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Storm Large is ready for 54 Below on Dec. 19, talks about Pink Martini, The Limelight & more

Storm Large / Photo: Laura Domela

Storm Large / Photo: Laura Domela
Storm Large / Photo: Laura Domela

Singer, songwriter and author Storm Large first found notoriety as a finalist on the singing competition show Rock Star: Supernova. In the 10 years since her reality TV tenure, things have been non-stop for the Portland resident. Beyond touring with Pink Martini, Storm has become an in-demand vocalist with many of the world’s top orchestras, performing recent engagements with the New York Pops, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, RTÉ Dublin, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has also released three full-length albums and a plethora of singles since appearing on CBS.

The theatrical world also embraced her, as she starred in Portland Center Stage’s production of Cabaret with Wade McCollum. Such led to a touring version of the show playing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Festival in Australia, and Joe’s Pub in New York. Around that same time, Storm’s 2012 memoir Crazy Enough — a Simon & Schuster release — was an Oprah’s Book of the Week and was awarded the 2013 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. Thus, success in music, theater and literature.

In support of her Dec. 19 show at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Downtown had the opportunity to do some Q&A with Storm. Not only is Storm talented and driven, but she is also very personable. Her Manhattan show is set to include holiday favorites — including “2000 Miles,” “Hallelujah” and “Sock It To Me Santa” — and, as she hinted at, some special guests. Storm can be followed on Twitter via @StormOf69 and visited online at www.stormlarge.com.

A lot of people first learned about you from Rock Star: Supernova. The aftermath of that show was said to be a disaster as far as the supergroup went, but was it a pleasant experience for you?

Storm Large: It was an insane experience, but I learned a lot in those three months. I still have a few fans — here and there — from that show, but thankfully, the fever pitch of intense TV fame I had has passed. That is some scary energy, television fame.

Since a lot people discovered you from the CBS show, but you now do a lot of work in theater and with orchestras. How did you bridge the gap from rock to a more upscale world?

SL: I had been a rock/cabaret performer for 15 years before the show –hashtag: old — so the theater wasn’t much of a leap. Symphonies were a surprise turn because of the amount of music education I lack. I cannot read music, only have an anecdotal understanding of theory, would rather listen to The Clash than Cole Porter, etc. If I had to guess, it would be my experiences on club stages, telling stories and being a natural ham type of showman gave me the gall to step in front of my first orchestras. Then it took people smarter and more talented than I — Thomas Lauderdale, James Beaton, Leonard Slatkin, Steven Reineke, Michael Feinstein — telling me I was actually great in the genre, and need to keep exploring it.

Pink Martini is said to be one of the harder gigs for a vocalist, given all the genres and languages involved. What sort of audition or test was needed to get in with them?

SL: (laughs) Audition? Thomas MADE me do it! I told him at least 17 times, “NO, I can’t, too hard, China [Forbes] is brilliant, I can NOT do what she does,” and so on. However, China had injured her vocal cords, and the band was in a serious situation. I only did it, at first, because I love China and Thomas. I did it as a favor, thinking I would be a miserable failure, China would get better, come back and we just could chalk it up to a learning experience.

So I learned…crammed, actually…10 songs in five languages in four days, for my first ever concert with them. Four sold-out shows at The Kennedy Center. Never was I more terrified as a performer. I don’t remember much, but afterwards, Thomas asked me to be a lead vocalist, swapping tours with China.

You sing, you act, you write…How do you usually go about describing what you do for a living?

SL: I usually say, “I sing, and talk a lot of shit.”

What do you remember about the first show you ever performed in New York? Where was it?

SL: Limelight, 1989, sang “Happy Birthday” onstage to my friend Tommy — who was playing that night — and the place went nuts. Afterwards the owner nicknamed me “Janis” and I never paid a cover there again.

For your upcoming show at 54 Below, what should be expected? A mix of songs from your career?

SL: Yup, plus some new holiday favorites, and some snazzy guests if I can talk them into singing on their night off…

Do you have a favorite song to perform live?

SL: It changes all the time. Right now I’m loving a French song Sean Lennon wrote for the film, A Monster In Paris. The song is “La Seine.”

Beyond the show at 54 Below, what’s coming up for you in your career?

SL: Flights, snacks, naps, SING! Flights, snacks, naps, SING! I’m taking some time off next year to write and rest a bit, reset my creative head/heart. I’m due to write another book. I am also writing lyrics and some music for a musical about a storied brothel in Chicago at the turn of the 20th Century. True story about a gentlemen’s club run by women called, The Everleigh Club.

Is there a field you haven’t yet worked in but still hope to?

SL: Politics.

When not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?

SL: Get some sleep, do some yoga, get laid…Not easy seeings as my only free time happens on airplanes.

What’s been your favorite album of 2016?

SL: LEMONADE — OMG — LE.MO.NA.DE. Ungh!

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?

SL: Currently, I’m a huge fan of Blue Ribbon Bistro, but also love Epistrophe and Ippudo.

Finally, Storm, any last words for the kids?

SL: If you can’t be a good influence…at least be a good cautionary tale. Follow the yes, you little bastards.

Categories
Living

The Good Home Co.’s Christine Dimmick on making a difference with natural products & more

The Good Home Company's Christine Dimmick

The Good Home Company's Christine Dimmick
The Good Home Company’s Christine Dimmick

Founded in 1995, The Good Home Co., Inc. was one of the first home-centric companies to focus on using all-natural ingredients. The Good Home Co. is known for its home care and laundry products, all of which being vegan, biodegradable, and free of sulfates, parabens and phoephates. Beyond being effective for cleaning, the company’s products also carry a reputation for being beautifully-scented.

Christine Dimmick, Founder and CEO of The Good Home Co., started her career as a Fragrance Director. Although she has roots in Ohio and Los Angeles, she is a long-time New Yorker that has lived downtown for decades. Celebrity fans of hers include Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Queen Latifah, Kim Kardashian, Brooke Shields, and Pamela Anderson. Christine — a graduate of the Parsons School Of Design — wrote a well-received book called Home File: A Realistic Decorating Guide For Real Life, as released in 1998, and currently has a follow-up in the works.

Downtown caught up with Christine for some Q&A about the past, present and future of her company. The Good Home Co. can be visited online at www.goodhomestore.com, where its products can be purchased. Good Home can also be followed on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Where did your brand name come from?

Christine Dimmick: The Good Home Company was named after my grandparents, whose home represented all that is good me. Our logo is an illustration of their home in Ohio, which is still a working farm today after five generations.

To you, what makes “a good home?”

CD: A good home is anywhere there is love, nourishment and a warm welcome. I believe in family dinners and when I cook, I cook with love. The same goes with our products. Each one and each scent is made with love, care and an intention to bring goodness to the homes that use them.

You live in downtown Manhattan? Have you always been based downtown?

CD: For the most part we have always lived below 32nd Street. We spent many years in Chelsea until it became too crowded. After relocating to FiDi, we fell in love with this unique part of Manhattan. I have lived in New York City for 30 years, but the history of lower Manhattan is very new to me. We were lucky enough to find a home in the Seaport a few years ago and cannot imagine living anywhere else in New York City.

What do you like most about living downtown?

CD: I love the juxtaposition of new and old. Down by Water Street you can take a picture of Fraunces Tavern with the Liberty Tower and other majestic buildings behind it and it takes my breath away every time. My favorite part is being close to the water. As much damage as it caused, its beauty cannot be denied. Oh and the Brooklyn Bridge — I never get tired of that view every morning when I walk our dog!

The Good Home Company's Christine Dimmick
The Good Home Company’s Christine Dimmick

Do you have a favorite restaurant in the area?

CD: I eat at VBar regularly and I am also a regular eater of fresh baked bread and pasta at Aqua. During the cooler months we often walk up to Dim Sum Go Go in Chinatown.

You attended the Parsons School of Design. What did you study there?

CD: I have a BFA in communications from Parsons. I studied Advertising and Design.

So where did the idea for Good Home Co. come from?

CD: The Good Home was created after reading the artists way while having a career crisis! I had a very corporate job which was not my soul’s calling. After reading the book, I created Good Home, a company that combined all my loves and skills into one place.

At the time, there were no natural products on the market. Just Aveda — and no one was even looking at cleaning. I envisioned a company that created products for your homes soul using the power of scent. Candles, cleaning, bath products, even stuff for pets. Because no matter the size or the grandness, there is no place like home. And everyone deserves that.

A lot of notable people are fans of your brand. Who was the first celebrity to really embrace what do you?

CD: Oprah — her love of our Pure Grass Laundry Fragrance put us on the map.

Do you have a favorite product from the Good Home Co. line?

CD: Right now I am in love with our Heal Fragrance. I formulated it based on thieves oil — it naturally fights germs but also smells like a cozy, fall day. It is incredibly-comforting, therefore healing and you can diffuse it, where it as a fragrance (which I do) and we also sell it in hand soaps and candles.

What’s coming up for your brand? Any special events or promotions? New products?

CD: We are exploring new ways to distribute Good Home which will bring health and wellness to so many who do not know about us. I am very excited for this!

Do you have an accomplishment related to the brand that you are most proud of?

CD: We have been in business for over 20 years and the jobs and income we have provided for those who work here and who we partner with makes me very proud. Most recently we started working with women who are survivors of human trafficking. Providing them with a decent income is something that is humbling and that I am very proud of.

Beyond you living here, does the brand have any ties to New York?

CD: No, not directly. But we feel right at home here in the Seaport, where merchants and makers have always thrived.

Do you have any plans for a follow-up to your Home File book?

CD: Yes, I am currently writing my second book entitled Detox Your Home – A Guide To Removing Toxins And Bringing Health Into Your Home. It is being published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018

When not busy with your work, how do you like to spend your free time?

CD: I love taking yoga at Sky Ting in Chinatown and exploring our very special neighborhood.

Finally, Christine, any last words for the kids?

CD: Yes — always help others. No matter what you do or what business you create, help others and you will in turn will be fulfilled on all levels.

I have many quotes surrounding me daily. One of my favorites is “if the door doesn’t open, it wasn’t yours to open.” So often we get trapped with a direction we feel we must follow or that is ours. But if you are still banging your head against a door that won’t open, move on. You most likely won’t step into your dream right away, but little doors will open to get you there. If they don’t, try another door.

Categories
Culture Events

Harry Belafonte & Peggy Noonan Among The 2016 NYPL Library Lions Gala Honorees

PatienceLion.preview

Last week, the New York Public Library announced the celebrated artists and wordsmiths comprising its 2016 class of Library Lions — including humanitarian/activist Harry Belafonte, author/novelist Hilary Mantel, award-winning Spanish novelist Javier Marías, Wall Street Journal columnist and author Peggy Noonan, and Irish novelist, essayist and poet Colm Tóibín — will be honored at the annual Library Lions Gala on Monday, Nov. 7.

This year’s gala will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Truman Capote’s legendary Black & White Ball, and will feature a special performance by soprano and Library Trustee Jessye Norman. The event returns to the Library’s iconic Rose Main Reading Room after a two-year hiatus due to repairs and restorations. Lions will be the first event held in the space since its long-anticipated reopening.

In addition to getting an early look at the newly-renovated Rose Main Reading Room, guests in attendance will also have an opportunity to see a special collection of items representing Truman Capote and his iconic 1966 event, which will be on display, as well as select collection items from the 2016 Library Lions class — one that inspires them from the Library’s collections, and one that is directly connected to their body of work. Items that will be on display include: The Hunt-Lenox Globe from 1510, a printed broadside of the Declaration of Independence from 1776, a typescript of a W.E.B Du Bois essay on race relations, a William Butler Yeats manuscript, a draft of Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn, and a composition notebook of Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball invite list.

For over 30 years, the Library has celebrated individuals who have made significant contributions to New York City and to the creative community at large during its annual gala. Previous honorees include Nelson Mandela, Elie Weisel, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Scorsese, Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith, Steve Martin, Ethan Hawke, Dave Eggers, and Anna Deavere Smith among many others. Alan Bennett, Judith A. Jamison, Maira Kalman, Karl Ove Knausgaard, and Gloria Steinem were last year’s Library Lions.

NYPL’s 2016 Library Lions Gala begins with arrivals and a cocktail reception at 7:00 PM, and continues at 8:00 PM with dinner, program and a performance by Jessye Norman. For ticket information and pricing, or for information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact librarylions@nypl.org.

Categories
Culture Entertainment

Nicholas Ashe on the new OWN series “Queen Sugar,” being a New Yorker, his passion for music and more

Nicholas Ashe

Nicholas Ashe
Nicholas Ashe

Nicholas Ashe first came to my attention as one of the stars of Queen Sugar on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN. Yet this is not Nicholas’ only prominent credit of 2016, as the New York native played Viola Davis’ son in Custody, which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. Prior to finding his way onto film and television projects, Nicholas had lot of theater credits, having appeared as Young Simba in the national touring company of The Lion King, as Junior in the Alliance Theatre’s production of Choir Boy, and as Tom Collins in Rent; the role in Rent earned him a National Youth Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Downtown caught up with Nicholas, who has studied under renowned playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. He can be followed on Twitter via @nckash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py1GVEAVv4E

Having grown up in Freeport, did you spend a lot of time in Manhattan growing up?

Nicholas Ashe: Yes! Freeport is a 40-minute train ride from Manhattan, so growing up, I was the kid outside of the candy store. I always wanted to go to New York City to see a show or walk around Times Square. As I began acting, I would head into the city for auditions — I made and met a lot friends out there. Manhattan is definitely in my childhood tapestry.

A lot of notable people grew up in Freeport. Was there a particular person from your town that inspired you to pursue a career as an entertainer? Or someone that modeled that it would be possible to earn a living with entertainment?

NA: I went to Freeport High School, which is a public school with a huge emphasis on the arts. They do a really good job of curating every facet of performance, be it instrumental, or vocal, or theatrical. They encourage their young artists to create solid work every year. With a strong African-American/Hispanic community, Freeport’s productions are unlike any other town on Long Island.

Whenever I was in math or science, I would look forward to my music classes. And not because it gave me a break, but because it challenged me creatively as opposed to logistics or numbers. Music and theater classes were so important because they allowed each of my classmates to be expressive — there wasn’t a right or wrong answer, we were working towards connection, and character and community.

I think teachers get a lot less credit than they deserve. I’d like to acknowledge my teachers for allowing me an outlet to express myself. For seeing potential, and fostering my growth.

Do you remember the first play you ever saw on Broadway?

NA: The first play I ever saw on Broadway was The Lion King. And it’s funny, I didn’t see the musical until after I booked Young Simba. So The Lion King was both my first audition and my first theatrical experience.

Nicholas Ashe
Nicholas Ashe

Who is your favorite actor with an “initial” name? John C. Reilly? Vivica A. Fox?

NA: Have you heard about that new kid, Nicholas L. Ashe? I hear he’s pretty rad. (laughs)

How did the opportunity to be part of Queen Sugar come to you? Did you audition?

NA: Queen Sugar came to me back in February. Like most other auditions, they sent me the script to the first episode. I found myself so interested in the characters, and enthused by Ava DuVernay’s narrative. She has the incredible ability to paint her characters with and without language. As I was reading her words, the story was so vivid and trancendent — nothing about the family’s circumstances felt phony. I was like “oh, Auntie Violet is just like my Auntie Cheryl.” I just remember really wanting to be a part of Oprah and Ava’s vision. If they asked me to be a Production Assistant picking up coffee, I would’ve done that.

How would you describe Queen Sugar to someone that hasn’t yet seen the trailer?

NA: There are no words. I would direct them to the nearest television. Turn on OWN. Pour them a glass of wine. And put their phone on airplane mode.

Had you worked with any of the Queen Sugar cast members or crew prior to landing this role?

NA: I had not, but we’ve definitely been in each other’s orbit for some time. After I got to know each cast member, it was like, “Oh, you know this person? We worked on so-and-so together.”

Did you have an interaction with Oprah Winfrey while making the show?

NA: Our interaction was one of encouragement. She wanted our working space to be one of trust, so that we were able to make the most honest art we could. She green-lit everything Ava bought to the table. She green-lit everything we bought to the table as actors. Ms. Winfrey has been supportive in the best way you can be supportive, and that’s without being intrusive. She genuinely respected the nuanced-process that became Queen Sugar.

Is there a role of yours that you are most proud of?

NA: Micah West has been the most fulfilling on and off the screen. Ava is very adamant about casting for energy and not for talent. As a result, Micah and I are in sync.

In the very first episode of the series he’s being faced with a lot of conflict. He’s being faced with real-world politics and scandal. He’s entering adulthood, and finding his voice. I can definitely say at my age I’m grappling with the same type of things. I learn something every day that informs the type of man that I want to be. The clothes I want to wear. The adjectives and nouns I want to use to describe myself.

Do you have any aspirations to do comedy? Or is drama your preference as an actor?

NA: To categorize Queen Sugar as a drama feels unfair. It’s just real life. Real life has tragedy, heartbreak, disappointment, and laughter, and happiness, and fun and love. It’s all of that.

I understand that you are a singer, pianist and composer besides acting. What’s coming up for you as a musician?

NA: I spent the rest of my summer directing a show for my scholarship! It’s called the Steam Train Scholarship. I get about 20 local artists — poets, rappers, vocalists, dancers — to perform in a cabaret together. ALL of the money from the performance is then donated to a senior student pursuing the arts in college. The goal is to encourage other young artists that their dreams are absolutely valid. And possible. Hopefully, 2017 will allow me to perform and release some music of my own.

When you’re not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?

NA: Reading and writing and reading and writing and reading and writing. And listening to really good music.

Finally, Nicholas, any last words for the kids?

NA: Love yourself. Unapologetically. Read and write. And listen. Compliment a stranger. Be weird. Be proud. Be honest. Opinions don’t matter. Truth is, everyone’s going to find something to say about you, so why not just be yourself?