Polari Interview (December 7, 2009)

Doug Morris and I talked about making them not exclude people who don’t buy the Christian ideology hook, line and sinker. That was really the beginning, along with writing some originals. He talked to me about that, about the challenge of getting him to like them as well as someone like my mom, who is a Christian.

Polari Magazine’s Christopher Bryant spoke to Tori the morning after last week’s special concert at The Jazz Cafe and the interview was posted on their website today. In it, they discuss that performance, performing in general, The Light Princess and, in some more detail than other recent interviews, Midwinter Graces.

read more...

Absolute Radio's Christmas Zoo Session Is Up!

The Christmas Zoo Session recorded last week at the House of St. Banabus Chapel is now online for your streaming pleasure at AbosluteRadio.co.uk. The video stream includes three of the four songs performed during the seesion: “A Silent Night With You,” “Pink and Glitter” and “Winter.” The session should also be broadcast on Absolute Radio at 7:00 PM GMT — that’s just under a hour from when this article is being posted.

Absolute Radio has also added several photographs taken at the session to their photo gallery.

Thanks to Josh for catching this!

Live at The Artists Den Taping This Week

Everything Tori has announced that Tori will be taping an episode for the television program Live from the Artists Den in New York City on Wednesday, December 9th.

You can win a chance to be in the audience at the taping by entering this contest at The Artists Den website. While the location of the taping is, unsurprisingly, a secret, the time appears to be one as well. In any event, winners will be notified by e-mail and details sent to them before the show.

eTown Taping Today

Just a reminder that the taping for the eTown Holiday Show takes place this evening at the Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center. Tickets are still available from Ticketmaster so if you are in or around New York City and have the evening free, this is the best chance to see Tori performing songs from Midwinter Graces as the Soundcheck broadcast on Wednesday is rather sold out.

If you are going, please remember to arrive on time as the live recording may restrict admission once the show begins. Doors are at 7:00 PM and the show will start promptly at 8:00 PM.

At this time, we do not know if there will be a meet and greet before the show. Since this is a special performance that’s not part of a tour but is part of a week of promotion for the record, one would guess that there are other things planned for this afternoon…but you never know. If there is one, it will probably be mid-to-late afternoon before soundcheck. If we hear anything either way, we’ll let you know.

Finally, due to illness, Jesse Winchester has had to back out of the show. Loudon Wainwright III will be taking his place

Open Auditions For "The Vagina Monologues" In Connecticut

Temple Symonds is producing a performance of The Vagina Monologues in February 2010 in Glastonbury, CT, to benefit RAINN. Auditions are being held Sunday, December 6th, 2009.

Until the Violence Stops

When Temple Symonds was 21, she didn’t know that being forced to the ground and screamed at was abuse. “I knew it wasn’t normal behavior, but I didn’t call it abuse. I just knew I had to get out of there.”

Inspired by her twelve-year journey to understand the impact of abuse on her life, the yoga instructor is producing The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler at Sacred Rivers Yoga in Glastonbury, CT on February 13, 2010. The play is renowned for it’s inspirational impact in the fight against violence against women.

Symonds sees producing the play as an opportunity to help take the shame out of being abused. “By owning our experiences,” she said, “we can move past them and transform them into strong foundations for growth.”

Open auditions for sixteen female readers will be on Sunday December 6th, 2009 from 6-8 pm at Sacred Rivers Yoga. Auditions will consist of reading from the script and group exercises. Additionally, there are opportunities for men and women to volunteer behind-the-scenes for this fundraiser for RAINN (Rape and Incest National Network). For further information, contact Temple Symonds.

Absolute Radio Christmas Zoo Session Recorded Today

Absolute Radio recorded their several of their Christmas Zoo Sessions today — including one by Tori — at the chapel at the House of St. Banabus in Soho. Per Rami, who got the news from Rachel, Tori played four songs: “A Silent Night With You,” “Star of Wonder,” “Pink and Glitter” and “Winter.” If anyone was lucky enough to attend, we’d love to hear about the performance — please leave a comment in the Tour section.

We’re not 100% sure when the session will be broadcast (or webcast, as the case may be) but Absolute Radio lists Tori as a guest on Geoff Lloyd’s Hometime Show for Monday, December 7th at 7:00 PM GMT so that seems the likely candidate!

Connecting Tori to the World

The latest newsletter from ToriAmos.com included one additional upcoming promotional appearance that we didn’t already know about: Tori will be the Connector of the Day on CNN’s Connect the World hosted by Becky Anderson on Wednesday, December 9th.

The program airs weekday afternoons on CNN International. Tori is slated to be on during the second half of the show, around 4:30 PM Eastern. Video of the appearance should be available on their website after the fact for those who don’t have access to the channel or miss it.

A Silent Night With Alan Titchmarsh

Tori appeared on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV yesterday afternoon, performing “A Silent Night With You,” accompanied by a string quartet.

The entire program is available on the ITV Player for the next month, but that video stream is only available to those in the United Kingdom. For the rest of us, it’s YouTube to the rescue!

Thanks to Andrew, Eva, Melissae and Carina for the tip!

Mopping Up After the BBC

Despite the description on Janice Long’s Radio 2 website, Tori did not appear on the program on Thursday morning as advertised. However, towards the end of her show, Janice did say that she would be interviewing Tori later during the day and that their discussion would be broadcast over the next couple weeks.

On the other hand, Tori did pop in on Shaun Keaveny’s BBC 6 Music program this morning to talk about Midwinter Graces. You can stream the entire show for the next week if, like me, you didn’t know about it until after the fact. The interview starts around the 2 hour 15 minute mark of the three hour program and lasts about 15 minutes with “A Silent Night With You” played at the end of it.

Additionally, she made an appearance on Robert Elms’ BBC London show yesterday, December 3rd to talk up the record. In addition to chatting about the album, “Star of Wonder” and “A Silent Night With You.” As with the Keaveny interview, the show is archived for a week for those that missed it. The interview starts around two and a half hours into the program but you can jump right to it using the new “chapter” feature of the BBC iPlayer — Merry Christmas!

Thanks to Nina Miller and Alice for catching the BBC 6 Music and London appearances!

Strings of Wonder

Tori’s string arranger, John Philip Shenale, has posted some notes and thoughts on his blog about the work done for “Star of Wonder” from Midwinter Graces. It’s interesting insight into one of the stand-out tracks from the record — thanks to Devin for pointing out the post!