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Welcome to michaelpollock.com! Here you can find out about Michael’s recent activities, books and CDs, musical improv workshops and classes. To inquire about his availability as a guest teacher for your group or event, please write via the contact page on this site. Thanks for visiting.
A Disneyland Cast Member’s Dream Comes True
When I was 12 I began to acquire workbooks and tapes that promised to teach me Spanish “in no time.” I took these exaggerated claims seriously for the next 2 decades. Every once in awhile I would tackle the subject anew, only to give up when the material inevitably became overwhelming.
Years later I saw that many of my co-workers at Disneyland had foreign-language designations on their nametags. Some even had more than one. I was inspired one last time (or bust!) to try learning Spanish. I got myself a shiny, new course from the internet and dug in.
I made more progress than ever before with Marcus Santamaria’s “Synergy Spanish,” and began to experiment with live conversation. When I heard someone speaking Spanish or saw that they had a badge, I’d say “Hola.” Co-workers were eager to help – this marked the beginning of many new friendships that I continue to enjoy.
Music Always in Rehearsal at The Second City Los Angeles
The Second City Training Center Los Angeles is situated on Hollywood Blvd. among a great many clubs, restaurants, bars and shops. There is only public parking available, yet we all manage to convene rather punctually…students, teachers, audience…7 days and nights a week. It isn’t unusual for all the studios to be occupied with classes and rehearsals, plus a full house in the theatre for the show in progress. Where did we all park?? (Why didn’t I get into the parking game, the way Onassis once decided that shipping was so expensive, it was the very business he should be in?)
The conservatory-level-5 class shown in the accompanying photo has just finished rehearsal of a song that we all co-created: “We’re the Generation of Instant Gratification,” which explores chronic impatience from many angles. This number will kick off their show, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” opening September 11, 2009 at The Second City Studio Theatre.
As each level-5 ensemble performs its 7-week run, other classes create and rehearse material for their own revues to follow. The train never stops, yet my musical-director job remains interesting. “Process” never seems to get old – especially when my collaborators are the latest, clever graduates of The Second City.
Back Row: Danni Katz, Darren Meekin, Peter Hinga, Paul Leo Dietz, Benny Harris
Front Row: Michael Pollock, Laura Barbera, Cristina Cimellaro, Ithamar Enriquez (director)
A Day of Comedy at The Golden Horseshoe
I look forward to Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when I work at Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Theatre. We rotate multiple comedy sketches throughout 7 daily performances. Each opens and closes with a musical number and features at least one audience volunteer onstage.
Our main characters are common to each sketch: Mayor Sam McGillicuddy (Kenneth Parks), his unfortunate-looking daughter Sally Mae (John Eaden) and her lifelong, uncooperative love interest, Sheriff Clem Clodhopper (Robert Thurmond). I portray “Michael T. Pettibone” at the piano, who accompanies the show like a cartoon and finds each performance hilarious – which I actually do!
The sketches depict a planned series of events (beats), around which we all improvise freely as we go. Even though the roadmap of each show is well rehearsed and anticipated, “the unexpected” is inevitable, and the actors are expert comedians in-the-moment. Enhancing their work with music is an easy and joyous task for me.
