones, Tikka Smiley, and Leah Becker) is … Read More

We Are Believers (feat. Zalyzza Govia, Brice Leunkeu and Michelle Kettrick)

We Are Believers is the show’s anthem song… and also a bit of an earworm – and it’s also an example of how the music can change in the rehearsal. The original arrangement of the song didn’t have a harmony at the end (Thank you Brice Leunkeu). The updated arrangement has the exceptional voice of Michelle Kettrick carrying the lead … Read More

Leah Becker on being part of the Who Is Esther Cast

We asked Leah Becker, who plays the Aide, a Schemer, and a member of the chorus, what she enjoys about being part of the production. Here’s what she said… Who Is Esther Tickets are now available: www.WhoIsEsther.net/tix.

The Perversity laugh track?

Perversity You know, in life laughter and fun are key to success… and the key to putting on a great musical. Our chorus (Michelle Kettrick, Tikka Smiley, Sedona Jones and Leah Becker) has a good laugh during the choreography in the song Perversity. From the musical Who is Esther in the upcoming Kingston Fringe Festival performance – tickets info here: … Read More

Finding Our people

Every production needs its people. We found ours. Twelve individuals: 8 cast members, 2 co-producers, a director, and a costumer, each arriving with their own story. Between them: rap, reggae, baroque, jazz, and hip hop. Sci-fi fans and classicists. Cyclists and bakers. Christian, Jewish, and everything in between. Parents, grandparents, children, aunts and uncles. Farm, forest, and city. On paper, … Read More

There is always something to investigate in the Musical Who Is Esther (feat. Tikka Smiley, Tommy Amoroso and Zalyzzah Govia)

Investigate! Interrogate! Ham (Tommy Amoroso) and his wife (Tikka Smiley) go up against Esther (Zalyzzah Govia), while the chorus (Leah Becker, Sedona Jones and Michelle Kettrick) work on the investigation in a clip from “Who Is Esther” during our rehearsals. From the musical Who is Esther in the upcoming Kingston Fringe Festival performance – tickets info here: http://www.whoisesther.com/tickets.

Add and Repeat. We are Believers

Why is a “earworm” an “earworm”? The technical definition of an Earworm – also known as an Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI) – is the conscious experience of hearing music in your head without an external source. The earworm lives at the intersection of memory, emotion, and auditory processing. When you hear a tune that is very catchy, your auditory cortex … Read More