Show of Hands

Superbowl Snub?
Show of Hands This is a belated post - I recently started my internship at VSA Arts MN (yay!) and only got a chance to publish this posting. My apologies. As we may have heard (through various sources - Facebook, Twitter, blogs and vlogs, etc) of the issue that occured during the recent Superbowl game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Namely during the pre...
Sun, Feb 12 2012 · 23 hours ago

Another Broadway Musical Joins in Captioning Videos
Show of Hands Good news! Another Broadway musical has joined in captioning videos on their YouTube channel, following in the footsteps set by Rent and Disney on Broadway's Mary Poppins and The Lion King. So, which one is it? Godspell. That's right - Godspell, a modern-day retelling of the Gospel according to St. Matthew - has started captioning their videos taken from the new...
Tue, Jan 31 2012

In the Spotlight: Hennepin Theatre Trust
Show of Hands With the upcoming touring production of Disney's The Lion King making a return to the city where it started all those years ago - and to the very same theatre even, I have decided to honor the theatre orgranization who also made it possible for me to see my first interpreted Broadway touring show. Flashback to the year 2007. My family and I had just moved ...
Wed, Jan 04 2012

New Schedules
Show of Hands During the blog renovation, I moved the cluttered list of scheduled sign language interpreted and captioned performances to the tab bar on top to make it look more streamlined. In doing so, I updated the schedules with the venerable favorites but added several new schedule links, especially for our folks across the pond. I also removed some inactive listings and updat...
Tue, Dec 13 2011

In the Spotlight: International Center on Deafness and the...
Show of Hands Here's the first entry in the new series of postings In the Spotlight where an organization or event will be reflected upon. First up is Centerlight Theatre, a project under the International Center on Deafness and the Arts banner. The organization based in the northwest suburb of Chicago in Northbrook, Illinois is where I got my start in the theatre arts - and a...
Tue, Dec 06 2011

Alan Champion Memorial Fund
Show of Hands In an earlier posting, I wrote about giving back to the community. There are many organizations and events that one could donate/contribute to (whether it is by monetary means, or volunteering oneself, the choices are endless). The Alan Champion Memorial Fund for Interpreted Theatre presented by the HandsOn organization based in New York City may be one for readers to...
Sun, Dec 04 2011

Giving Thanks
Show of Hands The holiday season is upon us. Gifts - parties - cards - checking our lists twice to make sure we've gotten everything done in time for Santa to do his yearly rounds. It is also the time of the year where many people give to charities and funds. In consideration of the American holiday of Thanksgiving coming up soon, I would like to share a moment to list the the th...
Fri, Nov 18 2011

Broadway Actress' Official YouTube Channel Now Captioned
Show of Hands The power of the fandom out there is certainly influencing the number of captioned videos posted on YouTube. Reports of captioned video shorts from musicals (particularly a bootleg cut of Wicked) are floating out there. The YouTube channel for Rent is still faithfully churning out captioned videos as usual. Not only that, the YouTube channels of Broadway ac...
Wed, Nov 16 2011

Any Dream Will Do
Show of Hands Why did I start this blog in the first place? I wanted to share my love for the arts with others as well as reflect on the (limited) offerings for access to the arts for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind audiences. (cue "Any Dream Will Do" from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.)"Any dream will do." My exposure to the world of musical thea...
Tue, Nov 15 2011

Remembering Alan Champion
Show of Hands Affectionately known as Mr. Broadway, Alan Champion, an interpreter on Broadway, passed away April 22 from cancer. Mr. Champion was a well-known face in the theater interpreting field and will be missed by many.The New York Times covered his career and life in this well-written obituary."Alan Champion, a sign-language interpreter who opened up hundreds of Broadway and...
Mon, Apr 25 2011

Deaf Featured on Oprah and THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Show of Hands On Thursday, October 28th, the Oprah Winfrey Show presented a 45th anniversary reunion of the cast of the highly acclaimed movie musical, THE SOUND OF MUSIC. During this particular show, a Deaf person (the current Miss Deaf Minnesota) was featured during the segment of how the film affected the lives of several fans. (See the four fans and their "stories" here at [li...
Sat, Oct 30 2010

"Show Business" Video Extras Now CC
Show of Hands A nice Labor Day surprise for our fabulous Broadway fanbase - a video update! Here's some of the video extras from the SHOW BUSINESS: THE ROAD TO BROADWAY DVD (we are working on captioning the rest now). The original DVD release did not carry captioning or subtitling, hence our little project. The feature film itself is completely captioned, all 11 parts of it (check ...
Mon, Sep 06 2010

Miss Deaf America 2010 Reflections and Other Tidbits
Show of Hands Busy summer = few postings if any!In July, I had the opportunity to represent Minnesota at the 2010 National Association of the Deaf/Miss Deaf America Ambassadorship Program. I took my platform (arts advocacy - what else?) and my talent ("Defying Gravity" from Wicked). The experience itself was very rewarding and the networks I made shall come in handy someday!Now, fo...
Wed, Aug 25 2010

Auditioning for GLEE
Show of Hands Hello again!GLEE (the wildly popular TV show on FOX about a high school glee club) is holding open auditions where hopefuls can submit audition videos via their Myspace profile: [link] show featured d/Deaf students signing "Imagine" during the Hairography episode which fueled some hot debates on various sources.Now, any of you Gleeks thinking of auditioning? (or if ...
Sat, Apr 24 2010

Google Announces Kickoff of Automatic Captioning and other...
Show of Hands It has been brought to my attention that Google (which owns YouTube) has kicked off the start of Automatic Captioning to the many (millions) of videos streamed on YouTube. Now, not all the videos sport this capability as there are just too many videos but they are slowly appearing on channels such as the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis (guthrietheatre) among others.Rea...
Thu, Mar 04 2010

"A Listening Ear"
Show of Hands It is a small world, indeed. Several people contacted me recently to congratulate me for getting my name in print - only to leave me confused. What article? What magazine? Then I turn to my trusty friend - Mr. Google - and found the article, quite a lovely one at that.The blurb mentioning me is as following:"...Alumni include Kaitlyn Mielke, 25, who credits her stage ...
Tue, Feb 16 2010

"Show Business" and GLEE
Show of Hands Parts 7-10 of the documentary "Show Business: the Road to Broadway" is now up on YouTube with captioning! (Finally we reach the Tony Awards coverage for those four shows that participated in the documentary!). We are working on captioning the rest of the installments."Show Business: the Road to Broadway" is a DVD documentary chronciling the journeys made by four music...
Wed, Dec 30 2009

In the Heights
Show of Hands Another theatre event to keep the boredom of writing term papers at bay... (The semester's wrapping up so it was nice to run away to the theatre for three hours to escape the neverending pile of assignments to finish!) The touring Broadway company of In the Heights visited the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis this past week and the interpreted performance was yesterday....
Thu, Dec 10 2009

Deaf Students on Fox's GLEE
Show of Hands As a die-hard fan of musical theater, I watch GLEE on the Fox channel diligently, saving my Wendesday nights for this treat. This past espiode that aired on 11/26 titled "Hairography" showcased Deaf actors portraying Deaf characters from the fictional Haverbrook School of the Deaf in Dayton, Ohio. During this espiode, the Glee team meets with their two opponents befor...
Sun, Nov 29 2009

Grease is the Word!
Show of Hands Saw Grease this past Sunday at the Orpheum Theater. This was the second stop for the national Broadway tour, but my first time seeing a production that wasn't done by summer stock theater. (I missed the first round last year when I flew out of state). My intial thoughts? Cute. Had a lot of potential, just didn't realize it - could have skipped this show but I went to ...
Tue, Nov 24 2009

Interview with Linda Bove on WNYC
Show of Hands Recently, a publicist from WNYC (the largest radio station in the nation) contacted me regarding an interview held with Sesame Street alumni Linda Bove (voice-interpreted by Alan Champion). While I find it ironic that a Deaf person was interviewed for the radio - but the material that came out of the interview was valuable as it covers the controversial casting of two...
Wed, Nov 18 2009

The Miracle Worker - Thoughts
Show of Hands With the recent news of casting Abigail Breslin in the iconic role of Helen Keller in the Broadway revivial of The Miracle Worker fueling controversial thoughts, I did some research and some thinking. I do understand both sides of the controversy of casting a sighted and hearing actor to portray a Deafblind character - the money issue and wanting 'star power'; the obj...
Fri, Nov 13 2009

The Sound of Music
Show of Hands Many people have asked me how I got involved with musicals given my hearing loss. As I stated, I was exposed to music from an early age - the music of the 1980s. My neighbor would place me on top of a bass speaker to feel the vibrations. It wasn't until The Phantom of the Opera came out did it make an impact - and then, The Sound of Music film with Julie Andrews being...
Mon, Nov 02 2009

Access to the Theater
Show of Hands Been doing some research on the options for access to the theater. It depends on the venue and location and how many Deaf/HH people patronize the theater in said area. Some areas like NYC, Chicago, the Twin Cities, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco have an in-house program for access for D/HH patrons. (Those schedules can be found on the right column - speaking o...
Tue, Oct 20 2009

Calling all Volunteers!
Show of Hands Calling all volunteers - or should it be "waving at all volunteers"? Anyways, the time has come to request individuals who are part of the performing arts scene to volunteer for interviews (e-mailed or through Instant Messaging) for a project I'm working on. Who am I seeking? If you fit one or any (or all) of the roles below, we want you!Audience Patron (person who at...
Mon, Oct 12 2009

Behind-the-Scenes Video of Disney's MARY POPPINS on Tour!...
Show of Hands After several months of begging and requesting, Disney on Broadway now has the 23-minute feature of behind-the-scenes of MARY POPPINS on Tour now captioned! 190 North takes a look at the show during its stop in Chicago. In the video, some scenes from the musical are portrayed, some interviews with the cast/crew and patrons, etc. It also showcases the red-carpet premie...
Tue, Oct 06 2009

Question of the Week
Show of Hands As I was assembling the various chapters that make up my memoirs, I pondered upon my experiences as a theatergoing patron and came up with a question (to kick off the Question of the Week series that will take up the next few blog posts in between announcements of captioned media). So, here goes: Question of the Week # 1WHAT WAS YOUR BEST EXPERIENCE AT THE THEATER? WO...
Thu, Oct 01 2009

Miss Deaf Minnesota advocates performing arts access for...
Show of Hands Here is a link to an article from the MN Daily (the student newspaper for the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities) about Miss Deaf Minnesota's doings for arts advocacy. Enjoy!Link: [link]
Fri, Sep 25 2009

More Disney On Broadway Videos Now CC!
Show of Hands Here is an updated list of videos added on Disney's YouTube Channel (for the Broadway shows: THE LITTLE MERMAID, THE LION KING, MARY POPPINS, TARZAN, BEAUTY & THE BEAST).Source: DisneyOnBroadway at YouTube.The new additions are a few songs from the London production of THE LION KING (a carbon copy of the Broadway and touring productions)."I Just Can't Wait to be K...
Tue, Sep 22 2009

Anything Can Happen If You Let It!
Show of Hands Off to see MARY POPPINS again (for the fourth time) tonight before she flies out of town to the next stop on the tour - but first, the review from Sunday 9/13 with the interpreters!How did it compare, seeing the show twice without interpreters to actually seeing it with interpreters? I found myself lost at times - unable to focus much on either side due to the high vo...
Sun, Sep 20 2009

Step in Time!
Show of Hands The video of "Step in Time" from the Broadway version of MARY POPPINS is up and captioned! (Do watch the amazing and highly visual choreography and the stunner that Gavin Lee as Bert performs in front of your very eyes!) Link to the video at the end of this post."Step in Time" joins the video of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" to the captioned MARY POPPINS playl...
Sat, Sep 12 2009

Show Business Part 4-6 now Captioned!
Show of Hands The next three installments of the documentary, Show Business: The Road to Broadway are now captioned! (As always, they can be found under ASLPerformingArts's channel on YouTube). Show Business: The Road to Broadway documents the journeys of four productions during the 2003-04 season: WICKED (still running), AVENUE Q (closing), TABOO (closed) and CAROLINE, OR CHANGE (...
Fri, Aug 21 2009

Disney On Broadway
Show of Hands GREAT NEWS!Disney on Broadway joins RENT in captioning their Youtube videos! (They are gradually being added one at a time...)Channel name: DisneyOnBroadwayHere's one of my favorites: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from MARY POPPINS. (The choreography for this song is based on British Sign Language - the only remant being the "F" sign). [link] Seeley joins THE ...
Sun, Aug 02 2009

Broadway: Upcoming Interpreted/Captioned Performances and...
Show of Hands Things are looking up on Broadway - with the number of accessible performances rising. On the other hand, the number of ASL interpreted performances has gone down with open captioned performances going up. What's up with this? My explanation - it's cheaper to offer OC performances and they appeal to a wider audience (including the deaf and hard of hearing that don't u...
Wed, Jul 08 2009

Show Business: The Road to Broadway
Show of Hands Latest news: Three (captioned) videos added to our YouTube channel (and two more RENT videos put up by EverythingIsRENT). Show Business: The Road to Broadway first came out in 2005 as part of a limited release on the big screen and went straight to DVD. However, much to the disappointment of musical theater afficiandos, the DVD itself was NOT captioned nor subtitled. ...
Mon, Jun 29 2009

What I Did for Love
Show of Hands "One... singular sensation...ev'ry little step she takes..."I recently saw A CHORUS LINE at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis on Sunday June 21 (the touring show was in town). First, the ASL section was moved from its usual house left (or stage right for those who think in actors' terms) to house right. Why? The stairs leading to the stage (established for the charac...
Wed, Jun 24 2009

Guided Tour of a Broadway Dressing Room!
Show of Hands Here is a captioned video of Idina Menzel (of WICKED fame) giving a tour of her dressing room at the Gershwin Theatre in New York. Ever wonder what they look like? Now is your chance to see!Also, we are in the process of adding captions to the feature-length documentary (titled "Show Business: The Road to Broadway".) chronicling the road to Broadway for four productio...
Tue, Jun 16 2009

WICKED - "Greenifying Elphaba" Interview (CC) with Idina...
Show of Hands More WICKED videos! Here is a video of the interview done with Idina Menzel (who won the Tony for her role as Elphaba, the green girl in WICKED). In the video, the greenifying process is shown and explained - enjoy!"Credit goes to Wicked1uk for the video."Link: [link]
Thu, Jun 11 2009

How Elphaba Defies Gravity" CBS video now CC!
Show of Hands Seen the musical, WICKED? Ever wonder how the green girl defies gravity in the show's big showstopping number? Head over to the link to watch! "Clip taken from CBS 2 News Chicago, explaining the basic storyline of 'Wicked: A New Musical' and then looking at how Elphaba actually flies every night (yes! Unfortunately, it's not magic.) Sylvia Gomez presents, and we are s...
Thu, Jun 11 2009

RENT now announcing Terp/Captioned Performances on Twitter!
Show of Hands A breakthrough for musical theatre fans!RENT the Broadway Tour has been announcing the ASL interpreted / and or Captioned performances for the cities they are visiting on their Twitter Feed. Check out those 'twits':The 2 PM Sunday, 6/14 show in Denver will be an ASL interpreted performance of RENT. [link] PM Jun 8th from webRENT in Boston will have an Open Captioned ...
Wed, Jun 10 2009

Official Broadway video of "Defying Gravity" from WICKED...
Show of Hands Here is the video of the official press release video of "Defying Gravity" from the Broadway musical WICKED starring original cast members Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as Galinda and Elphaba, respectively. This is the showstopping number of the show. Link: [link]
Tue, Jun 09 2009

"The Wizard and I" from WICKED now captioned!
Show of Hands The press release of the song "The Wizard and I" from the Broadway production of Wicked is now captioned! If one cannot see the show, this is a good alternative! Very good quality video!Link: [link] up: Pro shot video of the showstopping number "Defying Gravity" with Idina Menzel!If anyone has any requests for specific videos they would like to see captioned (Broadw...
Thu, Jun 04 2009

More captioned WICKED videos!
Show of Hands They sure are coming fast now!Two more Wicked videos have been captioned:"One Short Day" - Royal Variety Performance with Idina Menzel, Helen Dallimore and Company of the West End production.Link: [link] is This Feeling?" BBC Children in Need (TV) with Idina Menzel, Helen Dallimore and Company.Link: [link] up - the press reel of "The Wizard and I" from the Broadwa...
Wed, Jun 03 2009

"Defying Gravity" video from the musical Wicked (CC)
Show of Hands Here is a link to a captioned version of the Royal Variety Performance of "Defying Gravity" starring Idina Menzel (original Broadway cast member) and Helen Dallimore. Idina reprised her role in the London's West End production of Wicked. Link: [link] thanks to ObsessiveWickedFan and Runawayfelon for adding the captions!
Tue, Jun 02 2009

"Popular" video from the musical WICKED (cc)
Show of Hands I've established a Youtube channel in conjunction to this blog to create a headquarters to store the captioned videos that pertain to Broadway musicals.There are quite a few fans out there that have started captioning their videos and I'm collecting them to archive on the Youtube channel for all to enjoy (and to make it easier to find!)Here is a captioned video of the...
Thu, May 28 2009

The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind...
Show of Hands The Phantom of the Opera. One of my favorite musicals. Also the longest I've ever waited to see a show - 20 years. Finally, I saw the touring company perform during its stop in the Twin Cities. Why so long? Well, until I moved to the Twin Cities area, I didn't see any professionally interpreted touring Broadway shows., let alone Phantom. I grew up hearing the stories ...
Fri, May 22 2009

Legally Brilliant!
Show of Hands "Omigod, you guys!" Hearing a passel of college-aged girls shriek and scream their way around the stage during the opening number of Legally Blonde makes one cringe in amusement. Looking over to my right, I watched the two sign language interpreters mimick the movements of the actors in their own fashion of acting... well, "blonde."Legally Blonde - the Musical. I atte...
Fri, May 15 2009

Official Announcement
Show of Hands Got the Rent e-newsletter and an item of interest popped up: "RENT: THE BROADWAY TOUR is proud to announce that all videos posted on the show’s official YouTube Channel now have Closed Captions for fans who are Deaf or hard of hearing. To turn on the captions feature when watching a video, place your mouse on the lower right-hand triangle in the video and click on the...
Wed, May 13 2009

A Performer with a Mic-Pack ala Broadway? Nope, it's an...
Show of Hands Some people do straight theater. Others prefer Shakespeare. Me? I go straight for the musical theater stuff. Give me Rodgers and Hammerstein. Lerner and Loewe. Cole Porter's my man. Ebb and Kander? Sure! Andrew Lloyd Webber? Right-on! Let's not forget Sondheim, Schwartz, the Gershwins too. Jonathan Larson. Sherman and Sherman. Anyone who's ever penned a song for the A...
Thu, May 07 2009

Artistic Direction or Censorship? You Choose.
Show of Hands I've pondered on and about regarding the subject of artistic direction (or others might coin the term 'censorship' instead) when it comes to interpreting for the performing arts industry. I'm not talking about just your run-of-the-mill occasional 'potty mouth language' but rather, 'to interpret this section or not to interpret this section'? Below are several examples...
Sat, May 02 2009