February, 2016

Dear Ones,

We had a GREAT 2015 – with Stephen back to being a professional free-lance cellist; Elise getting lots of opportunities to perform; Rebecca finding Carl; and all of us eating lots of great food!

Stephen made two trips to Toronto: one in February, and then again in November to celebrate his mom’s 90th birthday (congratulations, Tanya!).   He also traveled to Europe in June (with the Los Angeles Youth Ochestra), and San Francisco in August for the Theatre Musician’s Association Conference.  Along with his regular coaching of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra, the Verdugo Youth Orchestra, and the Harmony Project, Stephen also managed to exercise his professional chops as part of the Beverly Hills Music Festival, the Burbank Philharmonic, the Disneyland Candlelight Concerts, the Nutcracker Ballet, and the orchestras of productions of SPRING AWAKENING and DAMN YANKEES (and he will be in the orchestra of CHILDREN OF EDEN next month).  Stephen’s other exciting news is that he got to spend an entire night being “rained” on for a commercial for the American Cancer Society (see pix and the commercial itself below).

Rebecca finished up her first year of teaching high school in the Bronx, and was brave enough to sign on for another year!  Near the end of her first year, she traveled to Nashville for the wedding celebration of Emma (her childhood buddy from Toronto).  Emma’s brother Alex (who now lives in Calgary) also came to the celebration, and brought his current roommate, Carl Ermelbauer. Rebecca and Carl hit it off, and have been traveling back and forth between New York, Calgary, and Los Angeles ever since to spend time with each other.  Stephen and I met Carl briefly at the end of the summer, and then again when Rebecca and Carl came to spend the Xmas holidays in sunny LA.  We had fun making a Latke Brunch together (including Rebecca’s great idea to make a version of Eggs Florentine with a latke replacing the English muffin!); and we indulged ourselves with a visit to the incredible and exclusive Le Comptoir restaurant..  Rebecca and Carl also did some local traveling, and spent New Year’s on a yacht out of San Diego harbor.  Carl is planning to move to New York next month, and he and Rebecca will look for a place together.  Carl is an amazing young man, and we are thrilled that he seems well aware of what an amazing person Rebecca is.  We look forward to visiting them once they’ve set up their new household in New York!

Elise had her usual busy year with the regular programs at New Musicals Inc., including producing the STAGES Festival over the summer.  She also got to do lots of performing, including a reading of MARY MARIE at the Chance Theatre; filming as a CVS clerk in an internet short; playing the Leprechaun Queen (don’t ask) for Cathy Rigby; taking part in the Confidential Musical Theatre Project version of URINETOWN starring French Stewart; taking on four roles in four new 15 Minute Musicals in NMI’s FORKS IN THE ROAD; and – most recently – reprising the role of “Domina” in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM.  Elise played the role (with the same director) 15 years ago for Musical Theatre West,, and is now doing it for Cabrillo Music Theatre in Thousand Oaks.

Elise also got to visit her folks (June and Art) in Kansas City; head to New York for the NAMT Conference (and see six shows in five days); be hired to give advice to Richard Maltby (Broadway writer/director) of about his new Broadway-bound musical; and perform jury duty!

We were also happy to spend time with our Long Beach family for Passover, and again for Murray Sokoloff’s fantastic 90th birthday celebration.

We are blessed to be healthy and happy – and wish all of you the same as we head into 2016!

Much love,

Elise, Stephen, and Rebecca