Kristy Moody's Blog, page 16
February 22, 2023
February 15, 2023
Review: Chonda Pierce and John Schneider’s “The Confession Musical”
On February 20th, “The Confession Musical” arrives in theaters for a limited engagement.
In the live theatre movie, Katie Lapp (Caroline Clay) lives the picture perfect (plain) life in an Amish community with her loving family, friends and husband-to-be. Everything is fine until the sudden disappearance of her fiancé and discovery of her birth secret. After learning that she is adopted, she goes on a journey to find her birth mother, Laura Mayfield (Liz Brooks). Her birth mom’s mansion is the polar opposite of her perfect life. Terminally ill Laura has been married to her greedy husband Dylan Bennet (John Schneider), who is set on inheriting her wealth when she dies. Thankfully, Katie’s birth mom has the loving care of her faithful servants Rosie and Fulton Taylor (Chonda Pierce) (Colin Alexander) to sustain her until Katie can finally meet her. The intricate details of the play are full of surprises, comedy and a few tearjerker moments. The central theme appears to be unconditional love from God and among people.
“The Confession Musical” is expertly acted and features some meaningful songs. They are the kind of songs you’ll want to listen to again and again. The entire main cast is given the opportunity to express their individual character’s heart through special singles. Main and supporting actors alike perform their hearts out through dance and their own version of comedy. BTSCelebs recommends the film to movie and theatre lovers of all ages. If you love faith, family, comedy, melodrama and a touch of romance, then you’ll enjoy this musical.
A Special Thanks to Biscuit Media Group and Fathom Events for the film screener and images.
February 9, 2023
[Interview] 9 Questions with “The Confession Musical” Star Caroline Clay
Actors John Michael McDonald and Caroline Clay
“The Confession Musical” opens in theaters for a limited engagement on February 20th! Before you head to the movies, BTSCelebs is giving you the golden opportunity to learn more about the leading actress Caroline Clay, who plays character Katie Lapp. In our exclusive interview, you’ll learn more about this talented actress’ journey to “The Confession Musical,” interesting behind the scenes info about the production and more.
Let’s meet Caroline Clay now.
BTSCelebs: Who is Caroline Clay professionally?
Caroline Clay: Caroline Clay is an actress, singer, and visual artist from Greenbo Lake, Kentucky. After graduating from Morehead State University with a degree in Theatre and Communications, she has gone onto act and perform in theatres and films across the country. Off the stage and screen, Caroline is a Theme Park Scenic Artist for Universal Studios in Orlando, FL, where she lives with her fiancé, Jordan.
What piqued your interest in performing arts?
When I was a child I really loved Halloween. Not necessarily because it was scary or involved candy, but I loved the idea of putting on costumes and makeup and getting to ‘play a character.’ When I was 7 years old, my dad took my sister and I to audition for a local play. We were cast and instantly fell in love with acting as an art form. The community and support that comes with it, the responsibility that you feel to your fellow actors, and the way it helps you overcome shyness we’re all incredible building blocks for me at that age.
What was your knowledge of Beverly Lewis and her novels before auditioning for “The Confession Musical?”
I have to admit, my knowledge of Beverly Lewis and her novels was very limited before this project. Now, I am so honored to have the privilege of bringing her character to life, and I feel very lucky to be able to tell this story.
How did you secure the leading role of Katie Lapp?
There is a song in The Confession, ‘I’m Lost,’ that Katie sings in her attic after she finds out she is adopted. It just so happens that the producers of Blue Gate Musicals, Dan Posthuma and Wally Nason, have heard me sing that song before for various projects I have collaborated with them on in the past. Not to toot my own horn, but that was a song I was born to sing. It’s right in my range, I love the emotion behind it.. it’s just perfect for me. So, when the auditions were announced for The Confession, I spoke to Wally, and he suggested that I audition with that song, since it’s part of the show. I sent in a video of me singing it, and the rest is history.
Please tell us about some memorable moments you shared with your co-stars. What is your favorite scene in the musical?
I’m not joking when I say that every single member of this cast was a gem to work with, and I am so happy to be able to call them my friends as well as cast mates.
I shared a dressing room with Caitlin Borek, my fabulous co-star who plays Allison. Every single day (sometimes twice a day), she would take time out of her own schedule to braid my hair so that it would fit under my bonnet. I have incredibly long, waist-length hair, and getting it all on top of my head was a challenge. But Caitlin used her talents to make sure none of it would fall out of my Amish bonnet, and I so appreciate her for that. She is such a good friend.
Chonda Pierce became like a mom to me, and I was so surprised when one day, after only knowing each other for a week, she brought me a gift! It was a lovely crocheted shawl, and I was so surprised when I opened it. She said she had been shopping and just thought it was something I would like. I was overwhelmed by her kindness, and now I wear my shawl almost every day (perfect for Florida’s cooler days).
My favorite scene to shoot was definitely my opening scene with John Michael McDonald (Daniel). Between takes, we often had to wait several minutes for cameras to be moved around, so John Michael would play me original songs on his guitar. We had the best time; always laughing and singing while he played music. I could not have hand-picked a better co-star to play most of my scenes with. He is the best.
Two of my co-stars in particular who I think deserve a shout-out are… Bobby Hall and Monica DePaul. They are in the ensemble of the cast and they each sing a verse of “Life That’s Plain,” but what the audience won’t see is that they also served as our backstage managers and cast managers. Playing Katie Lapp is a three-hour marathon, with several costume changes, props to carry on and off stage, and lots of running back and forth. They helped me every step of the way! They “put out fires” everywhere, made sure that everything was organized and ready, and for that I have unending admiration and thankfulness for them.
I haven’t seen the film yet, but I imagine my favorite scenes will be the big group numbers, like “Life That’s Plain” or the finale song, “My Heart Has Found a Home.” It’s always so triumphant when the entire cast gets to be onstage together, and those songs are just SO catchy!
Congratulations on your engagement! Tell us about your love story. How did you two meet? How did he pop the question?
My darling Jordan and I met several years ago only once when we were both working for a children’s theatre in Missoula, Montana. We reconnected in fall 2019 when I just so happened to be doing a musical. The show was very close to where he was living in Pennsylvania, and he came to see it. We have now been together more than three years. He proposed to me last May in New York City right before we saw Lion King on Broadway. He is an angel in my life; so patient and so kind. He is also incredibly supportive of my career and even drove more than 6 hours to see one of the live tapings of The Confession! I imagine some of the claps and cheers you will hear from the audience on the film will be his.
What additional projects should we anticipate from you this year?
I can’t talk about future projects at this moment, but if anyone is in need of a blonde actress/singer for their upcoming project, you can always reach out via my website carolinewclay.com!
All the best to Caroline Clay on the release of her new film!
A Special Thanks to Biscuit Media Group and Caroline Clay for the exclusive interview and image.
February 4, 2023
Carla Laureano Releases New Book Series
This Spring, Carla Laureano will start rolling out an all new book series titled Haven Ridge, according to a official press release from Laureano Creative Media. The very first novel on her list is The Broken Hearts Bakery. It is scheduled to be released on April 10th, 2023.
What is the book about?
After several years away, Gemma returns to her hometown Haven Ridge. Her longtime best friend summoned her there to babysit her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, while she is away on a business trip. During Gemma’s stay, she becomes a safe haven for bullied Taylor and a group of other teen girls who are dealing with real life issues. She mends their hearts and souls with “baked goods and words of affirmation” at The Broken Hearts Bakery. Gemma also runs into her high school sweetheart Stephen, who is resolute to change her mind about everything from her past.
Click Here to read the full synopsis on BTSCelebs‘ Facebook page.
A Special Thanks to Carla Laureano for the info and cover image.
January 28, 2023
[Guest Blogger] Finding Hope Where You Least Expect It
Becca Kinzer: No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t talk my character out of it. She wanted to go to South Africa. “Wouldn’t you rather go to Kenya?” I kept asking her. “I at least have some connections in Kenya.”
No. It has to be South Africa.
“But I don’t know much about South Africa,” I reminded her. To which my character simply shrugged and pointed out that was my problem, not hers. (Characters can be so unsympathetic to their writers at times, can’t they?)
But since I really liked this character, I promised to do the research and find a way to write her into South Africa if that’s what she had her heart set on. Trouble was she couldn’t tell me exactly where in South Africa she needed to go. You’ll know it when you see it. But after checking out multiple books from the library, I still couldn’t pinpoint the exact location my character needed for this story to work.
Keep looking, she insisted.
“Okay, but are we sure it has to be South Africa?” I asked her.
Trust me. It does.
Fine. Who was I to argue with the fictional character living inside my head? I dug in and kept looking.
Then one evening, clicking my way through YouTube, I stumbled across a presentation a couple of doctors from South Africa had given at Boston College a few years ago. And as I sat on my couch in Illinois, listening to their stories about the challenges they faced working at a rural hospital in a remote part of the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, I knew I’d found something special. Something more than just the inspiration for where my character would travel.
I’d found hope.
Because at the same time I was digging into the research to make revisions for Dear Henry, Love Edith, I was slogging through another heavy season of COVID as a nurse in the intensive care unit. Our patients had never been sicker. Our staffing had never been worse. Our morale had never been lower.
And while escaping into the lighthearted story world of my romantic comedy certainly offered respite on my days off, I think God knew all along I’d reach a point where I needed the same thing my character needed—a group of people living in a rural South African village to remind me about faith. Sometimes it’s not about doing the big things. Sometimes it’s about simply showing up day after day for the little things.
Because you just never know. One of those days you might be the one offering hope where someone least expects it.
“Dear Henry, Love Edith” novel releases on January 31st, 2023.
Becca Kinzer_Author photo by Jennifer Claytor, Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Learn more about Becca Kinzer by visiting her official website: beccakinzer.com
A Special Thanks to Tyndale House and Becca Kinzer for the images and article.
January 27, 2023
January 19, 2023
“Anna Karenina” Returns to Joffrey Ballet This Season
Christine Rocas and Dylan Gutierrez_Anna Karenina_Photo by Cheryl Mann
First the first time since 2019, Yuri Possokhov’s blockbuster Anna Karenina returns to Chicago’s Lyric Opera House from February 15th – February 26th, 2023, according to an official press release from The Silverman Group. This production is based on the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy and it’s award winning!
What is the dance all about?
“Love is all-consuming for the beautiful but married Anna, who in the pursuit of passion, finds herself caught in a life-changing affair with the dashing Count Vronsky. Set in the late 19th century, Tolstoy’s classic shows the triumph of romance, family, and faith against a backdrop of fraught political and social transformation.”
The Joffrey Ballet Ashley Wheater MBE: “Anna Karenina is a powerful universal love story animated by the highs and lows of human emotion. I am especially grateful to partner again with esteemed choreographer Yuri Possokhov to remount a multi-dimensional production that touched audiences across Chicago and beyond with its immersive artistry.”
The Joffrey Ballet President and CEO Greg Cameron: “The 2022-23 season represents the breadth of Joffrey’s artistry, from the original work presented by Chanel DaSilva in Beyond Borders, to the modern masterpiece that is Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker, to the remount of Yuri Possokhov’s blockbuster Anna Karenina–an all-time classic set to an original score. Following a record-breaking return to pre-pandemic attendance with The Nutcracker, we look forward to welcoming audiences back to the iconic Lyric Opera House this winter. Not only will guests experience Anna Karenina’s story that has transcended the ages; they will witness the transformative power and innovation on which the Joffrey was founded.”
Click Here to read BTSCelebs’ review of the 2019 world premiere here.
Click Here to read the official press release.
A Special Thanks to The Silverman Group and The Joffrey Ballet for the info and image.
January 11, 2023
Chonda Pierce and John Schneider’s “The Confession Musical” Is Coming to Theaters For a Limited Engagement
On February 20th, best-selling author Beverly Lewis’ book series “The Heritage of Lancaster County” comes to life in the form of a a movie titled “The Confession Musical,” according to an official press release from Biscuit Media Group and Fathom Events. (“The Confession Musical” was a successful stage play with hundreds of thousands of tickets sold.) It will run for one-day-only in theaters.
The movie boasts a star-studded cast including: John Schneider, Chonda Pierce, Caroline Clay, Colin Alexander, Kristina Miranda Stone, Geoffrey Davin and Caitlin Borek. Music geniuses Dan Posthuma and Wally Nason were in charge of the film’s soundtrack.
What is this new production about? Biscuit Media Group and Fathom Events :”THE CONFESSION MUSICAL was adapted for the stage by Emmy-Nominated screenwriter Martha Bolton. The musical follows the story of Katie Lapp, a young Amish girl who discovers that her parents have been keeping a deep secret…that she is adopted. Katie decides to find her birth mother, defying the rules of her Amish village and risking a shunning. Meanwhile, Laura Mayfield, her wealthy birth mother who is battling an illness that might take her life, began searching for her long-lost daughter. Secretly plotting against Laura is her gold-digging husband Dylan (John Schneider). Dylan knows that if Katie is found, he will no longer inherit Laura’s fortune. With the help and prayers of her Christian housekeeper (Chonda Pierce), Laura hopes to foil Dylan’s plan and be reunited with her daughter.”
“The Confession Musical” is a creation of Blue Gate Musicals, UpTV Entertainment, and Fathom Events.
A Special Thanks to Biscuit Media Group and Fathom Events for the press release.
January 2, 2023
Review: T.I. Lowe’s “Indigo Isle”
The story of “Indigo Isle” follows Hollywood location scout Sonny Bates arriving near her hometown in South Carolina for a movie project. As the filming progresses, readers learn that Sonny has two big secrets in her life, her abusive romantic relationship with her boss and estrangement from her family.
Her life transforms when she meets a recluse named Hudson Renfrow on his own private island (Indigo Isle). His once small family was destroyed by tragedy that he can’t get over. Now, he wants nothing to do with civilization. Hudson punishes himself for his past by living in seclusion. Sonny Bates starts to encourage his healing process, while he does the same for her. Of course, they begin falling in love with each other throughout the novel.
“Indigo Isle” deals with serious subjects that require readers to be understanding and open-minded. Sonny Bates’ abusive relationship with her boyfriend is completely unexpected and jarring at times. Her family background and Hudson Renfrow’s full story are quite the tearjerkers. Besides the references to Holy scriptures, I felt this novel was more mainstream than past T.I. Lowe books BTSCelebs’ reviewed. (Mainly due to the mature subject matter between Sonny Bates and her boss.) Overall, this was a dramatic and realistic look at two people who are searching for hope.
“Indigo Isle” will be released on June 6th, 2023.
A Special Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the advance reader copy of the book and cover image.
