"I Sense Danger" and Scarborough Faire!

Greetings everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I am writing this on Easter Sunday - the first Easter I have been able to spend with my family in many, many years.

Thinking about family makes me want to say thank you to all the well-wishers, healing light, and prayers that have been directed toward “Don Juan” who, as you may know, tore his Achilles Tendon on the final day of the 2010 Arizona season. It happened during the last two moves of the final fight during our “Don Juan in Heck” show. Amazingly he finished, was taken to a doctor by “Esmeralda” and returned for the final show - which was great (If I say so my self - a truly Weird Show). He had a successful operation this past Friday and is recovering well. We will be doing our shows at the Crown Stage at Scarborough Faire - which opens this upcoming weekend. It’ll take some adaptation, but I have the feeling that some real hysterical stuff is going to happen. Come out and see!

“I Sense Danger” Release planned for April 17th, 2010 (second weekend of Scarborough Faire)

Well, after almost four years in the making it looks as though we are almost ready to have an actual release!! I can’t tell you how much work went into this new adventure. It is a HUGE step for us (I feel) in quality from either “El Gusano” or “The Lost Princess”. To let you know, although it is a single piece it was created in three “chapters”. Each chapter has its own musical number and “action” sequence. Each chapter can be viewed individually or together as a complete piece (which I recommend for the first viewing - then you’ll get the whole story). Although a “Don Juan and Miguel” adventure - it really stars Esmeralda, Hey Nunnie Nunnie!® and the London Broil boys. It was beautifully filmed by Dr. Jules and has an excellent score written by our good friend Kelly Stallard. The score features many of your favorite festival musicians. Duncan Pace did an excellent job of directing and editing and Louie Skaradek was fabulous as Special Effects Head - lots of interesting Fx! The story is light-hearted and fun, I honestly think it is the best thing we’ve done yet. I’m uncertain if we are going to have a “theatrical” showing of it. The theater showing for “The Lost Princess” was such a good time we are tempted to try to recreate that. If not at Scarborough in Texas, then perhaps at the Sterling Festival in Upstate New York - where it was filmed. We’ll certainly let you know. As we get ready to submit “I Sense Danger” to film festivals I’ve had to write a couple of “blurbs” explaining the film. I’ve included one of the longer ones (250 words) to let you know what the movie is about. I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks for your continued support and we’ll see you at Scarborough Faire!

“I Sense Danger” (the story)....

From the award-winning producers and director of “The Tale of El Gusano” and “The Lost Princess” comes a new swashbuckling, song-filled adventure set in the delightful and fantastical world of Don Juan and Miguel.

Danger and destruction erupt after Don Juan, Prince of Spain, accompanied by his wacky and ever-faithful manservant Miguel encounter a sad and mysterious hunchbacked Frenchman; Bernard. Sensing a mysterious power Don Juan invites the seemingly helpless Bernard to his inner sanctum to teach him to harness his budding abilities. The beautiful whip-cracking Princess Esmeralda, Don Juan’s daughter, begins to develop mystical powers of her own. Her good friends, Mother Redempta and Sister Philomena council her through the song “Chastity Bell”. Meanwhile Don Juan and Miguel are suddenly called away to foreign lands to battle barbarous pirates and horrible hoards, leaving the protection of Queen Elizabeth to Esmeralda.

Bernard, now fully controlling his psionic powers, hires minions, reaps destruction upon the sleepy village of Warwicke and captures the Queen’s castle - turning it into his lair. Finally realizing his dream through song he claims the title of “Bernard the Bad Guy”.

Sensing danger to the castle and the Queen Esmeralda quickly comes up with a plan to defeat the matter-moving monster! Queen Elizabeth, realizing that even the princess needs help calls for the return of her champion Don Juan and, along with Miguel, Mother Redempta, and Sister Philomena battle Bernard.

Can Bernard be stopped? Discover the answer in this delightful family-friendly Adventure!

Well here we are approaching our last weekend at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival for the '08 season and we're having fun.

Last weekend - our first of two - was downright fun! The Globe Stage turned out to be excellent - the crowds were big (especially on Saturday) and the shows a "hoot". I enjoyed playing my Bladivarius at the opening with my musical friends at the Gazebo by the Front Gate and had a delightful time playing on the streets with all the patrons and denizens of Mt. Hope. I really enjoy the queen here, such a fun and caring person!

Thanks to everyone who came out to see our show, and thanks to all of you who got our "stuff" - it helps keep "Blind Dog" rolling! Thanks!

I believe our schedule is the same for this weekend. We'll be on the Globe at 12, 3, and 4:30 and at the Swashbuckler (up by the bar) for the Weird Show at 5:45 - The weather doesn't look nearly as bad as predicted so come on out and enjoy the Oktoberfest Weekend with us before we head for the Carolina Renaissance Festival beginning next weekend.

I am sticking around for a few days - there is a RESCU rally on Tuesday after the student day - Gary Mazzu, Jim Hancock and I will be MC-ing and performing some classic rock n roll tunes - plus I'm going to be playing "Wall" in a production of Pyramus and Thisbee from a Midsummer Night's Dream - should be a lot of fun. Here's hoping we raise a bunch of money for our favorite charity! If you'd like to help (in an easy way) please use Goodsearch for your internet searches. Money will be donated to RESCU if you use this service, www.goodsearch.com, and list RESCU as your charity of choice. Check out RESCU at www.rescufoundation.com

BLIND DOG NEWS

We've all been working hard on "Danger" - and it is becoming something wonderful - Jose and I did some "looping" this week, and we received the score for part 3 from Kelly Stallard - she is wonderful! Keep in touch and we'll keep you all up to date.

OTHER STUFF

I must get on a soap box here for a moment. Even though we exist in a world that portrays a Monarchy (the world of Renaissance Festivals) as a wonderful and enlightened form of government - we must remember that we actually live in a Democracy (ok, a Republic) which functions best if everyone participates. Many many people throughout time have struggled, suffered and even died achieving the "right to vote". Within my living memory people in this nation have struggled for this right.

Please vote. Don't think that your vote does not count - it does.

Scarborough Faire!

Well folks, as you might possibly have guessed - we all made it to Scarborough Faire and have been having a great season so far!

The opening weekend was one of the best we've seen. Perfect weather, lots of new faces, and lots of old friends to laugh with again! I DO enjoy this festival. It is so like coming home - all the familiar faces, all the familiar places so steeped in memories of delights.

There have been some changes at Scarborough - a new bridge, new kitchens, a sit-down food area, some new shows - some faces from the past that have returned again, and, (sadly) some faces that are just not here (for whatever reasons).

We've decided to perform The Queen of Spain Show here this year. We haven't done it for a while because it is so strange and lots of work. We performed it this past weekend (#2) and, frankly, Saturday was a bit "rough" - we normally have Esmeralda in the show and had to cover for the parts she's not here to perform and for the time I usually get to change. Sunday, though, was quite fun. (At least for me.) We've been doing it at our 3:30 time slot at the Crown.

It's been nice having "Bathos the Muse" (Eddie Jeff Cahill) and Zilch (Terry Foy) coming to the Weird Show at 5:30. They add so much goofiness. Makes me think of old-time Vaudeville! By the way, Zilch is now a published author with his new work "The Night Before Christmoose" (although I may have the spelling wrong.)

NOTE ON R.E.S.C.U. Two of the final pubsings here - at the King''s Pub and at The White Horse are donating the tips for those shows to R.E.S.C.U. This is a sweet way for our patrons to be able to help out those in our Renaissance community who are in need.

BLIND DOG NOTES:

Martha Gay and Max Dyer got a terrific review in the latest Renaissance Magazine (issue #60) for their duet CD "Heartstrings". Read it and get the CD. You'll not be disappointed.

"I Sense Danger"
Movement movement movement!
There seems to be some energy here at Scarborough which promotes action in the artistic realm. Jim Hancock and I (with some help from Shannon O'Brien) are busily working on the sound. Louie (of The London Broil) is working on Fx. We found a guy in the local community who is willing to give a hand. His name is Jason and we found him on the DFW Indie boards for independent film makers. Thanks Jason!

Well, that's about all for now......I'll be back in contact soon. It's hard to write this and work on the film at the same time!

Oh, I did want to mention that the Breast Cancer Society really needs people to go to their website and click for free mammograms. Its free to us and helps out folks in need.

Oh......BIRTHDAYS.......this month so far Jim, Shannon (a limo night), Terry Foy (a big one), Patrick Sweet and Duncan! (oh, and Bodge's would've been this past week)