For ONE NIGHT ONLY, "Sin" coming October 16th, Skinny's Lounge in North Hollywood.
By Scott Claus 09.09.2011
"Sin" is a "pop opera" (no dialog, just singing) that I began working on when we were in rehearsals for my first musical "Ecstasy" in 2009. I was inspired at the time to do something with a darker edge to it, as "Ecstasy" turned out much lighter than I'd originally written it. I also have always wanted to do a "pop opera," a story told entirely through music, in the style of "Tommy," "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Evita" and felt I was up to the challenge.
It was a long journey...most of the piece was written while I was on overtime for long and ponderous projects during 2010, and sometimes working on this project, or knowing it was going to happen some day, was all that kept my spirits up. And now, after an amazing demo that I recorded earlier this year, it's time for "Sin" to come to life at last.
My dear friend and broadway legend, Kay Cole, will be staging and directing an incredible line-up of talent that we were able to assemble. The location is a cool club in the NoHo arts district called Skinny's Lounge. On October 16th at 8PM, it'll be time for some "Sin" at last! (And it's even going to have 3D effects!)
Check out the "Sin" page for a sneak preview and cast photos!
Sunday, October 16th at 8PM
Free Admission
Skinny's Lounge, 4923 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA
Anomalous
By Scott Claus 07.30.2011
For some time I've been trying to figure out what to do with the endless pages of drawings I scribble in notebooks all day as part of my job in animation. My friends have often suggested that a book collecting the sketches might be fun, but I wasn't sure. The drawings are really rough-that's the charm of them-but I wondered who would ever want to look at a book of my scribbles?
Eventually I decided to scan and archive the drawings from my last five years at the studio where I currently work, Rhythm and Hues. When I looked at a xerox copy of the final result I found myself alternately giggling and enthralled. Somehow the sheer number of drawings, coupled with their sincere lunacy, resulted in something that I felt was worth exploring further. That, coupled with how easy it is to publish your own book these days, convinced me to create "Anomalous," my first book of compiled sketches.
While I did it purely for the joy of having it, it's also for sale! If you'd like to buy your own copy, they're only 10 dollars and you can buy it on Amazon. If you decide to purchase one you'll not only be supporting a local artist, I guarantee you you'll find the book intriguing at the very least. Everyone who picks it up and flips through it has had a hard time putting it down. Like I said in the description on Amazon, this "doodle-ography" is fanciful, funny, sexy, disturbing, sloppy, stupid, beguiling and completely engrossing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did putting it together.
To see a sample of what's in the book, check out my Drawings page, or watch the preview clip below.
July 2011
By Scott Claus 07.17.2011
It's been a really busy time! Between animation-supervising an India team for "Alvin And The Chipmunks 3," putting together a self-published book of sketches and finishing up the demo recording for my new musical project, I've been spending a lot of time in front of computers! But now most of the work is done and I can share some of the results.
First up, here's a sneak preview song from the musical, "Sin," a sung-through "pop opera" I wrote that is about the nature of good/bad, heaven/hell and love/hate! This song, "Why Should I Care," is sung by the character "Devlin," (voiced by talented performer Christopher Maikish, website) who is having a crisis of faith. As usual I wrote it, recorded it and performed all the instruments...except for the background vocals by the incomparable Charles Herrera, who actually sang an early version of this song (see the Music page if you want to know more).
I'm hoping to do a public "sing-through" (a reading of the whole piece in front of an audience) in the fall, with direction by theater legend and good friend Kay Cole, who directed and staged my first musical, "Ecstasy" (see my Musicals page for more information). Check back again soon for details to come, and hope you enjoy the song!
A Much Needed Facelift
By Scott Claus 04.05.2011
Welcome to my new website, thanks to Holly Amlin Photography & Design! I'm really excited about the new look and feel of my site and hope it makes it easier and more fun to navigate. I plan on continuing to update my site with more music, images and text as it comes up. Aside from an amazing trip to London last spring I had an incredibly busy work year in 2010 with "Knight And Day," "Yogi Bear," "Hop" and now "X-Men First Class," and this year looks pretty exciting and full too.
In the meantime I'm finishing up the demo recording for my new musical "Sin." I'm hopeful it'll be ready by late spring and I'm also looking forward to putting up a public "sing through" of the piece around the same time. Check back for a sneak preview soon! Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by and once again big hugs and kisses to a new family member and friend, Holly, for the inspiration and work involved in giving my website a much-needed facelift!
