Filmed 8/06 at the Parliament Cabaret Room


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Reminder: I've moved blogs!

I'm currently blogging about the show (and myself) on my myspace blog. You don't have to be a mysapce user to view or link to it, but if you are, subscribe and keep up with the show as it moves from obscurity to...whever it ends up!

The blog you are at right now is a journal from when I mounted the first production of the show at the Orlando International Fringe Festival in 2006. I'd never put on a show before, let alone a solo piece, so I wanted to take notes throughout the process so I'd remember my '"first time," as it were.

Thanks!

Mark

A week till Fringe

Podcast: One week till Fringe

Listen Now:


Or download it:
one_week.mp3

Show Notes:
-driving home from two James Newport shows
-People ask me "How are rehearsals going?" and I don't know what to say
-People have started hanging posters
-I am terrified (and dramatic). "I have the confidence of a gnome."

Podcast Appearance: Radio Rickshaw

Rickshaw_featuring_me.mp3

My appearance on the popular podcast Radio Rickshaw was a total blast. John, Don and Digbey really made me feel at ease...so much so I let slip a few secrets here and there. Maybe it was them, and maybe it was the cocktail(s).

Mp3 of Rehearsal: Momma is Mean

Listen now:


Or Download it:
momma_is_mean_rehearsal.mp3

Francisco and Charles sit in on a rehearsal. This is a clip in which I describe me leaving my Mother's house in the middle of the night. She sang a song to me that was, well, evil.

MP3 of Rehearsal: Talent Contest

Listen Now:


Or Download it:
talent_contest.mp3

Francisco and Charles sit in on a rehearsal. This is a clip in which I describe my trials and tribulations of putting together my act for the elementary school talent show in which I dress up as Annie and sing "Tomorrow." Fighting ensues.

"How Do You Feel?" blog and podcast NEW!

I want to direct you to a new podcast of mine called "How Do You Feel?" It features a life-coach character I play named Mark Baratelli. Each show starts off by asking the question, "How do you feel?" And if you don't answer "Great!" you are missing out on life.

Listen Now:



Listen to the mp3

Bye bye blog

Please go to my current blog. I am no longer posting here, but this is where a lot of posts from last year are stored: the ones about applying to Fringe, getting in, brainstorming the show, rehearsing...it's all here. Please take time to read it if you are curious about putting on a Fringe show or just want to know what it's like a for first-time Fringer.

All further posting is being done at my current blog. After keeping four blogs and finally saying to my self "WTF!?" I am now condensing. It seems, through tiral and error, observation and partly total guessing, that my blogging will have a better chance of being read on mypace then here.

Please go to my current blog and keep up with the show!

Thanks

-Mark

website ** blog ** podcast ** Maupin's blog

3:34am myspace marathon

Rehearsal today was good. I had a small audience of SAK students waiting to come in for their 4pm class. They seemed to like what they saw, which was nice. It's 3:45am and i have been working on the new look for my myspace page all night. I am now going to transfer the look to my show page. I made my personal myspace page look like a show page because, well, people are going to both and right now this is a very important thing (the show) going on in my life, so completely changing the page, ithink is warranted.

One thing that took forever was updating the podcast feed. For months it's had like 12 songs on it. I hadn't updated it. Toonight I conected all of my audioblog posts to the podcast. So now there's oodles of content. The only things missing are the dates for each post. And I do not think I say the dates in the posts. But, maybe I can do that later. I just wanted, for now, to have audio of me talking about the show up there from all the months of me...talking about the show.

I just confirmed an interview on "Radio Rickshaw" for May 9th at 8pm. So that's two podcasts I will be appearing on now. Woohoo. The first one is this gay one on friday at noon.

I really do not want to make flyers and posters. I want everything to be online. It's so much easier for me. But my due date for flyers is Thursday. They have to go out Thursday for printing so they are back in time for the Fringe Gala, which I don't really want to go to. I enjoy this kind of promotion...the myspace and internet stuff. But hnding out flyers...not my thing. Just not comfortable with it. And I think it's a legitimate concern. it's like anything. If people come to you, seeking out information about you, that's one thing. But if you go and shove shit in peoples' faces, being all obnoxious....and 60 other people are doing the same thing..how much fun is that for the guests?

Anyways, I am taking a break. I just realized, now that I have the myspace blog, why do I need this blog? I can just update that one. Maybe I will take the link down and people can just read the newer one.

Maupin's blog post ** podcast ** website ** blog ** myspace

Fringe preview: Xanadu on the podcast

Watch now:


Download:
Xanadu_improv_cabaret.mov

I got the video of Xanadu onto the podcast.

Fringe Preview: Xanadu on Youtube

blog ** podcast ** xanadu ** Maupin ** website ** myspace

Fringe Preview: Xanadu photos from video

Last night Christian, the boys from Slothco and I did Xanadu for the almost-sold-out Fring Preview show at the Orlando Shakespeare Festival building. I have to say that this is the craziest thing I have ever done. I think the video speaks for itself.

Xanadu video ** Maupin's blog post ** podcast ** website ** blog ** myspace

This is like me leaving you a voice mail, giving you an update as to how rehearsals are going, what I am working on at the moment and any late developments having to do with the show. Take a listen, partner!

-Mark


MP3 File

This is like me leaving you a voice mail, giving you an update as to how rehearsals are going, what I am working on at the moment and any late developments having to do with the show. Take a listen, partner!

-Mark


MP3 File

Another "Improv Cabaret"?

There's another show with the same title as mine. Here's the listing:

IMPROV CABARET: One night only. You mean they don't even write it down? What a joke. Rendezvous, 2320 Second Ave, 441-5823. $5. Sun Oct 5 at 8 pm.

There's no link to the venue so I don't know what the show is like. It looks like improvised standup or just straight up improv.

Maupin's blog post ** podcast ** website ** blog ** myspace

Marketing Thoughts

So I was thinking today, "How could I generate more press for my show?" And I thought, "What else do I do that would be newsworthy?" I thought of two things: I ride my bike to work. Gas is expensive right now and orlando is certainly a car-centric town. Maybe they might want to do a story on someone who takes it upon himself to try something different. Also, I think the writer could find other bikers who bike to work, and possibly encourage non-bikers to try it. It's a hard sell, but it seemed like an interesting and topical article to write.

Another newsworthy thing I thought of is the fact that I tired to start a podcasting meetup group and no one "met up." Is podcasting not happening in orlando? If so, why not? I thought it might be interesting to se my struggle to conect with other podcasters.

Both of these stories are relevant and, depending on the writer, have the possibility for public interest. I have something to gain in offering these stories because, hoepfully, I could mention my show at least once. If not, then the article still is interesting and relevant.

Also on the marketing topic, I have been ruminating about how much I do not want to bother people at the Fringe by shoving poscards in peoples' faces and telling people about my show. I know Beth Marshall tells us all to do this, but I have heard that doing otherwise might be a better idea.

My original goal was to build up buzz about my show early so I wouldn't have to do this. And one way to build buzz is to perform in the Fringe Preview show, which is tomorrow night. I have an act, a three-minute act, that is strange and bizzare and not like my show. And this worries me. I do preface it with a prepared speech about this fact. But, it's still weird. I practice it in my living room thinking, "This is weird." However, I also am sometimes not the best judge on if I am doing something well. I am hard on myself most of the time. So, my piece could be good for all I know.

I finished themusic tonight and I love it. It's very strange and different. With the visual of the other performers, I think I will blend right in with Fringe. Not my goal, but it's hat I am doing.

-Mark

Maupin's blog post ** podcast ** website ** blog ** myspace

You have a face for billboards

The Gaydays billboards will be up May 1 in front of the Parliament House and some church. Also, the magazine will be going to print this week. So excited. In case you are new to the blog, about a month ago a guy taking classes at SAK asked me if I would pose for some photos for the official magazine for Gay Days. I was like "Heck yeah!" Then later they told us the pics would be used on a billboard. I was like "I'll beleive it when I see it. Well, we're about to see it. And what better timing could this be than weeks before Fringe? Love it!

Maupin's blog post ** podcast ** website ** blog ** myspace

Beyond angry

I am beyond angry. I prepared a recording of a run-through of the show I performed last week, getting it ready to export to put online. I recorded bumpers and added music to the bumpers. It took 30 minutes in garageband to export, and it did not work! Nothing happened. It just took 30 minutes and then nothing happened. I tried it again another way, it took 15 minutes, and again, nothing. Blood boiling from frustration. What am I doing wrong here? I hate wasting time. I have it when I am doing everything I know I am supposed to do, and whatever it is I am working on does not come out correct. I am now transfering all my files (ALL of my files on the computer, not just the ones I am working with right now) to an external hard drive and will restart my computer in hopes that that might work.

What I am trying to do is get these run-thrus onto the podcast, blog, and maybe onto cds for Monday nght. They're good and need to be heard. But at this rate, it doesn't look like any of this will happen.

(drawing stolen from them)

Maupin's blog post ** podcast ** website ** blog ** myspace

Show update: I contact two local podcasts

I found two podcasts I thought might be good to make appearances on, so I contact them. One if the Radio Rickshaw podcast, and the other is a Gay Days podcast. the Rickshaw one already responded and is scheduling me in. The gay one has not gotten back with me yet. Listen:

reaching_out_to_podcasters.mp3

Tampa Bay Times mentions me!

On this Tampa Bay Times page, they mention me in their blurb about the Orlando Fringe Festival:

"Orlando Fringe Festival May 18-29: This celebration of the performing arts takes hold of the streets, theaters and converted industrial spaces of downtown Orlando. The event also encompasses an outdoor stage with nightly concerts and Kids Fringe, to keep the little ones happy. The focus is on diversity, as well as the all-important risk factor. For example this year Mark Baratelli is doing a solo show, Improv Cabaret, but he'll also be blogging, podcasting and updating his MySpace page before, during and after the show. The beauty is you can catch the work of amazing emerging artists, or cringe with the rest of the crowd at a group of struggling amateurs butchering a classic. Buttons cost $6 for entry and show prices range from free to $10. Get them at www.orlandofringe.org. Many shows are sold out well in advance, so it's smart to get them early."


On the AOL City Search site, they mention me on their page about the Orlando Fringe Festival:

"The Shows: As always, Fringe samplings will run the gamut from glam-rock musical 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch,' to powerful dramas like 'Flowers for Algernon' and Nicolle Avery's 'To Silence Me is to Silence.' Looking for a laugh? Try Mark Baratelli's Improv' Cabaret' or Doodie Doo Doo Production's 'Doodie Power 3: To the Turd Power.' Families will enjoy Orlando Youth Theatre's staging of 'Moby Dick: The Musical' as well as Mark Stone's mind-boggling ESP act."

I just found a photo from the Mayoral Roast I sang at with SAK. Here's the Mayor and me singing. I look like I am in my own little world and the Mayor is like "This guy is nuts." But I tell you, it was not like that. :)


Maupin's blog post ** podcast ** website ** blog ** myspace