Now streaming: the latest episode of ‘The Munro Review on CMAC.’ Learn about ‘The Tempest,’ Keyboard Concerts, Measure P and more.
By Donald Munro
The new episode of “The Munro Review on CMAC” is up, and it’s chock full of stuff happening this weekend!
You can watch it here:
Some highlights:
• Filmed on location at the Warnors Center for the Performing Arts, we mark this weekend’s opening of Chanticleer Shakespeare Co.’s new production of “The Tempest.” I interview executive director Brandon Weis and artistic director Blake Ellis. (Blake is directing the show, and Brandon plays one of the major characters.) We talk about lots of things related to the show, including the casting of Jacqueline Antaramian as Prospera and Tracy Hostmyer as Antonia; the collaboration of Chanticleer with Fresno Philharmonic musicians, who perform live in the production; and the joys of working in a vintage Pantages theater. We also unpack the bizarre developments in the Measure P embezzlement scandal, which has left organizations like Chanticleer wondering if they’ll receive all their grant money and crossing fingers that the next grant cycle will happen in a timely fashion. Finally, we get to walk into the theater itself, take a sneak peek at the stage, and in general have a meaningful conversation about the power of live theater. “The Tempest” has performances through May 3.
• Another guest is Michael Krikorian of Keyboard Concerts, who talks about the final concert of the season (3 p.m. Sunday, April 26, Fresno State Concert Hall). It features Fresno favorite Sergei Babayan, the world renowned Armenian-born artist who has been here so many times that people have lost count. Michael talks about Babayan’s mastery of the keyboard and his very interesting program, which consists of all song transcriptions. He also shares his own life-changing experience with Keyboard as a young pianist attending a concert. Now he’s a piano professor at Fresno State.
• My third guest is a name that should be familiar to readers of The Munro Review over these past few months: Manjot Dhanda, a Fresno State student working as an intern this semester for the site. Manjot talks about some of her favorite stories she’s written so far for TMR. She also gives us some theater picks in May, including “Grease” at Selma Arts Center and “Mrs. Doubtfire” from Broadway in Fresno.
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I hope you enjoy the show. Please share the YouTube link. And special thanks to CMAC’s Kyle Lowe and Jim Edmunds for going on location with me and making such a fast turnaround (we interviewed on Wednesday and had the episode up before Friday’s opening night). Great work, guys!
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