Your Part in Art

Here in southwestern Connecticut, artists of all sorts seem to be able to develop talents. The area boasts topnotch performance halls, stages, art galleries, schools and programs and mentors. The proximity to New York City doesn't hurt either.

However, young art and creators can't prosper without patrons.

Last month, Deborah Gibson played a supporting role in a new musical, "Saint Heaven" at Stamford Center for the Arts. During an interview, she told me that while she always prefers a larger role, she in part took this role to help support the new production. She questioned, "What art and plays will our generation produce?" She said unless you want to continously see only revivals, young people need to be involved in the production - and viewing- of new ventures.

The World Premiere of "Saint Heaven" at Stamford Center for the Arts was part of the Center's SCA Stages. The program was previously known as "the Fringe Festival." The mission of SCA Stages is to provide a supportive environment where new works can progress to the next stage of development. 

Saint Heaven has finished its run in Stamford. However, the producers hope the musical will either go on to Broadway or other stages in the future.  Currently, Deborah Gibson says she is in Los Angeles working on a musical of her own.

If you are not familiar with Gibson, at the age of 16 in 1986, she became the youngest person ever to write, produce, and perform a number one single. Since then she has managed to stay alive in the entertainment industry in various ways.  Here is a picture of me with her back in 2000 while she was promoting a new album in upstate New York. Click to enlarge.

Declare Your Independence

This Fourth of July holiday, instead of having the hamburgers first and then something sweet for dessert, why not have them together, all in the same bite. Be a good American and break away from conventional rule. Actually, I think its appropriate our chef on "What's Cooking" this weekend shows us how to make a Turkey-Whaffle-Burger using chocolate ice-cream. Be a good American. Declare your independence from the norm.

Actually, Chef Joe Ciminera from the TV cooking show "Taste This TV" is touring with and promoting Blue Bunny Ice Cream. He has created several recipes for main entrees using their flavors. He explained to me you can use the frozen treat for almost any recipe that calls for cream because that's what it is, it's just flavored and frozen. For the turkey burger, he grilled a patty the normal way, but used the ice cream for a sauce. All he did was put a scoop of chocolate ice cream in a pan, melt it down and add a spicy bar-b-que sauce. You can find more of Ciminera's recipes by by clicking here.

His recipes remind me of a burger you can get at a ball park outside of Saint Louis- The Black Angus Burger. It has meat, two strips of bacon, cheese - all between a Krispy Kreme donut. The creator says they are a hit. Definitely American.