Stealing Mona Lisa - I got a call from co-writer Claude Solnik, that he is going to attempt to produce this musical in December 2022 at the Theater for the New City in New York City. This theater produces and encourages new plays and musicals. Claude has already forwarded audition tapes from fantastic people singing some of the songs we wrote for this show. Let's put our thoughts together and visualize this project coming together and a good video resulting from Claude's efforts.
Las Vegas Food - I just got back from a 10 day trip to Las Vegas where we stayed with my son who was a great host, showing us the best restaurants in town. We had great Mexican food at the Lindo Michoacan. We had awesome Chinese food served family-style at the Mama China but be prepared for a wait line. We also had to wait a little bit for wonderful Italian food at the Battista Hole-In-The Wall where even the wine is included in the dinner. We had great lunches at Weiss's Deli and the Steamie Weenie in Henderson.
Las Vegas Music - For years I have been going to Las Vegas and making friends with great musicians. This time was no exception. First, I went back to the Dispensary Club on Tropicana that has been there for 46 years and listened to great jazz pianist and my friend Uli Geisendorfer. He plays there frequently with different guests. He's also very friendly and easy to talk with. As I was leaving, Uli ran out to the door and gave me an invitation to go to the Gatsby at the Gambit nightclub on Saturday night and listen to his show featuring the great jazz vocalist Joan Minor. I made reservations and got there early and had a great table right behind the piano so I felt like part of the show. The show was very pricy and the food was sub-par but the jazz made the cost worthwhile. The ambience was art-deco speak-easy. Joan put on a great show and Uli played fantastically as usual. I had a nice visit with Joan and her husband Paul Grayson who is a famous photographer. They live in Paris. As usual, I pitched my songs including Soulmates and told them I was available if they needed original songs for recording or performing. While in Las Vegas, I went to the Unity Church where I visited with my friend Johhn Jones, Music Director who I have seen performing in the best lounges in the city over the years. This time he invited me to go listen to his country music show at Gilley's Bar at the Treasure Island Casino and Hotel. The lead singer Ronnie Rose is not only a great crooner a la Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett style, he can belt out country songs like Friends in Low Places with the best of them and is also a great entertainer.
Other places I visited on this trip was the Txikiteo Basque Restaurant in Boise, Idaho where the food was very different from American food. I also went to a comedy show in Pocatello Idaho where the headliner Aaron Woodal, who has been on the Conan TV show, was fantastically funny and irreverent.
Brady Carson - I heard Brady sing and play piano and guitar at the Kootenai County Fair recently. He is a young, up and coming country and crooner singer and puts on a great show. Our plan is for Brady to record some of my original Christmas songs in the studio and for us to write original songs together after he gets done touring. I also referred him to an agent in Las Vegas who I was told was the best agent in the Las Vegas area.
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Thanks,
Gary