Lana Peck Music

Perhaps it was Halloween or the fact that I have this severed head prop I made for the musical Evil Dead or the fact that I’ve been told by a number of people that they miss GlumPuppet videos, but I’ve finally found some time/inspiration to create the latest installment. This one’s a music video Drosh helped me film down in Hamden (when children were in school). It’s called “Sweet Severed Head” and is perfect timing for Halloween.

“Sweet Severed Head”

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Don’t forget to check me out as Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof at the Warner Theatre. We open this weekend! Shows are Nov. 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10 Click here for tickets

Review in Register Citizen 11/7/13

(photo by Katherine Ray) 

Hello friends!

A most happy Friday the 13th and Yom Kippur to you (well, not sure Yom Kippur is quite happy…somber, reflective…)

A quick update to let you know I was cast in Fiddler on the Roof at the Warner Theatre. I will be playing the character role of Grandma Tzeitel. She’s in Tevye’s Dream sequence. I plan to have fun with this one and call upon my heritage to create a delightful character perhaps along the lines of the great Yiddish Theater actresses. We’ll see.

Though, I’m feeling the need to sing “Far From the Home I Love,” so perhaps I will plan something outside of this Warner foray to exercise my need to sing such a song. Hmmm…

I’m quite excited to be sharing a new song or two at Saturday’s Ladies ‘N’ Lyrics night (Aug 24th, 7pm-see schedule page). One song in particular was inspired by a character from Harry Potter (book 3 Azkaban). I’ve finally caved in and decided to read the series for myself and then watch the movies as I go. The new song is a bonus and I may be inspired to write more!

Originally, I never read the books but saw the first and second film while my father was still alive. He was a huge Potter fan (collected the toys and had a baseball cap with all the Hogwart houses). He passed in 2004 and somehow I felt like I just didn’t want to see movies he would never be able to see. I wish I could have shared this fandom with him (and this song), but I’ d like to think perhaps he knows.

So, I’m hoping my fans will come out and see me this Saturday for the official Harry Potter song debut! I won’t tell you any more about it ’til then. Working on the last lyrics to another song (non-Potter) as well. It’s kind of a catchy Cheryl Crow-ish pop song called “Actions Speak Louder.” (I’m giving myself some pressure to finish it for Saturday.)

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A huge thank you to those who came out to support me at NW Idol last Saturday! I heard some of you in the audience! I made it to the top 6 this time and got to sing my second song. Act II band were a great band to back me up and perhaps we’ll do it again sometime!

Had a BLAST opening for Pocket Vinyl at Artwell on June 14th with my buddy Drosh! Nosecrops & Raven Man made a guest appearance and stole the show! Many, many thanks to Keith from Desultory Theatre for inviting me; looking forward to more show opportunities. Eric and Elizabeth from P.V. are amazing people and I’d love to share the stage again. Hoping to put together a video from the night…stay tuned (no sour notes, please).

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It’s been 6 years since I made it to the semi-finals of the NW CT Idol contest, and I am once again competing and hoping to make it to the final, final round. This Saturday I will be singing a song made famous by Ann Wilson of Heart; not a music style I get to do often, so I’m gonna make it fun!

So, come on out and support me on Saturday, June 29 and July 13 at 7pm at Coe Park in Torrington. The final round (where audience vote counts!) will be Saturday, August 10th at the Warner Theatre, 68 Main St. in Torrington.

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July 11th is another No Stress Band show on the Cobble Court in Litchfield, and August 24th I will be performing originals at the Ladies ‘N’ Lyric show at the Historical Society in Torrington. Please see my schedule page for more details.

Gearing up with my good GlumPuppet friend, Drosh, for an outstanding and fun music act at Artwell Gallery on the corner of Main and Water Streets in Torrington at 8pm on Friday, June 14th presented by Desultory Theatre Club! We will be opening for the duo, Pocket Vinyl (Eric Stevenson slams on the piano and sings while Elizabeth Jancewicz paints on stage. The paintings are sold every night to the highest bidder).

I’ll be bringing in a visual element with videos and costume elements to accompany orignal songs, including several from GlumPuppet performed live!

Tickets are $7 at the Door!
Doors 7:30 – Show Begins at 8
BYOB Event!! Come early and be SOCIAL!!

This weekend I lost a dear friend and creative partner, Jim Clark of GlumPuppet and SHAMT (Super Happy Awesome Movie Time)fame. He was only 43 and died unexpectedly during heart surgery. My friends and I are deeply saddened and miss him.

There is a “Jim sense of humor” I will miss seeing in new videos and when around him. He was a quiet type who would come out with some real zingers from time to time; I think I share that personality quirk, but of course, his point of view and frame of reference are different. It makes for fun scripts and nights of board games, of which there were many. From Jim, I learned about Zombie Dice; it’s funny the odd little things you associate with people you care about!

Drosh and I plan to continue with GlumPuppet and I (and my silly alter ego, Nosecrops) will still be available for SHAMT episode cameos. They will be different, however, they will go on.

Here are some links to see some of the brilliant creative work Jim put out during his time with us. Please enjoy whenever you can:

Jim’s SHAMT commercial for GlumPuppet

A cool German music video with the GlumPuppet gang

Blade Runner parody for GlumPuppet

Jim’s tribute to David Lynch

A “French” TV show

Jim’s Pet Peeve

SHAMT review of “The Quiet Man” (yeah, that’s me in the beard!)

Jim’s SHAMT Minute of “Trance”

SHAMT “Weird Science– check out the Myth Busters parody at the end!

SHAMT’s “Back to the Beach” (a fun song/dance with Nosecrops & friends at end)

SHAMT’s “My Little Pony” yes, it’s 30 mins, but you could watch this instead of the real movie and it’s MUCH more fun!

I’ve been asked to open for a great husband and wife duo called  Pocket Vinyl;  he plays a “ben folds five” piano-styling while she starts with a blank canvas and just paints. They auction off the paintings at the end…

This will be at Artwell Gallery at 45 Main Street in Torrington on Friday, June 14, 2013.
Show starts at 8pm (doors open 7:30) and tickets can be purchased at the door for $7.00.

Working a setlist and I thought I’d compliment their originals with some of mine, including my GlumPuppet videos showcasing my “wickedly funny”-style songs, and maybe toss in a few “hauntingly beautifuls,” like If You’d Call My Name.

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Today I participated in a wonderful vocal master class at The Warner Theatre taught by singer & recording artist (and Broadway legend), Linda Eder. I think she is an amazingly versatile vocalist who I admire, not only for her voice, but that she’s made a career recording in multiple styles and has done well. She’s also got a similar taste for song styles. I found her to be very personable and kind, and an intuitive vocal teacher.

I’m posting from Cloud 9 right now, because she said she’d love to see me perform!
I brought in the Willie Nelson hit, “Always On My Mind,” and performed it as a slow ballad. I guess I chose not to bring in a Broadway tune as everyone else did, because after reviewing the songs Linda has recorded, somehow I thought that would resonate on the same wavelength (if that makes sense). Maybe I could harmonize with her. Anyway, I’d love to write a song like that for her to record, so I guess I’d better get crackin’.

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, August 24, 2013, 7-10pm. I’ve been asked again by The Torrington Singer/Songwriter Network to perform my original songs at the Ladies ‘N’ Lyrics concert series. There should be at least two other performers on the bill with me, and I will let you know more when I know more!

From now until then, I expect I’ll be tweaking songs and practicing, and between now and then, there may be more to announce. As soon as I know more, I will post here.

ok, update: I will be the featured performer for TSSN’s Monday Night Performance Lab at P Sam’s, 1301 Torringford West St, Torrington, CT (860) 618-3633 (in their main room; not bar) on May 6th and May 20th (20th of May is Eliza Doolittle Day, eh!) and that will start around 7pm for about 30 minutes. It’s free and followed by an informal open mic (which may turn into a bunch of songwriters/musicians song-swapping or talking shop—very informal and fun!)

Meantime, here’s an article that came out in the recent Jewish Ledger about my performance in Gefilte Fish: click here

What’s new? I’ve been cast in a new musical over at The Warner Studio Theatre called Gefilte Fish Chronicles. This is an original piece by Iris Burnett and Matty Selman that has been workshoped in Canada and NYC but has never been fully staged until now. It was inspired by an award-winning PBS documentary by Iris and David Burnett and is a memory play, so to speak, spanning roughly 100 years in the history of a Jewish family. It’s a celebration of how Passover, family traditions and stories have kept them together; a celebration of the value of family ties.

I’ll be playing a lead role as three different characters; Young Rebecca (who’s about 12 yrs old), Madison (the 20-something daughter of Adult Rebecca) and a 101 yr-old rabbi! We just started rehearsals and will be opening March 2nd. I’m quite excited!

What’s really neat is the family in the show is from Minsk Russia, and that’s where my grandmother (who I’m named after) is from. The photo below was taken in Minsk around 1904 and the baby girl sitting on top of that table between the parents is my grandmother, Ida.

BTW, the logo at the top is not the official logo but one I created for myself and the cast. Please do not use for show promotion without permission.

Here’s a link to the show for tickets.

Prior to this show, I was thrilled to join the cast of “Curtains” as Jessica Cranshaw. She’s a fun role and the cast were wonderful people to play with.

Hello Peeps!
Seems I’m in a theatrical cycle at the moment gearing up for auditions and playing with puppets n stuff. Stay tuned however, there may be some more music-related events upcoming in the new year. Always hoping to catch that song gem when I pick up my pen or recorder and come out with more songs to consider for the CD I’ve got in mind.

For now, here’s the lastest GlumPuppet I’ve posted

It was inspired by the birthday present Mom got me in the fall; a ticket to see Mandy Patinkin in concert at Torrington’s Warner Theatre. He was fabulous, of course, however I had daydreamed he would have a Q&A with the audience and I’d get to ask him some questions.

Being the creative type I am, I couldn’t just ask him the typical “what was it like to play Che in Evita?” or “Could you say your famous line from Princess Bride?”  No, I have to come up with something memorable or clever that perhaps no one has asked. Also, I’m sure I might become suddenly shy, so I might need someone bold to ask for me.

From the depths of someplace comes this Mama Bear “Yente” type, who, if I asked her to ask him politely, would probably tell him he has to let me sing a duet with him then and there, but who instead has her own agenda…