Living in a Jazz World

Tokheim brings one-woman show, 'Stella by Starlight' to Bay Area

The Almanac

Arts & Entertainment - Wednesday, March 5, 2008

by Jane Knoerle

 

Her brothers, sister, uncle, aunts and, of course, her parents, Diane and Bob Tokheim of Menlo Park, will be in the audience when Heidi Tokheim presents her solo jazz comedy, "Stella by Starlight," on Friday, March 14, at the Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre.

The play is the fictional story of Stella, an aspiring jazz piano player who is female and white, and unfortunately, can't swing. One night she meets jazz great Herbie Hancock, who teaches her how to groove — and that changes everything. Ms. Tokheim plays all the roles and the music, as well.

Ms. Tokheim wrote "Stella" before she actually met Mr. Hancock, a pianist and composer whose album, "River: The Joni Letters," was named Album of the Year at the recent Grammy awards.

The play's title refers to the classic tune by Ned Washington and Victor Young, first recorded by Frank Sinatra and Dick Haymes in 1947, long before 33-year-old Heidi Tokheim was born.

Ms. Tokheim has performed the play in several venues in New York City, where she now lives. The Sunnyvale performance will be the show's West Coast premiere. For the Friday performance, her husband, Glenn Kalison, also an actor, will be stage manager.

Ms. Tokheim grew up in Sharon Heights and attended La Entrada and Menlo-Atherton High schools. She began piano lessons when she was 4 or 5, says her mother, Diane.

Trained as a classical pianist, she changed her focus to jazz piano at age 12. Both her brothers, David and Bill, were in the M-A Jazz Band, and she followed in their footsteps.

"Stella by Starlight" is being presented by the California Theatre Center, where Heidi first took part in theater productions, beginning in the sixth grade.

Her interest in the theater led her to major in theater arts at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She also studied at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts for two years, performing in Santa Maria and Solvang.

Ms. Tokheim has toured in theater productions throughout the United States and internationally. Five years ago, she moved to New York City, where she is a founding member of New York's Coyote REP Theatre Company.

 

 

 

Bay Area native's jazz hero inspires her to write noteworthy show

 

 

By Heather Zimmerman
For Bay Area News Group - MercuryNews.com

Article Launched: 03/11/2008 07:04:17 PM PDT

 

Heidi Tokheim to perform ""Stella by Starlight''

March 14, 8 p.m. at...

 

 

In writing her first work for the stage, actress and jazz pianist Heidi Tokheim built on that time-honored literary advice - "Write what you know" - so that she could do what she loves.

Tokheim's solo jazz comedy, "Stella by Starlight," combines equal parts stage play and musical performance to tell the story of Stella, a young jazz pianist who finds her groove when she meets her hero, jazz great Herbie Hancock.

Tokheim performs "Stella by Starlight" March 14, 8 p.m. at the Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale. The show is sponsored by California Theatre Center.

This local engagement not only marks the West Coast premiere of "Stella," but also a return to old stomping grounds for Tokheim, who grew up in Menlo Park. She began some of her theatrical training with Sunnyvale's California Theatre Center in its summer youth conservatory programs. She later worked professionally with the company during high school and as an adult.

Stella has enjoyed successful runs at several New York City clubs and cabarets, including the Metropolitan Room, where it premiered last fall. Tokheim, who lives in New York, spent about a year developing the show, drawing on a desire to bring both her specialties - theater and music - together.

Her father gave her the idea of looking for ways to unite acting with playing jazz. "I hadn't played piano in a little while, and I wanted to bring that back into my life," Tokheim says, "so I just

brainstormed about what kind of scenario could bring those two worlds onstage together in the form of a play."

Around that time, Tokheim attended a concert at Carnegie Hall to hear one of her favorite musicians, jazz pianist Herbie Hancock.

"Shortly after that," she says "I did come up with the idea that fed into the synopsis of 'Stella by Starlight,' in which Herbie Hancock comes and inspires a young aspiring jazz piano player how to play jazz well. I incorporated my love for his music and how it's affected me in my life, and created a story about that."

Stella is not alone on her quest to become a better musician. During the show, Tokheim portrays the title character as well as a handful of other characters, including Hancock himself, and others in the music scene, including a club owner. The show incorporates Tokheim performing a number of jazz songs at the piano.

Tokheim says she enjoys the many different styles that Hancock's career has encompassed, so she didn't focus on any particular period of his music in choosing what to include in Stella. "It kind of just evolved. I ended up choosing songs that I really like to play," she says.

The name "Stella by Starlight," and by extension, the name of the main character, is drawn from a jazz standard that Hancock has recorded several times.

In a sense, the character of Stella actually met Hancock before her creator did, but Tokheim did get the chance to meet him in real life as well. During the writing of "Stella by Starlight," Hancock played at a small venue in the area, and Tokheim and her husband waited backstage to meet him. "He was very welcoming, and he sat down with me for quite some time and was just very curious about the project.

"That was a very inspiring experience, to say the least," Tokheim says.

Hancock was enthusiastic about the unique theater-and-jazz format of the show. Also, Tokheim says that she found that her research had yielded an accurate characterization of the musician and reflected his philosophy of mentoring.

The importance of a mentor's role is one of Stella's major themes. "For me, in the real world, it's listening to Herbie's music, and that influences and informs the jazz piano that I play," Tokheim says. "Definitely for Stella, she learns how to be a better player and even though that person leaves, she still carries away the lessons that she learned from him. That's such a great thing - the teachings never really leave you, even if its form is just having CDs in your back pocket."

BAY AREA performance of STELLA

 

After successful performances at the Players Club, the Metropolitan Room and Don’t Tell Mama in NYC, I’m bringing my show to the BAY AREA! I hope you can join me for this special occasion, hosted by California Theatre Center… my old stomping ground.

 

1 NIGHT ONLY!

 

Reserve your tickets asap... space is limited!

 

 

Stella by Starlight

a solo jazz comedy, inspired by the music of Herbie Hancock

written and performed by Heidi Tokheim

 

Friday, March 14^th at 8:00pm

 

Reservations:    www.brownpapertickets.com

                            or call 1-800-838-3006

 

                            $30 adults/ $20 students & seniors

 

Location:           Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre

                           550 E. Remington Drive  Sunnyvale, CA

 

 

I'm in the process of...

I'm in the process of planning a tour for Stella by Starlight in 2008. As of now, I'll be performing in New York for a few dates at Don't Tell Mama, then head to CA to perform in the Bay Area. In May, my theatre company will be producing a one-person show festival where I'll be doing my show at the Abingdon Theatre in NYC alongside a few of my colleagues. 

I've been targeting a few Cabaret Clubs in SF and LA.  After performing at the Metropolitan Room in NYC, cabaret/jazz clubs seem like a good fit. Afterall, my show is a combination of a jazz piano performance and a play. Seems to fit the bill.  I would love to perform at a handful of venues and share this story to jazz and theatre lovers!

I also submitted my show to the Berkshire Fringe Festival in Great Barrington, MA.  It would be great fun to be a part of that community for a few weeks this summer and perform alongsid a handful of talented artists.

Meanwhile, I'm about to launch into rehearsals again and need to dive back into my music arrangements. Fortunately, I'm not doing tons of revisions like last summer, so it should be a smooth ride back to the stage.

Herbie Hancock

Heidi meets Herbie

During the course of writing Stella by Starlight, I had a strong desire to contact Herbie Hancock to tell him about my project.  I hoped that he would become involved on some level, either with an endorsement or a blessing.  I sent a letter to the Monk Institute in Chicago and then to his agent at William Morris in Los Angeles.  I received no response.  Time passed.  I continued to work on my script, and in the back of my mind, knew I needed to try again to communicate with Herbie about my show.

 

Last summer, Herbie announced his East Coast tour dates.  His first stop was Oyster Bay, Long Island at the end of August.  Only a short train ride away from Manhattan, my husband and I bought a ticket to the concert.  I thought this might be an opportunity to meet him in person.  I brought a copy of my recent letter to him, a script of Stella by Starlight and a DVD of a recent performance, just in case.  I hoped I could shake his hand.

 

The concert was amazing, and he played several of my favorites: Cantaloupe Island, Watermelon Man and a beautiful solo rendition of Maiden Voyage.  After the concert, I made my way to the holding area for the musicians. A few photographers and fans stood in front, waiting to see if the musicians were accepting visitors that night.  One of the photographers said sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.  After waiting a few minutes, all of a sudden the doors opened and the bouncer said to me, “This is your lucky day… go right in.”  I couldn’t believe it.  I followed a small crowd of people into the room.  There he was, Mr. Hancock himself – the man whose music, mannerisms, values and pedagogy I had been studying for years.  I was shaking.  My nerves were bouncing off the wall.  What would I say? What would he say?  I studied his every move while I waited.  His warm-spirit and gracious mannerisms filled the room as he said hello to friends and signed CD’s.

 

After the crowd diminished and he said his goodbyes, I found myself waiting by his side.  He turned to me and shook my hand.  I said in a rushed, nervous voice, “Hi my name is Heidi. I really enjoyed your performance…  I wanted to let you know about a one-person show that I wrote, which was inspired by you and your music.”  He smiled with a glow, “You wrote a show about me, and I didn’t know about it?”  I handed him a folder and he placed it on the table next to him.  He pulled out a chair and turned to say goodbye to his last guests. Was he actually going to sit down with me to discuss my show? Is this really happening?  Mr. Hancock asked my husband and me to have a seat and join him. “So tell me about this show…” he said.

 

He sat with us for half an hour.  The room had cleared and the other musicians had left for the trailer, as they were going to be traveling 4 hours that night to somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania.  I told him about my show, and along the way, he shared his own artistic ideas and concepts that currently mulled in his mind – one of which was the idea of putting a story onstage along with a jazz performance.  He suggested that I could pave the way for others with my innovative performance concept. 

 

Throughout our visit, I kept thinking to myself, “I can’t believe this is really happening! I’m sitting here chatting with Herbie Hancock! Yes, he’s right there in front of me… listen to what he’s saying…back to reality.”  Herbie talked about his recent project, Possibilities, and the importance of mentorship to aspiring artists.  He even shared a story about working with Miles Davis who taught him the importance of listening. 

 

His graciousness and investment of time astounded me.  He genuinely wanted to learn about Stella by Starlight.  I told him I’d love to have him involved in project on some level and hoped he could come to my performance at the Metropolitan Room.  The dates didn’t work – he would be spending time with Wayne Shorter before flying to Europe for his next engagement. Before we said goodbye, he asked the tour manager if the tour bus had a DVD player because he wanted to watch my show.  We thanked him profusely for his time.  As my husband and I left the room, we overheard him tell his co-workers, “She wrote a show where she plays all these different characters... and she plays me!”

 

To this day, I still can’t believe this really happened.  I met the artist extraordinaire who inspired my show and, thankfully, he was as kind and wonderful as I had hoped.  When I returned to rehearsals, I felt Herbie’s presence when I spoke his words in the script.  My encounter with him in Oyster Bay strengthened my performance and made the story even more important to me.  As they say, art imitates life.  Perhaps in this instance, life imitates art.  He told me to keep him apprised of future performances and developments.  I look forward to sharing his collaboration with either Stella by Starlight or a future project.

Metropolitan Room - After Party at Cafe

 

Herb Blodgett, Broadway Producer

 

Post party after performance at The Metropolitan Room in NYC. 

 

"An exciting performance!" - Irv Welzer, Broadway Producer (two time Tony winner)

 

 

"She has a wonderful road ahead..." - Herb Blodgett, Broadway Producer (Tony Nominee)

 

PCPA Theatrefest Alums!!

 

"A skillful actress... a well-acted drama."

- Cabaret Scenes 

 

 

"Tokheim's comic take...is thoroughly delightful."

- Showmag.com

 

 

 

PCPA Alumni take NYC by storm.  Finally, we're all together in one place, at least for a short time.

TOUR DATES

Stella hits the road...

            

 

 

 

 

 

 Stella by Starlight - 2008 TOUR DATES

 

March 4, 7               Don't Tell Mama                                       New York, NY

 

March 14                 Sunnyvale Community Center                  Sunnyvale, CA

 

May 15-25               Abingdon Theatre                                      New York, NY

Cabaret Scenes review: Stella by Starlight

Heidi Tokheim

Stella by Starlight

Metropolitan Room

Cabaret has long welcomed a variety of genres into its rooms, including jazz and comedy. Recently, there's been a sprinkling of quasi-theater pieces with one to three or four performers singing songs linked dramatically by a plot. Heidi Tokheim's Stella by Starlight at the Metropolitan Room was such a show. Tokheim, a skillful actress with a strong piano background, scripted a drama of a young woman obsessed with jazz musician Herbie Hancock. Playwright/performer Tokheim played multiple roles, including Hancock himself.

Briefly, the plot involves Hancock's appearing to the smitten young performer and proving that he is who he claims by sitting down at the piano to play for her. And that's the hub of the playlet -- the jazz maestro teaching the acolyte how to master the idiom. When she gets it, her mentor departs, leaving her on her own. The character's brief feeling of loss is compensated for by the acclaim she goes on to receive from major jazz rooms.

Stella by Starlight was produced by Broadway's Herb Blodgett and Gabriel Shanks, and was directed by Donnetta Lavinia Grays. As a theater piece, it's a pleasant and well-acted drama. But music takes second place to characterization. The result is a neither-nor situation. The small size of a cabaret room was appropriate for this kind of work. But those who frequent such rooms will usually anticipate that music will dominate the program. Stella by Starlight seems to belong more to an off-Broadway showplace than traditional cabaret venues.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
September 9, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.com

"Stella" Recording Session

Ever since I've had access to a recording studio at WNYC, I knew I wanted jump on the opportunity to record a CD of my piano playing. It was the perfect opportunity to make a CD with the music I play in my show Stella by Starlight.  Now I'll have my first CD to sell after the show and a demo for press kits.

 

I recorded on a gorgeous Steinway B (the second largest)...my favorite size and piano. The station does frequent live and taped musical recordings for shows (WNYC does programming for NPR), so the piano is tuned weekly.  We hired a sound engineer to monitor the session. He freelances with the station, and we've used him for all of our Coyote REP sound plays. Just my luck that he specializes in recording music!

 

The first session was last week.  It was a long night with 36 takes and three hours of playing.  It took me about an hour for my nerves to fade down so I felt relaxed with my playing.  It's a lot of pressure to "record" sporadic improv, knowing that your artistic choices in the moment will be set in stone. Nonetheless, I slowly got over that and started to loosen up and play some music. The second session was much shorter, since I knew what to expect and how to mellow my nerves.  For the second round, I recorded fewer songs and tweaked a few things I didn't like the first round. 

 

After the session, Glenn & I went out for a celebratory dinner.  I huge project completed (among several this month).  Overall, I recorded six songs with one original.  Next week we'll go into post production, and the following week I'll have copies made for the show on Sept. 9th.  It was an invaluable experience to learn the ropes of a recording session. Now I'll know what to expect for the next time... when Blue Note decides to produce :)

Heidi at the piano...