MrKurtNielsen.com

Thus far, I am finding 2011 to be quaint, though not earth-shattering. I am not frolicking in my youthfulness like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez on the beach (yes, I saw the photos – I don’t live in a cave), but I am what you might deem content. This ain’t a bad thing.

We have had our first celebrity death: Anne Francis, who I know (and adore) best for her saucy role in the Don Knotts comedy The Love God?. I can’t exactly forget who she is, since I have a poster from that film hanging on my wall (signed by Knotts), with her name glaring at me each and every day. I was hoping to get her to sign it at a celebrity autograph fair a few years ago, but she pulled out at the last moment. Now all I can do is stare at the space I had saved for her on the poster until the day I die. But, if that’s the worst thing that happens to me all year, I am doing just fine!

Lately, I have been on a low-caffeine kick. I have been partaking in small amounts of my cherished Postum hoard, when the mood strikes me, without a shred of regret. But I only venture into those waters when I really have to, since Postum is no longer produced and is now as precious as gold (going for $75.00 and upwards on the internet!). A solid and delightful substitute for Postum is Cafix, which comes from Poland. If you were even remotely curious as to what Postum was, Cafix will give you a pleasant window into that extinct beverage.

I’m just trying to do things slow and simple lately, so I can get better in tune with myself. I am working on a brand new cartoon, which will hopefully be done by early spring. To be completely effective as an artist, I have to streamline my life. That means buying less, and appreciating what I have. And if there’s anything I have that I don’t need, it is tossed out to the wind (or the Goodwill truck). “Less is more”, as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said, is one of the sayings that I come to over and over again in life.

I have had several folks express interest in doing the pen pal scene with me. I encourage you to join the bandwagon. All you have to do is holler!

The soundtrack to Tron: Legacy (awesome stuff, kids!) is on the hi-fi, serving as the backdrop that will whisk me off to the rest of my day.

Let’s hope 2011 is great for all of us.

I am spending my last moments at home in 2010 listening to the melancholy voice of David Gates, packing my bags and getting ready for an evening of adventure. It’s not going to be your standard night, and it can’t really be described as “partying,” either, for I will be working at the Disneyland Resort, welcoming families to It’s a Bug’s Land. But, I will have my brass bell on hand, continuing Maurice Noble’s tradition of ringing in the new year. It won’t be traditional, and I won’t have Dick Clark to hold my hand, yet I will be quite happy, in my own way.

And 2011 will see me doing the same darn thing: taking what is there, and making the very best of it. You don’t really have a lot of choice in the matter, do you? It’s all about perception, anyhow. If you choose for things to be positive, then they will be. Money isn’t even a part of the equation. I am more content sitting on a stump watching a butterfly than I am buying flashy clothes, or drinking $75 cognac. 2011 will see me sitting on that stump a lot, with a goofy smile on my face.

I am starting a letter writing group called the Happy Time Correspondence Club. I hope you will all join me on my mission. Basically, I want to bring back the lost art of the pen pal. Will you join me in my mission? If so, all you have to do is contact me here, and I will be more than happy to furnish you wish my address.

I also am going to valiantly try to update this web site every two days, and get a little more positive momentum going in my life. My world is already pretty positive, but it can always be much more so. You can never have enough goodness!

Speaking of goodness, please check out the amazing web site by Ruth Reichl. She will gladden and inspire you in a hundred different ways! What a lady she is. She is definitely one of the people I would love to meet and have a meal with. If only!

And in only one month, we will have the pleasure of hearing Gilbert O’Sullivan’s brand new CD, Gilbertville. I can’t wait!

2011 will be SMASHING!

My love and best wishes to you all.

– Kurt

It’s December 1st. So easy to remember a few birthdays in my world. See, it’s my sister’s birthday, Gueren’s birthday, Carl’s birthday, as well as Woody Allen’s, and Gilbert O’Sullivan’s.

Speaking of Gilbert O’Sullivan, his new album coming out on January 31, 2011. And I will be part of another animated project for him, to be completed in the next few months. I have long looked up to Gilbert, who does what he wants with his art, no matter what anybody says. His music just keeps getting better and better. To work for him, in any capacity, is at total thrill. He’s one singer-songwriter who is just ripe for a major comeback.

It’s a happy day, indeed, and I wish you birthday kids the very best day, no matter how you all choose to celebrate it.

Well, friends, as you probably know, I do my very best to always follow my bliss. Sometimes this leads me to great success, and sometimes a brick wall, where I need time to repair and heal. I guess you could say the last year has been a mixture of the two. Good and bad combined in equal portions.

That being said, I am not here to discuss the bad. (What good will that do you, or me?) Instead, I will simply talk about the good things, for there is certainly more than enough of that to ride upon for several lifetimes.

I am at my old wood desk, which belonged to my father. It dates back to the 1930s. I call it my “Andy Griffith desk,” because it resembles the one Andy had in the courthouse on The Andy Griffith Show. And here I have produced some of my best work, be it music, writing or animation. We have been reunited after a few years apart. I feel it’s a definite step in the right direction for me.

The windows are open, with fresh air trickling in with its health-fortifying properties. A pot of chili is on the stove in my classic cast iron Dutch oven. The Hanson Christmas album — Snowed In — is on the hi-fi. I will soon shower and shave, and head out into the world to make magic.

I’m going to start writing here more often. A few times a week, for my own good.

For those of you who are unaware, the great Gilbert O’Sullivan realized a dream of his this year, recording tracks for his new album in Nashville, Tennessee. Like any great artist, Gilbert always challenges himself to try different things, going out of his comfort zone to produce material that is fresh and wonderful. Well, Gilbert’s huge trek clearly paid off in huge dividends. His new songs are amazing!

To hear three samples of what is to come, just visit HERE, at Gilbert’s official web site. I think you’ll agree he’s getting better all the time!

Sometimes you forget how fun the simple, old-fashioned things can be. In our society, where we think we always have to move forward, it’s refreshing to step back and reflect upon some of the things that we have (foolishly) allowed to fall of the radar.

Case in point: melodrama.

I had heard about the All-American Melodrama through a friend of mine several months back. I loved the very notion of it, for it reminded me of shows I used to see as a child at places like Frontier Village, or silent movies, where they played to specific emotions. And, of course, I’m crazy about the shows Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe. I knew it was a matter of time before I headed down that way. And this past Sunday, I finally did it.

The operation is located in Long Beach, at Shoreline Village. It’s a fun tourist spot, with plenty of things to do and see. You can hunker down on a bench and get a grand view of the Queen Mary as you nibble on a freshly-made churro, or go on the merry-go-round. If you arrive early (and I suggest you do), it’s just a chance to double your fun.

I traveled down their with Loren Javier, who’s ideas on things of this nature are quite simpatico with my own. We were the first ones in the door, and we were warmly greeted by the crew. Immediately we felt like we were a part of the show, and knew that everybody there meant it when they said it was an “interactive experience.” This isn’t off-putting in any way, but rather made us feel much more at ease.

Inside, it looks exactly like you would expect an old melodrama theater to look, with lots of honeyed wood, cafe tables with checkered cloths, theatrical and whimsical do-dads galore, and an old-fashioned stage curtain as the focal point. Everything feels old-fashioned and homey — new, but very familiar. Obviously, a lot of thought was put into making this all come together.

Their menu is pretty large, with decent pricing throughout, and they really have a little of something for everybody. I love to get the more offbeat, as always, so I ordered a Frito Boat (Fritos corn chips smothered in chili and cheese) as well as a Pizza Dog (a hot dog covered in rich tomato sauce and mozzarella), along with a bottle of sturdy Hefeweizen. Portions were really sizable — I barely got through my monster order. But, most importantly, the food is REALLY good, made with love and care (and you all know how picky I am about food quality!). I would have felt foolish if I ordered food outside of here.

Everybody in attendance was in a mood for fun. Loren and I plopped ourselves right up next to the stage, ready for anything. I felt like I was a little kid going to a play for the first time, and I don’t think I was the only one, for that type of environment tends to bring out a giddy quality in all of us.

But the big this is this: the show was an absolute blast! Their current show is called “Space Trek,” a spirited, cheeky, witty romp that merges together two beloved sci-fi franchises (Star Trek and Star Wars) into one focused evening of hilarity. It was fun, hammy, charming and unabashedly hokey — proof that melodrama can work beautifully in a modern context.

The fact that you get to be a part of the show (cheering the hero, booing the villain) just takes it to another place altogether. Few of us, in this day and age, ever get to participate this this kind of theater. The experience was not only fun, it was cathartic. Even the most reserved members of the audience let their hair down to participate.

The performers didn’t need to use sarcasm, foul language or subversive content in order to get over with the crowd — they did it with pure talent and lots of energy. These folks know you don’t need to “dumb down” your content in order to make it accessible for a wide audience, for all it takes is exercising that woefully underutilized muscle all performers should have: creativity. It’s all in the way you deliver the line and express the emotion.

And what a talented crew! The All-American Melodrama brings together some of the best musical and improvisational talents in southern California, many who are regulars at such iconic stages as the Bird Cage Theater at Knott’s Berry Farm, and the Golden Horseshoe. It’s really hard to give a better endorsement than that!

“Space Trek” was book-ended by a sing-along and a sweet and likable send-up of summer camp. They were the perfect accompaniments to an already terrific evening.

I genuinely laughed out loud at what I saw, and had a much better experience than I ever could have anticipated. The whole operation is just like a family, who genuinely appreciate your support. They truly give back more than your ticket price ever could have paid for… and that says a lot in this day and age!

I wholeheartedly endorse the All-American Melodrama, and hope you make the journey out to Long Beach for a wonderful evening of entertainment. You’ll be glad you did!

The All-American Melodrama Theater & Music Hall
429 Shoreline Village Drive
Long Beach, Ca 90802
www.allamericanmelodrama.com

Steve, the most tenured driver on Main Street, USA at Disneyland, is famous for being in the fire truck, and only the fire truck. However, today I saw what I NEVER thought I would see in my life: Steve in the red car, wearing the period suit to match!

Here’s the cartoon I did for Gilbert O’Sullivan that toured with him in 2008, and will be shown again at the Royal Albert Hall show in London this October. I figured since he had it on his web site, I can show it on mine. Until now, I have pretty much kept this thing under wraps.