Saturday, December 24, 2016

Twas the Night Before Xmas at Main Street

The Holiday Caroling & Community Giving Night at Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance was a heartwarming event that we all enjoyed so much while also raising money and needed warm clothing for a NYC homeless shelter.  The theatre was full of music with Jonathan at the keys and my dad, Jackie Lucid-Cusick, Russ Cusick and I leading the caroling.

Every year, as long as I can remember, my family gathered for the holidays and would have a singalong of our favorite holiday tunes.  My dad, aunts and uncles can all harmonize and I just always loved to belt out as loud as I could.  lol
Last night was just like this but expanded to a new city with a big community and a great cause!
From age 1 to 92 ... we all sang, danced and celebrated together!

Fadner Family in the MSTDA Howe Theatre

My Mom, Kristi Towey and me!

Christmas Elves

Charliehorse explains the meaning of a bow tie to Kristi Towey (Executive Director of MSTDA)

MAIN STREET THEATRE & DANCE ALLIANCE (on Roosevelt Island) is our theatre home and family.
They host our theatre company, COMMON MAN MUSICALS.
It is where I teach the PLAYMAKERS preschool theatre classes.
I am SO looking forward to more wonderful experiences with MSTDA in the new year!!!


Saturday, November 19, 2016

Heralding in the Holidays with Three Performances

It's the merry musical season and I'm so excited to let you all know about my upcoming performances!

As always, I will be hopping the plane to wintry Wisconsin for our annual Christmas Concert which takes place on SUNDAY, DEC 4th at 7pm in Palmyra, WI at the Methodist Church.  It is FREE :)

The program is a brilliant collage of classics and fresh new surprises, from White Christmas to Handel's "Lascia Ch'io Pianga" to a ridiculous musical tale about the 12 Days after Christmas...!!!

Palmyra-Eagle Community Band and their fearless leader, Mr. Ed Pierce have launched a new website, too!  I'm honored to have a page on it:  www.pecb.info/kimbirdleebio.html



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OH MY GOODNESS, am I excited about joining the NATIONAL ASIAN ARTISTS PROJECT in NYC for their annual premier of brand new short musicals!



















This project brings together incredible writers, composers, directors, and actors, most of which are of Asian heritage in a mission to promote new works.  I'm obviously ALL ABOUT this and am beyond words thrilled to work with NAAP!  I'll be in "ENJOY THE RIDE".  Show is DEC 12 in Manhattan!  
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A very special evening is planned at MAIN STREET THEATRE & DANCE ALLIANCE on Christmas Eve Eve (Friday, Dec 23rd).  Jonathan (PIANIST), myself (SINGER) and our boys will be among the folks putting on a sing-a-long to spread good cheer and collect warm clothing for a homeless shelter.  All our welcome!!!


MAIN STREET THEATRE & DANCE ALLIANCE is home of Common Man Musicals and also Playmakers, which is a preschool drama class that I teach.  MSTDA is our theatre home and we love it!!!


Monday, November 7, 2016

JONATHAN FADNER released new website

Mr. Common Man finally has his website up and running!


The launch of our theatre company was a great success, and now we have something to show for it!



Stay tuned for our upcoming plans for a show that will open your heart and weave musical tales of the most common theme of all - LOVE - coming in February to Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance...

Love to you all!  xoxo - kimbirdlee



Monday, June 6, 2016

Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance presents new theatre company - COMMON MAN MUSICALS - June 17-20th



COMMONMAN MUSICALS LAUNCHES WITH INAUGURAL PRODUCTION

(June 6, 2016 – New York) Jonathan and Kimbirdlee Fadner created Common Man Musicals to produce new works of musical theatre that are relevant, relatable and affordable. Common Man Musicals launches this June with four original short musicals, presented Friday, June 17 through Monday, June 20 at 7:00pm at the Main Street Theatre &Dance Alliance on Roosevelt Island.

Each evening begins at 6:30pm with a party in the lobby before the eighty-minute presentation.

The line-up:

Droning On (Book and lyrics by Emily Roller, music by Jonathan Fadner)
An enraged mother seeks justice after her very special but otherwise ordinary son is shot down by a drone.

How Love Feels (Book and lyrics by Marella Martin Koch, music by Jonathan Fadner)
The man on the moon falls in love with Helen… who is engaged to Stan.

Make Your Mark (Book by Marella Martin Koch, lyrics by John Blaylock, music by Jonathan Fadner)
Why would a straight-A student obsessed with following the rules draw a penis on the board and then just leave? Felicia’s friends are asking themselves the same question.

Silver Water Avenue Book Club (Book and lyrics by Sarah Fiete, music by Jonathan Fadner)
"Future on Fire", the latest book in a popular dystopian series, has just come out - and the Silver Water Ave Book Club could NOT be more excited.  But when Impogene brings her brother Tristan to a meeting, the book club must face a villain of their own.

"Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance is thrilled to host Common Man Musicals at the Howe Theatre in the Roosevelt Island Cultural Center. When our youth music director Jonathan Fadner proposed this collaboration, we were excited at the opportunity to bring in original, new works to be performed in our community. We can't wait to see this talented young group take the stage!"
- Kristi Towey, Executive Director at MSTDA
"We are so grateful for the generous partnership of Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance, who have given us the opportunity to share new musical theatre by and for the Common Man and Woman, on an island right in the heart of NYC, to boot!” - Kimbirdlee Fadner, Producer and Actor at CMM
Common Man Musicals’ inaugural production is music directed by Jonathan Fadner, directed by Timothy Koch (Asst. Dir. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Assoc. Dir. The Cripple of Inishmaan on Broadway), Ben Liebert (played Boq in Wicked on Broadway, Ordinary Days revival & director of Viper plays Top Gun) and Marella Martin Koch (The Sonnet Project), and features performances by Kaitlyn Abdul, Laura Barati (Cold Basement Dramatics), Ross Baum (RANGE a cappella), Kimbirdlee Fadner (DeLaMuse the band), Jonathan Fadner, Meagan Lee Hodson (Comfort Women Off-Broadway), Dave Mahokey, Tom Slater (Producers Broadway tour), Harriet Taylor, Kevin Thiel, Erica Wilpon (Jesus Christ Superstar Broadway tour), and Jennifer Zahlit.

Performances: June 17, 18, 19 & 20 at 7pm at Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance on Roosevelt Island. (548 Main Street, New York, NY 10044) Tickets: $15 ($10 students, seniors) Run time: 80 minutes. For more information visit http://www.commonmanmusicals.com/events---tickets.html.

Common Man Musicals is a collective of fresh new NYC writers brought together by one common man denominator, composer Jonathan Fadner.
The company is dedicated to bringing audiences together to form communities in the positive, educational and inspiring atmosphere of live musical theatre.

Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance strives to nourish creativity by providing high quality theatrical and dance training as well as performing opportunities to everyone in our diverse community. We believe that every person, child or adult, should have the opportunity to participate in the arts, regardless of cultural, socio-economic, ethnic background or age.


"GATHER 'ROUND!"


Click here to support CMM thru tax deductible donation: www.fracturedatlas.org