User:Seattlesinger/Eric Lane Barnes

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ERIC LANE BARNES Assistant Artistic Director, Seattle Men’s Chorus Director, Captain Smartypants

Eric Lane Barnes is the author of the critically acclaimed Fairy Tales, which received numerous awards in Chicago, New York, and London. His scores and scripts for Chicago’s Lifeline Theatre include Tuck Everlasting, Simple Jim and His Four Fabulous Friends, and Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, the latter of which has toured the USA and has enjoyed many successful regional productions. His most recent theatrical work is The Stops, a musical show featuring three lady organists. The Stops was awarded Best Musical at the Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival in September 2006. Eric wrote music for and appeared in the independent film In-laws and Out-laws, an audience favorite winner of several film festivals.

Since their inception in 2000, Captain Smartypants has performed with Margaret Cho, Jennifer Holliday, Kristin Chenoweth, American Idol finalist Blake Lewis and many others. Captain Smartypants has toured the Northwest and beyond with their shows Sticks and Stones, Undercover, Trousers of Terror, PowerPants. and Cirque du Slaque. ‘Fruit of the Month Club’ and ‘Undercover,’ Smartypants’ two CDs, are available online through iTunes, CD Baby or flyinghouse.org. Their video performance of ‘Kislev Cowboys’ (aka ‘Brokeback Dreidel’) received over 540,000 hits on YouTube during the 2008 holiday season. Air Smarty took flight at the Columbia City Theatre in May/June of 2009, breaking all previous Smartypants box office records.

ELB’s list of choral commissioners includes The Esoterics; The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC; The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus; One Voice Charlotte; The Quire; Sound Circle; The Turtle Creek Chorale; Unison Lesbian and Gay Singers; and The Windy City Gay Chorus. Several of his pieces are published through Shawnee Press, including “Lambscapes” “It’s Our Christmas Cheer” and “Glee.” Recently Eric wrote songs and underscore for the independent film In-laws and Out-laws. Visit http://www.inlawsandoutlawsfilm.com/ for screenings or to buy a DVD. Eric is also the proud recipient of a 2009 Seattle Cityartist grant to develop a new show, titled ‘My Evil Twin.’

I’ll have to hunt down the awards for Fairy Tales, but I know it won a Mac Award (NYC) an After Dark Award (Chicago) and a Jeff Citation (Chicago)

Fairy Tales played at Bailiwick Repertory and The Theater Building in Chicago, and then went onto The Duplex and the WPA Theater in NYC. It went to Drill Hall in the West End of London. I don’t know the names of the theaters where it played regionally, but it’s been to Richmond Va, Houston Tx, Minneapolis Mn and other cities. (It’s been a while) Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel was written for LifeLine Theater in Chicago and has played the Honolulu Theater for Youth, TheatreWorks USA (NYC), Madison Wisconsin and is playing Charlotte Children’s Theater this fall. The Stops was workshopped at The Gentry in Chicago, and played Thumper’s and Empty Space Theater here in Seattle. It has had two runs in Richmond Va and won the National Gay/Lesbian Theater Festival in 2006 in Columbus Ohio for Best Musical, and two other awards (I forget which they are)

A full list of songs performed by choruses? Are you INSANE? That would be close to 100 songs. Well, here’s an attempt ...

The Angels Sing Another Christmas Available Ballad of Tammy Brown Bells, Bells, Bells Bittersweet Tango Boogie Woogie Hanukkah Boys Like Me Caffeine Overload Polka Carmina Ricotta Christmas Cheer (published by Shawnee Press) Christmas in the Cloister Come Dance With Me Come On Out Drag Queens in the Sky Drama Queen Feminist Carol Songbook For the Straight Guys Forgotten Christmas Carols Forgotten Hanukkah Carols The Fundamental Glee (published by Shawnee Press) Hark Calypso Angels Sing Hello, Hello (published by Shawnee Press) Heterosexuals The Homomotion Gay vs. Straight Composers I Am I Do Invocation Jumble Bells (published by Shawnee Press) Keepers of the Light Kislev Cowboys Lambscapes (published by Shawnee Press) Late Bloomer The Letter Song Little Tree Love Don’t Be a Stranger MIddle Child My Evil Twin Muses Miracle Pansies Everywhere Parade PC Xmas Saint Nick @ Nite Samba Para Mama Second Song Shave and a Haircut Shortest Ballad in the World Stomp the Halls Stonewall Serenade Sunday Super Clothes Make the Superman Thank God It’s Friday the Thirteenth Three Old Friends Three Shakespeare Sonnets (130, 138, 147) Ultimate Broadway Song Vitamin Q Waltz for Teddy Your Man