There are shows where my so-called critical faculties are completely subsumed by one single and solitary thought: You are so wonderful. Accompanied by foolishly delighted grin, all night long. That pretty much describes last night's GBS Iowa show for me.
Still the same single and solitary thought in my mind this morning. Still the same foolishly delighted grin too. All the way to Chicago, all the way to Ottawa...all the way to wherever the wonderful leads.
Video Evidence Of Wonderful:
Yesterday was the day Alan was finally able to publicly announce his Big News (part of his Big News, that is - one of the best things about great news for a wonderful fellow is that there is almost always more to come, all in its own time) about his having won a role - that of troubadour Allan A'Dayle - in the upcoming Russell Crowe/Cate Blanchett/Ridley Scott film about Robin Hood. As always, Alan the Author tells it best in his own words:
Alan's From The Road
Tour Diary - March 5, 2009 - Cedar Falls, Iowa - On the Bus
First of all let me say that I’m sad to hear Steve Page is leaving the Ladies, but wish him and the remaining lads well in their endeavors. With their talents and energy, I am sure we’ll be hearing a lot from all hands for a long time to come.
Now to get some news off my chest. I’m terrible at keeping secrets, so this announcement comes with great relief. Yours truly has been cast as the Troubadour, Allan A’Dayle in the new Universal Pictures Untitled Robin Hood Film. The film is to star Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, and to be directed by Ridley Scott. If you recall, I had to scoot to LA after the big fundraising gig in Toronto last December. I went, Lute in hand, to read and sing for the part and must have done all right, as I’ve been offered and accepted the gig.
For a number of days prior to and following the BNL Cruise, I was in Australia with Russell, and some of the other Merry Men, training in Horse Riding, Archery, Weapons Training and a few other skills required for the role. It was great fun, I must say, to look at your schedule for the day and have it read like a 12 year old boy’s fantasy; bows and arrows at 10am, sword fighting at 11am etc.
Like all good things, this opportunity comes with some sacrifice. GBS will have to bow out of this year’s Merlefest, Chautauqua and Iowa Irish Festival gigs, as the film’s shooting schedule does not allow me to make it to the Festivals from the sets in the UK. Too bad, as we all wanted to join up with the long list of heralded music at those events. The organizers have been very understanding and all hands hope we can make it there as soon as possible, maybe even 2010.
Filming should take up the bulk of the second quarter of 2009, so our March concerts in the US and the Canadian Dates with Spirit of the West will be the last chance to see us for a few months. It will be business as usual in the GBS camp in the second half of this year as we plan to tour and record as per normal.
I am very grateful to the Cast and Crew of GBS for their permission and support for this sabbatical, and hope you’ll continue to join me here as I hope to post regular blogs throughout the film shoot. Don’t expect me to give away the plot or anything, but I hope to share as much of this experience as possible with everyone who enjoys this diary.
Should be fun.
Cheers,
Alan
A few more articles about Newfoundland's newest film star:
When Russell Crowe sallies forth from Sherwood Forest to rob from the rich and give to the poor, a Newfoundland balladeer will play his most musical merry man.
Warner Music announed Thursday that Alan Doyle, singer and multi-instrumentalist for the Celtic rock band Great Big Sea, will play the minstrel Allan A’Dayle in an upcoming film about Robin Hood. Expected for release in 2010, it will be directed by Ridley Scott and star Crowe as the legendary English outlaw opposite Cate Blanchett’s Maid Marian. Originally conceived as a zany retelling of the folk story, the project has reportedly since morphed into a more straightforward tale of derring-do.
“It’s a great role and a good opportunity,” said Doyle, reached by cellphone Thursday as he prepared for a Great Big Sea gig in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Doyle met Crowe while the Australian actor was in Toronto filming Cinderella Man in 2005. The pair became friends and musical collaborators; Doyle produced and helped write songs for Crowe’s 2005 album My Hand, My Heart.
Doyle said yesterday Crowe had a little something to do with his being cast in the movie, which is going by the title Robin Hood for now. “Over a year ago, Russell mentioned the possibility that there could be a role for a musician, someone who could play Celtic instruments and play ballads and stuff.”
Though he doesn’t know for certain, Doyle imagines Crowe pulled some strings to get him the part as the lute-strumming merry man. “If you’re working on a new house and you have friends who know how to plaster, you hire your friends who can plaster. If you’re doing a movie and you need a dude who can play the lute, you phone your friend who can play the lute.”
The musician, who will be acting in a major Hollywood picture for the first time, doesn’t yet know if he’ll be asked to contribute his songwriting skills to the project.
Nor does he know much about the script yet. Noting that Allan A’Dayle isn’t normally a major factor in the plot of Robin Hood adaptations, Doyle hoped for a bigger role for the minstrel. “I think it should be bigger, don’t you?”
Doyle said filming starts the first week of April in London. In the meantime, Great Big Sea has a set of nine Canadian dates coming up from March 11 to 26, with Spirit of the West also on the bill for the first eight. For details visit greatbigsea.com.
[Photo: Alan Doyle plays Ottawa with Great Big Sea last year. Wayne Cuddington / Ottawa Citizen]
And this from yesterday's Telegram:
Alan Doyle to play role in Russell Crowe/Ridley Scott movie
The Telegram
Great Big Sea singer Alan Doyle has been added to the cast of the Russell Crowe/Ridley Scott movie, playing Troubadour Allan A’Dayle.
The movie, which is untitled as of yet, is a Robin Hood adventure film set during the time of Richard the Lionheart. Local actor Gordon Pinsent is also set to star in the film, as a character called Sir Walter.
“I wanted Friar Tuck, but I guess I didn’t put on enough weight,” Pinsent told The Telegram with a laugh in December.
The movie, which will be filmed in London, England, was supposed to have started production last fall, but was postponed until the spring due to a looming strike of the Screen Actors’ Guild.
“I am so excited to work with Russell and Ridley and all the cast and crew. This is certain to be the ride of a lifetime. Hang on,” Doyle said in a media statement.
Crowe is a longtime supporter of Great Big Sea, having written the song “Company of Fools” for their latest album, “Fortune’s Favour.” Doyle produced and co-wrote several songs on Crowe’s album, “My Hand, My Heart,” and has played a number of shows with his band, The Ordinary Fear of God.
Great Big Sea will be touring Canada this month, stopping at Mile One Centre March 14
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As spectacular an opportunity as this is for Alan and as great as I am sure he is going to be doing this (not a bit of doubt about it) - and with all of the excellent PR the opportunity is going to bring back to GBS - I think the part of it I am currently enjoying the very most is the thought of how much fun he had while getting to be the delighted boy learning his feats of derring-do at Merry Men Training Camp on Russell's farm, days filled with horseback-riding and swordplay and bows and arrows, Boy Play at its diligent best. I love those images, love the thought of his laughter and excitement. Such laughter and excitement, delight and fun, creative challenge and artistic reward (with plenty of song-writing time budgeted in too - lots and lots of waiting involved in filming) could not happen to a more deserving man. Every time I think it's not possible to be any more proud of him, he finds a way to prove otherwise. To raise the bar, as it were.
Like an arrow in flight...Oh Yeah.
Alan makes a very good point in expressing his gratitude to all the other members of the GBS Cast and Crew for their support; there's inarguable impact on schedules and incomes and it is generous and understanding of everyone to agree that this is an opportunity that is great for Alan, and quite possibly for GBS as well in the long run. Alan's probably got his fair share of (moderately) good-natured abuse ahead of him because of this, but that's a customary and expected price to pay for such a grand adventure; Alan is much better than most anyone when it comes to paying a fair price for what he desires.
As for Russell, he just keeps on climbing higher and higher in my estimation. This was something I've been hoping he'd suggest to Alan for the past few years. Now, all Russell has left to do to hit the top spot spot on my list (well, perhaps the second-highest spot) is to follow up with a suggestion that Alan write the soundtrack for the next film and then persuade the Dearest Sweet-Faced Troubadour Rock Star Guitar God back out onto the road with his own The Ordinary Fear Of God. Oh yes, another Alan Doyle-produced TOFOG CD full of more excellent Crowe/Doyle co-writes would be lovely. That's not such a tall order, now is it? Not for Russell Crowe, whose grasp is ever commensurate with his reach. As is Alan's.
I have to go get packed up for the trek to Chicago, but a few quick words about last night's show first. Yes, I was totally wrapped up in The Wonderful, with foolish grin as proof, but I did still notice a thing or two about this show, chief among them being how cute the folks in the two rows ahead of me (most of them season subscribers, I'm guessing) were. This was one of the older GBS-show audiences, and there is something absolutely adorable about watching Alan charm and beguile the senior set up out of their seats for a dance or two. The couple directly in front of me was having a blast - missus was very reluctant to leave, lingering to catch the last encore - and one darling old gent up in the left-hand box was out-dancing those half his age.
I haven't been in that audience demographic for a GBS show in quite some time, and I loved watching the Wooing and the Winning of the Audience even more than usual. Nobody does it better, even to the point of managing to pull off the Pizza Porn routine ("Excuse me, ladies, but somebody's going to have pay for this pizza"), to laughter all around from those one might not have expected to find it quite so funny. Now that is the power of irresistible charm.
I've got a few more videos to upload from this show (including an unusual General Taylor with a Ladybug Rescue intro), but those are going to have to wait till later. Since HOB will most likely keep to their customary camera ban, I can finish up the Iowa videos next entry. I'll try to get backlogged comments up and responded to as well. Until then, I'll be the one with the foolishly delighted grin on my face and the You are so wonderfullook in my eyes, bedazzled by and admiring the sky-high trajectory of that beautiful arrow in flight.
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